Interview with narrator Andi Arndt

1 – How did you come to narrate romantic novels? 

The first romance I narrated was through a producer I was working for. He sent me all kinds of books, mysteries, nonfiction, etc., and when he sent me a romance I thought it sounded fun – he was the one who sent me Kylie Scott’s Lick and that’s really when my relationship with romance got serious.

2 – Have you narrated books from different genres?

I’ve done a little bit of everything at this point, and love bio/memoir and mystery/thriller.  Variety is important to me.

3 – What was the most fun \ easy book you narrated?

The most fun and easy book I’ve narrated was probably The Art of Flaneuring by Erika Owen because I found that many of the things she was recommending are things I already do by nature. When I travel I love to just go out for a walk from my hotel and see what there is to see.

4 – What was the most difficult book \ character you narrated and why?

The most challenging yet one of the most rewarding books I’ve narrated was probably Weightless by Sarah Bannan. It required New Jersey and Alabama accents, and is written in first person plural (we/us). It felt like a very special book with an important message about bullying and taking personal responsibility rather than hiding in a group identity. I wanted to connect fully with the author’s writing and do justice to her story. AudioFile Magazine gave the audiobook an Earphones Award and we were so proud about that.

5 – What are the preparations you make before each project? Do you read the whole book in advance? Do you rehearse out loud before the recording itself? or maybe something else?

To prepare for the performance, I do things like read the blurb, interviews with the author, get to know the author’s body of work if she’s new to me. I read the book, noting the structure of the story, words I need to research for correct pronunciation, accent work and things like that.  I don’t rehearse out loud though, don’t find it helpful / relevant.

6 – Is there a genre \ book \ character that you won’t agree to narrate? If so – why?

If there’s nonconsensual sex and it’s meant to be titillating, I don’t narrate it. If there is sexual abuse / assault and the story deals with it responsibly, that’s different. Sometimes it’s important to understand how someone survives violence so that we learn how we can also be resilient when tragedies happen to us.

7 – How long does it take you to record an entire book?

It generally takes me 1.5-2 hours to finish an hour’s worth of recording. I can finish an 8-10 hour book in a work week usually.

8 – Are you working on more than one book at a time?

Sometimes I am in the middle of a book and I get some news articles for Curio or a short piece that I will record and submit but generally I try not to record two books at once.

9 – What is the genre you like to read in your free time?

In my free time I read nonfiction almost exclusively. Business books, memoirs, history.

10 – Is there a writer you particularly like? To read or to work with

I love the romance authors I get to work with – such smart, compassionate, talented women, and so ahead of the curve when it comes to indie publishing. Movers and shakers! In fiction, I’ve really enjoyed the two Joyce Carol Oates books I got to narrate – I’ve been reading her since college and enjoy her bluntness.