Interviewer: E.E. Kennedy
Recently, my publisher Sheaf House and I decided to launch out into the world of audio books. The first of my Miss Prentice mysteries, Irregardless of Murder, was just recently released in Amazon Audible and I'm about to introduce you to the very talented woman who recorded the entire book: Sheila Stasack.
EEK: Sheila, we met through ACX, Amazon’s audio book service. Have you been doing this for very long?
SS: I’ve been doing books through ACX for about four years. Prior to that, I have worked in voice-over for about 30 years.
EEK: What kinds of books have you recorded? What genres are your favorites?
SS: I’ve done a variety of books: mysteries, romance, how-to books (e.g. Puppy Training), and several books on yoga and spirituality. I’ve been told my voice can be very soothing, so I enjoy doing books that require a gentle approach. Then again, who doesn’t want to be part of a fun mystery?
EEK: Do you have your own home studio or do you record elsewhere?
SS: I have a small home studio in what used to be my front closet. It works very well for recording, but there is no ventilation, so I have to limit my recording time in the summer or record late at night when the weather is coolest.
EEK:You’re a very good actress. Do you have a background in drama?
SS: I have been involved in theater or performance since I was three. I do theater and some TV. I have a movie, Love in Kilnerry, in post-production right now which I hope will come out by the end of the year. I also teach acting. Right now I’m working with children, ages four to eleven.
EEK: Where are you from? Are regional accents a challenge?
SS: I’m originally from Chicago, then lived in Boston for several years, and now I’m a New Yorker. I’ve always had a pretty good ear for regionalisms. Also, I had an excellent teacher in high school who helped me lose my Chicago sound.
EEK: In my book, Irregardless of Murder, you do all kinds of foreign accents, including Scottish and French. How did you learn to do accents so well? Do you speak French, for instance?
SS: I studied French in high school and since that time I’ve gained a cursory knowledge of several other languages. I think it’s polite when you travel to be able to say please, thank you, and a few other things in the language of the country you are visiting. It helps when you are adding an accent to a piece. Also, you only want to add a suggestion of an accent in an audio book. If you go too far, it will be hard to understand.
EEK: Have you ever considered writing yourself?
SS: Several people have asked me why I don’t write my own material. I don’t think I have anything to say that would add to the world conversation. I am very happy to interpret the words of others.
EE: Is this your main career or a sideline?
SS: Theater, voiceover, audio books and TV would be the only thing I did if I had my way. Like any of the arts, it rarely pays all the bills. I also teach acting, and have worked a little in real estate.
EEK: Your voice is your instrument. Can you tell us ways that you take care of it?
SS: About twelve years ago I lost my voice. I was in Russia doing The Seagull and I caught a cold. Not enough sleep, cold weather, and the stress of traveling in a foreign country did me in. I was on vocal rest for three weeks and it scared me. A voice actor with no voice? I try to get enough sleep, eat healthfully, and not get sick! I also try to use my voice correctly, supporting it even when I’m cheering at a baseball game. Lots and lots of water, too.
EEK: Can you tell us something about yourself that might surprise us?
SS: I think the most surprising thing about me is how normal I am. I have three grown sons and was a soccer mom for many years. Now, I’m loving my time in New York as a single lady. Two of my sons live nearby, so I’m still mom.
EE: Thanks so much, Sheila. It's been a pleasure to interview you!
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Please comment below and leave your EMAIL ADDRESS to be in the drawing for an audio copy of Irregardless of Murder, read by Sheila. I can tell you, it's very entertaining! She even had me laughing at the jokes I wrote myself and shivering at the scary parts!
