Today, I’m very excited to announce that the audiobook for my young adult fantasy, MINE TO TARNISH is complete and ready to buy. Maria Pendolino, the narrator, has done a marvelous job with it! I love how well she has captured Katherine.

You can listen to a sample here, under the cover.

Or you can buy it here.

The real treat for today is that I had a chance to interview Maria and discover more about what goes on behind the scenes of narrating a book. I’m so happy to welcome Maria to my site today.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Maria: My name is Maria Pendolino and I’m an actor living in New York City. I’m originally from Buffalo, NY. I’ve done work in theatre, TV and film as well as voiceover, commercials and audiobooks! Some of my most memorable roles were on Lifetime’s hit show ARMY WIVES, Nat Geo’s LOCKED UP ABROAD and the Bollywood hit movie ENGLISH VINGLISH. You can hear my voice on commercials for American Express, Zipcar, Robert Mondavi Wines and Monistat.

Janeal: Wow! Sounds like you’ve had some really interesting experiences in your life. Which I’m super grateful for since it lead to narratoring MINE TO SPELL.

Can you tell us what it’s like to narrate one hour of a finished audio book?

Maria: To get one hour of finished audio, it probably takes me about an hour and 45 minutes of studio time and then another half hour of editing time. I’m usually pretty good about being able to read a large amount of text without stumbling or making a mistake, but every once in awhile I’ll get into a giggle fit and I have to keep going back to correct mistakes.

Janeal: That’s crazy to think it takes almost twice as long to make it as the finished audio is. I’d probably get into giggle fits too and never get anything done.

Can you tell us about the studio where you work?

Maria: I have a home studio in my apartment. It’s a closet that I have converted into a booth. It’s big enough for me to sit on a stool, have my microphone and a music stand – and that’s about it. It’s not glamorous, but it shuts out the noise of the sirens and the traffic of New York City – so it does the job!

Janeal: I’m impressed that you turned a closet into a booth! That’s so awesome. It may not be glamorous, but it sounds like a great use of space.

How do you decide what to narrate?

Maria: I tend to work on projects that I would enjoy listening to or I would enjoy reading. It makes it a lot easier to narrate a long title when I love the story and the characters. But, I’m always open to trying new genres and I love when authors reach out to me to ask if I might like to be a part of their project.

Do you have a genre you enjoy narrating most? If so, what is it?

Maria: I love young adult, women’s fiction (or “Chick Lit”) and anything that has a snarky or sarcastic tone to it. I also love doing character voices, so any book that has some eccentric characters is a lot of fun to work on.

What’s your favorite part about narrating?

Maria: Bringing stories to life with just my voice and painting a picture that the listener can imagine.

What are some of your favorite books?

Maria: My favorite novel of all time is JEMIMA J by Jane Green. I also love all of Marian Keyes’ books. Other favorite authors are Jen Lancaster, Jennifer Weiner and David Sedaris.

What’s your favorite hobby?

Maria: I’m a theatre nerd and I love going to Broadway shows. I’m in NYC, so gotta take advantage.

Favorite candy bar?

Maria: I actually hate chocolate, which I know is a crime against humanity – but I love Twizzlers.

Janeal: Not like chocolate? That’s crazy! Twizzlers are good though.

Favorite drink?

Maria: I’m a coffee drinker, through and through. With a shot of caramel and maybe a shot of Bailey’s (if I’m not at work!)

Janeal: Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on narrating with us, Maria! We’re so glad you stopped by today!