Audiobook is now Available
My book is Now on Audible, B&N, Apple Books & More!
Also, it was narrated by a real human voice. Meet Chelsea Mae, the woman behind the microphone, below.
Farther below: several bloopers you won’t hear on Audible!
My publisher does the book first, the audiobook second. I was lucky to have a lot of say about who would voice The Madres Deal.
When it came time to choose narrators, I scrolled through audio samples and felt like a kid in a candy shop, but with much higher stakes. This was the voice that would carry my story to people who, like me, choose to experience a lot of their written material while they are driving, doing dishes, or getting their daily trail-walk in.
Friends, I get you. And now we’ve got you covered.
Chelsea Mae’s sample was a memoir, and her voice was perfect for a detective narrating her own life. I knew I had found the sound of Shae.
Working with her was a pleasure—one we capped off with dinner in Salt Lake City. (She was there from far away, for a conference, I drove in from closer-by.) Coincidentally, the book came out on Audible the day we planned to meet, so there was an air of celebration all the way around. We grilled each other over nachos and steak medallions, and that conversation will remain between us. 😊
But you will see her answers to my email interview below.
Chelsea Mae Dishes on her work in the booth
JJL: Do you read the book before you narrate it?
CM: Yes, I want to get as much information about the characters as possible as I am creating them. You never know when a spoiler or a specific phrase that a character might use might unlock an idea about the way that they speak.
This is also the best time to ask the author any questions. Sometimes I like to find images or music that helps me feel connected to the atmosphere of the story.
The more connection I have with the story as I read it, the more my creative intuition can thrive in the booth.
JJL: How do you take care of your voice? Is it rough on you to do so much reading out loud?
Yes, it does get rough on the voice! Aside from drinking lots of water before and during recording, I use a special flush and steamer system to keep my sinuses relaxed, clear, and hydrated.
I do weight training and the rowing machine at the gym to make sure I have good posture and am not putting strain on anything. I make sure to take regular breaks where I don't speak at all, and I've gotten pretty good at feeling when those little larynx muscles have gotten overworked.
Other than that, I have a special drink I make full of ingredients that are good for the voice.
How do you create a character with just the sound of your voice?
I'm a big believer that the more clearly I understand how a character thinks and acts, the more closely the listener will imagine something similar to what I imagine as I voice them. It's a balancing act of empathy for the characters and trusting the listeners.
Pulling from my theatre and film experience, I try to take all the details the author provides about the character and then fill in any blanks (how they dress, walk around, make facial expressions, etc.) until they feel like a real person. Once I feel like I know who the person is, the voice almost comes out by itself. Then I refine it with my more technical understanding of age, voice pitch, socio-economic class, regional accent etc.
Thanks, Chelsea, for helping bring The Madres Deal to life!