Yes, I'm so stoked to finally say that the audiobook for Child of the Night Guild is finally live! I was so lucky to find an amazing narrator to bring the book to life, and I'm thrilled for you all to listen to it.
Check out this sample:
You can get the whole thing over on Amazon. It's SO COOL to hear the journey from the little eight-year old Viola to the strong, confident, hard eighteen year old Ilanna. I can't wait to get the other two done as well.
Check it out!
I had a chance to talk to Rebecca McKernan and ask her a few questions about the audiobook recording process, her take on the story, and more. Here's what she had to say: A.P.: Is this is the darkest work of fiction you ever recorded? How did you feel about the story? R.M.:Yes, it's certainly top three. It's definitely the darkest piece of fiction which ventures into the realms of fantasy I've recorded. I really enjoyed the story. I love how unapologetic it is, how honestly violent and unforgiving the surroundings are painted, how believable each of the characters and their actions are. A.P.: What was your favorite part of recording this story? Your least favorite? The easiest? The hardest? R.M.: I loved taking Viola's/ Illana's journey with her, helping her develop from this young, frightened girl into a hardened, ruthless young woman. It was an interesting challenge as a voice over artist, and I felt like I'd grown with the character. I'm not sure that I had a least favourite part of the recording process, because Andy is a good person to work with and didn't place ridiculous demands upon me, but I suppose the most challenging part was making each of the male characters distinguishable from one another without making them into caricatures. A.P.: Did you see bits of yourself in any of the characters? Did any one resonate with you or make you say, "Hey, I like his/her way of being/thinking/acting"? R.M.: Haha- I suppose I would like to see a few of Illana's determined traits in myself, but that's probably just daydreaming! I'm a big fan of both Denber and Prynn. I love Denber's brotherly but firm way of dealing with his fellow apprentices, his fair, just manner. And I love Prynn's gentleness. I'm also a bit of a sadist, so I do have a soft spot for Master Velvet... A.P.: Which was your favorite character to record? Why? R.M.: I love working with different accents, so I enjoyed reading Master Hawk's dialogue. I also really got into Master Velvet, when I'd struck the note that Andy was looking for in the character. I was a bit disappointed when the action moved away from the menagerie and I didn't get to verbally bully children any more! A.P.: Are you a big fantasy or science fiction reader? What is it about the genre that attracts you? What aspects of the genre don't you like? R.M.: I'm a big reader of everything. I don't get a huge amount of time to read for pleasure any more, but when I do, my favourite genre would be some sort of dystopian fantasy- that tends to be what I write, too. I love a book in which you can see elements of the world that we live in, but is twisted or morphed in some way. I love, and don't love at the same time, how in fantasy absolutely anything can happen and doesn't really need to be explained, because it's a fantastical world created by the writer. It can be anything. Anything goes. A.P.: Do you share any of the characters' traits? Obviously not the villain's, but any of the other characters that reminded you of you? R.M.: Haha- I like how you say 'obviously not the villains''... I definitely have moments of being as stubborn as Illana. But generally, I'd say I'm gentle, like Prynn, and quite protective, like Denber. And I'm a Londoner, so I feel like I've got quite a bit of Fox in me. I can't help but think of them as London street urchins in some warped Dickensian Britain... A.P.: Are there any character traits in the book that made you say, "I wish I could be more X"? R.M.: I like Master Hawk's no nonsense hard headedness, whilst still, I feel, being able to see things clearly and fairly. I could probably do with being a bit firmer myself. A.P.: Do you have any quirks when preparing to record or during recording? Any rituals or habits? R.M.: Not as far as I'm aware. As long as I have plenty of tea to hand, I'm good to go. Or, you know, wine.... A.P.: How do you keep track of all the voices and not get mixed up when switching between characters in dialogue-heavy scenes? R.M.: It's definitely a challenge. I try to paint a visual image of the character in my mind, and then give them something small I can identify them with, things that might exist if they were real people. Prynn had a voice which I saw as being a slightly masculine version of my normal speaking voice. Denber (in my mind) was a well educated chap who'd play rugby but wouldn't cry if he lost. Sometimes I give voices shapes in my mind. Bert's was quite round. It makes words easier to form if you can visualise them. A.P.: What are your top 5 favorite books of all time? Which of the books that you recorded have been your favorite? R.M.: Ooh. Ok, in no particular order:- The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood
- World War Z- Max Brooks
- Atonement- Ian McEwan
- Never Let Me Go- Kazuo Ishiguro
- The Princess Bride- William Goldman