J.D. Barker Archive -

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Nov172016

How to Listen to Audiobooks on your Apple Watch

Most people know me for my fiction, I’m not one to typically put up a blog post on some random, far reaching topic. I don’t do product reviews or share the innermost workings of my personal life via social media. In fact, after combing through the other posts on the blog portion of my site, I was unable to find a single other on a topic unrelated to writing. That was nearly enough for me to hit the delete key and put a quick end to this block of text but as my finger hovered over that key, I remembered why I wanted to do this in the first place.

I searched far and wide and found very little information on this particular topic and in a world where literally all information is right at our fingertips, that simply won’t do. Somebody had to dip their toe in the water first, that might as well be me.

A little backstory first. For those of you non-readers, the ones who came here just for the techno-info, I’m sorry about this, but the writer in me can’t simply post instructions. Like any other, this is a story with a beginning, middle, and end, and with that, comes a little back story, character development, and scene setting. I can’t avoid it. You should see my grocery list; it looks like an entry from NaNoWriMo.

I devour books. At any given moment, I’m in the middle of two hardcovers, an ebook on my Kindle, and I have at least one book queued up in the Audible app on my iPhone. Depending on where I am, I pick up whatever is closest. For obvious reasons, Audible is my go-to when in the car and when I’m out exercising.

This is Dakota the Fluffer Wolf.

He’s a five year old Siberian Husky and an avid Pittsburgh Steeler fan. He enjoys long walks on the beach, sidewalk, or through the middle of the woods at a brisk pace with his humans chasing close behind. Somehow during his four years on this planet, he learned to tell time and each day at exactly 4 P.M. he locates either me or his mother and insists on taking one of us for a walk. He doesn’t care who, as long as there is adult participation. Also, if you’ve ever seen us on the street, it is very clear that he is walking us. I hold no delusions about this and I’m happy to go. When your daily commute to work is ten feet from your bedroom and you spend the day behind a desk, exercise is a must. Unless, of course, you’re Jabba the Hutt, then it’s optional.

As I mentioned, on these walks I grab my iPhone and my bluetooth headset and hold onto that leash with all my strength as he pulls me along for a good three or four miles. Keeping up with a dog bred to pull a sled eight hours a day is no easy feat, he’s got some serious energy. When I say we walk, it’s more like a crazy run, jog, walk, sprint. Holding onto that leash while also maintaining possession of my iPhone is another difficult task. I dropped my share in the early years and was a frequent visitor to Apple’s Genius Bar for repairs. Over the past year, I resorted to an armband and nearly considered one of those fanny packs. These were dark days.

When Apple announced their second generation watch would come with 8GB of storage, I got a little excited. That’s more than enough room for an audiobook or two, right? I placed an order and waited for my shiny new toy to arrive. When it did, I configured my watch face, got it just the way I like it. Programmed in my workout data, and browsed through all the apps (which conveniently loaded from my iPhone the moment I paired the two). At first I thought I missed the Audible app, the icons on the watch are small, after all, easily missed. After a thorough run-through I realized it wasn’t there. I visited the Audible site in search of a watch download and sadly learned they didn’t have an app for the Apple Watch.

What?!?

Being the glass half full kind of guy that I am, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. They didn’t create an app for the first generation watch because it wouldn’t have worked. They’re probably hard at work on an app for the Apple Watch 2, maybe they’ll even get it out in time for the holidays.

What do I do in the meantime?

I’d really like to go on those walks mentioned above with nothing but my headphones, Apple Watch, and the dog, can’t forget the dog. How though? I searched the interwebs far and wide and found numerous Franken-fixes. This is the easiest solution I could find and it works, but it takes a little doing:

Go to your local library and check out an audiobook on CD (silver discs, can be placed in a device to produce sound with fairly good accuracy)
Load the CD into iTunes on your Mac or PC
Create a playlist called APPLE WATCH
Load the audiobook files into your new playlist
Sync this playlist with your iPhone via iCloud or a cable
Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone > Music > Synced Music > Select your APPLE WATCH playlist (it should say “Sync Pending”)
Attach your Apple Watch to its charger with your iPhone within bluetooth range
Wait for it to sync (took me about 10 minutes for one book)
Be sure shuffle is turned off on your Apple Watch (because that would just suck)
Play your audiobook!

Note: If you use iCloud to sync, make sure all the tracks upload to the cloud successfully and download to your phone successfully before you sync your Apple Watch. If a track is grayed out on iTunes, right-click and upload it again. If a track is grayed out on your iPhone, make sure it upload properly from iTunes. Nothing worse than a missing track on an audiobook (unless, of course, you skipped the step above about turning off shuffle, because that would be worse).

