Introduction:
Hey all, thanks for joining us this week. I must be on a narrator kick.
Please welcome Moira Todd, the voice behind the new audiobook Ember Burning (Trinity Forest Book 1) (You can find the link below). The story follows a grieving teen as she ventures into a forest teeming with urban legends of witchcraft and disappearances and then once there, she finds she must face the truth behind her parent’s death or lose herself to the forest forever. The second book in the series, Oshun Rising, will be available on Audible in February.
Cool. Let’s meet the lady.
How did you get into audiobooks?
I auditioned for an audiobook production company and they pointed me toward ACX, where I can be my own producer, which is really great.
How many audiobooks have you produced?
I’ve produced 8 titles now, including Playing with Fire: A #Hacker Novel by Sherry Ficklin, and Why Can’t My Life Be a Romance Novel by Melinda R. Cordell. I also have three in various stages of production.
Why did you choose to work on Ember Burning?
I love working on books with female protagonists and I think Ember has a really fun voice.
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite is the end when everything really comes to a head and the suspense is at its highest.
What was the hardest part of working on the novel?
The hardest part is actually scheduling. I have to balance audiobooks with acting and teaching. So if I get a cold or something, and can’t record for a few days it can really mess up my production schedule.
What’s involved in the process?
Well, it starts with reading the book. I like to read it once just as an audience and write down my thought on the story as a whole so that I can remember that experience when I’m listening to myself read one sentence over and over. I then read it again an make notes of character descriptions, words I don’t know how to pronounce, and any major tone or pacing shifts in the story.
Me: That’s a lot of reading.
Then I’ll take a chapter or so at a time, and mark it up. This means writing in the best way to make the story clear, like which words to emphasize and when to breath. I take my marked up section into the studio and record it. Any time I mess up, I just go back and read it again. So what I’m left with is a big long recording with lost of repeated sections. I have to use editing software to delete the mess ups, and any big long breathes that sound weird, and make sure the pacing is effective. This then gets given to the author to approve, and eventually put on sale on audible.
How long does it take to create a chapter?
Typically it takes me 10 hours to produce one hour of finished narration.
Me: Oh my goodness.
What is your favorite part of being an audiobook narrator/producer?
My family is pretty spread out, so I love being able to share audiobooks with them, and it’s like were back at home and I’m reading a book to everyone in the living room around the fire.
What’s been the hardest part?
Keeping myself on track to meet deadlines is the hardest part. Because it’s just me, I have to hold myself accountable so that I don’t end up with a week left and half the book to finish.
What’s your favorite audiobook you’ve listen to? Why?
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy narrated by Rob Inglis. I listed to all three on a road trip across the country last year, so it just brings me back to those awesome memories.
What is ahead/next for you?
Are you working on any interesting projects? Do you have anything planned or in the works now? (Other books you might recommend?)
Yeah, I’ve got a few projects in the works. Right now I’m recording Killing Her Softly, a romantic suspense novel by Barb Warner Deane. And in the new year I’ll begin production on the next book in Jennifer Alsever’s Trinity Forrest series Book 2, Oshun Rising.
What do you do when you’re not working on audiobooks?
I’m in rehearsal for a show, or teaching theatre classes, or maybe going on a hike in the Potomac valley.
What do you expect to happen in the audiobook market?
I’m not sure. Podcasts have certainly exploded in recent years. Audiobooks seem like the prefect medium for commuting. People spend so much time in cars or trains or buses these days, why not be listening to a story at the same time.
Conclusion:
Thanks for joining us, Moira. We appreciate you taking the time to chat.
Associate links to follow…
Amazon Prime
Free Kindle Reading App
Audible – If you buy some of my audiobooks with your first credits, I’ll pay the first month’s bill (beyond the free ones). (Terms and conditions: must have proof of purchasing my books, like a screenshot. Will also have to have paypal.)
