Our Story
The Men Who Inspired Us & The Women Who Made It Happen
Author Willow Winters started the Live A Thousand Lives Project to make audiobooks more accessible to anyone with a physical handicap or degenerative disease. Her desire to give the mobility-impaired community access to their favorite stories and her personal connection to books launched the project into motion. Since then she has been joined by like-minded authors and readers. Their mission has been to raise awareness, gather resources, and provide the stories that make pre-loaded audio players possible.
Audiobooks offer access to those who have difficulty reading print. But traditional audio players and apps require fine motor skills to use, something many differently abled people lack. Live A Thousand Lives offers a solution to this problem. Thanks to the easily manageable players, mobility-impaired book lovers can access their favorite stories without the difficulties of opening, scrolling, and operating standard apps.
This project was born from the belief that no obstacle should stand between a reader and the mental escape a good book can provide. Our goal is to give every book lover, regardless of prognosis the ability to enjoy hours of entertainment, experience hundreds of stories, and live a thousand lives.
A huge thank you to the romance authors and volunteers who made this all possible
This amazing deal could not be possible without the incredible authors who have donated their work to be included in the project. Check out their stories and pages below.
- Grandfather
- Willow
- Monte
- Lauren
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Audio Players
Our players are meant to be simple to handle and easy to use, so anyone with mobility impairments can still find enjoyment in listening to an audiobook without hassle or difficult maneuvers requiring fine motor skills.
Every audio care package shipped comes with:
Live A Thousand Lives offers two audio player options: one for Romance Readers and one for Classic Fiction.
Romance Reader
For our Red Hot Romance Reader audio player, we’ve included some of the most popular romance novels from best-selling authors! These amazing writers have generously donated their work so that we may provide players chock-full with your next favorite romantic adventures. The audio players are simple, easy, and fun to use, able to store thousands of titles and accessible by anyone. When you purchase a Red Hot Romance Reader package, you will receive your audio player loaded with 23 romance novel audiobooks, each from a popular contemporary romance author. By purchasing a Red Hot Romance Readers package, you’ll not only receive one of our amazing audio players for yourself, you’ll be giving us the means to donate a second Brilliant Blue Classic Fiction audio player to a differently-able individual. Access a world of romance and an awesome listening experience for yourself while giving the gift of storytelling to someone else.
For a look further into the romance audio player and the books included, please click here.
Classic Fiction
Request an audio player to be donated
Our players are meant to be simple to handle and easy to use, so anyone with mobility impairments can still find enjoyment in listening to an audiobook without hassle or difficult maneuvers requiring fine motor skills. If you have a friend, family member or institution you feel could benefit from one of these players, you can request the Brilliant Blue Classic Fiction player be sent directly to them. Please email us at liveathousandlives@gmail.com.
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Romance Readers
For our Red Hot Romance Reader audio player, we’ve included some of the most popular romance novels from best-selling authors! These amazing writers have generously donated their work so that we may provide players chock-full with your next favorite romantic adventures. For every Red Hot Romance audio player purchased, two Brilliant Blue Classic Audio Players are donated to those in need.
The romances included are:
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1. This Love Hurts by W. Winters
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2. Escort by Skye Warren
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3. Because You’re Mine by Claire Contreras
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4. Black Light Exposed by Jennifer Bene
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5. Hollywood Scandal by Louise Bay
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6. Infamous Love by Livia Grant
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7. Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid
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8. One to Chase by Tia Louise
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9. Prince Charming by CD Reiss
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10. Remember by Dylan Allen
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11. The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancee by Annika Martin
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12. The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan
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13. Throttle Me by Chelle Bliss
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14. Emma by Jane Austen
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15. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
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16. Little Women by Louise May Alcott
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17. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
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18. Persuasion by Jane Austen
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19. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
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20. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
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21. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
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22. The Watsons by Jane Austen
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| 23.Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare |
Find Out More
Mobility impairments will range in effect and severity. Some individuals experience difficulty with stamina or fine motor skills, and others may be unable to walk or completely paralyzed. Mobility impairment can come from conditions present at birth, injury, or illness. With the proper resources and attention, there is no reason those who are mobility challenged should not be able to lead lives that are similar or identical to anyone without a physical handicap.
