Audiobook Spotlight & Excerpt: All the World’s Colors + Author Interview

All the World’s Colors

Author: James W. George

Narrator: Angus Freathy, Mindy Escobar-Leanse

Length: 6 hours 34 minutes

Series: The Queen of the Blue, Book 1

Released: Nov. 13, 2020

Publisher: James W. George

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Book one of a brand-new, epic fantasy series by master historical story-teller, James W. George.

Something inconceivable has happened, and all the world’s colors are about to bleed….

Kellia. Kellia the Red. Pagan, seafaring warriors of ancient renown. They have sailed west, ever west, and have discovered an awe-inspiring, unknown land. Is it their salvation, or the seed of their destruction?

Merova and the Throne of Blue. Wealthy, cultured, and the ultimate matriarchy. Kellia’s ancient nemesis, and a realm of secrets, intrigue, and treachery.

The Holy Domain of Sanctia. Piety, sacrifice, and faith. They have a spiritual duty to spread the truth across the seas, and they will sail under the sacred banner of green.

The Confederation of Orange. Cynical, profiteering financiers and lovers of pleasure. If there is a new discovery in this world, they will be poised to exploit it.

Fans of historical fiction and fantasy will delight in this epic saga of empire, conflict, and power.

James W. George is a lover of history and historical fiction. He is a graduate of Boston University and a military veteran. He is currently residing in Virginia with his wife and children.
He published his critically-acclaimed debut novel, My Father’s Kingdom, in January 2017. The novel, set in 1671 New England, depicted the prelude to King Philip’s War. The Indie View gave it five stars: “This is high historical drama handled wonderfully…a tale that will fully engage you on every level.”
My Father’s Kingdom” is a planned trilogy, and book two, The Prophet and the Witch, was published in September 2017. This is an epic novel that spans the entire conflict of King Philip’s War, and includes such notable historical figures as Josiah Winslow, Increase Mather, Metacomet, Benjamin Church, and Mary Rowlandson. The Literary Titan awarded it five stars and a gold medal for October 2017. “Expertly written and instantly engaging from the first few pages…I was captivated…one of the more intellectual of reads.”

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Narrator Bio

Angus Freathy was born and educated in London – that’s the one in England, for you Ohio folks!

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, he went to Switzerland to join Nestlé for a 2-year wandering assignment, which lasted 37 years and involved travel and work on every continent (except the cold ones at the top and bottom).

Periods of residence in the U.S., Hong Kong and Switzerland have resulted in a network of friends and acquaintances with an amazing range of world insight and a wide repertoire of mostly excellent jokes.

Since retirement, Angus and his (still working) wife, Debra have lived in Oregon, Maryland and are now in Dublin, Ohio, ‘the only place we have actually chosen to live since we have been married!’.

Following a crushing rejection by the BBC at the age of 19, Angus is re-activating a long-held ambition and launching a new career in voice-over, with the sole intention of having some fun and being in touch with some very talented people.

Website

Narrator Bio

Mindy Escobar-Leanse is an actor, puppeteer and voice actor. Some puppetry credits include: Dinosaur Train Live! Buddy’s Big Adventure by Henson Studios/PBS, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show off-Broadway, in the UK & Japan tour, Puppet Romeo & Juliet and Puppet Titus Andronicus. Additionally, she’s been collaborating on a play called The Last Rat of Theresienstadt which won awards in Poland, traveled to Bulgaria, Israel and will now be performed in El Paso, TX. Escobar-Leanse began her voice over journey at the end 2019 and is loving every moment! She has done six audiobooks, including a children’s sci-fi book called That Thing in the Sky. Recently, she can be heard as the Bond girl voice in Voodoo Ranger’s IPA campaign and multiple voices in the soon to be released children’s podcast called Cobbler’s Gulch. For Videos and photos of all of Mindy’s work, visit her website: mindyleanse.com.

