Audiobooks are an easy and effective way to dive into any story. I knew since publishing that I wanted Cold Magnolia to be more accessible for book lovers and the go-getters because I’ve totally been there, headphones in, multi-tasking at work or cleaning the house, and daydreaming along to a rom-com.
So, I cannot be any more excited to share that Cold Magnolia will be available for streaming as an audiobook now! For a little bit of celebration, I wanted to share a short interview with the narrator.
Read along to get to know the voice behind Pearl.
I also loved the slow burn of tension and suspense in the narration and Pearl’s growing strength and assurance that something was wrong.
Alice Dodd
Interview with the Narrator: Alice Dodd
What is your history with voice acting?
Well, I’ve been acting in theatre since I was 15 and in film and television since 1997. I have both a BFA and an MFA in Acting. A few years ago my wife suggested that I try audiobooks and I fell in love with the process.
How did you get started?
I began learning the ropes by donating my time reading on LibriVox and then started doing small projects on ACX, teaching myself as I went along. Once I decided I was ready to get serious, I reached out to various experienced narrator friends and got lots of advice and tips on how to turn this into a career.
How do you prep and prepare for a role?
I read the book carefully and take notes on each character, focusing just on what the author says about them. If I have questions about something like accents/dialect, or pronunciation of names or places that I can’t find by research, I reach out to the author. Then I sit down and just sort of channel voices instinctively, going back and reading over and over until a voice sounds right to me. The same is true of the narration voice itself. I play with it until it seems to match the tone of the book.
What was your favorite part of voice acting Cold Magnolia?
I was born and raised in Georgia, so it feels like a warm bath to sink back into Southern dialects. But I loved that there were so many international dialects in the De La Vasco family. It’s always fun to see what character traits develop as you work on the technical sounds of a dialect. I also loved the slow burn of tension and suspense in the narration and Pearl’s growing strength and assurance that something was wrong.
What is your best voice acting experience so far?
My favorite audiobook that I’ve done so far is a book of short stories by Emily Doyle, called Please Don’t Touch the Body. Each story was completely distinct from the others, and I found myself channeling a different Narrator voice/tone for each one. They were so well written that each one just welcomed you to fall into it and be swept away. All I had to do was ride her currents and discover all of her unexpected twists and turns as I went.
Do you have a favorite type of book that you like to read and is it similar to what you like to voice act?
I love to read and narrate science fiction, fantasy and speculative fiction. I love heightened worlds and characters who are thrown into extreme circumstances. A fantasy world demands a vocal range and variety that is so much broader than realistic fiction – it’s so fun to explore!
Visit Alice’s website for more information on their current projects and roles.