When is full cast audio such a big deal for romance? When it lives up to your imagination and blows your mind! I can say that I am picky. I always have been. When a movie actor doesn’t live up to my imaginary image of a character, I’m disappointed. I don’t think I’m alone. So when I decided to publish my bestselling MMF ménage novel Polished, I was obsessed with finding the right actors who could truly personify my characters. The process was long…and tedious. Not unlike authoring a book, producing full cast audio is much like breathing life into a dream. There is an implicit difference between single narration and specifically cast voice actors performing each role while in character. With a single narrator, you are being told a story, the voice speaking encourages you to connect the words to images in your mind in the same way reading does. Full cast audio brings you into the story. You are right there, a fly on the wall spying in, with a bowl of popcorn. Can’t you just imagine that tiny little bowl? I digress. The difference is immense, the audio is immersive and I don’t know if I could ever look back.
What’s it like to cast an audio book? When casting Spencer and Jack for Polished, there were days when I wondered if I would ever find just the right voice. As a writer, I hope to communicate the subtle nuances of dialogue by context, by choice of words and even by coming right out and taking the not-so-subtle approach of just explaining exactly how the words were said. I hope the context is recognized. I hope the reader hears what I hear. Romance readers generally do. As connoisseurs of the genre, we see the cues, read between the lines and understand when thick smoky allure is woven through a sentence. But, when your voice search inbox is full of guys who probably never read a romance for enjoyment, the outcome is pretty funny. I can’t say how many times I laughed out loud. Then just when you think It might be hopeless, an audition appears that curls your toes, that brings your hero (and in my case heroes) to life. Found: a voice that fits like a glove with your female actor. It’s the happy dance of the century, because your book has actually been reborn through their voices.
Full cast audio is worth the extra work to find just the right actor to portray your characters, one who understands them, who gets their personalities and becomes this imaginary person you dreamed up. I am so unbelievably thrilled with how Polished turned out. Oddly, I never felt closer to these characters now that they have voices, and I hope you will too.
Here’s a free audiobook sample of Polished for your listening enjoyment…nearly two hours of an erotic romance journey to HEA in full cast audio. If you know my writing then you know it’s MMF, it’s fun, emotional and NSFW. If you don’t know my writing, I think it’s about time that we got acquainted! Polished Preview
More about me…I write emotionally rich stories of imperfect people trying to find happiness amidst internal and external challenges…with lots of hot sex. I’m known for writing hot and emotional erotic romance with more than two characters intertwined. I write ménage with and without BDSM elements and never spare my characters from a hard climb to HEA. Find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Get more on at AlyssaTurnerWrites.com and see all my published books on Amazon. Thank you Delilah for letting me drop by!!
Alyssa Turner