Q&A with James W. George

You call this genre “history-inspired fantasy.” Can you tell us more?
- The book is fantasy in the purest sense, in that it’s a world of my own creation. Much like “Game of Thrones”, however, it derives a great deal of inspiration from European history, specifically the 16th century (or thereabouts) and the discovery of the New World.
- Savvy listeners will make connections with the Lost Colony of Roanoke, the Viking cultures of Scandinavia and England, the French monarchies, the Spanish missionaries, the Italian and Dutch merchant clans, and the scandalous rumor that dogged Queen Elizabeth I.
Why did you feel like you needed two narrators?
- I think listeners might love or hate the two narrator format, but I love it. This is a book of contrasts and conflict. The masculine vs. the feminine; the barbaric vs. the refined; the pious and ascetic vs. the profiteering lovers of pleasure. I think this audiobook definitely cried out for both male and female voice actors.
How did you select your narrators?
- I’m proud to say this is my third audiobook with Angus, so an easy choice there. A consummate professional, and a simply remarkable voice. He’s a great example of why we Yanks are so fixated on everything British when it comes to our entertainment. The 2nd narrator was a simple audition process, and I was very fortunate Mindy Escobar-Leanse auditioned. I’ve been astounded by Mindy’s talent, and she has truly captured these characters.
How closely did you work with your narrators before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
- Surprisingly little. I set the foundation with pronunciations (Bromid? Averrie?) and just turned them loose. They are both such talented performers that they were entirely self-directed.
- Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects was developing the voices for Marcel and Averrie. They needed to be child-like, but not childish. Averrie needed to convey a haughty, imperious nature, qualities not usually found in a girl so young, and Mindy portrayed her wonderfully.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- I’d say the relationship between color and societies. I think the visual imagery associated with flags, uniforms, and colors is quite striking. Sometimes colors can be so ubiquitous that they become almost synonymous with a culture. British redcoats. The all-encompassing red of the Soviet Union. Orange and Dutch culture. Orange and Protestantism. Green and Ireland.
- You may be familiar with the controversy associated with the development of the modern-day Canadian flag; everything red was associated with British culture, and everything blue was associated with the French, so it was difficult for them to agree on anything. Perhaps this is why I find strategy games like Catan and Risk to be so enthralling – the hypnotic imagery of watching colors and kingdoms expand and contract across the world.
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- It’s important to dabble in different projects and diverse genres. I’ve devoted a lot of effort to my Puritan fiction, so it’s fun to step back and invent my own world. It’s a joy to invent my own empires, monarchies, geography, and religions.
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
- The Kellian Hymns of Battle certainly resonate! Imagine a commander of a barbarian vessel extemporaneously shrieking his prayers to the gods. Angus tactfully delegated the task to my teenage son. I think any throng of bloodthirsty Kellian marauders would be impressed with the results.
- But that’s only the first thing that comes to mind. Angus and Mindy magnificently captured so many moments and emotions I couldn’t possibly list them all. Olmar’s transformation, Averrie’s sinister condescension, Bromid’s scheming, Burboh’s sincere inquisitiveness, Amira’s lustful passion…this audiobook really transports the listener to a different world.
If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?
- Jeppe Beck Laursen probably is not a household name, but if you’ve seen “The Last Kingdom”, he portrays Haesten the Dane. He is blessed with a tremendous screen presence, and I could definitely see him as Jarrow. I’d love to see Beatie Edney as Bromid (you may know her from Poldark). Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey) can steal a scene or two as Aniliese SDR. Ben Hawkey, one of the minor characters from Game of Thrones, (Hot Pie) can take on Burboh the Cleric.
What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- There are approximately five million books for sale in the Amazon Kindle store. Literally. Five million. If you genuinely believe the world needs another one, you’d better be extremely passionate about it.
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- There is nothing you can do successfully if you don’t have a great narrator. (Or two great narrators!)
What’s next for you?
- It’s time to finish up the Puritan New England trilogy. It’s time for Israel Brewster and Linto to meet their destinies.

