Author C.B. Williams’ fantasy adventure story, “Walkers,” has been turned into an audiobook, and the voice behind the pages is Emma Breacain of Eureka.
“This is my very first audiobook narration,” Breacain said. “I do get a lot of compliments on my voice, and I’d been encouraged to go into audiobooks for a long time. When I was in grade school and junior high, my friends and I used to write and record skits and radio plays and songs and commercial parodies on audiocassette. Fortunately, I don’t think any of those recordings still exist. As an adult, I hosted a talk show on local radio, and every now and then I would get that suggestion to narrate books.”
Breacain’s new vocal endeavor came to fruition at the last Worldcon annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society.
“C.B. is a family friend and it was just pure, wonderful, dumb luck when the subject came up over lunch at a Worldcon convention and she casually offered me the opportunity to narrate her books,” Breacain said.
She added: “C.B. has given us a fun adventure mixed with a really decent romance, aimed at young adults. … I think most fictional romances ring false, and they make me cringe. Furthermore, a lot of romance written for a young audience can be really problematic. … If you’re choosing to create art for young people, you’re taking on a responsibility. I found C.B. to be a balm, and I thought her characters’ relationships were laid out in a relatable way that I just love.”
Williams, a Washington-based indie author who mainly writes science fiction and fantasy featuring strong female protagonists, said she is “thrilled” to have Breacain read “Walkers,” which is the first book in a trilogy.
“Her voice and pacing couldn’t be better with bringing my characters to life,” Williams said. “You have no idea how difficult it is to be a voice actor. Not only do you play the role as narrator, you also need to play each character. Neither of us knew what we were getting ourselves into, but I consider myself most fortunate when Emma, her mother and I all sat down for lunch on that fateful day one Worldcon ago. This audiobook is great.”
Once Breacain committed to reading Williams’ book aloud, she had some preparation to do before starting the actual voice work.
“I had to buy a mic, download some free software, fashion a tiny closet into a recording studio, teach myself to edit my own audio and time my recording sessions around my neighbor’s yardwork, all while maintaining my day job and my personal life.”
Breacain’s day job for the last 10 years has been serving as executive director of the Humboldt Literacy Project, a free, confidential service that connects volunteer tutors with adults who want to improve their English language reading and writing skills.
“A better command of language gives a person better employment prospects, lets them contribute more to the community and deepens their involvement with their families, whether it’s reading a new recipe for dinner, helping the kids with their homework or reading a bedtime story,” she said. “Some of our clients have gotten better jobs. A couple of them became teachers themselves. All of them have gained confidence. It is incredibly rewarding work to have a little part in that.”
Breacain is also known locally as one of this area’s Rutabaga Queens.
“I’m the 2007 Rutabaga Queen, figurehead for Humboldt County’s world famous Kinetic Grand Championship, a three-day, all-terrain art race,” she said. “I also helped found the nonprofit organization that runs the event, Kinetic Universe, and I served on that board from about 2007 to 2013. From about 2013 to 2019, I generated content on KHSU as a host of their public affairs show, ‘Through The Eyes of Women.’”
Breacain says along the way she’s taken voice and acting classes, but is not formally trained in the specifics of book reading or audio editing.
“I had a lot of moral support and guidance from some of my former colleagues at KHSU, who edited my voice when I hosted the show ‘Through The Eyes of Women.’ I had always appreciated their work, and I appreciate it even more now, after having to analyze every little sound that came out of my mouth. It’s pretty brutal if you’re even a little bit self-conscious,” she said.
Another challenge of Breacain’s new venture has been taking extra care when interpreting someone else’s work.
“I am trying to bring something to life that is not mine, so it can be said that I am more of a channeler than a creator,” Breacain said. “It’s C.B.’s characters and C.B.’s vision. She’s given me a ton of room to play, and very little criticism. It’s a big responsibility to be trusted with something someone else worked so hard to make.
“… There was a lot to focus on, artistically and technically, and I am so new, and my equipment is very basic, so I finally settled on the goal of creating a really satisfying entertainment experience,” she said.
Breacain is now preparing to start work on the audiobook for the second story in the “Walkers” trilogy, titled “The Place Between Worlds.” After that, she’ll record the third book, “The Shield.”
“I am looking forward to seeing how much more smoothly that entire process goes, with all my hard-earned street wisdom,” she said. “… C.B. and I already are discussing another series of hers that I will be narrating. I am lucky that she’s such a prolific writer and she’s given me so much trust with her works.”
For more information about C.B. Williams and her work, and to get details about the audiobook’s soon-to-be release date, go to http://cbwilliams.us.