Benefits of Audiobooks
The benefits of audiobooks are endless. Whether very young or very old, typical or differently-abled, for those experiencing mental, emotional, or physical challenges, audiobooks are proven to have beneficial effects on all types of people.
- They improve listening skills and literacy. According to the Audio Publisher’s Association, audiobooks help readers improve vital skills such as fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, and allow readers with learning disabilities or ELL students to “demonstrate increased literacy skills and reading ability”
- Audiobooks reduce negative thinking. We may not realize it, but listening to someone else tell us a story can disrupt negative thinking patterns, replacing our own negative thoughts with something else to focus on. This can be especially helpful to those with anxiety or depression. There are tons of ways audiobooks help us relax and feel better.
- Audiobooks are easy on the eyes. Spending all day looking at screens has resulted in many Americans having blurred vision, eye strain, and nearsightedness. On top of that, the websites and apps we look at, typically social media and news sites, can cause feelings of depression. Give your eyes and mind a break and let the audiobook do the work for you. As an added benefit, listening instead of looking can help your brain relax and help you sleep better.
- Audiobooks make life more enjoyable. Bibliotherapy, aka reading, can go a long way to making a person, a day, or an experience better. It can even help alleviate depression. Audiobooks stimulate all the same cognitive and emotional areas as reading, producing the same joy and entertainment. In addition, it can make menial tasks like cleaning, exercising, or commuting far more enjoyable and less stressful. Audiobooks combine the author’s words, the narrator’s voice, and the listener’s mind to create an immersive mental world, allowing readers to richly experience a story as well as an escape from daily worries and issues
As book lovers ourselves, we understand and appreciate the power of audiobooks. The ability to immerse yourself in a story, to live a thousand lives, should be available to anyone, regardless of physical handicap. Our hope is that by spreading the easy-to-use audio players to readers with poor eyesight, with degenerative disorders, with chronic fatigue, or any condition that makes it difficult for them to read traditional print or audio books, we will eliminate the obstacle that exists between these readers and timeless stories, whether classic favorites or new adventures.
Resources (for the mobility challenged community)
Mobility impairments will range in effect and severity. Some individuals experience difficulty with stamina or fine motor skills, and others may be unable to walk or completely paralyzed. Mobility impairment can come from conditions present at birth, injury, or illness. With the proper resources and attention, there is no reason those who are mobility challenged should not be able to lead lives that are similar or identical to anyone without a physical handicap. Here are some helpful resources to anyone who is or cares for someone mobility challenged.
The Mobility Resource Guide (https://www.unitedaccess.com/mobility-resource-guide/)
Tips for Caregivers (https://nmeda.com/tips-for-caregivers/)
Educating Students with Mobility Impairments (https://www.disability.illinois.edu/instructor-information/disability-specific-instructional-strategies/mobility-impairments)
Keyboard Accessibility for Individuals with Motor Impairment (https://otswithapps.com/2015/11/08/keyboard-accessibility-for-individuals-with-motor-impairment-for-computers-and-mobile-devices/)
Contact Us
Live A Thousand Lives would not be possible without the interest and aid of people like you. All of us are incredibly grateful for the support you show for the mobile-impaired community in purchasing or donating to our cause. Together, we will build a world where the benefits of books are free and accessible to everyone, no matter their abilities.
For any questions, concerns, or other comments, please contact us at our email at liveathousandlivesproject@gmail.com.
