Anyway, the Listening Library studios are in a modern building and all the individual studios are quite small. They have a room that is floor-to-ceiling tapes of books (I shall snag a pic tomorrow) and when you go to their lunch room there is always someone sitting and snacking who introduces themselves with the sort of wonderful mellifluous voice you associate with professional readers. (This does not describe my voice at all, BTW.)

The studios are quite small compared to the kind of studios where bands record. There is a comfy chair (yay!) in front of which there is a music stand for the manuscript and a very large microphone. My director is called Christine and she sits there and every so often tells me to slow down, or pause at particular points. She’s really wonderful and so encouraging and helpful.

So…after day one, we have completed five chapters. Tomorrow — onward and upward!

I’ll take my camera and post pix next week…or maybe the week after.

I practiced reading a section (the part where they find the green box and call the Hunt) and then recorded it in my hastily assembled “recording studio.” This consisted of installing some audio software on my laptop and kitting out the walk-in closet in my bedroom with a small table,  microphone, pop screen and mic stand. I wanted to give it my best shot, but it took a while – partly because I kept messing up and partly because Zulu kept peeking through the doors and wailing. Anyway, I managed to record a 13 minute section and sent it along to my agent, who sent it to Feiwel & Friends, who sent it to Listening Library.

Then the waiting started…

There were a few rumblings that they liked it, but nothing was certain until Friday when I heard from Listening Library’s head of production who said that they loved it and want me to read the book! Apparently it takes three days to record so they want me to let them know when I’ll be available.  Their studio is in Woodland Hills, which is just up the road from North Hollywood where I live, so it should be fairly straightforward to sort out.

So exciting!

When she heard that the sequel was finished, Barbara had asked if I would read them a little bit of it, so I took a few pages along.  I wasn’t sure how it would go: would they be able to understand my accent? would I speak too fast? (I have a tendency to rabbit on at a million miles an hour.)  But again, it all went so well that we ran so far over the allotted time that the next group were waiting outside, hopping from foot to foot.

I really hope the girls had as nice a time as I did!

It was fun to do, though, and even better because I discovered someone else who likes old cookbooks.