Additional Note: Keep an eye on your track names within the playlist. Because iTunes will sort these in alpha order, they may not appear in the correct order. I’ve found that when you have more than ten disks, iTunes likes to order them as: Disk 1, Disk 10, Disk 11, Disk 2… so disks 10 and higher need to be moved manually to the correct place in the playlist.

That’s it. Until the kind folks at Audible decide to grace us with an app, this is the best solution out there. I know it’s not pretty, but it works. If you know of a better way, by all means, post it in the comments below.

It’s three minutes after four and my dog is not happy. There’s no valid excuse for tardiness.

On a side note, if you’re looking for a little something to listen to, ask your librarian about this one:

Or this one, due out in June 2017:

Good luck!

Oct192016

A Note from J.D. – The Fourth Monkey

First of all, I need to apologize. It’s been a long time since I wrote to you. Much longer than I would have hoped and there’s really no good excuse. Time goes by fast and it’s important to stay in touch, even if it’s just a simple note to let people know you’re still out there somewhere and all is well.

Let me assure you, I am still out there and all IS well. All is BETTER than well.

When I wrote Forsaken a few years back and put it out in the wild, I had hoped a few people might pick it up and enjoy it, maybe tell one or two friends, possibly drop me a line to tell me I added a little light to an otherwise dull day. Better yet, write to tell me they had to turn on a light at the dead of night to scare off the shadows my words caused to scurry about. That’s all any writer really wants – to know they made some kind of impact, left an impression.

I never expected Stephen King to grant me permission to use one of his characters from Needful Things in the book.

I never expected Bram Stoker’s family to read that book, contact me, and ask me to co-author a prequel to Dracula using Bram Stoker’s original notes.

I never expected Forsaken to hit numerous bestseller lists or go to #2 on Audible.

I never expected any of it. Yet…

It’s funny how words can change things, the power they have. The right words can create a place, they can introduce us to new people, they can build a world we want to visit. They can make us laugh and they can frighten us. Words can change a life – they changed mine.

I am unbelievably honored and humbled by the fact that you welcomed my words into your life, that we’re taking this journey together. And I can promise you one thing – if you’re willing to hang on, it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

The sequel to Forsaken is coming soon. The Dracula prequel is just around the corner. You see, I may not have written to you recently, but I have been writing. I’ve been writing a lot. I never stopped and there are some big things cooking in the kitchen.

Before those two books hit the shelves, I’ve got something special I want to share with you. Something I think you’re gonna like.

I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine. It’s better you meet from a distance, I think. He’s not someone you’d want to meet up close. He goes by 4MK, and he’s been a bad boy.

The Fourth Monkey – Now Available Worldwide

Se7en meets The Silence of the Lambs in this dark and twisting novel from the author Jeffery Deaver called, “A talented writer with a delightfully devious mind.”

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Over 1000 5-Star reviews on GoodReads! | Optioned for film and television! | Named one of iBooks Most Anticipated Thrillers of 2017! | Voted one of the best Mystery/Thrillers of 2017 by the GoodReads Choice Awards! | #1 Bestseller on Audible!

For over five years, the Four Monkey Killer has terrorized the residents of Chicago. When his body is found, the police quickly realize he was on his way to deliver one final message, one which proves he has taken another victim who may still be alive.

As the lead investigator on the 4MK task force, Detective Sam Porter knows even in death, the killer is far from finished. When he discovers a personal diary in the jacket pocket of the body, Porter finds himself caught up in the mind of a psychopath, unraveling a twisted history in hopes of finding one last girl, all while struggling with personal demons of his own.

With only a handful of clues, the elusive killer’s identity remains a mystery. Time is running out and the Four Monkey Killer taunts from beyond the grave in this masterfully written fast-paced thriller.

Order The Fourth Monkey

U.S.

U.K.

Hardcover: Amazon | Waterstones
eBook: Amazon
AudioBook: Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Signed copies are available through Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley, PA – they will ship worldwide!

Goodreads – Add to Want to Read

Read an Excerpt

Praise for The Fourth Monkey

Named one of iBooks most anticipated thrillers of summer 2017!

