Readers like hearing the author read. Right? They know that only the author really understands the nuances of each sentence, the way it was supposed to be said aloud. I do believe this, and wish I could download books read by Dean Koontz himself, or that John D. MacDonald could come down from Heaven for a while to record his Travis MacGee series for us. Wouldn't that be cool?
When you're reading from your own character's point of view, you really have to get inside his head. You have to feel his pain, suffer his humiliations, and share in his joy.
Could you do that? If so, it's a good sign that you really know your characters.
And what do you do if your character is of the opposite sex? I guess unless you're a woman with a very deep voice, or a man who does a reasonable falsetto, you've got to find someone who fits that mold, a friend who can sound like your character and really get inside his or her brain.
Would you like to get to know a character, even before you read his book?
Well, I never took acting lessons, but I sat in the back of the auditorium while my daughter performed in fifteen musicals and plays. Maybe a little of the training rubbed off on me. I don't know.
Regardless, I figured it was a good idea to help create a little buzz for my upcoming book by writing a letter from Sam Moore to his future readers. Would you like to hear it? See what you think and please let me know, below.
Sam Moore's most intimate and tortured thoughts are in this video. It's not really a normal video, but the only way to get audio on YouTube or other sites is to put a jpeg image behind it and save it as a movie file. ;o) Took me all day to figure that out - shows you how bright I am. And I didn't want to make it into a book trailer, for Heaven's sake. I already have one of those!
Sam Moore is a retired country doctor in the new paranormal mystery series, Moore Mysteries. The first book comes out soon, (August 28th), and you can pre-order it here if you're so inclined to save a good chunk of change!Here's a look at the synopsis:
Sam Moore's little brother vanished fifty years ago. No body. No answers. What Sam has is a boatload of guilt, since he failed to accompany Billy on his final, fateful bike ride.
While digging in his garden, Sam discovers a green marble with a startling secret—it whisks him back to his childhood, connecting him to Billy. Thrust back and forth through time, Sam struggles to unlock the secret of his brother’s fate.
When the FBI investigates remains found nearby, Sam learns of a serial killer with a grisly fifty-year record. Sam’s certain it’s Billy’s killer. But what’s worse, his grandson fits the profile of the murdered boys. Will the killer return to Sam’s town to claim his final kill? Can Sam untangle the truth in time to save him?
Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. The author of LeGarde Mysteries and Moore Mysteries enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. For free excerpts, articles, beautiful photos, and recordings of the author reading aloud, visit his websites at www.legardemysteries.com and www.mooremysteries.com and join him on his collaborative blog: www.murderby4.blogspot.com.
3 comments:
The best example of an author reading his works, in my estimation, is Roger Zelazny. The voice of his protagonists really come through (especially his first person works).
I think your reading came out fantastic - I love it! :-)
And I don't think I have the guts to do something like that myself. I despise my voice. LOL
Thanks, Terry. I'll have to check him out!
And thank you Sonya, you're so sweet. I think your voice is lovely!
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