Monday, June 15, 2020

When I cry: by Heather Jane Hogan

Heather Jane Hogan is a wonderfully versatile voice artist and actress. She narrated several of my audiobooks, and Ash Suspense Thrillers: Trilogy -- has been published. I asked Heather to give me a glimpse into the challenges of her art, especially when it comes to this new thriller.

When I cry

Narrating for Uvi is always a treat, and voicing Overkill was no exception. I was provided a script that challenged, delighted, and moved me. 

When I cry in real life, I have a tough time talking; my voice reaches heights Minnie Mouse would approve of. My throat closes, and whatever I can eek out sounds a little funny, and does NOT make for a good audiobook… So, for example, one challenge was to give Tracy’s emotions a ‘normal’ sound, which meant I had to skirt a fine line of evoking high emotion while staying grounded enough to speak properly!

Another challenge in the book was the nature of the crime. Having to get into the skin of a murderer is something I’m not sure I can describe. When I voice a character, I take all the information the author has given; any clue from other character’s descriptions, the narrator’s description – even hints from the character themselves, and search within me to find what’s similar. When I find that thing, I amplify it and “be” that character when I record. Sometimes I have to leave the booth and shake it off when I’m done.

Looking forward to the next one!

Follow Heather on these sites: Twitter Website
And take a listen to her voice in these 5-minutes voice samples 
of the audiobook editions of my books:




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