“The Fourth Monkey has one of the most ingenious openings that I’ve read in years. This thriller never disappoints.”
—James Patterson, #1 NY Times Bestselling Author

“Superbly constructed and immaculately paced, this is one of the few serial killer thrillers that bears comparison with Thomas Harris’s 1981 masterpiece Red Dragon.”
—Daily Mail

“Bram Stoker Award finalist Barker ingeniously blends horrific images into a bizarre plotline to create this devilishly dark thriller.”
—Library Journal

“…Nice twists on classic thriller tropes.”
—Publisher’s Weekly

“Not since Hannibal Lecter had a friend for dinner has a serial killer been so skillfully rendered on the page.”
—Taylor Elmore, Writer/Producer of Justified and Limitless

“J.D. Barker’s second novel is a terrifying romp.”
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“If you like fast-paced, disturbing thrillers, this is the summer read for you!”
—BookRiot

“Scary, stomach churning, and utterly addictive, this has to be one of 2017 most exciting thrillers.”
—Lancashire Post

“Creepy, scary . . . and impossible to put down! The Fourth Monkey is everything a thriller should be—a must read!”
—Heather Graham, NY Times Bestselling Author

“Intense, disturbing and relentlessly suspenseful, “The Fourth Monkey” is a dark and wildly entertaining novel.”
—Plattsburgh Press Republican

“In the tradition of SE7EN and THE USUAL SUSPECTS, THE FOURTH MONKEY combines breakneck speed with a baffling puzzle. It has pace to die for.”
—David Morrell, New York Times Bestselling Author of Murder As a Fine Art and First Blood

“A highly recommended and beguiling page-turning thriller that is both disturbing and immensely entertaining.”
—New York Journal of Books

“A chillingly delicious page-turner.”
—Kelley Armstrong, NY Times Bestselling Author

“THE FOURTH MONKEY will keep you up all night …reading.”
—Lansing State Journal

“Gritty, masterful suspense…Lee Child, you’ve met your match.”
—Tosca Lee, NY Times Bestselling Author

“Brilliant. Complicated. Psychopath. This character is truly riveting.”
—Marc Webb, Director of The Amazing Spiderman, Gifted, & (500) Days of Summer

“A first-rate, devilish thriller.”
—Eric Rickstad, NY Times Bestselling Author of The Names of Dead Girls and The Silent Girls

“A state of the art thriller, a current nightmare, a panic wrapped up in a box.”
—Josh Malerman, Award Winning Author of Bird Box

“Serial killers in fiction are a dime a dozen these days, and it takes a powerful lot of thought and crafty planning to come up with one who’s unique. In THE FOURTH MONKEY Barker does just that — and gives us more than one. And he bounces his bad guys off a colorful cast of believable characters. For you puzzle fans, there’s a story within the story as strange and twisty as the tale itself. But make no mistake, this is a suspense novel through and through, and it’s in no way shy about it.”
—Jack Ketchum, Award Winning Author of Off Season and The Girl Next Door

“This book is seriously brilliant: the best serial killer thriller I’ve ever read.”
—Lisa Milton, Executive Editor HarperCollins HQ

“Absolutely freaking brilliant! I didn’t want this book to end but what a fantastic finish! This is going to be THE crime thriller of 2017.”
—Maxine Groves, Top Amazon and GoodReads Reviewer

“Gripping, addictive, and devilishly clever. From its opening salvo The Fourth Monkey grabs you and never lets go. J. D. Barker is a stunning new talent.”
—Barry Lancet, award-winning author of Tokyo Kill and Pacific Burn

“Fascinating, fast-paced thriller. J.D. Barker keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the final twist. A gripping read!”
—R.G. Belsky, author of the Gil Malloy thrillers

“In THE FOURTH MONKEY, J.D. Barker interweaves multiple mysteries into an exhilarating thriller with a compelling new villain. The complexity of the puzzles and the lighting pace funnels the reader through a Rube Goldberg contraption of twists and turns. Buckle yourself in and have fun!”
—Alex Dolan, author of THE EUTHANIST

“A daring, fearless, in your face read…an easy five stars for me, no hesitation.”
— Novel Gossip

“A relentless thrill ride that allows readers not only inside the mind of the killer, but of the man committed to outsmarting him this one last time.
— For the Love of Books

“You NEED this on your radar.”
— Reading in Between The Lines

“Genuinely fascinating…WOW, the ending was unbelievably brilliant.”
— Book Polar

“The Fourth Monkey is creepy, atmospheric and completely compelling.”
— Bibliophile Book Club

“Intensely vivid…it’s creepy and it’s startling, but it’s also addictive.”
— Eccentric Trilogy

“Reminiscent of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, I’m adding Barker to my must-read novelists.”
— The Write Lovers

“Dark and twisted…a MUST read.”
— Bound4Escape

“The Verdict: a twisted, movie-worthy serial killer thriller.”
— Crime by the Book

