To learn more about me, my narration, and audiobook production, please check out my comments and interviews on other sites:

Narrators Cup of Joe with host Daniela Acitelli

1/18/24 If Not This, What Else? You Never Know How Close You Are To What You Seek! with Anne Flosnik

10/5/23 10 Minutes with Joc with Jocqueline Protho

Audiobook Lovin’ Podcast with host Viviana Izzo

9/29/23 Season 5, Ep 3 Narrator Karen Commins

Narrators Cup of Joe with host Daniela Acitelli

12/8/22 People Spend More Time Planning Their Vacation Than They Do Planning Their Lives!

Clubhouse Narrator Focus with hosts Danielle Gensler and Alex Picard

10/27/22 Time Management

The Audiobook Club podcast with host John York

10/22/22 Karen Commins, Chief Cartographer of Narrators Roadmap & Audiobook Narrator

Clubhouse 

9/16/22 My Ask Me Anything

Audiobook Reader’s Review podcast with host Sarah Bacaller

8/1/22 Episode 2

Clubhouse Audiobook Industry Chat with hosts Stephanie Németh-Parker and Amanda Stribling

6/21/22 Public Domain Audiobooks

Clubhouse Ask an Audiobook Pro with hosts Hillary Huber and Vikas Adam

3/14//22 Narrator’s Roadmap

Narrators Cup of Joe with host Daniela Acitelli

10/5/21 What You Focus on Is Important So Focus On What You Want, Not What You Lack

ACX blog

6/8/21 Celebrating 10 Years of Storytellers: Narrator Karen Commins

The Journal

12/11/20 I was mentioned in the article Instructional writer reads, reviews all 940 bestselling novels of 20th century.

Wall Street Journal

11/1/20 The Secrets To Success as an Audiobook Narrator by Kate Murphy
The journalist quoted producers, publishers, and several narrators in this piece. Since I’m not a WSJ subscriber, I can’t see beyond their pay wall. I therefore researched ProQuest at my library and saved this PDF of the article.

VoyageATL 
4/29/20 Meet Karen Commins

Audiobook Narration for Beginners Podcast
Fellow narrator J. Rodney Turner hosts this podcast to help newcomers learn about audiobook narration. Audiobook narration is my favorite subject!

7/1/19 Episode 26: Karen Commins – Part 1
7/8/19 Episode 27: Karen Commins – Part 2
7/15/19 Episode 28: Karen Commins – Part 3

Georgia Radio Reading Service
4/17/19  I’m honored to be highlighted in the April 2019 newsletter as Volunteer of the Month.

ACX University
11/2/18 Acting With Intention
In this 16:31 video, I talk about setting career goals and staying motivated as you continue on your path. In the concurrent chat, I offered resources and answered many questions. You can find all of that ancillary material in this post.

The Audiobook Speakeasy Podcast

7/23/18 Episode 26: Karen Commins
Host Rich Miller is also an audiobook narrator, so it was a special delight to have a drink together and discuss all things about audiobooks in this 1:03.51 show.

The Postcardist Podcast

6/22/18 Episode 22: Greetings From Karen Commins
In this fun and interesting 59:11 show, host Frank Roche and I talk about how I use postcards in marketing my business and so much more!

Build Book Buzz
4/4/18 How To Promote Your Audiobook
In this guest post, I answered 8 questions about audiobook marketing.

Spin Sucks
12/18/17 The Big Question: Audiobooks vs Reading
I explain 2 factors I use to determine whether I listen to or read a book for pleasure.

Animatron
11/29/17 4 Awesome Examples Of Social Media Contests (+ Tips How To Run Your Own Contest)
Hint: I entered a contest for a reason other than the prize.

Acuity Training
9/12/17 Adobe Productivity — 69 Experts Reveal Their Top Tips
I always say technology is my friend, and I offer 2 tips here: 1 on Photoshop, and 1 about Adobe Export PDF

Business News Daily
6/15/17 Evernote: 7 Features You Should Be Using

FanGirlNation Magazine
5/24/17 Interview With A Narrator: Karen Commins

The Author Biz podcast

1/30/17 Marketing and Promotion for Audiobooks, episode TAB104
Author and host Stephen Campbell and I talk about ways authors can promote their audiobooks.

