Narrator interview

Watch: Aleks Mickelsen and the Call of the White Raven Midnight Party

April 14, 2018 By Keira Gillett

Hi Fiercelings,

Did you miss the midnight party for Aleks Mickelsen and the Call of the White Raven? Now you can watch the replay. Thank you so much to everybody who came and participated and to my lovely and talented cohosts – Tommy and Michele Carpenter. You are all amazing and made my night. Happy book birthday to Aleks (again ?)

Games are also posted here for your enjoyment. How many can you complete? They’re tough but doable! Good luck!!

Word Scramble:

Word Search:

Crossword:

Congratulations to Davita, Nate, Tommy, Gus for winning at book bingo. Thanks everyone for playing.

I can’t wait to meet up with everyone again at the next release. It is tentatively scheduled for late December 2018. What would you like to do or talk about? Let me know in the comments.

Don’t forget to leave reviews on the books! They help so much and mean the world.

Video + Recap: Midnight Release Party for Aleks Mickelsen and the Twice-Lost Fairy Well

July 9, 2017 By Keira Gillett

Michele Carpenter and I had an absolute blast hosting the live event midnight release party on Facebook for Aleks Mickelsen and the Twice-Lost Fairy Well. We had lots of comments as we went which was so much fun! Thank you guys for making it so special. If you missed it you can watch the replay here:

There’s still some time to enter the scavenger hunt contest. Be sure you take the time to do so! The winner gets a signed copy of Aleks Mickelsen and the Twice-Lost Fairy Well. Contest closes 7/9/17 at 10 PM EST. This contest is open internationally, and your entry can be posted to Instagram or the Zaria Fierce FB page with the hashtag #zariafierceparty

It should look something like this:

Good luck! As for the other prize, the Zaria Fierce necklace, congratulations again to Megan for winning the Zaria Fierce book bingo!

The book is now available in e-book and print with the audio book soon to follow. Thank you again everyone who came out and joined Michele and I. We were so excited and thrilled to celebrate Aleks with you. I look forward to your thoughts on Aleks. Enjoy and happy readings!

Blog Tour Stop: Interview with Michele Carpenter for Zaria Fierce and the Enchanted Drakeland Sword, Part 3

May 4, 2016 By Keira Gillett

Keira Gillett (Author): Greetings everyone! The second book in the trilogy, Zaria Fierce and the Enchanted Drakeland Sword, features an amazing voice talent, Michele Carpenter. Be sure to check out the other parts of this interview series to read more about what it takes to be a young adult/middle grade narrator. We’ve been having a lot of fun talking about the book and the series, so let’s dive right in. Michele, can you share a sample from your work process?

Michele Carpenter (Narrator): This is 7 minutes of unedited narration. I felt like it was real and sometimes comical, as it shows what narrating is often like for me.

Keira: Were you surprised, scared, disappointed, etc. with any part of the second book?

Michele: Disappointed that Zaria still hasn’t met a mermaid, possibly, lol! Or a unicorn… But what she has encountered isn’t your normal, everyday, frilly fluff like that. She’s meeting ‘real’ creatures from the fairy tale world, like mountain giants and ellefolken ladies. So that’s pretty awesome.

I was scared at the end when Zaria decided to be brave and conquer her fears, and surprised at the outcome of the confrontation through the mirror with…

Keira: Sh! No spoilers! Haha. I’m glad you liked those scenes. Zaria and her friends will meet a water creature in the next book. It won’t be a mermaid though. Who would you cast as Zaria Fierce in a movie? Any ideas for other characters?

Michele: That’s a tough one. Teens grow up too quickly to really pick someone the right age.

Skai Jackson could be pretty great as Zaria. She’s adorable, lovable and talented. It’d be neat to see her with violet eyes.

Maybe Mitchell Hope for Hart…?

Ryan Potter, who played Hiro in Big Hero 6 might make a good Christoffer.

Keira: Ooooo… I like your picks! If Zaria ever becomes a movie franchise, I’ll have to bring you along to help me cast… that is if I get a say. How do you keep track of the voices from book to book?

