Book excerpt: In 2018, approximately 100 million voice-controlled devices were installed in homes around the world. The assistants that control them, such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are becoming more powerful, with new features being added every day. Voice apps enhance the way users interact with these assistants, whether they are asking for the weather, requesting sports scores, or listening to music. This book will guide you through designing, building, and deploying voice-based apps for Alexa. Inside, you'll meet and learn how to develop your own Skills, the term Amazon has designated voice apps for Alexa. Everything from scratch, so you don't have to worry if you are not a developer, i.e. no previous programming knowledge is required. Once we have mastered the basics, we will delve into the flow of conversation and more advanced concepts.