Contact: Michael Foust,
815-259-0122 (daytime),
615-337-9904 (after hours),
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Under Drake's Flag

THOMSON, Ill., March 25, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- A swashbuckling family friendly audio theater CD that is putting God back into history has received two nominations for the 2015 Audie Awards, the audio version of the Academy Awards.

The two-CD set, Under Drake's Flag, received nominations for Best Audio Drama and Best Package Design, two categories that had only five nominees in each group. Winners will be announced at the Audies Gala on May 28 at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York City.

Under Drake's Flag was the first release from Heirloom Audio Productions, which was founded by Bill Heid with the goal of giving children positive, Christ-centered entertainment that not only engages the mind but also educates and inspires. All of the company's CDs are based on G.A. Henty historical novels and recount the adventures of real heroes from history. They feature first-rate actors and actresses, along with original musical scores. 

The Audies are sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association and are the only awards competition in the U.S. devoted exclusively to spoken word entertainment. 

"The Audies are the pinnacle of audio awards, and it's an honor simply to be nominated once, much less twice," Heid said. "This says a lot about our amazing team, which worked countless hours to put together a stellar project."

Steve Tyrrell of Tyrrell Creative designed the Under Drake's Flag package.

Under Drake's Flag stars Brian Blessed (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Tarzan) and tells the story of Sir Francis Drake, who lived in the 16th century and was the first Englishman to circle the globe. It follows a boy, Ned, as he accompanies Drake on high seas adventures.

"What we're trying to do is put Christian faith back into history," Heid said. "History in our culture has been sterilized and secularized, with the faith of great men and women completely removed from textbooks. These projects are all about putting Christ back into history in a meaningful and exciting way."

Heid currently is working on his next project, the Civil War-themed With Lee In Virginia, which stars Sean Astin (Rudy, The Lord Of The Rings, Mom's Night Out), Kirk Cameron (Fireproof, Monumental) and Chris Anthony (Adventures In Odyssey). It is scheduled to be released this summer.

Heid's other earlier project, In Freedom's Cause, told the story of 14th century Scottish hero William Wallace. It starred Golden Globe winner Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates of Downton Abbey), Billy Boyd (Pippin of The Lord Of The Rings), Skandar Keynes (Edmund of The Chronicles of Narnia series), James Cosmo (Campbell, Father Christmas of Braveheart and The Chronicles of Narnia, respectively) and Blessed.

The projects have been especially popular among homeschooling families, who view them as a way of making history fun. The productions are now gaining wider audiences as a result of their pure entertainment value and all-star casts.

For a full list of nominees, click here.

To schedule an interview with Heid, contact press@heirloomaudio.com, 815-259-0122 (daytime) or 615-337-9904 (after hours).