Michele: Well, reviewing is a big part of it, but sometimes that’s not enough. I started out trying to imitate my previous voices without remembering the heart of why I gave them those voices and it didn’t go so well.

I also have to remember what/who my inspiration for that character was. I often have another character or actor in my head that I was imitating to create someone’s voice. Remembering those really helps.

I have to admit, I really wanted to try to use the voice of the Goblin King, Jerreth, for the voice of Koll, but dog-gone-it, I totally forgot and gave him a different voice. Will he slowly morph into Jerreth in the next book? I can’t say he won’t, lol.

Keira: Well I think you nailed getting the voices to sound the same the second time around and I love your new characters, too, like Granny. She’s fantastic. Do you read the book in full before you record?

Michele: I always prefer to, yes. Do I always read the book in full first? No, I don’t. And it can cause you to run into unpleasant surprises further down the book.

Keira: I bet! That’s why I tried to give you hints as to where I saw some character arcs going from one book to the next. Thank you so much, Michele for talking with us!

Blog Tour Stop: Michele Carpenter Interview for Book Two, Part 2

March 11, 2016 By Keira Gillett

Michele Carpenter and I are over at Renee’s Mother Daughter and Son Book Reviews talking about the differences between starting the narration work on a new series and the challenges of continuing a book series. I hope you’ll join us!

Interview with Michele Carpenter about Zaria Fierce Book Two

January 12, 2016 By Keira Gillett

This is part one of four for a new interview series with Michele Carpenter, the narrator of the Zaria Fierce Trilogy as we discuss the making of Zaria Fierce and the Enchanted Drakeland Sword.

Keira: When we chatted about the first book we discussed some of your favorite and most fun voices. Are there any new characters in the trilogy that you loved performing?

Michele Carpenter: I loved voicing Bjarke. As Olaf’s cousin, I wanted the two of them to sound reminiscent of one another, but Olaf is evil and Bjarke is kind, so I wanted him to sound trollish and lovable. The results was Yoda-esque. LOL!

I also enjoyed the snooty Fey family. They weren’t completely evil. They were just self-centered and needed to sound like the privileged royalty they believed themselves to be. I felt like I was having dinner on a yacht, with the offspring of the Howells from Gilligan’s Island. Isak was fun.

Keira: I loved how you voiced Lukas and Nori. Those were some snooty sniffs. And of course, Bjarke is just perfect. So, I’ve been terribly curious and I’ll just be nosy about it now – Would you share a picture of your work space? Or work partners/partners in crime?

Michele: My studio, my kids, and some artwork I’m painting on the studio door.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Keira: Oh that’s fun and what adorable kids! Your middle one could play Aleks with his beautiful red hair and dark eyes (at least they look dark in the photo). What do you most want to happen next in the trilogy? Where do you hope book three takes us?

Michele: I really felt–or maybe imagined–a spark of connection between Hart and Zaria. They had a mutual hero/savior experience, in which, both have rescued the other. And probably doubly so, by the time the story ends. I’d love to see something develop between them. I’d like to at least see them become really great friends. On one hand, I hate the idea of losing such an awesome character as Hector in order to gain Hart as a character, but that’s how you set up the mythology of the ellefolken. On the other, I’m really curious how that’s going to play out. Imagining Hector as a tree king is just so hard. So Hart is really going to have some huge shoes to fill! He better be planning something amazing to win us over to him. 😉

Keira: I do love both Hart and Hector. What’s in store for them though will have to wait to book three. Ask me no questions, I tell you no lies. LOL If you could be a character from the books who would you be and why?

Michele: I would want to be Queen Helena…except that I’m not entirely clear on what her life must be like. She seems to have amazing powers and beauty. But is she a prisoner of her own making to the Under Realm? It seems like she’s sacrificed her freedom to guard over the dragons down there. That’s very noble and honorable, but I can’t imagine not having freedom. Madam Brown is another interesting character. She can do pretty cool things, but I’d never be content to live in someone’s backpack until they needed me, LOL! No way.

Keira: Ooo, some very interesting choices. I agree with you about Madam Brown all the way. Unless the backpack was very special I just couldn’t see living in it. What has been your favorite part about collaborating with me on Zaria Fierce?

