Finding just the right voice for “A Bride for Harley” was challenging, but when I heard a sample of Emma Faye’s work, I knew she would be the perfect narrator for my Christian Historical Proxy Bride novella. The Clean Reads Queen joins me today for a get-to-know-you interview.
Heidi: Welcome, Emma. Thank you for taking the time for an interview in your busy schedule.
Emma: Thank you so much, Heidi, for inviting me; I’m so excited to talk about “A Bride for Harley” audiobook! I had a wonderful time narrating it.
Heidi: You are a natural at what you do. How did you get into audiobook narrations?
Emma: I’ve been playing around in the acting world, both on stage and screen since I was little. My old acting coach used to say that reading is like an actor’s secret superpower, and thanks to my mom, I was already a certified book nerd. As I got older, I developed a love of audiobooks – young adult fantasy ones in particular. So, a couple of years back, I figured, why not? That’s when I decided to take my acting skills into the recording booth and combine two things that I totally love!
Heidi: An actor’s secret superpower. I love that and the fact that you’ve been able to marry your love of acting and books. What is your favorite thing about narrating audiobooks?
Emma: Playing characters I would never get booked as on film or stage. I get to play all the characters in an audiobook, and it’s so fun to get to know each of them. This experience of intimately understanding and embodying each character is incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable.
Heidi: I get that. As an author, I get to live vicariously through my stories. What drew you to working on “A Bride for Harley?”
Emma: I was drawn to Loretta’s journey and growth when I received the manuscript. She changes so much over the course of the book, and it was great to experience those changes with her and bring them to life.
Heidi: You did it well. I love that you captured Loretta’s sass, her immaturity, and her growth into a young woman of faith so well. Do you enjoy listening to audiobooks?
Emma: Audiobooks (done well) enhance the book experience. For me, listening to someone read a book helps to bring the voices off the page, and I feel like I am getting to know the characters differently than when I’m reading.
Heidi: “A Bride for Harley” is my first audiobook. I had no idea what is involved in getting to a finished product. What is your process, and how do you prepare unique voices for each character?
Emma: I read through the entire book, and I make a list of all the characters and I make notes about each of them. I also ask my authors if they have any insights about the characters. Not all authors give any additional insight but it’s helpful when they do. I write down any physical or vocal description, any accents and any general personality notes to really help me figure out their voices.
Heidi: It sounds like the prep phase might take a while, depending on the number of characters. How long does it usually take to record an audiobook once you’re ready to narrate?
Emma: Generally speaking, it takes 3-5 hours per finished hour between prepping and recording, and then I send them off to my editor to edit it all together and clean up the audio! It’s a long process, but it’s so fun!
Heidi: When work is fun, you’re in the right profession. What are some of your favorites that my readers should add to their To Be Read list?
Emma: I’ve been blessed to narrate so many beautiful books, and I narrate in many genres, so it depends on what you like (though all of my books are ‘clean reads’, so no explicit content). If you like Fantasy, I’m super excited about my newest release, “Starlight” by Laurie Deursch (currently available on Chirp and Kobo). One of my favorite romances is a rom-com called “Love and Ohana Drama” by Melissa Baldwin. I also recently narrated a beautiful non-fiction due out in a few weeks about dealing with anxiety called “Stop Saying I’m Fine” by Taylor Joy Murray.
Heidi: Thank you, Emma. It has been a pleasure speaking with you today and an absolute joy working with you on the audiobook version of “A Bride for Harley.”
Emma: Thank you for having me come chat with you and your readers! I hope we can work together again!
Heidi: I look forward to it. I know when I listen to a book and enjoy the narrator, I often look to find other books narrated by them. Where can my readers and listeners learn more about your work and find other books you have narrated?
Emma: Readers, feel free to keep in touch on any of my sites:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/emmafayeactor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaFayeActor/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@emmafaye_vo
Website: https://emmafayenarrates.com/
Audible: https://adbl.co/3SObHrX
Emma Faye, known as the Clean Reads Queen, is a versatile audiobook narrator with over 60 audiobooks recorded in her professional home studio. With over 20 years of acting experience, she dives deep into characters and stories to bring them to life. She puts her heart into every project and it comes across when you are listening to her audiobooks. She enjoys narrating YA fantasy, middle-grade, clean/sweet romances, and wholesome nonfiction.
While she claims California as home, she currently resides in Utah where she runs a local community theatre. Emma is also a betrayal trauma advocate and runs multiple support groups a week for women going through betrayal trauma. When not performing or running support groups, she enjoys Irish dancing and snuggling with her 4 cats. She is a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady and is proud of it. Emma Faye is a fantasy/sci-fi nerd who enjoys cosplaying at comic conventions and Renaissance Faires. Emma uses all of these things and other life experiences in the booth to truly bring the words to life.
I love the behind the scenes look at the narrator! I’ve often wondered what all was involved! I listen to audiobooks daily and this was so interesting for me!
I found it fascinating as well, Lisa!