A Timely Elopement ~ Audiobook Launch

Good morning! I’m thrilled to announce that the review of my latest audiobook is finally completed, and A Timely Elopement, exquisitely narrated by Stevie Zimmerman, is now available on Audible, Amazon and iTunes.

Would you like to listen to the sample?

Actually, I’m not just celebrating this release today, but also the ever-so-kind nudge that got my books into Audible. Three years and a half ago, as I was chatting with Rita Deodato (From Pemberley to Milton) she suddenly asked me, “I was just working on my audiobook post and wondering, have you ever thought about releasing audiobooks?”

To be honest, I hadn’t. Not really. It seemed like a new and slightly daunting world, and I knew nothing about the logistics. But it was a very tempting new world, so I said I’d think about it. And in the meantime, could she please tell me a little more about some of the narrators she enjoyed listening to?

But Rita did more than that: she advised me to ask Nicole Clarkston and Elizabeth Adams about Audible logistics, and as you already know, those ladies are absolutely wonderful! They gladly told me everything they knew and were super-encouraging, as always!

Rita also gave me many recommendations for narrators. Stevie Zimmerman’s name was among the first she mentioned. A quick peek on Amazon showed that Stevie had produced several of my Austenesque favourites, so there were lots of audiobook samples to choose from.

If you’re already familiar with Stevie Zimmerman’s delightful productions, you’ll understand why I fell in love with her voice and style in less than 1 minute. Her Elizabeth is bright, bubbly, mischievous and everything we know our dear Lizzy to be. As for Stevie’s Mr Darcy voice, it’s just as a listener described it some time later: deep, vulnerable and intense.

Wow! Isn’t it just! Sadly, much as I tried, I couldn’t find the Facebook comment that summed up Stevie’s Mr Darcy so perfectly.

So if the description is yours and you happen to read this, please stop by and say hi! I’d love to be able to quote you properly next time I gush about Stevie Zimmerman’s Darcy voice 😊.

And then there’s the host of secondary characters, original ones and new additions. Pompous Mr Collins. Dismissive Lady Catherine. Hilariously annoying Mrs Bennet. Scottish doctors. East London urchins. Young men from the north of England, engaged as Mr Darcy’s footmen. Cornish fishermen and housemaids from Dorset. Stevie Zimmerman enriches her narrations with beautiful nuances and a wealth of regional accents. And then there are gorgeous subtleties, such as making Mrs Gardiner sound like a lovely lady of the metropolis who had preserved just a hint of the Derbyshire lilt of her girlhood.

Also, did I get a chance to mention that, of all the male characters portrayed by Stevie, the voice reserved for Mr Darcy is unique, always recognisable and the best by a fair margin?

But please don’t take my word for it. You can listen to samples of my audiobooks on Audible and Amazon, or follow this link to find them as short videos, all in one place.

And now, I’m delighted to say that Stevie Zimmerman has agreed to answer a few questions. I hope you’re as excited as I am to learn more about the magic she weaves in her recording studio.

Hi, Stevie. Thanks for joining us. To start off, is there anything you’d like to tell us about yourself?

Stevie Zimmerman: Well, I suppose the thing that is most relevant is that this whole audiobook narration world is a surprising turn in my life. When I was a child and a teenager I really wanted to be an actor but I realised, in time, that I didn’t have “it” and I redirected my theatre interest elsewhere. I’ve taught actors but never acted. But actually I realise that a lot of my voice work is acting. And I stumbled into this work quite by chance, so it’s a nice and unexpected return to my first love.

What do you think is the attraction of Austenesque audiobooks for your listeners? And for yourself?

Stevie Zimmerman: I’m so fascinated by how much people like to hear variations on Jane Austen’s work and how many inventive and intriguing angles authors take. When I first started doing JAFF I thought it was honestly a little strange. I love the originals and thought Austen had done a pretty good job telling her stories. But actually the more I do the more I enjoy exploring the characters and looking at the original through different lenses. So I imagine that is what listeners and readers get out of it too.