Stacy Juba, author of Fooling Around With Cinderella
1/5/17 Part 1 about me as a person
1/7/17 Part 2 about the audiobook production process

The James Altucher Report, Dec. 2016 (private subscription)

Amy Metz, author of Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction
10/14/16 part 1 about me as a person
10/20/16 part 2 about the audiobook production process

East-West Audio Body Shop webcast with hosts George Whittam and Dan Lenard
6/22/15 EWABS Episode 193 Audiobook Roundtable

Wendy Pitts, fellow narrator
3/5/15 Monthly Mentoring column

April Holgate audiobook listener/reviewer
12/30/15 Update
12/28/14 Original Interview

Advertising Age Magazine

2/15/10
I responded to an editorial about Super Bowl ads and noted that those without voiceover were not as effective.

LibriVox Community Podcast

12/19/08 Episode 93  Starting at :28, I talk about getting started as a volunteer reader.

The Publicity Hound blog

1/28/07
I advised a voiceover talent who wanted to know actions they could take to market themselves.

Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine

June 2006
I was profiled in a story about home improvements after we learned some hard lessons about contractors in building an addition on our house for my studio.

The post Press Page appeared first on Karen Commins.

Beccy’s bio:

I’ve always been a reader, my world is not right without a book.

I live in an old cottage on 3 acres in rural Tasmania along with our two Jack Russell terriers who are my constant companions, my husband and a few chooks. I was born and raised in Cornwall in the U.K., and before moving here we lived in New Zealand for a few years (plus a few other places). Injury caused me to retire a bit earlier than planned, I worked as a RN and gained my masters degree to work in nurse education.

I enjoy crafts but am not much good at any of them though I’m not too bad at making crocheted lace. I cook a bit and grow a few veggies, I love lava lamps, essential oils and tie-dye, bit of an old hippy really.

10 Questions For Bec

1. When did you start listening to audiobooks?

I can’t really recall, probably when libraries first introduced books on CD for loan, I’d listen on my Walkman until it broke. Then, three years ago I was given an iPad, first thing I did was join Audible and download the app. I also listen to audiobooks from the library via the Overdrive app.

2. What prompted you to start writing audiobook reviews?

I often forget what I’ve actually read, so I began cataloging my books on Goodreads, it just went from there. I’ve always used reader reviews as a guide to choosing a book, and leaving a review is also a small way of thanking an author. By having my own review blog I hope I also make a minor contribution to the promotion of books.

3. Where do you write your reviews? If it’s a public place, why did you choose it? If it’s at home, describe the room and/or stuff on your desk. A picture would be fabulous!

Always at home, I rarely go out, I’m not a total recluse, just almost! Even if I did go out I would far rather just people watch.

I’m not able to sit in a chair for long,(bad back, just like practically every other ageing nurse) so I work from my bed, just like Mae West! I work entirely on an iPad so I don’t need a desk, there’s not much to see I’m afraid.

4. How do you decide whether to read a book or listen to it? Do you ever do both for the same book?

The choice is quite easy for me, I will read a book if I know I shall want to dip into it again for information, or if it has a useful glossary or references. I see no point at all in buying a cookery book in audio form. Other books I prefer to read are those that benefit from being illustrated like travel and gardening books. Recently I’ve been buying the Whispersync audiobook/Kindle combination. It’s so useful for checking up on unusual names, or, when listening to a more complex story – saves all that rewind business.

5. Do you have a go-to genre?

Yes I do! Just a few years ago I picked up a murder mystery from the library and was hooked. I enjoy police procedurals, British for preference, I like the American P.I. type stories, historical crime, oh, and I love to have a good series to follow. I also love a darned good humorous cozy mystery.

6. What is your review policy? Do you accept review requests from narrators?

Judging by some of the requests I’ve been receiving I think it’s time I reviewed my policy, or maybe it’s just that nobody reads it. I don’t accept erotica, or anything shape shifting or vampire like. I dislike legal thrillers and James Bond type books. Horror is out as is anything dark, evil or psychologically disturbing. I’m really not keen on books with sex scenes, even moderate ones as they always seem a bit farcical to me, and let’s be honest, it’s all been said before.

