An Interview With My Audiobook Narrator! Plus: Win a FREE Audiobook download!

Note: This Article is adapted from an article Originally Published in my June 2025 newsletter celebrating the release of my audiobook. The giveaway is new and current to June 2026.

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I Was So Scared I Hid in the Hallway:
Or, How I Met My Narrator

I was a stay-at-home mom with a writing hobby, surrounded by REAL writers, and I was definitely second guessing my sanity for being there.

It was 2023. I had been writing for maybe a year and a half. And I had flown to Montreal for my very first writing retreat. The get-together had been organized by members of Laini Taylor’s Patreon community, and it was wonderful. Laini and the group were just as kind and encouraging in person as they were on Zoom. We stayed in an old mansion surrounded by swirling fall leaves and full of cozy nooks for writing, knitting, and chatting about books. 

Up until this moment, I’d been revelling in the time away from real life responsibilities. 

But now, we were sitting at the big u-shaped table where, each night, a writer would read their first chapter aloud to the group. 

It was my turn.

All eyes were on me, and you guys, I panicked. 

I’ve experienced excruciating stage fright for most of my life. The kind where your whole body shakes and you can’t breathe and there’s no way public speaking is going to happen because you literally can’t take in enough air to talk.

I was about to give up, when Joanna, another retreat attendee, stepped in and offered to read my chapter aloud for me. 

I hid in the hallway, shaking, while Joey read my story. 

But, from my hiding place, I could hear every word. And I was absolutely blown away. 

Joey’s voice transformed my silly little story into something that sounded real and alive. She read so smoothly and anticipated the exact cadence I had envisioned for every sentence, and the voices for each character. 

Joey not only saved me in the midst of a panic, she also showed me that my story sounded way more professional than I thought it did. I knew from that moment on that if I ever were to publish the book, Joey would be my narrator.

In June 2025, that dream finally came true!

Now that you know how I met Joey, I bet you’re wondering about her side of the story. I asked Joey if she’d do an interview so you can find out what she was thinking that night, as well as learn a little more about her audio narration career! 

Here are Joey’s answers to a few of my burning questions! (Including whether she might narrate my next book!)

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An Interview With the Narrator:
Or, Joey’s Side of the Story

_{Image from Joey’s website. Learn more about her narration and writing here.}

Amy: Joey, I like to think of that moment as your impromptu audition, because at that moment I knew if I ever got to make A Symphony of Starlight into an audiobook, you’d be the first person I’d call. What were you thinking at that moment? Did you ever imagine you’d end up narrating the A Symphony of Starlight audiobook?

Joanna: To be honest, I was thinking How did sweet sweet Amy write such a badass story?! Haha! I think we were all surprised by your unapologetically gritty, sexy, and defiant first chapter when in real life you are such a kind person with a gentle demeanor. It was great to learn that you have a dark side! 

And it was SO well-written! As you know, I cold-read the chapter without having seen any of it beforehand and without knowing much about the characters or plot.

The setting, characters, and tone were so clearly defined, it was easy to dive right in. Gemma feels fully realized from page one. It was a delight to have the honor to present your book to our group that day.

Amy: I’m so impressed with the amount of personality you’re able to bring to each character’s voice, Joey. It makes me wonder if you have training in acting. How did you get into a career in audio narration, and what’s your process for bringing these characters to life?

Joanna: Yes, I was a theater minor in college and I had the acting bug from my first role as Ramona Quimby in my class play in second grade. Theater was my basically my sport in junior high and high school, and I even auditioned for some Hollywood roles as an early teen, though I never had the parental support to really pursue professional acting at that age. 

When I shifted my creative focus to writing after college, acting really fell to the wayside, but when I had kids, I started reading aloud to them, doing all the character voices and accents for fun. I also got really into audiobooks because I had no time to sit and read as a young mom.

Career-wise I was teaching high school literature and writing, but I had a mid-life pivot back in 2019 when I was diagnosed with CIRS, a chronic condition caused by prolonged exposure to toxic mold in the school where I worked. I was too sick to teach, and I wanted something I could do from home. I thought about audiobooks, but I had no idea how to get into it. 