Your Elizabeth sounds very much like you, so I’m guessing that she comes fairly naturally. But how about the voice reserved for Mr Darcy? Did you spend some time perfecting it? Or did you come up with the winning, perfect timbre one day, and ever since then the Darcy voice has come naturally too?

Stevie Zimmerman: Yes, I think Elizabeth’s voice is closest to mine although I try to make her a little younger – I don’t think I’m giving away anything by saying it’s a long while I was courted! I’m trying to remember which book was my very first P&P variation and how I went about it. To be honest I think I was just aware of the need to distinguish between several gentlemen of similar ages and the same class – no dialects or regional accents to make it clear who was who. So Darcy went deep, Bingley went light and so on. I’m so glad when I see comments that my men sound like men at least to the best of my ability, because many narrators I listen to, who I mostly enjoy, either don’t try to distinguish between men and women, or (especially male narrators) make the opposite sex sound silly.

Your rendition of our favourite couple gives me goosepimples, and I’m pretty sure that all your listeners feel the same. But there is also the tremendous fun of hearing you bring the absurd and/or flawed characters to life. From the verve with which you portray them, I’m guessing that they’re great fun for you too. Is that the case?

Stevie Zimmerman: Well yes, going back to my first answer, this is my acting outlet. And I do enjoy it very much. I am aware that sometimes that might veer into caricature or melodrama but I try to make sure the characterizations are in keeping with the style of the novel. So if I feel that an author is aiming for a more realistic story, Lady C and Collins become less Dickensian, and if it is definitely a melodrama with kidnappings or attempted murders etc then I let loose. I am aware that part of my job is to not insert myself too much between the listener and the book itself – I don’t want listeners to have pictures painted so firmly that their own imaginations aren’t allowed some license!

Which Austen characters are you finding the easiest or most enjoyable to portray, and why?

Stevie Zimmerman: I LOVE doing Mrs B. I wish there were more stories expanding on her story. She’s not necessarily easy to do, because she can just sound silly too easily, but I really enjoy thinking about where she comes from and what her motivations are. It’s hard to understand from our perspective how incredibly stressful it would have been for a woman in her position – five daughters, minimal dowries, a home that belongs to someone else in effect, no options available to women, living in a small community with few opportunities to expand the horizon.

I also enjoy doing the occasional regional accent called for. I am no expert and have a small repertoire but occasionally someone asks for something I haven’t done before and that’s a challenge. A book I did recently had multiple male GERMAN characters. That was a huge challenge, not only getting the accent but trying to make each one slightly different.

Which Austen characters do you find the most challenging?

Stevie Zimmerman: Within the JAFF world I suppose the hardest are the older men, Mr B and Uncle Gardiner and Lord Matlock. And I am not sure I’ve quite got my head around Wickham – how educated he should sound, and how smarmy and unpleasant (and that varies depending on the book and whether he is an unrepentant rake or a reformed character).

Dare I ask a similar question about the process of narrating my audiobooks? Which one did you most enjoy producing?

Stevie Zimmerman: I have to say, without trying to be too fawning! that your books are incredibly smooth and easy to narrate. Your prose has a natural flow without losing the Austenesque diction. I think I particularly enjoyed the one with Darcy’s parents floating around in the ether although I felt a little awkward about how much they were witnessing! I also have a special place for Dutiful Daughter. I think for similar reasons to why I like voicing Mrs B – I find it interesting looking into what women had to do under the circumstances of the early 19^th century to provide for their families, the sacrifices they were forced to make. Not to get too heavy! Of course the falling in love part is vital, but I think Austen was really interested in exploring these issues alongside writing wonderful love stories, without letting us know it too explicitly, and I think you do that too.

Thanks for joining us today, Stevie, and huge thanks for your wonderful words about my books, and for all your exquisite productions!