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December 11, 2020December 10, 2020

Spotlight & Author Interview: The Flyght Series + Giveaway

This is my stop during the blog tour for The Flyght Series by S.J. Pajonas. The Flyght Series is a fully complete six book scifi romance series.

First Flyght (The Flyght Series #1)
By S.J. Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance/ Reverse Harem
Age category: Adult

Blurb:
Her future is brighter than the stars. But one betrayal will change everything…

Vivian Kawabata can’t wait to claim her privileged destiny. But when the heir to the family agricultural empire finds her bank account empty while shopping for expensive shoes, she’s horrified to discover that her own brother has financially stabbed her in the back. To stand a chance of restoring her rightful place in the universe, the honest and rule-following Vivian may have to break a few intergalactic laws.

After securing an old ship from her aunt, Vivian takes on two new roles: a sexy heiress collecting eligible husbands and a hard-nosed captain rebuilding a lost fortune by any means necessary. Completely out of her depth, she’d be sunk without the help of a relationship broker, a handsome ex-boyfriend, a hacker with a heart of gold, and the other potential partners she meets along the way. With a business that runs the razor’s edge between trade and smuggling, can the former high-society socialite get the money she needs or will her brazen ambition lead to a deadly crash landing?

FIRST FLYGHT is the first book in the Flyght Series of sci-fi reverse harem romance. If you like action-packed space operas and a universe full of twists, then you’ll love S. J. Pajonas’s interstellar adventure.

Note: This is a slow-burn romance series!

Links:
– Goodreads
– Author website
– Amazon
– Barnes & Noble
– Kobo
– Apple
– Google Play
– Smashwords
– Scribd
– Other Stores

Check out the whole Flyght Series:

– First Flyght (The Flyght Series #1)
– Broken Flyght (The Flyght Series #2)
– High Flyght (The Flyght Series #3)
– Lost Flyght (The Flyght Series #4)
– Silent Flyght (The Flyght Series #5)
– Stolen Flyght (The Flyght Series #6)

Get the first 3 books in one handy box set!

The Flyght Series Box Set (The Flyght Series #1-3)

Author Interview:

How did you come up with the idea for the Flyght Series?

This is always such a hard question to answer! Because a ton of ideas led to the ultimate idea that became the series. First, I wanted to write about a captain, on the run, doing things her way. Kind of like Mal from Firefly. Taking jobs where she could and scraping by. Then I thought it would be cool if she was running errands for people like Uber and Lyft do here on Earth. Then I really liked the idea of a family betrayal that led to having to make money and buy the lost property back. Ultimately, all of these ideas became the Flyght Series. I held onto the ideas for over a year until they finally made sense in my head. Sometimes it takes a lot for a really good idea to make it to the page!

Vivian has such a love for agriculture. What made you choose this passion for her?

Here’s a little secret. I have a black thumb. I’m terrible with plants! But in my dreams, I’m a horticulturalist extraordinaire. I’ve been fascinated with “farming of the future” and how we’ll handle farming once the environment turns on us (it will eventually). So when it came time to choose an occupation for Vivian, I went straight to farming because wish-fulfillment, naturally. Then farming led to the family farm idea which led to LOSING the family farm. The story grew from there, and my own wish to be an awesome farmer. Maybe when I retire I can grow that green thumb?

Why did you choose to use the reverse harem trope in this series?

When I first heard about “reverse harem” I was skeptical that anyone could really pull it off. One woman with a harem/group of men that she’s romantically involved with? It seems a little outrageous, right? But once I started reading them, I saw the appeal. If you love characters and seeing the chemistry between different pairings, like in a love triangle, but don’t want to HAVE to choose, then reverse harem is for you! She doesn’t have to choose! The trick for me was finding the right circumstances for a harem to happen and be normalized. In this case, there was a rampant gene anomaly, invented by the original settlers, that would allow for more men to be born than women. In their eyes, more men meant a bigger workforce for colonization, since androids/robots were outlawed. But the gene mutated and caused problems. Women became the minority but managed to take over the government and military. So “relationship networks” were developed to give more men a chance to be with women and for women to have control over their relationships. Problem solved! Or maybe not…

Who is your favorite character, or what character was the most fun to write?

