Day: May 27, 2021

Title: The Battle of Danamor

Author: J. Edwards Holt

Narrator: Philip John Cockell

Length: 3 hours 43 minutes

Series: Little Men, Big Treasures, Book 3

Publisher: J. Edwards Holt

Released: Dec. 18, 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Peace turns to chaos in the Mountain Realm when a great evil threatens to destroy the kingdom of Danamor. With their king gone, having mysteriously vanished, the dwarves of Danamor struggle to maintain their peaceful way of life. It seems that no one, not even the fallen king’s trusted followers, are able to unite the divided and leaderless kingdom.

One day, an unsuspecting young dwarf named Dwobble finds himself caught in the middle of the political conflict, but not before embarking on a journey that leads him to learn great truths about his family’s past. Along his journey, Dwobble encounters fantastic mythical creatures, forms an unlikely friendship with a living legend, and is ultimately faced with a life-changing decision in the epic final chapter of J. Edwards Holt’s Little Men, Big Treasures trilogy.

Q&A with Narrator Philip John Cockell

1. When did you know you wanted to be an audiobook narrator?
   1. I first had a desire to do audiobooks after I started getting involved with some local amateur dramatic groups.
2. How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
   1. I remember having audiobooks on tapes when I was younger, which I think instilled some idea that I could do something similar, but it wasn’t until someone suggested that I had ‘a good voice’ for narrating audiobooks that I decided to give it a try.
3. Did you find it difficult to “break into” audiobook narration? What skill/tool helped you the most when getting started?
   1. It wasn’t too difficult to get started – the main hurdles to overcome for me were getting the right equipment and recording software, and finding a place that was quiet enough to set up. There are plenty of online tutorials available that were invaluable for getting set up.
4. A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
   1. I think a theatre/acting background can certainly help with diction and enunciation – they also remind you that you’re catering to an audience. However, they aren’t essential – as long as you’re willing to learn the business and accept the criticism/feedback.
5. What type of training have you undergone?
   1. I have no formal training in acting or narration, but i’ve been involved in a lot of amateur dramatics and stage performance. I started off in pantomime!
6. How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for narrating?
   1. It’s important not to take on too much work and start missing deadlines – it just increases the stress. Don’t rush the work either. Try and find a hobby or something that you can go to when you’re not recording too – I have an old Land Rover that keeps me entertained between work!
7. Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
   1. I must admit, I don’t listen to many audiobooks myself but I think what’s great about them is that they allow you the flexibility of doing something else while you’re listening – housework/driving to/from work etc.
8. What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
   1. Favourite part is probably discovering the story as you go along. Least favourite is the editing out of clicks etc!
9. What would you say are your strongest narration abilities?
   1. I think my strongest abilities are good sight reading and a clear voice.
10. Is there a particular genre you feel unsuited for? Have you ever declined a project because you didn’t think you were right for it?
    1. Not sure about the romantic/explicit novels! Ha!
11. What about this title compelled you to audition as narrator?
    1. I like doing different accents and dialects, this novel looked like a lot of fun to do so I thought ‘Why not?’
       

       ---

Born in North Carolina, United States, J. Edwards Holt always knew that he wanted to be a writer. After graduating high school, he attended college and pursued a degree in education, but later decided to change course and follow his dream to become a novelist and children’s author.

Now a full-time writer, editor, and blogger, Holt spends his free time dreaming up stories and reading. He is passionate about spreading Christian messages through his writing, watching science fiction and super hero movies, and collecting comic books.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

Having been involved in several low-level dramatic productions at a locaI level, Philip John Cockell is able to turn his skills to almost any requirements without any difficulty. He specialises in voice acting and is able to do most British/some American accents.His best voice work would be the RP/BBC English or Standard English accent.

Click here to view the full tour schedule!

Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.

Sign up as a tour host here.