Narrated by CJ Bloom & Corvin King

Narrated by Stefanie Kay & Julio Maxwell

SFN: How did you learn to narrate audiobooks?

ES: I've been doing some variation of public speaking since I was about 5 years old, and I've always been a passionate storyteller. I even convinced my pre-school teachers that I could read a book out loud to the class, but it just so happened to be a book that I had at home and had memorized. When my teachers called my parents and told them how impressed they were after my "reading", I was enrolled in theatre classes. I followed the passion for performance and learned as much as I could about proper speech, recreating dialects, and creating character voices. It comes quite naturally to me.

SFN: How long are your recording days? How do you keep yourself present/fresh/awake...? Do you have to schedule fresh air breaks into your workday to get out of the booth?

ES: I will record for 30 minute intervals at a time, then edit what I've recorded before listening back to what I've put down. Then I spend about 15 minutes stretching and going outside to get some fresh air. Then I'm back in the booth! I try to put myself into the story mentally as much as I can so I can stay excited about reading it. I want to be enthusiastic in a read so that it is exciting for my audience to listen to.

SFN: Audiobook listeners love bloopers! Do you have a favorite blooper you’ve saved or author pickup you’ve gotten during the recording process that has stuck with you?

ES: I get tongue tied and crack myself up all the time when I'm recording. The most recent blooper that comes to mind was mispronouncing "hunting camp" as "humping camp". Those are very different things!

SFN: Very true! What's the biggest challenge you face as an audiobook narrator?

ES: I always want to tell a story as authentically as I can. I also face imposter syndrome on a daily basis - am I really qualified to be doing this? But the answer is yes, I am, and I think it is evident that I pour my heart and soul into each project. It is my responsibility to bring the vision that the author has to life, and I will do whatever is within my power to achieve that.

SFN: What's the oddest object in your booth?

ES: I guess it would have to be my corgi-butt mousepad. I have a corgi mix named Jean-Ralphio who can't hang with me while I'm recording (he is quite simply too noisy), but looking at the mousepad throughout the day makes me smile.

What a cutie! Say hi to Erin & Jean-Ralphio (love that name) on TikTok or Instagram @erin_shaughnessy!

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