24 Days of Holiday Giveaways: Day 19

Winner for Day 19: Congratulations to Esther M!

I am so thrilled to say that I’ve just started to distribute the audiobook version of my Regency historical novel, A DANGEROUS MADNESS. The talented Shiromi Arserio is my narrator, and I’m thrilled with the way it all worked out. The prize in the draw today is US and Canada ONLY I am afraid, as those are the rules for the giveaway codes I’ve been given, so only commenters from those two countries can go into the draw.

Shiromi lives in the US, but she is British, and that’s one of the reasons I chose her as my narrator, as I liked the idea of a book set in London being read by someone from the UK. Do you have any thoughts about the accent of the narrator when you listen to audiobooks?

23 thoughts on “24 Days of Holiday Giveaways: Day 19”

  1. Olivera

    Absolutely, narrator can make or break the book. I’m a long time listener of audible and I heard it all. The good, the bad and the great. I must say that the narrator for the class 5 is excellent. I think I memorized those books 😊

  2. Esther M

    I agree with Olivera that the narrator can make or break the audiobook. For example, I’m sure that the audiobook versions of “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” series by Alexander McCall Smith took off (at least in the U.S.) on the strength of the accent and narration of Lisette Lecat.

    You’re right to hold out for a narrator and accent that works for your book.

      1. Esther M

        Michelle,

        I just checked that the Australian Audible site uses two different readers for The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series: Hilary Neville and Adjoa Andoh, Lisette Lecat is a stage performer who now works in the U.S., but who was born in South Africa. She reads for Recorded Books, LLC (one of the two founders of the Audiobook industry back in the 1980s, along with Books on Tape). In the Australian Audible store, she reads Alexandra Fuller’s “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tongiht” — which I also have from the US Audible store. (And, BTW, I’ve heard Alexander McCall Smith read from his works, and he’s just not as moving as any of these narrators! Also, as a side comment, Alexander Spencer is my favorite narrator for P.G. Wodehouse, but his readings are no longer available — except that I’ve digitized the 7 books that he did on tape. He had a British father and American mother, and when he joined Recorded Books early on, the productions really took off — cf. Wikipedia articles.)

  3. Heather R.

    Olivera and Esther are correct about the importance of the narrator in an audiobook. I have to listen to a sample of any audiobook that I think about buying. If the narrator does not sound good to me, then I am better off just buying the ebook. I also think that any accents in the book should sound authentic. I am so excited that you are making another of your novels into an audiobook! Thanks so much for doing that.

  5. Kareni

    Congratulations, Michelle, on this new distribution method for your book. (No need to enter me as I rarely listen to audiobooks.)

  7. J.Lee Conaway

    As I mentioned before in another post, I don’t do audio books. However, I can fully agree that the narrator can make or break the item for which they are reading. I have been turned off by narrators in various television programs, film documentaries, and such like that, to the point that I left off watching. I so hope this narrator works for your book, and that she gives your listeners a lot of pleasure and satisfaction. (P. S. If my name gets drawn, any school for the blind would love a copy of your book.)

  8. Carol

    A British narrator for a Regency is a great idea. Thanks for your generoskty in giving out these prizes.

  9. Melissa

    Narrators are important. I tried to listen to Adrienne Barbeau read Anne McCaffrey’s Killashandra, and couldn’t finish because all the character sounded too alike. But when I listened to Q-in-Law by Peter David I loved it. John DeLancie and Majel Barrett read the book, and managed to add pizzaz when their characters had dialog. It was like listening to Q and Lwaxana Troi fight, and I could SEE it in my mind. That’s how good they were. 🙂

    I don’t need a copy of the audiobook because I won the ebook version. 🙂 I just wanted to share my love of Q-in-Law. 🙂

    2. Esther M

      Melissa,

      I agree with your opinion on both sets of narrators: I have the two Alien Voices productions of Spock and Q (John DeLancie) as very old Audible purchases. I could never listen to any of the Anne McCaffrey Killashandra narrations.

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