Audiobook: The Journey Begins

I'm a huge audiobook fan. I love printed books and ebooks, but audiobooks are the perfect soundtrack for my morning walks and long car drives.

So of course, I was determined to transform Tales of the Sea into an audiobook. This week, book one, The Journey Begins, launched as an audiobook, recorded by the brilliant Joshua Macrae. Click on the link below to listen to an excerpt.

The world of audiobook creation was new to me. I found Josh through ACX, an arm of Audible which connects authors with professional audiobook narrators. After submitting my 5-age audition script, I received dozens of submissions from talented narrators. I selected Josh because I loved the tone of his voice. Just as important, he was able to effectively voice both male and female characters across the spectrum of age and experience.

Joshua Macrae, narrator of Tales of the Sea: The Journey Begins

Here's a Q&A I did with Joshua Macrae to help you see into the world of audiobook narrators.

How did you become an audiobook narrator?

 My degree is in theatre, but my first love was writing. I got into narration in 2015 so I could narrate my own books. I’ve been a professional full-time narrator for the last few years. Tales of the Sea: The Journey Begins is my 130th title.

What elements make a book particularly well-suited to an audiobook format?

Sharp writing. Defined characters. A journey worth taking. My favorite audiobooks have a campfire feel to them. It’s not a movie or a radio play, it’s a single person, telling a story, with a sense of vulnerability, strength and wonder.

What was it like to breathe life into real people from a seafaring town in the 1800s portrayed in Tales of the Sea: The Journey Begins. 

 When spinning a tale that spans generations, it’s important to keep all the characters grounded in their reality and not push the parallels too hard. For example, George and his son James are going to sound the same when they’re at the same ages (just like I can’t help but sound like my own Dad), but their motivations and personalities are different, so you’ve got to instill a sense of character rather than just a tonal quality.

When working with fictional exposition combined with true letters, I found it incredibly helpful to pretend the letters were fictional as well. I wanted it to feel like a story that needed to be told. I hope the lines between fiction and nonfiction are so blurry that it’s impossible to tell which is which.

With characters in the 1800s, it’s important to avoid getting sing-songy and keep them from sounding like they’re in a soap opera. I tried to force bit of a modern cadence into their speech so that they feel just as real as they would have back then. Especially with female characters (and strong women at that), I wanted them to feel three-dimensional. Ruth is the soul of the book. If she’s anything less than dynamic and powerful, it would cripple the love story.

For the person who's never listened to an audiobook, why should they try this one?

Even though the stakes are high – life and death on the high seas, mutinies, civil unrest – the story itself is very gentle. The characters are funny and warm and a delight to spend time with. I don’t want to fawn over my own performance, but I did take very special care to make this the kind of audiobook you can just sit and listen to.

Most audiobooks are consumed while we’re doing other things (chores, errands, etc.), and some books are great for that. This one pairs best with a special bottle of wine, a shore at sunset, and maybe even someone to share it with.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I just completed The Count of Monte Cristo, so if you want a classic adventure set in the same time period after you’re done with Tales of the Sea: The Journey Begins, I can recommend it. It is 52 hours long though, so bring snacks.

Take your time and enjoy The Journey Begins. Reviews are really, really helpful. I’m always available for questions and comments from authors and fans alike at joshuamacrae.com. Please spread the word so I can start recording Tales of the Sea: The Drumbeats of War that much sooner.