I attended a writing conference that fall, and there was a successful audiobook narrator on a panel. I introduced myself afterwards, and he helped me get started, explaining what basic equipment I would need and recommending a training course for audiobook production. Total serenditpity! I took the class in February 2020 and was producing my first books for Audible within a couple of months.

It wasn’t actually as easy as my mentor made it out to be, but I’ve worked hard, invested a lot in my production value, and found I really enjoy both the voice acting and the technical aspects of sound production.

To get into character, I give my authors character sheets to fill out for me, asking them about the basics, like age and physicality, but also asking if they have any actors they envision in the role. I’ll watch videos of those actors and also brush up on any dialectical accents with online coaches. I read character lines and decide ahead of time how I want to voice them. The rest is really in-the-moment, letting the emotional performance unfold as I get caught up in narrating the story.

Amy: I love Ballga’s country-western accent so much! She’s a side character in A Symphony of Starlight. But do you feel you’d be able to carry an entire novel narrated in a cowgirl voice? A space western, maybe? One where the FMC works on a drug mining rig out in the western Wastes of an alien planet, perhaps? Asking for a friend… 

Joanna: Haha! Of course! I love Ballga’s take-no-shit attitude. I think of Holly Hunter when I voice her. I actually lived in Nashville for five years as a kid, so I had a Southern accent on-tap if I wanted to by Kindergarten. 

There’s a joke in my family that I actually told some people at church (to my parents’ embarrassment) that I wasn’t “allowed to talk with a Southern accent.” It was true, though!

I’d LOVE to narrate another book for you and I’d so enjoy doing a whole book in-dialect.

Amy: Besides voice acting, you’re also an agented author with a book out on sub. I’d love to hear more about your story and any current writing projects you have in the works.

Joanna: I can’t say too much about my book on sub right now, but it’s a historical romantasy. Fingers crossed it finds a publishing home! 

I’m currently working on a Young Adult fantasy about teen girls attending a private Evangelical high school who discover witchcraft. It’s exploring some themes really close to my heart: feminism, religious abuse, and the power of female friendships. I think of it asThe Raven Boys meets The Craft meets Shiny Happy People. I’m really proud of this one–I just need to finish the dang thing! Send me all your incredible productivity vibes, Amy! Your ability to write so well and so quickly (with littles at home too!) is totally inspiring.

If you want to know more about Joanna and her projects, check out her website. And be sure to give her a follow on insta, too!

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Audio-Book-A-Versary Giveaways:
Or, How You Can Win A Free Copy of the Audiobook!

To celebrate the one year anniversary of my audiobook publication, I’m giving away 3 FREE AUDIO DOWNLOAD CODES.

You heard me right, THERE ARE 3 GIVEAWAYS and you might be able to enter in all 3 for 3 chances to win!

1. GIVEAWAY #1: Blog giveaway! Comment on this post and you’ll be entered! That’s it! (Be sure to use the email address you want me to use to contact you if you win.)
   
2. GIVEAWAY #2: mailing list giveaway! Fill out the form linked below to be entered! You’ll be added to my email list. (If you’re already on my subscriber list just fill the form in so I know you want to be entered in the giveaway and you’ll be entered!) https://forms.gle/JTvT7u2BTLvUk1zV6
   
3. GIVEAWAY #3: Instagram Giveaway! All you have to do is follow, share, and comment as instructed in the post and you’ll be entered. https://www.instagram.com/p/DZlfmQamMX3/?img_index=1

If you do all 3, you’ll be entered for all 3 drawings for 3 total chances to win!

Fine Print:

Important Notes:Giveaway Entry June 14-21st, 2026. Ends June 21st, 11:59pm Pacific. Winners will be announced June 22nd.

Be sure you live in one of the countries where Spotify download codes work. This is the list I found of countries that qualify:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Be sure to check your email/insta: If you win and I contact you and you don’t respond within 2 weeks, you forfeit your win.

Don’t forget to comment below for your entry! What did you think about how I ment my narrator? (comments must be approved before they become visible)