“Dark, dirty and downright gritty, this was a clear five star read! For those of you who have the stomach for it, pre-order it now! For the more feint-hearted amongst you, pre-order it now and read it through the gaps in your fingers. This is a book not to be missed!”
— The World is a Book

“It’s creepy and vicious, in a very IT clown staring up at you from a drain, kind of way.”
— Cheryl Imm

“Terrifying. A lot of people are going to be talking about this book…five stars.”
— Hooked From Page One

“A MUST READ.”
— Anthony Avina

“From the very opening page to the dramatic, tantalising conclusion, this is a book which will grab your attention and hang onto it with grim determination through every twist and turn.”
— British Bookworm

“Sheer brilliance from start to finish. A must have read.”
— Barney’s

“This book lives up to the hype.”
— Clues and Reviews

“…has the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster.”
— The Book Review Cafe

“A masterful first crime fiction novel that is perfect for fans of Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs.”
— The Real Book Spy

“A must read for all detective/thriller lovers!”
— The Story Collector

“A humdinger of a serial killer thriller in sheer overdrive!”
— Love Reading

“The Fourth Monkey is a haunting piece of graphic, psychological dark fiction.”
— A Magical World of Words

“OMG This is good stuff!!! Sensational and shocking.”
— Books from Dusk till Dawn

“What a blooming cracker of a story this is!”
— It’s All About the Books

“It is nicely twisty, beautifully executed and has a brilliant cliffhanger at the end. I loved it!”
—The Crime Warp

“A must read.”
—The Book Whisperer

“Any books that draw a comparison to Silence of the Lambs and Se7en I approach with great caution, they rarely live up to the hype, but The Fourth Monkey does. It is really that great.”
—Feminisia Book Reviews

“Impressively written with a chillingly sinister storyline that kept me reading late into the night.”
—Mistimoo Book Reviews

“A novel which stabs you, twists the knife and leaves you reeling.”
—The Book Trail

“Oh my, this is a sensational rattlesnake-strike of a read!”
—Love Reading

“Gripping from the off, this is one tense and fast paced read and a definite must read for crime lovers.”
—By The Letter

“This one lived up to the hype surrounding it and I could not put it down.”
—Jessica Map Reviews

“Holy crap on a cracker, people – this book is GOOD!”
—Where The Reader Grows

“This book is simply fantastic: chilling, disturbing, a brilliant complex plot brought to life.”
—Have Books Will Read

“This is seriously going to be the most talked about books of the year!”
—The Book Magnet

“Do I recommend this book? You bet your sweet arse I do!”
—Crime Book Junkie

“The ending was perfection really.”
—Tomes and Tequila

“I loved this. It is so beautifully twisted that I don’t even have a word for it. I banged through it, unable to look away, often freaking out slightly, J D Barker writes with such visceral reality that you just fall into it stuck between horrified and fascinated.”
—Liz Loves Books

“So far I would have to say that this is the best book I have read for 2017 (it also beats any book that I read in 2016). To J.D. Barker, I would have to say, I applaud you Sir on this masterpiece.”
—An Attic Full of Books

“The Fourth Monkey is a chilling thriller that is compulsively readable and offers up plenty of twists and turns that make it an essential addition to your summer reading list.”
—The Horror Bookshelf

“[Barker] crosses lines other writers won’t and that is a wonderful thing.”
—Damp Pebbles

“Chilling, thrilling and nerve tickling!”
—Liis Thinks

“It’s creepy, it’s dark and it’s so much fun to read, leaving you gasping for air.”
—Snazzy Books

“This book is so terrifying, suspenseful, and demented….and I absolutely LOVED it!!”
—Kristin’s Novel Cafe

“A taut and tight psychological thriller.”
—Jaffa Reads Too

“Reminded me of one of my favorite movies, “The Bone Collector”. A fast read…intense.”
—Book Queen Reviews

“As good as Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, if not better.”
—Joanna Elm

“Hands down my favorite fiction of the year and I am ready for what’s next from the devious mind of J D Barker.”
—My Big Honkin Blog

“I don’t think I can shout my praise any louder for this book, so many twists and unexpected points, I probably swore in surprise several times throughout, there’s no way this book cant get lower than a 5/5 from me, I can definitely see it being a big crime/thriller of this year.”
—A Book’s Eternal Glory

“I was blown away. This is amazing.”
—Sparkle Books

“Exceptionally well crafted. A real dark page turner, but one that retains a sense of twisted fun; one to devour.”
—Nudge Books