I read all requests, some are from narrators, a few from authors or their assistants, but these days I am picky, I had some awful listens in the early days when I didn’t know how to say no.

7. Describe how you approach your reviews. Do you have different criteria for different genres?

Let me say first and foremost, one thing I have learned is that the British sense of humour is often not internationally appreciated! On occasion, some remarks I’ve written have been misunderstood or worse, taken for rudeness so I’m more restrained these days.

In my reviews I always include the book cover of course, along with the usual details, and yes, I do include the publishers summary, mainly because it saves me the job and I can just get on with the review, besides, they are far better at précis than me.

I suppose I do use a genre specific criteria, but in a very loose way, for example, a ludicrous plot might be quite acceptable in a humorous cozy mystery but totally unacceptable in a serious police procedural.

I’m not a writer nor am I a book critic so I don’t use literary jargon, not that I know what much of it means anyway, I just write as a reader reviewer and it’s all about telling people why I did or didn’t enjoy a book. Put quite simply, that means I might expand a little on the storyline and the characters, and if a book evokes a particular response in me then I attempt to describe that too.

If I dislike a book I say what it is I disliked and try to explain why, quite often I seem to go against the tide of popular opinion but I don’t allow other people’s ratings to affect my own. I really dislike a book containing long information dumps or, even worse, a lengthy denouement. Nevertheless, I do try to find something good to say about every book I review, if I dislike it so much that I can’t even finish it then I just don’t post a review.

I find the most difficult reviews to write are about books I’ve really loved, and that’s because my lack of writing skills means I don’t do the author justice.

I always finish up with a few comments on the recording quality and narrators performance, after all, it is an audiobook! I’m always left feeling a bit puzzled at reviews with no mention of the narrator. The comments usually include the usual remarking on voice, clarity, cadence and suchlike. However, the hardest quality to convey is that “undefinable something”. That certain little thing that keeps us coming back for more. I like to think that those narrators come from a long line of storytellers and are continuing a tradition.

8. Do you multitask when listening to books? If yes, what else do you do while you listen, and how does listening to books affect the other activity?

I listen when I prepare and cook dinner, sometimes if a book is really interesting I spend far longer in the kitchen than is strictly necessary.

I’ll listen when I crochet which is not a good idea, the more interesting the book the more I have to rip back my crochet mistakes and start again.

If I’ve remembered to charge my phone I’ll use that to listen in the garden. I know some people listen at work, I wouldn’t be able to do that as I’d be concentrating on the book rather than work.

I’ve never listened to audiobooks whilst driving because I become too engrossed in stories, I’d probably get lost!

9. Looking back through the reviews you’ve written, please share the link(s) of 1-3 that were favorites of yours and explain why they are special to you.

http://audiothing.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/a-song-from-dead-lips.html

This is the first book in the Breen and Tozer series, it’s special to me because the setting is London during the 1960s, when I was a teenager so there’s the nostalgia factor. The storytelling is brilliant, William Shaw is one of my favourite authors of all time,

https://audiothing.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/think-of-number-dave-gurney-book-1.html

I found writing the review for this one very difficult. Despite it being book which received both critical acclaim and many 5 star reader reviews, I disliked it. This is how I review such books.

https://audiothing.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/i-want-to-be-dixie-diva.html

This book is special because it introduced me to The Dixie Divas, a cozy series unmatched by any other I have read. Above all other reasons for loving is that it made me laugh, really laugh at a time when I especially appreciated it.

10. As a narrator, I sometimes feel I have a spiritual connection to some of the characters in the books. If you were a character in a novel, who would you be, and why?

Oh Karen, I don’t know! I could, I suppose, be my namesake, Daphne du Mauriers’ “Rebecca”, but then again, she didn’t have much of a role did she?

I quite like the idea of being Phrynne Fisher, from the Kerry Greenwood novels, she’s a little bit fabulous, but then, the dentists didn’t have lignocaine back then.

