Voice by Jannie

From Regency lovers to bees and trolls, Jannie creates their voices!

Jean Gill, the author of Arrows Tipped With Honey, book 2 in the Natural Forces series, which I recorded recently, has asked me to tell you a bit about myself. You can watch this interview on video if you prefer. I did add a little more in the video!

VIDEO LINK

Jannie: I’m Jannie Meisberger, a British voice actor and audiobook narrator living happily in the beautiful Pacific Northwest of America.

Jean: Can you give me a brief picture of your personal journey as a Voice Actor (Kind of work you do? When started?  

Jannie: My voice acting journey began 10 years ago, with poetry recordings for LibriVox, a group of worldwide volunteers who record public domain texts, before I moved on to commercial voice work. I started recording audiobooks in 2014. In addition to recording audiobooks, I record on-hold messages and company videos as well as live performance narration of classics like Peter and the Wolf for children’s concerts. 

Jean: You usually record Regency romance and fantasy novels. Why did you choose these very different genres? 

 The majority of the 45 audiobooks I’ve recorded are Regency romance novels.

Jannie: Going to boarding school in Bath, the home of stately Georgian and Regency architecture and culture, was a huge influence not only on the books I read in school, but also much later on the choice of novels I chose to record, which is why the majority of the 45 audiobooks I’ve recorded are Regency romance novels. During a recent visit to Bath I visited the Jane Austen Museum and here’s a photo of me with Mr. Darcy. 

Jean: That's an impressive number of audiobooks and an even more impressive claim to fame. I think many of us would like to spend time with Mr Darcy!

Jannie: Unfortunately I’m not properly attired for the occasion but Mr. Darcy didn’t seem to mind! While at school, I learned to play the piano, love drama and absorb several languages, including Latin, French and German, all great resources to draw upon when I’m researching character voices for audiobooks. 

My journey into the world of fantasy novels began when I was offered a series which included dwarves, pixies, goblins, even a German baroness and many other characters. The series reminded me of the fairy tales I read to my children and how much fun I had voicing all the characters for them. On the wall behind me I have a Family Circus picture -‘I hope you practiced. This book has a lot of funny voices for you to do.’ 

Jean: How do you prepare for recording an audiobook?

We are a team. The author’s words are the stars, and I hope my voice allows listeners to be enthralled by the story. 

Jannie: I always keep in mind that the author has spent many months, even years researching and crafting each book and it takes a leap of faith to trust a narrator to bring just the right voice to the story. We are a team. The author’s words are the stars, and I hope my voice allows listeners to be enthralled by the story. 

As far as the recording process goes, I usually spend 4-8 hours per finished hour of the audiobook. This involves reading the manuscript, listing all the characters and voices for each, as well as making short recordings of each voice for reference, and checking with the author and online resources for pronunciations of names and places before recording and producing the final project. 

Jean: I don't think authors realise how much time the preparation takes!

Jean: For the Natural Forces series you had to create voices for bees, evil mages and shape-shifters. Which character/s did you find most challenging and how did you come up with the voice/s? 

Jannie: Qingzhao’s voice was the most challenging. I first tried out a couple of voices, which didn’t work. I then researched a huge number of photos of elderly Asian women online, before I found a photo of an elderly Mongolian woman that just drew me into Qingzhao’s personality as described by Jean. Finally I took a long walk, with the photo on my IPhone and talked to myself until I found Qingzhao’s voice. 

Jean: For what reasons do you turn books down? 

Jannie: When it’s apparent the author does little or no marketing of his/her book, so probably won’t do much for the audiobook version; the cover art isn’t professional; there are grammatical errors in the excerpt provided. And, I have to be excited about the storyline! 

Jean: Do you network with other Voice Actors? Are there any sites you’d recommend? 

Jannie: I definitely network with other Voice Actors and coaches. The indie (ACX and Others) Audiobook Narrators and Producers Face Book page has a wealth of information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACXNarratorsProducers 

Karen Commins’ Narrators Road Map is also a treasure trove of helpful advice: https://www.narratorsroadmap.com/

Jean: How can an author help the Voice Actor/ Producer of his/her book? 

Jannie: Having a list of characters with their characteristics is so important, as is a pronunciation guide for names and places, especially if the book is a fantasy. Jean also recorded the characters’ names for me, which was a tremendous help. 

Jean: Are there ways in which an author can hinder or even spoil the Voice Actor’s recording of a book? 

Jannie: In a word - Micromanagement! Wanting input about the recording from friends or family before deciding whether to approve or request changes. 

Jean: Tell me about your working day. Do you work to a routine? Do you use a recording studio? Endless cups of coffee or tea? 

Jannie: My husband built me a wonderful recording booth and I usually record for an hour or two early in the morning then go for a walk and have lunch before editing the chapters I’ve recorded. I often drink sips of Throat Coat tea with a dollop of honey as well as water while I’m recording. 