Of course, my favorite character of the novels is the heroine, Vivian. I fell in love with her right away. I knew she would be a fun one to write, and she didn’t disappoint me! But I also really loved Jinzo, her main number one mate in the books. I had to come up with the right personality for him, and he continually surprised me with his strength and flexibility.

Let’s talk about how you wrote the Flyght Series. Did you do any outlining? Did it take you in any unexpected directions?

I originally started with an idea for the first book, and then I knew how I wanted to end the series. Once I had a beginning and an end, I tried to figure out how many books the series would have. I originally thought the series would be 9 books, but eventually, I went with 6, and I think that was the right decision. With that in mind, I came up with a loose adventure for each book, and then discovered the rest along the way! I’m a horrible outliner but I try to do what I can as I write.

Using settlers from the western United States and Brazil was an interesting choice. What made you choose these regions in particular?

When I decided to write the Flyght Series, I chose to use the same universe as both the Nogiku Series and the HIkoboshi Series. In the Nogiku Series, I explain that after a period of wars and then an Environmental Decline, ships from all over the world took off from different countries for different solar systems. They called this the Exodus, and they left behind only a small population on Earth. So my thought was, “What if ships that left from California and Brazil happened to go to two close solar systems and developed a partnership?” And that’s how I came up with the Duo Systems. Two connected systems, the Brazilianos and the Californikus Systems, have a symbiotic relationship that includes trade and culture. For me, choosing these systems was all about the culture and extrapolating it out to a starry diaspora. I gave a lot of thought to who would be on these ships and the culture they would take with them. It was a fun experiment and led to some great creative leaps.

People have this fantasy of what it’s like to be a novelist. But what’s a normal day for you really like?

Normally, my days start with exercising. I’m pretty abnormal in this because so many authors get up and get in their words right away! I am so not a morning person. Getting exercise is a better idea for me in the morning. I exercise almost every day between my Peloton bike, walking, and yoga. Then I get some work admin stuff done, shower, and eat lunch. In the afternoon, I write and run errands. In the evening, I’ll take care of blog writing or maintenance, and then try to enjoy some downtime from 8PM until bed. It’s definitely not very glamorous, but it gets the job done!

Photos of my knitting, writing on my computer, walking my dog Lulu, riding my Peloton bike, my yoga setup, and eating! – S. J. Pajonas

Getting things done is about having daily or weekly habits and practices to keep working on your project. Tell us about your writing rituals!

I only actively write when I’m working on a first draft of a project. I know people who feel like they HAVE to write every day to be an author, but that doesn’t work for me. When I start a new project, I set daily goals for word counts, and I keep going, taking minimal time off, until the book is completed. I try not to stop and go back to edit or re-read unless I’m REALLY stuck. Forward momentum is the most important thing for me! Recently, I’ve found that sprinting has been working out great for me. If I sprint for 20 min, I can usually write 600-700 words. Then I take 10 min off and go again. If I do three of these sessions, I can get in about 2000 words! That’s a good day’s work for me especially since I do so many other things around home for my family and kids.

What’s your definition of success in your writing business?

Success has been hard for me to define! And it has changed many times over the last seven years. At first, my definition relied on sales. Was I selling books? How many? And how much money was I making to offset my initial costs? But that’s an unreliable metric for success because many people would consider publishing the books AT ALL success. Does the number of reviews indicate success? Or how many books I’ve published? It’s hard to define! But over the years my idea of success has become publishing more books that I enjoyed writing. Each book I work on and enjoy, then move towards publication, is another success. The ultimate goal is to have a dedicated audience for my work. Success is more readers who have enjoyed my books, like I have enjoyed writing them.