I shall be Jessica Fletcher! From the Murder She Wrote series, Donald Bain writes novels based on that series so it counts. Jessica is clever, travels extensively staying in beautiful hotels. She lives in a gorgeous house near the ocean, she doesn’t seem to have money worries nor is her life complicated by those bothersome romantic interests.

Connect with Bec on these sites:

Blog: audiothingblogspot.com.au
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27051141-bec-audiothing
Audible: http://tiny.cc/Audiblereviews
Facebook: http://tiny.cc/Facebook-books
Twitter: https://twitter.com/audiothingbooks

Thanks, Beccy, for joining me today and giving us a peak inside your world!

Do you have a question for Beccy? Please leave a comment!
 

The post Interview with Audiobook Blogger Beccy Stokes appeared first on Karen Commins.

Susan’s bio:

Susan has been a lifetime reader, mostly of SFF. It’s rare for a week to go by without her completing 1-3 books. She currently lives on a little 6.5 acre farm in northern NM with an adoring husband, too many cats, 2 dogs, mammoth and standard donkeys, chickens, and some ornery goats. She has a BS in Biology and a BS in Environmental Science and this makes her an awkward dinner guest as she is always spouting some disgusting, yet fascinating, facts.

10 Questions For Susan

1. When did you start listening to audiobooks?

Years ago when I had a really long commute to and from work 5 days a week. The radio was driving me crazy since it would cut in and out much of the way and music CDs had lost their charm. It’s rural northern NM, so the radio stations are limited to begin with and I was so tired of all the repeating commercials. A friend from knitting circle suggested audiobooks and like the little snot I was back then, I scoffed that I could read quite fine on my own, thank you. And I can — just not while driving. So I visited my library and picked out Drood by Dan Simmons. It probably wasn’t the easiest audiobook to cut my teeth on, but I stuck with it, and I have been hooked ever since then.

One of my earliest audiobooks was Bonk by Mary Roach, a non-fiction on human sexuality. It is hilarious and educational. I had to explain that to the guard at the check point when he overheard the part about where a pig’s clitoris is located. Yep. Audiobooks – breaking with ice with armed security officers.

2. What prompted you to start writing audiobook reviews?

I was already writing book reviews for a blog, Dark Cargo, when I started listening to audiobooks. So it was a natural transition. I quickly learned that the narrator and sound effects/music (if any) could make or break a book. So I definitely wanted to comment on those elements in my audiobook reviews. I think this is even of more interest when an author narrates their own work; some have that skill set, and some don’t.

3. Where do you write your reviews? If it’s a public place, why did you choose it? If it’s at home, describe the room and/or stuff on your desk. A picture would be fabulous!

I generally get out my laptop and get cozy in the big bed with my furballs. It’s quiet – no TV or radio to distract me. Also, our house is heated only by 2 wood fireplaces, so generally, the bedroom is the warmest room in the house during winter. I have worked on reviews while taking a lunch break at the office or even while waiting for an oil change in the customer break room. I’m not picky, it’s just that I am home like 90% of time since I left the office job for a home business. Plus, there aren’t many cafes in the area (only 1, but it’s hours are unpredictable), so it’s not like I’m going to head out 2-4 times a week for a fancy tea with my laptop.

4. How do you decide whether to read a book or listen to it? Do you ever do both for the same book?

In general, I like to listen as it frees up my hands. Occasionally, for read alongs I will have both the audio and a paper version going on. I find that I have a much harder time figuring out how to spell character names and place names if I am listening, as much of what I read is SFF. So sometimes I refer to the book, or the author’s webpage if it has the info, to get the correct spelling for my reviews.

The past 18+ months I have done rather little eyeball text reading due to a chronic illness, so audiobooks have kept me sane. I recently started a new-to-me drug for one of my illnesses and it has the side effect of letting me focus a bit more, so I have been experimenting with eyeball reading again, just having fun with it, as I don’t know if it will last.

5. Do you have a go-to genre?

SFF. I love the pure escapism of it. I can turn off my analytical brain and not be constantly looking at this fact or that to see if it’s true, as I sometimes do with other genres, like historical fiction. SFF has such breadth when it comes to subgenres and writing styles. I can find something for whatever mood I am in – silly, serious, epic, short & sweet, etc.

