Uncategorized

Introducing CJ Klinger

October 12, 2022 by Dannul Dailey Leave a Comment

I had the great pleasure of producing and narrating CJ Klinger’s, “A Dead Person.”

I came upon Chuck while auditioning for books. I found the audition sample for A Dead Person well written and had a certain vibe that felt like it would be a good “fit” for me. It struck me as a “Dragnet” kind of story, only contemporary and very topical, and Chuck’s prose played along that line too; short, to the point dialogue and narration. Nothing waisted. Plus the humor is subtle, adult, and very accessible. That “Dragnet” music, the low walking bass sound kept playing in the back of my mind while I recorded, so I found a little music along that vein and placed it in various places to further enhance the vibe.

I asked him to give me a bit of a bio so I could introduce him to those who I think would enjoy reading his stories, or, in this case, listen to his stuff.

I think the most intriguing thing about Chuck and his prodigious production of books is that he didn’t start writing till he retired.

Age is only a number!

Enjoy!

From CJ Klinger –

I was born in San Antonio, Texas, and grew up on a small ranch south of town. When I was fourteen, my family relocated to Brownsville, Texas, in the Rio Grande valley. In high school, I went to a Franciscan Seminary in Chicago, intending to become a Franciscan monk. The education there was classical, emphasizing language (German, Latin, Greek, and English) and philosophy. I then studied physics at St.Mary’s University in San Antonio for two years before joining the army to satisfy my draft obligation. After the military, I spent the next twenty-five years in corporate America, rising to the position of general merchandise manager of a Fortune 500 firm.

Tired of the constant relocation that Corporate life required, I returned to South Texas and bought a lumber yard with my brother and two other partners. Over the next several years, we expanded it to include a truss plant, a cabinet company, and a door company.

Eventually, my wife, Janet, and I started our own custom door manufacturing company. At age seventy-two, we liquidated the company after the general collapse of the building business in 2008. The day after the last sale, I sat down at my computer and wrote my first book, The Rembrandt Bomb, followed by Islandia the Lost Colony, my first science fiction book. Since then, I have written fourteen novels, including A Dead person.

Early on, I decided that if I was going to write, I would treat it like a job with regular hours and a sense of discipline. I write early in the morning and set a budget of one thousand words daily. It usually takes me two months to create a new novel and another three months to edit, format, and publish. Recently I have started converting my books to audiobooks.

My art has been a lifetime passion. I have been blessed with the ability to draw from an early age. Painting in oils, acrylics and watercolors followed, but something about sculpting in stone touched my soul. Through the years, I have sold my art for more than I thought it was worth because I was never happy with the imperfections I saw in my work. I came to understand that no artist is ever completely satisfied with his finished product. I have continually resisted making art my living because I always wanted it to be my retreat. It’s what I do in between books to refresh my creative spirit.

On process.

It’s hard to describe my writing process. I’m not sure I understand it myself. Something or some historical event will trigger a chain of thoughts, which becomes an initial storyline. I’ll start writing if I can see a novel in the line. It takes me about 10,000 words to set the stage, flesh out the main characters, and establish a direction. Then the characters start taking over. I’m never really sure what a character is going to say when I start writing dialog. On occasion, the destination will change based on what one of my characters says.

I equate it to driving in a fog. The sign says, ‘Tacoma, 90 miles,” but only the next 100 yards are visible. With luck, I’ll end up in Tacoma, but sometimes I end up in Yakama.

I do not make an outline or create a character profile before writing. Both develop organically. The rewriting in my first editing often results in extensive changes, but the plot and the characters remain essentially the same. My presentation has improved after fourteen books because writing is a skill set that can be learned. I am not sure “storytelling” can be taught. It seems to be a gift, or something learned very early in life. All children have wonderful imaginations; some of us never grow out of it. I’ve had no training in the art of writing, but fourteen years of writing and editing has improved my skill set.

Studying six languages has helped me immensely with my English vocabulary, but it also causes me to use words that are not in the common vernacular. Editing takes care of that.

If you are enjoying “The Reckoning Season,” you’ll also like the sequel, “The Trap Shooter.” It’s my ambition to someday be able to afford to have you narrate these two stories.

