Viviana Enchantress of Books: Audio Book Lovin' Presents: Joanna Wylde and Giveaway

Kelly, from Books-n-Kisses and I would like to welcome Author Joanna Wylde to our Audio Book Lovin series!

Thanks so much for inviting me to participate in the Audio Book Lovin’ June event! I was trying to think about something interesting to share here, and came up blank. (What can I say – my life isn’t very interesting, LOL) Then I remembered that my readers are much smarter than me (true story) so I asked some of them to share their questions about the audio books. I figured if they wanted to hear the answers, your readers might, too. Here’s what they asked:

Susan: I LOVE audio books!!! I've always wondered, as the writer, how much say do you get in who reads/performs it?

Joanna: It really depends on who produces the books. For Reaper’s Property, I had no say at all. With the next three books, I was given a chance to review the covers to make sure they weren’t offensive to MC readers, but never had a vote on the narrators. My latest book, Silver Bastard, was done directly through Penguin. This was an amazing experience, because the producer, Janet Stark, contacted me directly to ask about the characters and get a feel for who they were. Then she sent me a series of links to narrators she thought might be good. She was incredibly responsive to my opinions and I loved it. I selected the Silver Bastard narrators with her guidance.

Nicole: Did you ever get uncomfortable when writing a sexual scene?

Joanna: Not unless I think about people reading it. Then I get really embarrassed and inhibited… I play a little mental game with myself, where I pretend that nobody is ever going to read my work. That makes it easier to just write what comes out, regardless of how twisted it may be. Thinking about people listening is the kiss of death for me when it comes to writing about sex!

Lisa: Have you ever been in the car, listening to an audio book, and get so caught up you drive by where you're going?

Joanna: Yes. My husband and I both like the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich, and they have great narration. I missed my turn off to Auburn once on a road trip across Washington state. (Sooo worth it)

Melissa: Do you have any specifications/tips about the story for the narrators to make their reading flow better?

Joanna: Janet asked me about the pronunciation of several words and locations for Silver Bastard, but beyond that I’m definitely out of my depth with the audio. In many ways, the audio book of a novel is a completely different art form, I think. It’s a performance, and I don’t even like to speak in public. I can’t imagine I’d have anything to offer the narrators ;)

Jennifer: Did hearing the emotion and passion in the story change how you felt about certain characters?

Joanna: I always feel guilty admitting this, but I can’t listen to my own books on audio. It’s just too strange for me… I adore other people’s audio books but for some reason hearing my words out loud makes me uncomfortable. I think maybe it’s facing the reality that what started out at private thoughts and musings are so incredibly public. With a written book, you can sort of pretend that nobody is really seeing how weird your brain is, but when you hear it out loud, you can’t pretend. I much prefer listening to the narrators on other peoples’ books, LOL.

Thanks again for having me :)

Thank you again Joanna for being part of the series and for coming up with a great post that included your readers!! Check out the audio clip below and remember to enter the giveaways as well!

Purchase at Amazon | Audible

About The Author

Joanna Wylde is the secret identity of an international library spy who has travelled the world in search of exactly the right book to read. Despite her endless efforts, she’s still seeking the Ultimate Story — a story so powerful, so incredible that time itself stops while it’s being read, kittens spontaneously spring forth from rainbows, and unicorns bow their heads in praise. Joanna’s hobbies include manatee wrestling (six time north Idaho champion), arguing about the pros/cons of the Oxford comma and refusing to accept that Chicago style should trump AP. You can learn more about Joanna and her work at www.joannawylde.net

You can find Joanna at