My Dearest Fellow Conspirators,
First of all, thank you for reading my books! You’re the reason I write!
Synthesis (Book 6 of the Conspiracy Chronicles) is out on Amazon now, and Book 2 of the Seeker’s Series is on its way!
Remind me to write a blog on what it’s like to juggle two different series—one fantasy, one dystopian—at the same time. It’s the best. And the worst.
But mostly the best!
I also have the audiobook for Recruitment (Book 1 of the Resistance Trilogy) commissioned and well under way. After the reading, editing, and perfecting, it should be out around the end of April 2020.
So that got me thinking about audiobooks and their importance in the overall reading experience.
First of all, I have the single best audiobook narrator ever to step up to a mic and strap on a set of headphones.
Ginger is not just easy to work with; she’s fun. This is a narrator whose job isn’t really a job. It’s more of a passion, something she clearly loves doing. Plus, she’s amazingly good at it!
I’ve listened to my share of audiobooks in the past. It’s a great way to smooth a commute and enter great worlds through a whole new set of doors.
Since this will be my first foray into having my own work turned into audiobooks, I figured it might make sense to write a bit about the experience.
Here’s how it works: I write the books. I then pass them along, one chapter at a time to Ginger, who works her magic. We discuss each character, how they might react in certain situations, what they look like, and how all of that might inform how they sound. We go back and forth with each chapter, discussing what’s working and what still needs tweaking. When we both agree that it’s as near-perfect as it can get and that our listeners will have the best, most thrilling experience possible, we move on. And on and on it goes!
Hearing what Ginger does with the characters’ voice is a surreal experience but also an educational one.
First of all, as a writer, I have a certain sound in my head that I associate with each character. I know where the stresses are supposed to be, and I know the subtleties of each accent.
That doesn’t exactly go out the window once Ginger gets her hands (voice?) on them. But things definitely do change.
Fortunately, they always wind up changing for the better.
For example, in Recruitment, did you know that I didn’t have a specific voice in mind for Granden, Hiller, Trench, or Chucker?
When I first started, they were kind of secondary characters, and I didn’t really give them much thought. (SPOILER ALERT: For those who’ve been reading ahead, you know of course that Granden winds playing an increasingly active role.) But once Ginger got her vocal cords on these so-called secondary characters, they magically burst into three-dimensional life.
In fact, it was Ginger who pointed out that several of these characters would have a military-style of speaking. They’d know certain terms Kress and her Conspiracy wouldn’t be familiar with. They’d bring a certain scary blend of confidence and intimidation to their voices.
Ginger’s interpretations fuel my creative drive, and they transform each character from a bunch of words on the page into a robust, fully-formed human being. It really is a remarkable thing.
So, when you read the rest of the books, whether or not you wind up getting into them by way of the audiobooks, through ebooks, or through good ol’ fashioned paperbacks, what you’re reading is largely informed by Ginger’s voice talents on the books that have come before.
I look at it this way:
I provide the black and white words; Ginger provides the color. Together, we’re creating an enormous palette of worlds worth reading about and immersing yourself in.
I don’t even think of Kress, Brohn, Cardyn, and the rest of the gang as characters. They look, feel, and now, sound as real as any of us out here.
Conspiratorially yours,
— KAR
If you’re interested in hearing more about Ginger, this brilliant voice talent, who is adding so much to the Conspiracy Ennealogy, visit her at www.gingersuevo.com and check out Recruitment on the Audiobooks page when it comes out!