Enlightened Souls

December 28, 2021 by Dannul Dailey Leave a Comment

Dannul Dailey Q&A Session:

December 2021

“I’m always intrigued and interested in Craft. Being an artist myself, I’m deeply aware of the strenuous work behind any art form. I’m curious if you have any kind of “rituals” that you do every time before writing.”

It’s going to sound a bit weird, but once I get an idea, I tend to buy a new Italian Leather Journal (I have specific ones I go to for books). I will write the original ideas and brainstorm for that series or book in that journal, or any bits of paper I can stuff in m pocket. From there, I normally get a huge sheet of paper once the idea is set and do an enormous spider diagram of the characters, ideas, story arcs, events, and all manner of things I think are important. Once I’ve written that it looks like a rainbow with that many colors, I roll it up and never look at it again. I have loads of them rolled up and dotted around the house, but once I have made sure the idea works on that, I know it’s cemented in my head and ready to write.

When it comes to the physical writing, I tend not to edit the story elements once they’re written because I watch the scenes over and over in my head before I write. My brain is extremely visual so I tend to do my editing in there and make sure the scenes flow and work, again when it hits the page in reality it’s had a dozen or so edits or more.

But I’ll be honest, I have no formal structure so the rituals are what help me feel I have some sort of control in all of this. It really is about me finding a way to unleash the imagination in my head while showing others what they can achieve, especially my own children. We are all a little bit quirky and sometimes we hide away what can come from that, writing is my way of saying “embrace that quirky uniqueness.”

“And maybe you could talk about inspiration. Your books are really imaginative! Where does that come from”?

It stems from being able to see things a little differently. Like I say, I’m very visual and I can race a load of ideas in my head and quite literally watch them in real-time in a sense. That way there’s no limit to what I can come up with. Growing up I was obsessed with films and books, I grew up living in the cinema and it was something me and my dad used to do regularly. I was never happy with just watching the films, I would read them, draw them, write them, play them and live them (to the point of being told off more than once for being obsessed). In that sense, I remember coming up with my own versions or spin-offs from things and always putting my slant of “where would I take them if I made them” and that was my basis for play and creativity.

As an adult, I have always used writing as a coping mechanism, as a way of processing things and dealing with stress. The creativity often comes from a weird way of escapism. I’ve written realistic thrillers which feel more “real” to me and my background but I’ve always enjoyed twisting fantasy and fiction so you always have that feeling of “could this be real?” With Reaper’s Journey, I wanted to create something that was so outlandish and extravagant that it could almost be real, having a tame paradoxical world beyond death would have felt harder to connect with but we all want to see the majesty and beauty of a world filled with angels and demons, I just added my flair to it.

I remember having the original idea back in 2006 when I stood looking at my University building and thought how could it would be to see someone fighting across the front of it defying gravity. Sitting on the bus home, I watched that idea play out and saw Death with a scythe as the person fighting. Needless to say, it took almost twelve years to get the story right to write, so it was no easy task.

“You’re very open about being on the ‘spectrum’. Which I applauded. One of my sons is also on the spectrum. I thought maybe you could talk about that. I like to think of it as a kind of superpower. Being able to tap into something deeper than the rest of us mere mortals.”

It’s something I have always known about myself, but being a child of the eighties it was very much a “you’re normal enough so carry on and don’t make a big deal about it!” So, I did just that. It’s only been in the last few years, with family experiences, that I’ve sought a proper diagnosis and that’s more for peace of mind and confidence in myself. That may sound odd, but knowing a label and having some clever person give you a label is sort of an odd validation.

I think of it as a gift and a curse. All these things I write, I see and so I can sometimes get lost in my worlds at which point I get dragged back by my wife and reminded there’s a real-world too. I started being more outspoken when my youngest son was showing similar signs to me and going through assessment for his diagnosis. I saw a world that screamed how tolerant and accepting we are and yet saw him ostracised for being different and “weird” to his peers. That’s the whole reason I wrote my Timothy Scott Series, to give him a hero based on him that he could look up to. It was also a platform to show his peers, and adults, that we should celebrate everyone and accept that uniqueness brings its own qualities to situations.

For me, my level of autism allows me to be very effective at problem solving and decision making in my full-time job while being creative in my soon-to-be full-time job as an author (see the positivity in that, one day I’ll make enough money to do this properly).

