LAKEVILLE, Minn. - s4story -- Selling 10,000 copies of your book in less than a year is a feat most authors can only dream of.

For Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann—first-time authors of the wildly successful Minnesota true crime book The Girls Are Gone—it's the reality that led them to record an audiobook version of the award-winning book.

Not long after the book was published, Brodkorb and Mann soared to the #1 spot on Amazon's Best Sellers in Divorce, where it currently holds the #4 spot. They've also held a top 25 spot on Amazon's Best Sellers in True Crime multiple times throughout the past year, and won a gold medal in the true crime category at the 2019 Independent Book Publishing Awards (http://www.ippyawards.com/132/medalists/2019-me...).

"We are so proud of the accomplishments of our first year," said author Allison Mann. "All we wanted when we started out was to share this important story, and our success is an indication that it struck a serious cultural chord in America."

Out October 2019, the audiobook not only shares the story of the Rucki family but also includes a rare gem in the audiobook universe: never-before-heard audio, taken from the actual interviews conducted by Brodkorb and Mann while while reporting on this case.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

The book and audiobook examine the truly bizarre events which led to Sandra Grazzini-Rucki abducting her daughters on April 19, 2013, during a custody dispute with her ex-husband, David Rucki. On November 18, 2015—944 days after they disappeared—the girls were found living on a ranch in northern Minnesota by law enforcement, headed by the Lakeville Police Department.

Praise for The Girls Are Gone

"This book reads like a crime novel but is far more horrifying, given that we know it is the truth." —Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

"As true crime and kidnapping stories go, The Girls Are Gone is head and shoulders above most others…" —Diane Donovan for Midwest Book Review

"An absolute page-turner."—Janine, 5-star review on Amazon

The Girls Are Gone audiobook ($24.95) is available for purchase on Audible (https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Girls-Are-Gone-Audiobook/B07YNZGFPR?qid=1570549256&sr=1-3&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=5M87VVBMAA1RQ5TPPFX7&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_3), Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Are-Gone-Searching-Conspired/dp/B07YPFCM81/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1570549300&sr=1-1), and Apple Books. Coming soon to Google Play, Barnes & Noble, Libro.FM and many other audiobook platforms.

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About the Author, Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann

Michael Brodkorb is a father, husband, author and PR consultant, living in Minnesota with his family. Michael's reporting on this story began with the Star Tribune in 2015.

Allison Mann is a mom, wife, author, and paralegal living in Minnesota with her family. Allison began her career as a paralegal in 2001 after graduating from college.