Tell us about a TV series you loved recently!

There are so many great shows on TV right now, and with a number of streaming services pumping out new content, it’s hard to fit them all in! In the last six months, my husband and I have loved The Mandalorian, Ozark, Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience, The Crown, Killjoys, The Expanse, and many, many more.

And finally tell us about the last book you read…

Funny enough, I just re-read DUNE, which I haven’t read in at least 15 years. It was one of my favorite books as a teen, and I’m excited for the upcoming movie, which is now delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was great to re-read this classic and enjoy it again.

About the Author:
S.J. Pajonas Stephanie (S. J.) is a writer, knitter, amateur astrologer, Capricorn, Japanophile, and USA Today Best Selling author. She loves foxes, owls, sushi, yoga pants, Evernote, and black tea. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing or spending time outside, unless it’s winter. She hates winter. Someday she’ll own a house in both hemispheres so she can avoid the season entirely. She’s a mom to two great kids, one feisty dog named Lulu Ninja Assassin, and lives with her husband and family outside NYC. When it comes to her work, she writes about everyday women and uncommon worlds. Find her online at https://www.spajonas.com.

You can find and contact S.J. Pajonas here:
– Website
– Facebook
– Pinterest
– Instagram
– Amazon
– Goodreads
– Bookbub

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway during the blog tour of The Flyght Series. Two winners will both win a $30 gift card to the ebook store of their choice (Amazon, Nook, Apple Books, Kobo, etc) and a S. J. Pajonas Ebook Starter Library box set delivered via BookFunnel.For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour schedule here

December 4, 2020September 18, 2022

Audiobook Spotlight: Shadows of Lela + Excerpt & Interviews

Author: Tessonja Odette

Narrator: Emma Faye

Length: 8 hours 44 minutes

Series: Lela Trilogy, Book 1

Publisher: Crystal Moon Press

Released: Oct. 22, 2019

Genre: Fantasy; YA

A forgotten princess. A deadly quest. A threat that hides in shadow….

Sixteen-year-old Cora is a princess with a dark past. Exile has kept her safe. But when she rescues a dying unicorn from a mysterious band of hunters, her identity – and her life – are in danger.

Prince Teryn has the perfect plan – win the quest, marry his betrothed, and become king. But his mission goes awry when he faces a feisty young woman in the woods. Although they meet as foes, she shares a secret that bonds them.

Teryn and Cora’s fates are entwined in a plot far deadlier than they ever imagined. Can they face the threat together? Or will a terrifying enemy destroy the land they love?

Shadows of Lela is book one in the Lela Trilogy. If you like swoon-worthy romance, adventurous quests, breathtaking magic, and surprising twists, then you’ll love Tessonja Odette’s epic fantasy tale.

Buy Links

Tessonja Odette is a fantasy author living in Seattle with her family, her pets, and ample amounts of chocolate. When she isn’t writing, she’s watching cat videos, petting dogs, having dance parties in the kitchen with her daughter, or pursuing her many creative hobbies.

Website⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

Narrator Bio

Emma Faye is an actor and audiobook narrator with 20+ years of experience on stage, screen and voice over. Being an LA trained actor, Emma is great at bringing characters to life, very versatile with voices, and draws the listener into the story. She loves doing audiobooks and specializes in Clean/Sweet/Christian books. She is a proud cat mom to 4 fur babies and runs a local community theatre.

