ASMSG Scifi Fantasy Paranormal Emagazine May 2014 | Page 7

SFP Indie Issue 2
If you’re really curious, Avery was dark blue and Caroline was
dark pink. It’s stereotypical, I know, but it’s really easy to read.
Did Ancient Blood differ from your usual projects?
The book was far more “adult” than much of what I’ve read in
the past. I had to strike a balance between Avery’s snarky tone
and the dark material. Also there is a much larger cast than a lot
of books I’ve done. Most contain one or two main characters
and the rest rotate in and out of the story. Ancient Blood has a
broad cast of characters that need to be distinct to the listener’s
ear.
This is also my first first-person novel, which actually made some
of the narration easier, more conversational.
How did you prepare to take on the wide variety of
characters?
It starts with that highlighting I mentioned earlier. I make notes
and try out some voices as I go, trying to settle on just the right
sound for each. A lot of it comes from the dialogue. How they
speak often informs a lot about each character. Formal people
tend to avoid contractions, whereas casual people use a lot of
slang.

What projects are you currently working on?
I have a book that should be out soon, Glen & Tyler’s Paris
Double-Cross by J.B. Sanders. It’s the third in the series (I narrated
the other two as well). I am currently narrating Errors &
Omissions by Lee James. I hope to have that on Audible in May.
Beyond that, I’m still auditioning for projects. J.B. and I hope to
start working on the fourth Glen & Tyler book this summer so we
can release the Kindle and Audible versions at the same time.
You also do theater, right? Do you have a dream role you’ve
always wanted to play?
I do some theater, but not as much as I used to. Every year my
family and I do Magic Moments here in Denver. They create their
own unique show every year and it’s a great non-profit that
incorporates folks with special needs, amateurs, and professional
actors.
My dream role has always been Tevye from “Fiddler on the Roof.”
A few more years and I’ll be old enough to play him without makeup!

It’s also important to perform them based on where they are in
the story. For instance, Caroline has a different tone throughout
the book. In the beginning she’s timid, but grows in strength as
the story unfolds. Also, she has a different tone in each of her
diary entries, depending on her relationship with Sebastian.
Was there a particular character you enjoyed voicing the
most?
As much as I want to see him die in a fire, Valmont was quite
possibly the most interesting character to do. I don’t usually get
to do villains like that. His complete immorality made him
disturbingly fun to do.
Avery was also fun, since his voice and attitude are similar to my
own. I’d like to think I’d keep my smart mouth, even in the face
of such horrors.
Which character was the most difficult for you?
Flea and Jade Tiger. There’s a fine line between doing an accent
and mocking an ethnicity. Asian accents are very easy for
Westerners to butcher and make them sound stupid. You want to
get the quality of it without going “me rikey flied lice” on it. I had
to spend time wandering though YouTube to listen to clips of
people from Asia that learned English as a second language.
How do you feel about the possibility of getting more
vampire/paranormal jobs because of Ancient Blood?
I’d love it. One of my favorite series is The Dresden Files. Sadly,
James Marsters seems to have those locked up (and he does a
great job of it). I think the subgenre has the chance to break out
the “horror” mold and move into other areas (like political
thriller).

Brian Rollins’ awesome website can be found here: TheVoicesInMyHead.Com
The equally awesome Ancient Blood audiobook can be found here: Ancient Blood
on Audible.com
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