Flock Talk

In today's episode, we talk all things DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) with guru Jim Edgar. Get a free 15-minute consult with Jim at: https://justaskjimvo.studio/

Welcome to Flock Talk, where your hosts Sara Hannan and Craig Hart are ready to take you on a wild ride through the exciting world of audiobook coaching! Sara and Craig will dive deep into the question of whether audiobook coaching is actually worth the investment. They'll explore the various ways to learn about the art of narration and weigh the pros and cons. But it's not all business on Flock Talk, as Sara and Craig always make sure to infuse a little bit of humor into their discussions, so you can expect a few laughs along the way. So sit back, relax and get ready to have your mind blown! (Okay, I think we might be overselling this a bit...)

Imposter Syndrome is a common issue in our industry, afflicting newbies and pro alike. In this episode, Sara and Craig discuss causes and also some ways to combat this super-obnoxious malady.

How do you prepare for narrating an audiobook? Isn't it just sitting down and reading? Wait...does it involve homework??? Find out on today's episode of Flock Talk, brought to you by Pink Flamingo Productions.

This is the final episode of Season 1! We will return on Sept. 8 with an all-new season of Flock Talk!

Sara Hannan has a BA in theatre, where she focused on acting and directing. Her experience on stage includes period dramas, Buster Keaton-style clown work, devised work, improvisation, musicals, children's theatre, and comedies such as "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" by the Reduced Shakespeare Company. Her first audiobook, A Pack of Blood and Lies, by Olivia Wildenstein, won the award for Best Audiobook at Penned Con in 2019. She lives in new England with her family and enjoys making music, reading to her children, and amateur sewing projects.

Author Coralie Moss writes stories about magical beings on inadvertent quests to find their *true* selves. Along the way, they encounter friends and foes and interesting situations. Sometimes things get a little stabby, or steamy, or stabby AND steamy. She lives on a magic-filled island off the coast of British Columbia.

A ballet dancer, opera singer, and musical theater actor, Austenne applies her performance expertise to a flourishing career in narration and coaching. Her vocal proficiency as well as her command over accents/dialects allows her to create authentic and versatile characters. Austenne's voice can also be heard under the pseudonym "Lilly Drake". She loves to narrate a wide scope of genres including (but definitely not limited to) Young Adult, Sci-fi, Contemporary and Historical Romance, Fantasy, Inspirational, Non-Fiction, Biography, Children's literature, and Mystery/Thriller. Austenne has earned a Master's Degree in Ethics and, when she isn't narrating, she loves great food, fine coffee, yoga, and spending time with her family.

Andrea K. Stein, the daughter of a trucker and an artist, never knew it would take the hard-work ethic of her father to achieve the light-filled magic of her mother’s art. A newspaper and publishing professional for thirty years, she ran away to sea for three years, delivering yachts up and down the Caribbean, and earning a USCG offshore captain’s license. Now, she tells award-winning tales of the high seas from her writing room in Colorado.

Craig A. Hart is the stay-at-home father of twin boys, an author, narrator, and audio producer.

He was also director for Northern Illinois Radio Information Service, a broadcast outreach that brought daily news and information to the visually impaired.

A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Craig lives in Iowa City, Iowa with his wife, sons, insane dog, and anti-social cat.

Connor Brown caught the acting bug in high school and has been infected ever since. As an award nominated SAG-AFTRA narrator, he is holding out for retirement so he can narrate full-time. Connor lives in Northern VA with his family.

Nikki Ash is a mom and High School English teacher by day and a reader and writer by night! When it comes to favorite tropes, she is single parent and secret baby obsessed! But she writes all types of books, from MMA, to dark romance, to MFM/MM. When not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand. 

AJ Merlin is an author, crazy bird lady, and rampant horror movie enthusiast. Her novels are overwhelmingly poly romance and reverse harem with protagonists who have a love of reality TV. Born and raised in the Midwest United States, AJ is lucky to be the keeper of a menagerie of weird animals to keep her somewhat sane.