Michele: The books have definitely been a delight! But I have to say, it’s truly all the little explosions of creativity you and I have together in our conversations that are my favorite. Over the course of this year you have become a very good friend to me. Discussing plans and ideas with you feels like being a part of a fun and artistic ‘think tank’. It’s truly inspiring and your such an uplifting person.

Keira: The feeling is mutual!!! I couldn’t ask for a better friend or collaborator. You’re a great listener! I’ve had a blast bouncing ideas with you. Readers, before you head off, take a few minutes and listen to Michele read from the second book in the Zaria Fierce Trilogy. You’ll have a chance to hear her Bjarke!

If you liked the sample from Zaria Fierce and the Enchanted Drakeland Sword, be sure to check it out and to tell others about it.

Available in E-book | Print | Audio Book formats.

See if you’re eligible to get a free copy of the audio book here.

Narrator Bio: Michele Carpenter is an artist at heart, with a passion for acting. She and her husband (also a voice actor) often work on projects together and help one another through the journey. Together, they have three kids. Michele’s children love to hear her read stories and beg her to edit her narrations in the same room with them so they can listen too. It’s partially for this reason that Michele has come to feel a personal responsibility to only record books that aren’t inappropriate for children or young adults–at their respective age levels and according to the maturity levels of the books they’re able to read. “We never know how long we have on this earth and I’d rather leave behind a legacy of books that I’m not ashamed to have my friends, family and even future grandchildren, listen to forever.”

Website: http://www.michele-carpenter.com/

Social Media: Twitter (michelecvoice), Facebook (michelecarpentervoice), YouTube (micheleyoutube)

Blog Tour Stop: Interview with Michele Carpenter Part 3

October 26, 2015 By Keira Gillett

Good morning everyone! Thanks for joining me today. This is part three of three of an interview series with Michele Carpenter, the narrator of Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest. See the previous parts here and here.

Keira (Author): Previously, we talked about your day-to-day routine, but how do you prep for a new project?

Michele Carpenter (Narrator): Mostly, just by enjoying the book–reading it to myself–but there are times when I’ll have a book with so many characters that I have to write them all out on paper and list personality attributes and a little bit of history for each one. That’s where I would write a description of their accent or voice as well. Sometimes I’m inspired to draw pictures of them sometimes (like with Zaria and Olaf) or make up little songs about them, if I feel moved to.

On occasion, I’ll use the spell check function as a way to locate all of the odd words, like fantastical character names or cities and record myself reading them to double check with the author on their pronunciations. If the author wants to give any insights into his/her characters, I always value that as well.

Watching movies and TV series can also be really great research for characters, voices, and the current hip lingo, so I do that, while folding laundry, several nights a week as well.

Keira: You had a lot of strange names, cities, and places in my story, but you handled them admirably. Was there any particular challenge in narrating Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest?

Michele: Zaria’s four guy friends were a challenge, with their various accents and the need to keep them all unique enough to differentiate. I tried to give Aleks an earthier, Irish-Norwegian accent, because of his being a changeling. Filip, had the higher voice and I gave a more British-Norwegian sound to him. Geirr, I tried to make him sound deeper and a bit prone to being whiny. Oh, and Christoffer was Chinese and an outgoing, goofy personality.

Keira: Yes, we changed Christoffer’s voice right at the end of project. He was great before, but now I think he sounds wonderful. His new voice is even more perfect for him. I really love your delivery of his lines in the epilogue. You have great comic timing with your deliveries. I think your performance made the book funnier, sweeter, sadder, etc. Do you do other types of acting? What’s been your most rewarding part to date?

Michele: I’d love to be in a local theatre production, but I’m afraid it would be too much of a sacrifice for the rest of my family right now. The most I get to do is an occasional bit of drama for my church. I drive my children to their rehearsals for their production of Disney Jr. Peter Pan. I’m also helping a bit with a youth drama team at my eldest son’s school. I’m pretty sure that most people who know me aren’t aware that acting is what I do for a living, lol!

My most rewarding stage performance was probably when I played a French Doll in high school. It was fun pretending to be arrogant and speaking with a snooty French accent. I’m nothing like that in real life.

