Charlotte author's audiobook an Audie award finalist

"Macbeth: A Novel," an audiobook co-written by Charlotte's Andrew Hartley, is a finalist for an Audie.

Each year, the Audio Publishers Association awards Audies, known as the Oscars of audiobooks, to the best audiobooks of the year.

Hartley, UNC Charlotte's Russell Robinson professor of Shakespeare studies, and co-author David Hewson fleshed out Shakespeare's "Macbeth," making it a rich work of historical fiction. It's narrated by Alan Cumming, a prolific actor who appears regularly in CBS's "The Good Wife."

Along with being a Shakespeare expert, Hartley writes fiction. As A.J. Hartley, he's author of several historical thrillers and fantasy adventures.

Hartley and Hewson, also a thriller writer, hatched the idea for the novel, which allowed them to tell the Scottish play's story in a new way. (With battle scenes and internal dialogue, for instance.)

The book is one of five nominated for an Audie for best original work. Others in the running are "METAtropolis: Cascadia," "The New Adventures of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Vol. 3," "Prayers: A Personal Selection" and "The Witches of Lublin -- Collector's Edition." Winners will be announced on June 5.

Audible.com first published the novel as an audiobook only, but the print version will be out in May.