Website⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

Q&A with Author Tessonja Odette

How did you select your narrator?
- I selected Emma by posting a sample for interested narrators to read. I listened to a few from other narrators that I enjoyed, but when I got to Emma’s, I was like, “That’s Cora! That’s her!” And she did the male voices and other characters so well that I knew I had to work with her. I’m so glad she agreed to work with me on this series because she really brought it to life.
How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
- I worked very closely with Emma at the start of the first audiobook. That one was the most important to nail down, since many of the characters appear throughout the entire series. So I sent her a pronunciation guide with little insights into each character so she could channel their personalities into their voices. I also explained how I envisioned certain characters sounding, like Valorre the unicorn. She did an amazing job taking all my notes and expressing them through her own creativity. I loved working with her!
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- I love audiobooks! My favorite things about audiobooks is that I can listen to them while I’m doing other things, like commuting or crafting. I recently had a sewing project I needed to do for my wedding which took so many hours. Having an audiobook to help me pass the time made the tedious job way more fun than if I were just stitching in a silent room.
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
- I think listeners really enjoy hearing the specific accents of the Faeran and Forest People that Emma has created. It gives it a magical feel to be able to hear that, and it’s just something that is much harder to achieve in book format.
What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- I would say, it’s simply a different format. Audiobooks provide an additional opportunity to process a story, often in cases where reading a physical book wouldn’t be possible, like during a commute, or perhaps when you’re under the weather and can’t do much other than lie in bed and listen to audio (I do this whenever I get headaches!) or when doing something that requires physical attention but not mental attention. Audiobooks have their time and place in the world of reading, and I’m so glad they exist.
How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
- It’s been so long, I honestly can’t remember. But I will tell you that for my most recent series that I just finished writing, I celebrated by buying a lot of tea and skincare. Those are my favorite luxuries to splurge on!
What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
- When I’m in a writing slump, I’ll either take a break to read and edit my progress up to the point where I feel stuck, or I’ll take a full-on break to watch shows, movies, and just fill my creative well. For a reading slump, I’ll change formats (like from ebook to paperback, or paperback to audiobook), just something to switch things up in my brain. If that doesn’t help, I’ll switch genres. Since I read primarily YA fantasy, reading a fast paced adult thriller will almost always get me out of a slump, or even a sizzling rom com.
Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
- They have! There’s a scene in Shadows of Lela in a chapter called Interlude, where two of the characters have a romantic meeting and the male character sings his lover a song he wrote for her. The day before I wrote this scene, I had no idea what to write. Then that night, I dreamed about the couple meeting and they sang this super sweet duet. I woke up humming the song to myself, thinking it was brilliant. The song was, however, contemporary and not quite right for the feel of my book. But it did give me the idea for Larylis to sing a song! Other than that, two other books I’ve written were taken directly from actual dreams I’ve had.

What’s next for you?
- Well, I just finished my most recent series, a romantic fae trilogy called The Fair Isle Trilogy. I’m releasing book 3 at the end of December, then it will be time to move on to my next series! I have two in mind that I’ll be working on next year, so it’s time for me to kick my creative brain into high gear and plan out both of those so I can decide which one to write next. But writing about fae has been my favorite thing, ever since I wrote about the Forest People and Faeran in the Lela Trilogy. I’ve been exploring fae more and more with every book, and will likely continue writing books about fae, romance, and fierce females.