I look forward to where Zaria is going to go, as she comes into her powers and continues to gain confidence.

Keira: Thanks! Me too! I’m having a blast working on book two (which for those interested, I’m about to release it on 11/6/2015.) For acting, what is your dream role?

Michele: If I could be the lead performer in a story about a hero and dragons that would be awesome! Or just narrating a book about dragons—that sort of epic fantasy adventure would be amazing. It sounds like Zaria may end up meeting a dragon or two before her story is all over…

Keira: Oh, she most definitely will. What’s an epic fantasy adventure without one? What projects are you working on now?

Michele: Having just finished narrating Zaria’s exciting adventures to Gloomwood Forest, I’m going to be working on two other really fun stories. One is to be narrated as a young male (my third boy-voice book). It’s a reverse-werewolf adventure, called Keeper of the Wolves. The other is called Letsi’s Labyrinth—in which a young girl has an adventure that I believe involves meeting a fairy or two.

Keira: Ooo, you make me want to go out and grab those books! Until we meet again for the next adventure with Zaria, thank you for all the love and talent you’ve given to her first adventure.

An Interview with Michele Carpenter the Narrator of Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest – Part 2

August 19, 2015 By Keira Gillett

This is part two of three of an interview series with Michele Carpenter, the narrator of Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest. See the previous part here.

Keira: Last time we spoke, I asked you what you looked for in a story when you auditioned to be the narrator. This time I want to know why you were drawn to narrate Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest specifically. Care to share?

Michele: It was actually my husband who found Zaria for me. He was browsing through the calls for auditions and sent me the link. He knew it was right up my alley. I read over it and fell in love with the book description. Recording books for kids and teens is my favorite! And epic adventure fantasy is the best!

Keira Gillett: Tell your husband thank you for me! It’s funny, because I saw your narrator profile and almost sent you an e-mail to ask you to audition for me, but chickened out. One Mind! As the author I have had the pleasure of listening to the audio book several times, I really want to know, how do you create character voices and how do you remember them and not mix them up? I’ve read books to my younger sisters in the past and would just wing it.

Michele Carpenter: As I read through a book (in my head), each character begins to develop his or her own voice – often influenced by movie or book characters I already know. Getting a good visual in my mind by associating characters with actors or other characters I’ve seen before, is priceless. When I adopt one and imitate it with my own voice, it becomes something entirely different and new again. You probably wouldn’t guess that I’m actually imitating David Bowie, Hagrid, Jem from the Holograms, or Keanu Reeves, lol!

Keira: I think I heard shades of what you’re talking about with one or two of the voices, and you’re right, they become new again in your voice. You have a way of making characters feel like good friends you’re catching up with over lunch. Do you have a favorite character to act in the story? If you do, which character and why?

Michele: I loved being the trolls, though I think their voices sound better in my head than they did coming out. Also I loved reading for Zaria, because the idea of a shy girl finding her confidence is a great story and I really liked that aspect.

BUT…my FAVORITE character to read for was definitely Hector. I enjoyed making him robust and bigger than life. He seemed so sure of himself, knowledgeable and jolly, all the time. Definitely a cool guy and great prince.

Keira: You got Zaria exactly. When you read for her, she came across so sweet. Olaf came out sounding phenomenal too. When I first heard you narrate him, I did a gleeful dance in the car. (You can hear Zaria and Olaf in the audio book sample below.) I also adored your Hector. He was perfect. You really got to know my characters and gave them such life and love. So those characters were your favorite characters to act, are there any other character voices that you enjoyed?

Michele: The bad tempered, brownie, Master Brown. He wasn’t very likable, but I thought his voice was hilarious.

Keira: Oh yes, when I heard him he made me laugh. The voice reminded me of the surly munchkin greeter at the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz motion picture. Last question for today, we talked voices, but what was your favorite scene to record in the book and why?

Michele: The scene where the kids are entering the beautiful Álfheim city was a lot of fun. The descriptions were exciting, and beautiful, and I got to read for a lot of various characters, new and old.

Keira: That is a fun scene. The children are nearing the end of their quest too which amps up emotions. Thanks so much for chatting with me about producing the audio book of Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest. I’m so blessed to have worked with you on this project.