“The most shocking thriller of 2017!”
—Swirl and Thread

“Devoured it… a phenomenal and gripping read.”
—The Tattooed Book Geek

“Barker is one of my ‘finds’ for 2017 and I will be adding him to my author list. Definitely not a book to miss.”
—CrimeSquad

“Barker is a gifted writer and storyteller. One of my favorite reads of 2017.”
—Just Another Bookish Opinion

“Holy moly! This was a bloody brilliant book. I hate saying ‘I couldn’t put it down’ because that phrase is so over used, but really, I could not put it down. This was a fantastic book and it has to be one of my most enjoyable thriller reads to date.”
—Emmas Bookish Corner

“It’s creepy and twisty and has definite shades of Jeffrey Deaver. Definitely falls into the ‘page-turner’ category, The Fourth Monkey is highly recommended.”
—Expresso Coco

“Woah! What. A. Book. Literally speechless, it’s that good.”
—El’s Book Reviews

“This book was excellent, a comment that I actually said out loud to myself at one point whilst reading!”
—Josie Jaffrey

“You will not be disappointed with this book. A fantastic story and thrilling read!”
—David Savage

“Definitely lives up to the hype. Brilliantly crafted.”
—Gems Quiet Corner

“Mystery lovers looking for a dark story will have something to sink their teeth into with this book.”
—After Dark Book Lovers

“If you love crime thrillers featuring serial killers then you will not be disappointed with this book. A fantastic story and thrilling read!”
—What’s Good to Read

“Kudos, Mr. Barker for this wonderful thriller.”
—Pechey Ponderings

“My best read this year and I highly recommend everyone to read it!”
—How Useful It Is

“The Fourth Monkey is a great start to what promises to be an exciting series. I will be waiting to see what Barker does next, and so should you.”
—Horror Talk

“THAT LAST PAGE! Has set the stage for a brilliant second book.”
—Girl vs Books

“If you like a fast paced thriller with a complex plot and plenty of stay-up-late appeal – I can’t
recommend this highly enough.”
—Laura Bambrey Books

“This killer will give you the chills. 5 stars.”
—The Buzzing Bookmark

“For those mystery thriller fans, I highly recommend you pick this book up and follow the author, cause book two I’m sure will kick some serious ass!”
—Paranormally Yours

“Everything a thriller should be.”
—What’s Good to Read

Praise for J.D. Barker

“Incredibly written, supremely creepy. I don’t say this lightly: J.D. Barker is a force to be reckoned with.”
—Tosca Lee, NY Times Bestselling Author

“Barker knows how to evoke chilling imagery and will have readers anxiously looking over their shoulders with each terrifying “clickity, click, click.”
— Library Journal

“Barker is a master wordsmith.”
— AudioBookReviewer.com

“Masterful storytelling.”
— Bookish

“It is clear Barker is a name to watch.”
—The Horror Bookshelf

“A great stay-up-all-night spooky story.”
—The Book’s The Thing

“This book gave me chills!”
— The Word Smithe

“Five stars. Perfect.”
— Confessions of a Reviewer

“Scary, exciting, fun in all the right ratios, Forsaken is the right kind of book for anyone who enjoys a racing heart and a pounding pulse.”
– MichaelBrant Collins, #1 Bestselling Author

“It’s a superlative read!”
– Robin Spriggs, Author

“Incredibly atmospheric and cinematic – it would make a fabulously creepy movie. .”
— Lucy Literati

“Mr. Barker may have begun by following in the footsteps of such horror royalty as Stephen King, John Saul and Dean Koontz; but he has blazed a unique path of his own with FORSAKEN.”
— Fresh Fiction

“This was hands down the best novel I’ve read this year. From the first page, to the very last. This novel had me in its hold. I couldn’t wait to turn the page, yet at the same time, I was terrified to. This book is littered with heart stopping OMG moments. Toward the end of the book, the last few chapters, I was on the edge of my seat. As if this book couldn’t get any better for me. It’s not just an awesome story, but it is beautifully written as well. The flow from the first word to the last is seamless. I just love this book. I can’t wait for the next book. Without a doubt, this book deserves five stars.”
— Word Gurgle

“The plot is great. The action doesn’t slow down for a minute. The ending is brilliant.”
— Cheryll is Writing

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Apr182016

J.D. Barker featured in the Pittsburgh Tribune

TribLive

News

How to Listen to Audiobooks on your Apple Watch

A Note from J.D. – The Fourth Monkey

The Fourth Monkey – Now Available Worldwide

Order The Fourth Monkey

Praise for The Fourth Monkey

Praise for J.D. Barker

J.D. Barker featured in the Pittsburgh Tribune

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