Let’s Talk Audiobooks with Darynda Jones

I’m a huge fan of Darynda Jone’s Charley Davidson series, and if you are on the fence about giving audiobooks a shot, I highly recommend it as your first listen, narrator Lorelei King and Darynda Jones, teamed up to deliver some of the best entertainment on audio. This series will  turn you into a habitual listener.

Here are some samples of their extraordinary work

My reviews

Darynda Jones  loves audiobooks!

Thank you so much for having me here today and giving me an opportunity to talk about one of my favorite things: Audiobooks! I have to admit, I have been a huge fan of audiobooks for years.

I even have my favorite narrators and search out books read specifically by them. Some of my favs include Tavia Gilbert, Johnny Heller, Edoardo Ballerini, Edward Hermann, Eric G. Dove, Victor Slezak, Jim Dale, Emma Galvin, Dion Graham, and the ultimate and uber-talented Neil Gaiman… I could go on and on.

Honestly, there are so many wonderful voices out there and incredibly talented narrators who bring books to a whole new level, and I was fortunate enough to meet some of these spectacular actors in New York this summer.

If you’ve never imagined yourself melting from a single glance, you’ve never met Edoardo Ballerini. That man can glance. And Neil Gaiman? I’m pretty sure ovulated when he spoke. But my #1 favorite is Lorelei King, the narrator of the Charley Davidson series and now my young adult series, starting with DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR. I got to hang with her in NY as well and, yes, even before she began narrating my work, she was my number one. She narrates both the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Imagine my surprise and excitement when the powers that be at Macmillan wrote to let me know she’d be my narrator. Trust me, angels sang. You might be wondering what it’s like to have my work narrated by a professional actress. I don’t know how it is for other authors, but for me, I am always amazed at Lorelei’s interpretation of my text. She brings things out I never thought of and even deepens some aspects of a scene. That is how talented she is. I’m so honored to have her and hope she never, ever, ever retires. Ever, ever, ever.

If you are new to audiobooks, I hope you’ll give them a try. Here are a few tips that might help in the transition:

1. Give audiobooks a fair chance. Your brain processes an audiobook differently than it processes the printed page. It is two very different functions. Don’t give up on them right out of the starting gate. Your mind will adjust pretty quicklyand before you know it, five hours will have passedand you are half way finished with another novel in your TBR pile.
2. It’s not cheating. You can keep up with your reading while driving or cleaning house. It’s still literature!
3. If you come across a narrator’s voice that doesn’t do it for you, it’s okay to give up on that audiobook. It may be hard, especially if you shelled out a lot of cash for it, but sometimes voices grate, simple as that. If you are so inclined, I would love for you to at least try those on my list up top. They are all stellar.
4. It’s never too late to start. Audiobooks are surging in sales partly because, with our busy lifestyles, tons of people are learning to love them while listening during commutes, on airplanes, and doing mundane tasks like housework, exercise, and gardening. They make the time fly, and more and more books are being recorded in every genre imaginable. And I’m thrilled to report that (finally!) more YA audiobooks are being recorded.
5. For some reason, audiobooks are a perfect platform to seek out new genres. I’ve discovered my love of cozy mysteries, breathtaking thrillers, and spine-chilling horror through audiobooks from authors I would not normally have read. Not sure why. It’s just fun to listen to books outside of your comfort zone.
6. Any recommendations from our savvy audience?