Q&A with Narrator Emma Faye

When did you know you wanted to be an audiobook narrator?
- I’ve been an actor my whole life but I didn’t get into listening to audiobooks until I was an adult but after I started listening I realized how fun they would be and with my acting background it was a very easy transition for me. YA Fantasy is my favorite genre to listen to so I knew I would want to record those too!
A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
- I personally think it’s crucial but some would debate that with me. If not a background then at least a study of it in some way. Understand how to delve into characters and understand who they are is critical in my opinion to believable and relatable voices in an audiobook.
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- I listen to so many audiobooks! I rarely have time to sit and read anymore so I listen to audiobooks while I am doing other things such as driving or doing the dishes. I love being able to still take in stories when I can’t have a physical book in hand.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
- I adore getting in the booth and creating the voices! It’s so fun to delve into the story and characters! I actually enjoy the editing part as well to an extent. But that can also get tedious as well. Shadows of Lela was my first book and I didn’t know as much as I do now and the process goes so much quicker and smoother than before! So when I did SoL I would’ve said the editing was my least favorite haha
What would you say are your strongest narration abilities?
- I’m really good at getting into the mind of the characters and find the right voice. I had one author tell me that she had no idea what a character sounded like until I gave her a voice and she knew that was the voice all along. And then Vallore was a challenge to figure out but Tessonja said something similar, that she didn’t know what he sounded like either but when she heard my take it was perfect.
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?
- I will only narrate clean books! I won’t do books with excessive swearing (such as the f word) or explicit sexual content. It’s something I stand true to and I am proud of it. I’ve had similar standards throughout my life as an actor as well. I may lose out on projects and money but I feel good about my decision.
What about this title compelled you to audition as narrator?
- Tessonja approached me and I absolutely fell in love with the story and characters right away! And the challenge of maintaining a British accent for an entire series was very enticing!
Who are your “accent inspirations”?
- I didn’t really have any for this book, except for Lex. Tessonja didn’t like the original voice I’d chosen for him so I went back and changed it up and I think she is the one who said Ron Weasley, so that’s who I tried to channel.
Have there been any characters that you really connected with?
- I loved Cora, I felt she was most like me and I really enjoyed her character.
How does audiobook narration differ from other types of voiceover work you’ve done?
- My favorite part about audiobooks verses stage and film is the fact that I get to be characters I would never get to be on the other mediums. I get to play men, sorcerers, unicorns, etc. It’s so much fun!!
Who is your “dream author” that you would like to record for?
- Kiera Cass!!! I adore the Selection series. She is my bucket list author for sure!
If you could narrate one book from your youth what would it be and why?
- I have a book I have loved since I was a child called “Being of Two Minds”, I would love to turn that into an audiobook, it’s always stuck with me.
What’s next for you?
- I’m currently recording a new series called Soulwanderer, it’s a really fun fantasy series about a race of people that live under the sea with all the great elements of a book with magic and war and soulmates. It’s great fun! Then I have 3 more in the queue after that.
Bonus question: Any funny anecdotes from inside the recording studio?
- For some reason I mix up body parts a lot haha!! Like one time I said she put head on her heart instead of knees?? Like what? Haha so grateful for proofers!
Who was your favorite to voice? Most challenging? Most fun?
- Ooh, good question! There were so many that were fun to do! Cora is probably the most like me both in voice and personality and so she was fun to do but not much of a challenge. Mareleau was fun to bring to life, her bratty quips are so good and were fun to record. I also loved doing the voice for Morkai, there were times when I would listen back to my recording and get chills because of how evil he sounded. Physically he was a hard to do as it was a strain on my voice because it was so far back in my throat haha I had to take a lot of breaks in his later chapters.
- Valorre was also a challenge as I wasn’t sure what he would sound like and just had to go with it. Tessonja was amazing and provided awesome descriptions which helped a lot but he was one I was most nervous to get right. I think the hardest though were probably Teryn and Larylis, simply because I needed to find voices I could maintain. They’re also twins so finding voices that were similar as brothers but different enough when they talked you could tell the difference and a voice I could maintain as leads was a challenge, but I was pleased with the final versions (yes, there were a few).
What was your favorite scene to voice?
- I loved the Forest People scenes, they are some of my favorite characters and it was fun to add a bit of Irish in there. Scenes with Lex cracked me up, he’s such a fun character.
What are some of your top favorite books/audiobooks that we should add to our TBR? (or recently read/listened to etc.)
- Ooh fun question! One of my favorite audiobooks of all time is “And The Trees Crept In” by Dawn Kurtagich, the narrator and direction is phenomenal! As well as “All The Truth That’s In Me” by Julie Berry, excellent voice acting! As far as just a good story, the Sweep series by Cate Tiernan is my current favorite series.

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