[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPeSrtIUvv4&[/youtube]

I know many of you read aloud books to your children. And many of you like Neil Gaiman.

You won't believe it but BookPerk announces you can now enter for a chance to win a speaking role in Neil Gaiman's upcoming audio recording of American Gods.

And there is more! The winner will be flown and hosted in NYC where the recording will be taped. He or she will get coached by Neil Gaiman himself (!), be credited for his or her contribution and receive a copy of the audiobook once the product is released.

A few important rules you need to know before entering the contest :

• Go to neilgaiman.bookperk.com, complete the registration form and submit your audio file.
• Record your audio file using software such as Audacity and save in an mp3 format using their recommended software. The file should not exceed 20MB.
• The voice recorded must be your own and you may not include any additional voices or sounds.
• To claim the prize, winner must be available to be in New York City on or about May 15-16 2011 to record his or her part If you cannot be in New York City on those dates, do not enter the contest.
• The Contest will commence on __4/13/2011 __(9 a.m. ET). The last entry will be accepted on 5/02/2011 (5:00 p.m. ET). During this time period, registered users of the Website will be able to vote for recordings. Users may vote for a recording once a day. Entrants may not vote for their own recordings.

Here's the audition paragraph, so you can begin training :

Shadow was not superstitious. He did not believe in anything he could not see. Still, he could feel disaster hovering above the prison in those final weeks, just as he had felt it in the days before the robbery. There was a hollowness in the pit of his stomach, which he told himself was simply a fear of going back to the world on the outside. But he could not be sure. He was more paranoid than usual, and in prison usual is very, and is a survival skill. Shadow became more quiet, more shadowy, than ever. He found himself watching the body language of the guards, of the other inmates, searching for a clue to the bad thing that was going to happen, as he was certain that it would.

Read the complete rules and… good luck !

I love Neil Gaiman. I love reading aloud. In French.

I hope someday they'll do such a thing for French audio books…