How long have
you been narrating?
I started
narrating audiobooks a year ago in 2016. I own an online book rental company
and I did a small voice over bit for a marketing piece. A lot of friends said I
really ought to look into doing voice over work. So I started out reading
recipe books until I understood what works and what doesn’t work, how best to
improve the sound, how much I could speak before my voice ran out, and how best
to use the software. Once I felt comfortable navigating all these factors that
go into audiobook recordings, I started narrating children’s stories.
What is your
favorite genre to narrate and why?
I can’t say I
have one favorite genre over another. I quite enjoy reading children’s books
because you can vocally explore a wide range of voices (many silly voices which
are fun). I enjoy adult fiction that fall under first person romance or
thriller, because I can delve into the character’s emotions and it taps into my
theatrical side.
Do you like
input from your authors as far as voice styles or photos of the muses for
characters? And is that helpful to you as a narrator?
I find voice
samples and photos are extremely helpful in knowing what the author saw when
they wrote the book. It is especially helpful for long stories with many
characters. This helps delineate the characters from one another if you know
the actors in real life. The downside can be if you don’t recognize the actor
or their character type, then it becomes a concern whether or not you are
adequately representing the character as the author intended.
So, you got the
audition request for Out of the Box Awakening. What made you accept it? Was
there something about the story line or character that drew you in?
From the very
first paragraph of Out of the Box Awakening, I was drawn to Olivia. There was a
wonderful vulnerable quality to her. Jennifer Theriot did such an amazing job
of capturing her inner voice, that I knew I wanted to be the voice for Olivia.
I also read a lot of the reviews from people that purchased Jennifer’s books
and there were some amazing reviews that I knew this would be a book I would
not only enjoy narrating, but reading. For a long book (it was estimated at 15
hours), it was important it was a book I would enjoy reading, and I was not
wrong it was an incredible story.
Did you have a
favorite character in Out of the Box Awakening?
Aside from
Olivia, Todd is hands down my favorite character. I love the breadth of his
character from unapologetic bad boy to hopeless romantic. I enjoyed narrating
his lines when he would both swear like a sailor whilst at the same time
espousing the merits of love, friendship, and kindness.
Is communication
with your authors important along the way?
Communication
with the author along the way is an absolute necessity. Yes, I can narrate a
book without any input, but it would be terrible to find at the end that you
didn’t get the character as the author intended. What I really enjoyed about
working with Jennifer was how easy it was to develop a bond with her, even
though we live on opposite sides of the planet. From the start, I knew I would
like Jennifer and I immediately felt an obligation to do her story justice. I
also felt her supporting and cheering me on as we advanced through the
chapters. When you have an author that is excited for the narrator and
appreciates the work, it makes it so much more rewarding!
You’ve received
some pretty high accolades from Jennifer Theriot. How does that make you feel
about doing future projects with her? Would you consider doing any more books
in her Out of the Box series?
Using one of
Olivia’s favorite sayings- “without a doubt”. I would jump at the opportunity
to work with Jennifer again. Once I started narrating the final chapters of
Awakenings, I felt both thrilled and melancholy to be finishing her story. Not
just because the story was ending, but also because it has been such a breath
of fresh air working with an author that cares so much for her story, for her
narrator, and for the overall experience. I could tell that this story was more
than just an endeavor for her. It is a story that lies close to her heart.
Now, a few
questions for Triera as a ‘person’….
Do you have a
career outside of narrating?
Outside of
narration, I actually wear a few hats. I own an online book rental company in
Denmark. I started it when I first moved here and started my little family.
Books and most consumer goods in Denmark are expensive. There is a large second
hand market here for that very reason. I was always an avid reader; as a child
I was the first one running out to the book mobile. I saw that both my children
held this same joy for books, but our libraries only carried about 30 English
books. Whilst they would learn Danish and primarily speak Danish, I wanted to
read to them and I wanted them to learn English. So I started owlbooks.dk for
other expats that found themselves in the same situation.
I also do post
production work. My clients are primarily professionals (no Hollywood movies
yet). Most of the productions are online projects from commercials, to youtube
video logs, coaching and strategy projects. These are a lot of fun and I enjoy
the diversity of the projects.
How many audio
books are in your repertoire?
I have had the
pleasure of narrating nine titles. My repertoire entails cook books, children
and young adult books, and adult fiction. I’ve been a child, a witch, a
vampire, a celestial being, and an amazing woman by the name of Olivia.
Tell us something
about yourself and your hobbies.
Aside from
playing the piano, I love sitting in front of the computer learning new things
around the creative digital space. These are the two hobbies that I do on a
regular basis, but I’ve delved into so many hobbies and as part of my quest to
experience life to the fullest I hope to never stop taking on new hobbies. Many
years ago I started taking flying lessons where I got to fly Cessna aircrafts.
I was nearly complete with obtaining my private pilot’s license when I wound up
moving and no longer lived close enough to my flying club. That was such a
thrill and I do hope to take up lessons again.
What does the
future hold for Triera?
If my history
has taught me anything, it’s that there is no telling what my future holds. The
beginning never follows a finite line to the end. I started off in this life as
an orphan from the ravages of war and I was adopted into a wonderful family of
six, worked and traveled throughout the world, and wound up in Denmark as a
mother of two angels sent from heaven. I can only hope that my future holds
wonderful experiences surrounded by people that I love and care for.