Jean: Who or what has been the greatest help to you as a Voice Actor? 

Jannie: Peer support and encouragement from my fellow Voice Actors as well as excellent instruction from a number of wonderful coaches, both on the creative side of voice acting as well as the technological side has been incredibly helpful. 

Jean: What has been the hardest thing for you to overcome in becoming a Voice Actor? 

Jannie: The technological side of voice acting. That’s why it took me so long to tackle audiobooks. I’m getting more adept technologically but need to learn more.

Jean: If you could pick one character in one of your audiobooks, to spend some time with, who would it be and why? 

Jannie: It would have to be Qingzhao, the ancient beekeeper in Arrows Tipped with Honey. I can imagine enjoying tea and biscuits in her cottage while she sits in her rocker and shares her life story with me. Not only would I learn so much about her life, her children and grandchildren and her tribe as they moved between the natural and manmade worlds, I’d also follow her to the beehives and watch her take care of them. I didn’t know very much about bee-keeping until I recorded Jean’s books so this has been an added bonus.

Jean: Tell me about your latest audiobook and why we should all buy it? 

Jannie: Arrows Tipped With Honey is the second in the Natural Forces Series and has intriguing twists and turns which will keep listeners fully engaged. I was always excited to record the next chapter, to find out what would happen next, and I hope listeners will be just as captivated as they listen to the audiobook.

Jean: What are you working on next? Do you have an ambition? 

Jannie: I’m about to begin recording The World Beyond the Walls, the final book in Jean Gill’s Natural Forces Series, and I am thrilled to journey again with Mielitta, her bees and all the wonderful characters I’ve met along the way. My ambition is to continue recording many more fantasy and Regency period novels for my authors. 

Thank you, Jean, for giving me this opportunity to talk about audiobooks and also for entrusting your wonderful series to my voice. Thanks also to everyone who reads this interview or watches the video. 

Jean: Jannie, I've learned a lot from your interview and love working with you. Many thanks! And to all my readers, you have to listen to Jannie's voice creation for her favourite character, the aged beekeeper Qingzhao. I think it's brilliant!

QINGZHAO

Where can we find you? 

www.voicebyjannie.com where I’ve included links to my audiobooks. 

Contact Website: https://www.voicebyjannie.com 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jannie-Meisberger-Voice-Actor-551005521642993

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannie-meisberger-43243619/ 

The Indie (ACX and Others) Audiobook Narrators and Producers FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACXNarratorsProducers 

Karen Commins’ Narrators Road Map: https://www.narratorsroadmap.com

Get your copy of 'Arrows Tipped with Honey' HERE

'Nobody sees how young you are!' Meet Voice Actor Jake Urry

Jake Urry 
is a British actor, voice artist and narrator of audiobooks, who already has an impressive list of 30+ audiobooks, and testimonials to make any author hope he'll accept a book for narration. When Jake said 'Yes' to me, I fastened my seatbelt, ready for a new way of living my own novel. I was not disappointed! How could I be when Jake attracts comments like, 'I have listened to thousands of audio books through the years, and rarely have I heard such a versatile talent as Jake Urry.' John D Mimms 

I really appreciate Jake taking the time to visit my blog and record this interview as I know he's a very private person when not being somebody else.

Photo: Tom Barker Photography

Welcome to my blog, Jake! 

Tell me a bit about yourself - what do you do when you’re not recording a book?
I co-run Just Some Theatre, a theatre company, and spend most of my time working. I share a studio with Tom Barker Photography so have access to this lovely screen, space and lighting. In my spare time, I like peaceful things like walking, the countryside, and eating salmon.

You can watch Jake's interview live, with more detail than on the blog post, here

Watch Jake's interview on youtube

Tell me about your journey as a Voice Actor
I did a couple of commercial voice-overs but wasn't inspired by reading phone messages for big companies and such-like. Then audiobooks came along and I've had a real passion for them since I started listening about twelve years ago. So, in 2016, my own narrating journey started.

You produce a lot of thrillers and suspense books. Do you see yourself branching out into other genres in the future?
I have worked on thriller, suspense, mystery, horror - dark themes. I was drawn to them because I like the narration voice I use, which is nothing like my natural speaking voice. I love the 'Vincent Price' way of creating suspense, building on it and keeping that energy going. I love that atmosphere.

Recently I have started doing other genres, fantasy and sc-fi, doing things in a completely different accent. I did a book called The Tesla Gate, by John D Mimms, in a sort of American drawl. I really enjoyed it and it's doing very well! 

I do feel like branching out more. This is the first book I've done with as much romance in it. It's not all romance as a story but Song at Dawn has more romantic elements than anything I've done before. I would certainly consider doing more in that vein in the future.