Eva LeNoir lives in France with her husband, two sons, adorable pup, and a cat who is planning world domination. She works a full-time job that pays the bills, so she reserves all of her free time to doing what she loves most: Writing. Eva likes teasing her husband that she should have married a billionaire so she could stay home and write all day, but then he makes her laugh at his silly antics and all dreams of lavish lifestyles evaporate from her mind. There are three things she believes unconditionally: Love really does conquer all, Humans are still inherently good, and Wine and Cheese will solve all the problems of the world.

Marie Johnston is an award-winning, best-selling writer of paranormal and contemporary romance, and a RITA® Finalist. Marie decided to pursue her passion for writing and traded in her lab coat for a laptop to write her first book ever, Fever Claim. She lives in the upper Midwest with her husband, four kids, and old kitty. Other than hanging out with her family, Marie enjoys reading, movie dates with her hubby, getting outside on sunny days, and the all-too-rare girls' night out.

Curt Bonnem is a lifelong actor, musician, and variety performer, who is now an award-winning, full-time audiobook narrator. He has done books with Pink Flamingo, Fireside, and Northern Lake. Chicago-born and an LA-transplant, Curt now lives in Atlanta, where he continues to pursue his passion for the arts.

Gwyn McNamee is an attorney, author, editor, wife, and mother who loves to write stories with a bit of suspense and action mingled with romance and heat. When she isn’t either writing or voraciously devouring any books she can get her hands on, Gwyn is busy adding to her tattoo collection and stirring up trouble with her perfect mix of sweetness and sarcasm (usually while wearing heels).

Visit her website at: https://www.gwynmcnamee.com/

Chris Patchell is the award-winning, USA Today Bestselling author of nine novels. Her novels have been praised by Kevin O’Brien and Robert Dugoni, and her rich, complex plot lines and well-drawn characters will keep you turning pages well into the night. A former tech worker turned author, Chris Patchell pens suspense novels set in the Pacific Northwest.

CA Miconi began reading at the age of five and has never stopped. Her childhood was filled with multiple readings of Gone With the Wind, the ultimate tragic novel. CA got her own HEA when she married her retired military hero, Gary, in 2010. She began her author services company, Lucky 13, in 2015, specializing in editing, proofreading, promoting, social media management, and administrative support. CA also hosts and sponsors author and reader events, never dreaming she would one day attend events as a signing author. When she’s not reading, writing, or working with authors, CA enjoys traveling, spending time with her grandchildren, boating, motorcycling, and cheering on her beloved Baltimore Ravens.

A former English Professor, Jeannee Sacken is a photojournalist who travels the world documenting the lives of women and children. She also photographs wildlife and is deeply committed to the conservation of endangered species through enhancement of life for indigenous peoples. She's done her share of adventure travel as well, summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro, trekking the Andes, kayaking the South Atlantic, and canoeing the Zambezi River. Her journeys always include visits to schools, whether a boarding school in the Gobi Desert, a two-room building in the desert of southern Madagascar, or a stick hut in Tanzania. She believes that with education come peace, health, and empowerment. When not traveling, she lives with her husband and three cats in Shorewood, Wisconsin, where she's hard at work on the next novel in the award-winning Annie Hawkins Green series.

Nicole Swanson is an audiobook narrator with a voice described as having a vivid, silvery tone with a bright and sunny dynamic. Her narration conveys a warmth and charm informed by her Southern roots and experience as the mother of three amazing daughters. Nicole's strengths lie in her flexible range, ear for accents, and character development skills. Nicole loves escaping into her home studio to entertain her faithful listener, Blackjack the Studio Dog.

Cassandra Medcalf is an audiobook narrator, author, and sound engineer with ten years of experience in media production. She self-published her debut novel in January 2022. She lives in upstate New York with her husband and their adorable dog, Ogun, where they someday hope to have a vineyard. In addition to writing and narrating, she offers audio consulting for new narrators and post-production services for dialogue and audiobooks.

On this inaugural episode of Flock Talk, Sara and Craig interview Sarah Puckett, the owner and CEO of Pink Flamingo Productions, about why she started PFP, how authors can get involved, and the sticky topic of AI in audiobook narration.