6. What is your review policy? Do you accept review requests from narrators?

Yep. I have a pretty open review policy that can be found on my site: http://dabofdarkness.com/About/

As you can see, I don’t mind people contacting out of the blue and I accept nearly every genre. I’m an eclectic reader, however, I haven’t found a love of contemporary romance yet, though I do occasionally give it a try. I’m not big on poetry unless it is epic and ancient. Religious fiction is OK if it is not too heavy on the religion part. I listen to any length and I do series. I also listen to radio dramas and full-cast audios. I enjoy some non-fiction as well, like history and biology stuff. I accept review requests from narrators, authors, and publishers.

7. Describe how you approach your reviews. Do you have different criteria for different genres?

In general, I will cover at least the characters and the plot. I also like to talk about the setting. For audiobooks, I have a designated section at the end of the review that talks about the narration, sound effects, and music. The more I enjoy a book, the more I gush over it and can get a little rambly. If I have any criticisms with the book or narration, I am specific and never, ever attack the author or the narrator. I don’t do a rating on my blog, but I cross post nearly every review and there I have to post a rating. I base that on shear enjoyment factor.

A book can have a serious issue (like zero female characters) but if I enjoyed the hell out of it, I will still give it a 4 or 5 star rating. After all, I am reading/listening for enjoyment first most; I’m not a paid professional reviewer.

I don’t have different criteria for different genres other than just simply accepting a book for what it is. For instance, I don’t compare urban fantasy with epic scifi in my head. The pacing is different, the world building and characters are often more in depth in the epic instead of the urban, but I expect more action and perhaps humor in my urban fantasies.

8. Do you multitask when listening to books? If yes, what else do you do while you listen, and how does listening to books affect the other activity?

I’m a rag rug weaver, so I like to listen to audiobooks while I weave. I also listen while I cook or do light cleaning. When relaxing, I like to play Sid Meier’s Civilization IV and listen to an audiobook. About three months ago, I discovered adult coloring books. These are more complex coloring books and not adult-themed coloring books, just to be clear. I don’t want to give anyone the impression that I spend part of my time coloring in genitalia while listening to some erotica. My asthma kicked in after more than a decade of being dormant and the daily albuterol makes my hands pretty shaky sometimes, so I had to set aside the knitting needles and take up something else – coloring. And no, I don’t care about those lines.

9. Looking back through the reviews you’ve written, please share the link(s) of 1-3 that were favorites of yours and explain why they are special to you.

So I would like to share three reviews showing different levels of enthusiasm. First, I absolutely adored Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear, a steampunky historical fiction. http://dabofdarkness.com/2015/08/06/karen-memory-by-elizabeth-bear/

Next, Freedom Club by Saul Garnell was excellent in so many ways, and yet had so few female characters, none of which were plot central. http://dabofdarkness.com/2015/11/29/freedom-club-by-saul-garnell/

Finally, here’s a link to Inside a Silver Box by Walter Mosley. I had more than one issue with this book, so I want to show you how I write that up when it occurs (which isn’t often). http://dabofdarkness.com/2015/04/14/inside-a-silver-box-by-walter-mosley/

10. As a narrator, I sometimes feel I have a spiritual connection to some of the characters in the books. If you were a character in a novel, who would you be, and why?

This is a tough one. Today, I want to investigate something. So let me be a future cop in some scifi Mars story, or a 12th century medical examiner in Italy, or maybe a British Detective Investigator. I love how crime happens every place and every when. Mysteries happen. Also, I spent 7 years as an accident investigator for a national lab, so I don’t think I will ever get tired of reading well-plotted mysteries.

Connect with Susan on these sites:

Blog: http://dabofdarkness.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6948763-susan
BlogLovin’: https://www.bloglovin.com/people/susanvoss-11572265
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.voss.18
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nrlymrtl

Thanks, Susan, for this wonderful interview! It’s been a delight to peak inside your world!

Do you have a question or comment for Susan? Please say hello on the blog!
 

The post Interview With Audiobook Blogger Susan Voss appeared first on Karen Commins.