How do you prepare for recording an audiobook?
When I get the script, I look for moments of tension, big changes in the script, how that should push the story along and what the narrative voice should be like. Then, I'll go through looking for main characters, deciding their voices, before recording anything. Then I start reading and see how it evolves.

For what reasons do you turn books down?
If the story doesn't grab me or if I'm not right person for the book. I have to personally want to do it. Financially I can't do it if it won't sell. For instance, if the cover is bad, it won't pay off.

How can an author help the Voice Actor/ Producer of his/her book?
I've been lucky and worked with some great authors. On the whole, they tend to give me free rein. Some specify how they want a particular character to sound, which is fine. I usually ask for a list of main characters, and if the author can tell me anything to help me find a voice, that's helpful. Authors can give me any ideas they have but if they're happy for me to interpret for them, that's fine too.

Are there ways in which an author can hinder or even spoil the Voice Actor’s recording of a book?
What would be annoying would be an author not giving me anything at the beginning, saying, 'Do what you want,' and then came back to me after I'd recorded the whole thing with criticisms such as 'I thought the character would sound more like....' If you've got ideas, let me know at the beginning.

If you could wave a magic wand and change something about your career what would it be?
I'd make more time or get a robot to do my editing, which takes up so much time that i'd rather be recording.

Tell me about your working day. Do you work to a routine? Do you use a recording studio? Endless cups of coffee or tea?
My days starts with computer stuff. I need time for my voice to warm up so I do editing or paperwork or theatre company work first. I do some warm-ups, then go into my booth. I do drink a lot of coffee, and water as well. I try to relax as that's important. The worst thing is a deadline. You can't rush narrating.

Who or what has been the greatest help to you as a Voice Actor?
It's hard to choose. The person who put the spark in me to do narrating was Samuel West, when I heard him doing 1984 by George Orwell. I was on an acting degree and I thought, 'I want to do that!' I always thought I would have to wait until I was older, more seasoned, but the great thing about audiobooks is that they can't see how young you are. I sound about seventy-two when I'm recording but when people see me, they say, 'That's not the guy who read that!' I started doing it a lot sooner than I thought I could, and that's all down to Samuel West.

Jean: Jake made me laugh when we working on Song at Dawn because he enjoyed himself most when portraying old, male villains! NOT what I'd expected!

Jake on stage. Photo: Tom Barker Photography

What has been the hardest thing for you to overcome in becoming a Voice Actor?

Technical difficulties. I've had so many problems with microphones and software, spent so much time fixing them. Asking online for help would have saved me a lot of problems but I didn't know that was an option at the time!

If you could pick one character in one of your audiobooks, to spend some time with, who would it be and why?
I would love to spend some time with Harlan Ulrich, who is the P.I. in the The Ulrich Files by Ambrose Ibson because he spends so much time around abandoned buildings, trying to use his phone torch, and I think if he had someone there to shine a light, it would all be less scary. I could keep him company. He loves good coffee so I could learn coffee-brewing skills from him. I think he'd be pretty chilled to hang out with.

Jean: Now I've checked out The Ulrich Files, I think 'chilling' is a better description than 'chilled'!

Tell me about your latest audiobook and why we should all buy it?
My latest audiobook is of course Song at Dawn by Jean Gill. It's wonderful! I had such a blast narrating it. It has so many different layers, so many spectacular scenes. You can really imagine yourself being in those places. So much historical research has gone into it. I used to think historical fiction might not be as engaging but Song at Dawn shattered that illusion for me. It wasn't difficult to come up with different voices for the different characters because they are so detailed. the whole thing was a joy to narrate - and even to edit, which I don't usually say!

Jean: I had a blast too, Jake, and even enjoyed editing :) I don't usually like that either! Congratulations on a wonderful first review! 

5* review on audible from Melanie Preston Lewis
'Jake Urry provides exquisite narration, and what a task he had, providing voices for female singers as well as the troubadours, French aristocracy and the Jewish and Muslim characters. What an enormous and overwhelming challenge this must have been. Mr Urry rose to the occasion and must be congratulated on his success with so many difficult roles. '

Where can we find you? 
I want to add to my youtube channel so if you have any audiobook-related ideas for videos, anything you'd like to hear about, please post below or get in touch, through any of these links.

Contact Jake via his website
Twitter 
Facebook 
Youtube 

Thank you, Jake, for letting us behind the scenes and for bringing my book to life! 


The ebook of Song at Dawn is FREE from 7th-31st May 2018 - get it here!  
If you own the kindle version of Song at Dawn, you can get a BIG discount on amazon for your copy of Jake Urry reading Song at Dawn  from
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
Or join audible and get a FREE copy of Song at Dawn audiobook here.

Listen to Jake reading Chapter 1 of Song at Dawn

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