Teatime and Books: Audiobook Blog Tour ~ Save Her - Written by Jason Bonet and Narrated by Kim Bretton

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Audiobook Blog Tour ~ Save Her - Written by Jason Bonet and Narrated by Kim Bretton

Author: Jason Bonet

Narrator: Kim Bretton

Length: 12 hours 15 minutes

Publisher: Jason Bonet

Released: Apr. 30, 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Natalie wakes bound to a chair. Fear envelopes her. Her captors must know she’s pregnant. Pregnant with Drayden’s baby. Pregnant with offspring that might have some of Drayden’s awesome nanotech powers. She has to escape. Drayden has to find her. They have to save their baby or the enemy will have all that they need to control everything and everyone.

Jason lives in Kansas City with his daughter and three dogs. He is one of the worst sleepers on the planet, so when he’s awake while others are asleep, he daydreams of really cool stories, some of which make it into his computer and then into Amazon.

Jason is presently writing one series, two stand-alone novels, and two screenplays. Reading Sci-fi is his current interest, but he’ll pick up and devour anything that’s solidly recommended.

Jason checks and replies to his own email, so please shoot him a note after you’ve read one of his books: Author@jasonbonet.com. He'd love to hear from you! If you enjoyed SAVE HER, just wait for the next book in the series titled SAVE THE SEVEN. It absolutely explodes with tension.

Follow Jason’s Amazon Author Page to get notified when SAVE THE SEVEN launches, or, sign up on www.jasonbonet.com to get updates on all books in the series.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

Kim is an accomplished and award winning actress and director with West End/Broadway theatre credits. Kim has narrated over 35 audiobooks and counting. She is also an in demand voice over talent in the commercial and corporate arena and owns her own class A recording studio in Nashville. Kim is from the UK but has lived in NYC, L.A. and now Nashville TN. She continues to work in Theatre, Film and TV as an actress and a director alongside narrating audiobooks and commercial voice overs.

Website

Q&A with Author Jason Bonet

Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
- This was a brutal process made more difficult because I really didn’t want to read Drayden’s chapters. I have more confidence in narrating than I do acting, and felt it was best left to a trained actor to read the male parts, but alas, I couldn’t because it was costly to hire two different actors for both parts, and the way Audible structures its ‘Producing’ segment makes it challenging to orchestrate the recordings from two separate ‘narrators.’ I listened to a ton of samples on Audible before settling on Kim Bretton to read Natalie’s chapters. As soon as I heard Kim, I knew she would make the book amazing. I just love how she read Natalie and Agent Love. Love it! As soon as I accepted the fact that I would have to read Drayden -- despite my internal self-doubt battles -- I dove into excruciating internet research to learn the process. I bought one of those Blue Yeti microphones, which came with Studio One 3 audio software, set up a tiny little recording studio in a spare closet, and got to recording. The process was sloooow. I crammed the recording into 3 very long days. Seriously, it was one of the more challenging things I’ve ever done, but I’m so happy I did it. The experience gave me a lot of confidence, and I plan on recording my other two books (which do not have a British female character).
Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
- No, I think it really comes down to good story matched with a good reader. And when I say story, that also connects to a good non-fiction book well-structured and well-read.
Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- No, not at all for this book. But it is now an absolute part of my plan for previous books and anything I write in the future. I’m really looking forward to my next recording.
How did you select your narrator?
- Kim read a dramatic sequence I sent to her and nailed it. Her voice portrayed softness, elegance, drama, fright and anger, all in a short snippet of time. She’s amazing.
How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
- Very minor instruction because I didn’t want to get in the way of Kim’s acting. She was a pro who demonstrated very obviously that she cared about the project and the characters as much as I did.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- No, not this book. I’ve got another that is pulled from a real life event (book is called One Missed Kiss and it’s coming to audiobook before the new year).
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- I just love writing so much. The daily battle for me is not burn-out, it’s that I thin myself out with to many ideas and projects. For instance, I am knee-deep in the sequel but got distracted with a movie idea that I just HAD TO write. Dumb. One project at a time, Jason. Focus, Jason.
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- I love audiobooks. They transport me just the same way reading does. The first audiobook I ever listened to was like 30 years ago on a trip to college when I listened to the unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo on something like 20 different audio tapes. After that, I was hooked. Now it’s all on Audible, which I think is a wonderful app.
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
- I think my narrator brought the character of Agent Love to life in a superior way than she is written. She acted her so well, it made me love that character more than I already did.
What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Write in bed. Write in your car. Writer everywhere. Write in short stints because those short stints add up more quickly than you think. You don’t have to write every day, but you do have to put effort into your thoughts toward your book every day. Back to the writing in bed thing, do this because your mind will work out the kinks that you can’t solve during the day. Your subconscious mind will fix everything you broke during the day.
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- Hire a pro. If you can’t afford to hire a pro and think you can do it yourself, do it yourself.
What’s next for you?
- Save The Seven! No more distractions. No more working on other projects before finishing it. It’s really good so far. Action packed and the characters are doing surprising things. Loving it.