Earlier this week, audiobook narrator Wendy Pitts interviewed me on her blog A Girl and Her Microphone.

She asked 10 engaging questions, such as #7: Are there any books, webinars, classes, or conventions you have found particularly helpful and informative?

I responded with a mini resource list of links in the following categories:

• Narration
• Pro Tools
• Voiceover books
• The best marketing book
• Time Management
• Making a Fast Decision
• How to Use a Journal
• How to Become BETTER at Anything
• Conferences

In other answers, I offered my advice and links on selecting books for audition and narration (question 4), as well as a FREE and fabulous book to help you figure out what’s important to you and get it into your life (question 8). I hope you’ll check out the interview and let me know whether you found the links to be helpful.

Do you have a question you’d like to ask me? If so, please leave a comment!
 

The post My Recommended Classes, Audition Criteria and Other Advice appeared first on Karen Commins.

Rebecca’s Bio:

Rebecca M. Douglass is an author and blogger with eclectic tastes, from children’s books to murder mysteries and non-fiction examinations of the natural world. She writes middle-grade fiction and adult murder mysteries and promotes her own work and that of other writers on her blog, largely in the form of reviews of anything and (nearly) everything she reads. Her own work maintains a humorous touch, whether it is the tall tales of the Ninja Librarian books or the absurdities of life on Pismawallops Island in Death By Ice Cream, or the wide variety of short stories published on her blog. Ms. Douglass writes from her home near San Francisco, which she shares with her husband and two teenaged sons, which is enough to drive anyone to invent new worlds to inhabit.

10 Questions For Rebecca

1. When did you start listening to audiobooks?

I have been listening to audiobooks for a long time, and don’t recall just when I started. I’m sure it’s been at least a dozen years. I listen when exercising, or when doing housework, which I detest but will do for the sake of continuing to listen to a good story. I began listening back in the days of cassette tapes and then CDs. My itty bitty MP3 player is a huge improvement!

2. What prompted you to start writing audiobook reviews?

I’ve been writing reviews for a couple of years now, and it never occurred to me to make a distinction between books I read and books I listened to, so I just naturally reviewed audiobooks. But I soon realized that I did need to comment, at least, when I’d used the audiobook, and that a mention of the quality of the audio and narration would be helpful to listeners. So I have gradually begun making two-pronged audio reviews.

3. Where do you write your reviews? If it’s a public place, why did you choose it? If it’s at home, describe the room and/or stuff on your desk. A picture would be fabulous!

I do almost all my writing at home, and all I will say about my desk is that I share it with my 15-year-old son…and he nags me to clean up my side of it. We have a somewhat chaotic little den (less chaotic since the teen cleaned it up recently), which contains a huge partner desk and a bunch of bookcases, full of classics, my favorite children’s books, and books on writing. I have a lot of inspirational quotes from author Chuck Wendig on my wall, because even though they tend to be profane, they are also profound. But I’m not sharing a picture of my chaos. No way.

4. How do you decide whether to read a book or listen to it? Do you ever do both for the same book?

I usually pick my audiobooks from whatever I stumble on in the library catalog, though sometimes I will select something because I love the narrator or because it’s the only copy available at the moment when I want it. I do often listen to and read the same book, though not at the same time—I might choose to listen to something I have enjoyed in the past, just to get a different take on it, or I might find and read a book I’ve listened to because I want to pick up what I might have missed when distracted while listening. I find that books are very different when read or heard.

5. Do you have a go-to genre?

Cozy mysteries form a large part of what I listen to, and I also do a lot of middle-grade books, though they can be hard to find.

6. What is your review policy? Do you accept review requests from narrators?

I do accept review requests, but I probably turn down more than I accept. I need to actually want to read the book, as I am foremost a writer of fiction, and my reading is for pleasure, when it’s not for research or to improve my craft. So I try to be sure that my reviewing and blogging don’t become either a burden or the focus of my work. I do not accept payment for reviews (I do accept review copies of books), and I do not do “review exchanges.” A lot of what I think about reviewing is covered in a blog post from October 2013: http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2013/10/reviews-and-review-policy.html.

