Interview with narrator Ava Erickson

1 – How did you come to narrate romantic novels?

I had been working as a narrator on young adult novels and a well known romance author heard my voice and offered me a book of hers. That audiobook ended up being really successful and it pretty much launched my romance audio career!

2 – Have you narrated books from different genres?

Romance has a ton of subgenres and I’ve worked in many of them. I particularly love doing romantic comedy and chick-lit.

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

I love The Yes Factor by Emma Sable and Erin Spencer! I co-narrated it with Andi Arndt who is a good friend and also insanely talented. It’s a comedic book about best friends and trying to find love.

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

I struggle with “bully” books and dark romance. I really have to take a close look at the manuscripts in those genres before I accept those jobs. Sometimes I just not in the head or heart space for that kind of content.

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?

I don’t always read the book in advance. Especially if in a series where I’ve done other books and I already know the characters. But I generally review the manuscript and skim. I’m also very good at asking authors the right questions to get as much information from them as I can before I even start.

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

It’s really all about my mood and about context. As I mentioned in a previous question, I don’t love working on bully or dark romance. But, I have done them after reviewing. A great example is Pam Godwin’s DARK NOTES. On paper, that checks many of the boxes of things I won’t do, but it’s so well and beautifully written that I felt good about doing it.

Ultimately, it comes down to the writing, how the triggering content is delivered and how I’m feeling at the time.

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

I record about 2-3 hours 4 days a week. So, depending on the length of the book, about 1 week per book.

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

I don’t like to do that. I like to keep my emotional energy invested in one story and those characters. It gets too confusing to jump around!

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

I really like memoirs and literary fiction.

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

I love author’s, they are my favorite people, so I can’t think of just one!