Low Mobility Resources
Mobility impairments range in effect and severity. Some individuals experience difficulty with stamina or fine motor skills, while others may be unable to walk or be completely paralyzed. Mobility impairment can come from conditions present at birth, from an injury, or from an illness. With the proper resources and attention there is no reason those who are mobility challenged should not be able to lead lives that are similar or identical to anyone without a physical handicap.
Benefits of Audiobooks
The benefits of audiobooks are endless. Whether young or old, typical or differently-abled, for those experiencing mental, emotional, or physical challenges, audiobooks are proven to have beneficial effects on all types of people.
- Audiobooks improve listening skills and literacy. According to the Audio Publisher’s Association, audiobooks help readers improve vital skills such as fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, and allow readers with learning disabilities or ELL students to “demonstrate increased literacy skills and reading ability”
- Audiobooks stimulate the brain like traditional text. Scientists have observed that listening to stories activates the same cognitive and emotional areas as reading a book.
- Audiobooks reduce negative thinking. We may not realize it, but listening to someone else tell us a story can disrupt negative thinking patterns, replacing our own negative thoughts with something else to focus on. This can be especially helpful to those with anxiety or depression. There are tons of ways audiobooks help us relax and feel better.
- Audiobooks are easy on the eyes. Spending all day looking at screens has resulted in many Americans having blurred vision, eye strain, and nearsightedness. On top of that, the websites and apps we look at, typically social media and news sites, can cause feelings of depression. Give your eyes and mind a break and let the audiobook do the work for you. As an added benefit, listening instead of looking can help your brain relax and help you sleep better.
- Audiobooks make life more enjoyable. Bibliotherapy, aka reading, can go a long way to making a person, a day, or an experience better. It can even help alleviate depression. Audiobooks stimulate all the same cognitive and emotional areas as reading, producing the same joy and entertainment. In addition, it can make menial tasks like cleaning, exercising, or commuting far more enjoyable and less stressful. Audiobooks combine the author’s words, the narrator’s voice, and the listener’s mind to create an immersive mental world, allowing readers to richly experience a story as well as an escape from daily worries and issues
As book lovers ourselves, we understand and appreciate the power of audiobooks. The ability to immerse yourself in a story, to live a thousand lives, should be available to anyone, regardless of physical handicap. Our hope is that by spreading the easy-to-use audio players to readers with poor eyesight, with degenerative disorders, with chronic fatigue, or any condition that makes it difficult for them to read traditional print or audio books, we will eliminate the obstacle that exists between these readers and timeless stories, whether classic favorites or new adventures.
Resources (for the mobility challenged community)
Mobility impairments will range in effect and severity. Some individuals experience difficulty with stamina or fine motor skills, and others may be unable to walk or completely paralyzed. Mobility impairment can come from conditions present at birth, injury, or illness. With the proper resources and attention, there is no reason those who are mobility challenged should not be able to lead lives that are similar or identical to anyone without a physical handicap. Here are some helpful resources to anyone who is or cares for someone mobility challenged.
The Mobility Resource Guide (https://www.unitedaccess.com/mobility-resource-guide/)
Struggling to find accessible resources designed for your individual needs? United Access is acutely aware of the many issues that low-mobility individuals can face, and provides a helpful guide to assist with all aspects of accessibility.
Tips for Caregivers (https://nmeda.com/tips-for-caregivers/)
Each year more than 65 million people provide care to a person with a disability, someone who is chronically ill, or an aging individual. While caregiving can prove to be rewarding, there are many challenges these individuals may face. If you provide care for a person with a disability, here are some important tips to ensure your own well being.
Educating Students with Mobility Impairments (https://www.disability.illinois.edu/instructor-information/disability-specific-instructional-strategies/mobility-impairments)
Keyboard Accessibility for Individuals with Motor Impairment (https://otswithapps.com/2015/11/08/keyboard-accessibility-for-individuals-with-motor-impairment-for-computers-and-mobile-devices/)
A breakdown of how new software is helping the motor impaired navigate the technical landscape.