7. Describe how you approach your reviews. Do you have different criteria for different genres?

I try to review with both an honest appraisal of how I liked the work and a more objective assessment of strengths and weaknesses, and a final recommendation for who might like the work. I hold all works to a high standard of writing, but I do consider genre. I don’t expect profundity from a children’s book full of goofy humor and silly situations, but I do expect things to make sense in their own goofy way. I have been gradually developing my format, but I try to always include a cover image, the author (and narrator or illustrator if appropriate) info, publication info, and a summary of the story, either my own or the publisher’s summary. Then I review, and end with a recommendation. I have stopped assigning “stars” unless I am publishing a review somewhere like Amazon that requires it, because I’d rather just talk about the book, the good, bad and indifferent, and let the reader judge from that.

8. Do you multitask when listening to books? If yes, what else do you do while you listen, and how does listening to books affect the other activity?

As I mentioned above, I like to listen to books while working out or doing housework (or yard work)—anything that requires the use of my body but not much of my brain. I can’t just sit and listen to a book, so if I’m totally caught up in a book and don’t want to quit, I will invent tasks, do handwork, etc., to keep listening! I have been known to stop short while running because something I’m listening to has made me laugh too hard to keep going, so I guess you could say that listening to book can affect what I’m doing!

9. Looking back through the reviews you’ve written, please share the link(s) of 1-3 that were favorites of yours and explain why they are special to you.

These are more about books that I particularly like, than reviews that I love. But I include here a range of review styles, to show what I may do.

Dana Stabenow, Restless in the Grave http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2014/08/mystery-monday-restless-in-grave-by.html

This review handles a book well into a series, and talks about my issues with the series as well as why I like it and keep reading, and what a new reader might do.

Ivan Doig, Dancing at the Rascal Fair http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2014/12/audiobook-review-dancing-at-rascal-fair.html

This is a fairly brief review, but one of my favorite books. I was delighted to find many of Doig’s books on audio only recently, and to find that his fantastic writing is enhanced by the excellent narrators.

And a less conventional review, of Brian Jacques’ Redwall books in general, and on audio in particular: http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2014/11/redwall-audio.html

This review in part sprang from a discussion of kids’ audio books, and an issue I’d had listening to these long ago in the car.

10. As a narrator, I sometimes feel I have a spiritual connection to some of the characters in the books. If you were a character in a novel, who would you be, and why?

I’d probably have to be Jo March or Anne Shirley! I’d like to believe I’m the Ninja Librarian, but the fact is that he is far wiser than I am. It is funny—when I think about that, I always end up going back to the classics from my childhood.

Connect with Rebecca on these sites:

Blog: www.ninjalibrarian.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ninja-Librarian/305808032816136
Twitter: I Tweet as Douglass_RM, when the spirit moves me, which it mostly doesn’t.

Thanks, Rebecca, for spending some time with us in this great interview! Do you have a question or comment for Rebecca? Please leave a comment on the blog!
 

The post Interview with Audiobook Blogger Rebecca M. Douglass appeared first on Karen Commins.

Today’s topic: How a Heroine Can Beat Up Thugs Without Emasculating Her Man

Author Melissa F. Miller, who writes the Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller series for which I narrate the audiobooks, recently posted this blurb on Facebook:
The always-entertaining Barbara Silkstone invites Sasha, of all people, to give relationship advice on her blog: 

Luckily, the recipient of said advice is also a fictional character.

When I read this delightful interview between 2 heroines, I thought the audiobook narrators of these 2 series should get in on the fun and bring our characters to life!

Meiissa loved the idea and gave me permission to narrate her words, so I contacted Nicole Colburn, narrator of the Wendy Darlin Tomb Raider series. Nicole and author Barbara Silkstone also were very enthusiastic about Nicole voicing Wendy’s parts. My husband, director, and fellow narrator Drew Commins plays the emcee, Kraft Masterson.

The Wendy Darlin Tomb Raider series written by Barbara Silkstone and narrated by Nicole Colburn is available at Audible at this link.

The Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller series written by Melissa F. Miller and narrated by Karen Commins is available on Audible at this link.

The post Advice to the Love-Shorn Recorded for Going Public Project appeared first on Karen Commins.