It is a balancing game, I very much agree it’s a superpower that does give us the advantage of seeing things differently and tapping into a deeper level of our worlds but there’s always a need to look over your shoulder and see how far you’ve gone. It’s like Alic in Wonderland I suppose, how far you go down the rabbit hole before you risk losing connection with the world is a fine balance and with the right support networks, you can find that happy balance and when you do come back, we get to bring some awesome gifts that come from having delved into the depths of that place.

As you put it, we can go to deeper places but that means I can bring souvenirs back, like my books, and share them. There’s no point in having all that glorious creativity and keeping it to myself, that’s how I see my gift being shared. By showing you what I see, then you can experience a portion of the positivity of my ASD. Sorry if that sounded a bit weird, it was the best way I could phrase it.

“Let’s talk a little about ‘The Reaper’s Journey’. I really loved voicing this series. So many different characters to voice. The voice of “Death” came right away and I loved doing that character. Where did this idea come from?”

Sorry, I jumped the gun with answering this earlier, didn’t I! I have to say, your audition for the audiobook was stellar and I was never in any doubt you’d be the right match. Death’s voice was the one I was most worried about, you see I had always pictured Pierce Brosnan as Azrael and when you did the voice on the audition there were notes of him in there, I was sold for that moment. The fact you said his voice came so easy is awesome, a match made in heaven, well Altum, for the audiobook adaptation in that case.

I remember the first scene I wanted to write in the book took it in a very different direction and I never used it. It was a far darker take on the idea and I think that’s why it took so long to get written. I knew I wanted to explore Death as a character, give him more than just a role, but every time I tried it went dark. Don’t get me wrong, Death’s journey isn’t all rainbows and unicorns (that’s my Timothy Scott Series) but it became a true story of a character’s growth in living to Death.

I did so much research about concepts of the afterlife to make sure my version was unique enough to feel fresh and yet not too different that readers wouldn’t be able to connect with it. In my head, it was always a bit like delving into the Matrix, not knowing where one part ends and the next begins while exploring a world that really could exist alongside our own and how one impacts on the other.

It was always going to be a challenge to create new versions of centuries-old elements like the devil, heaven, and hell but in Reaper’s Journey the places I created were far enough removed that you knew what they were but you always wanted to find out about them all the more because they were so different.

I always planned it to be a trilogy and having released the first book Ascending Beyond in 2018, I had hoped to release one a year after that, so they should all be out by now. Life, ironically, got in the way though and I only managed to write half of Book II before my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Needless to say, I shelved the project and did no advertising as I felt it wholly inappropriate to write about Death while she was fighting for life. It was only once she was given the all-clear post-surgery that we talked about the series and she encouraged me to reinvigorate it, so I did. I hit reset, relaunched the first book with new cover material, and treated it like a new venture, I also picked up where I had left off with the sequel and tentatively completed it. The third book is still up here in my quirky brain but I plan on writing it in the new year between trekking to Everest Base Camp with my oldest son, releasing another in my Timothy Scott Series, and also another in my Dark Curses Series…I like to stay busy.

Some people do ask where I find time for all this and I have to say thank you to my ASD. The world is such a social place, I don’t find that necessary so I really do just work, family, fitness and write. I don’t do social events so the time I would use on that, I use to write books and screenplays.

Questions for you:

“How do you find your connection to the characters and stories you perform?”

Well, the first thing I do is read the book from cover to cover. Take notes. Look for arcs in the characters. Very similar to analyzing a play. I really look for notes from the authors’ words, things other characters say about the other characters, how a character interacts with another. My goal is to try and produce what the author intended. What the author heard in their head when they created the story. I also try and give the audience, the listener, a cinematic experience. I want the listener’s imagination filled with the time and place of what the author has written.

Being something of a writer myself, nothing like you, but doing enough to know just what it takes to put down on paper what lives in your imagination, I know how hard it can be. It’s exhilarating at times and damn hard most of the time. Trying to get that ideal version that’s in our imagination down on paper through clunky words and sentences can be maddening. I have one story in my head, right, I see the whole thing as a movie, like you. I wrote a little over half of it then hit a wall. Just couldn’t complete the story. It was like painting myself into a corner and I couldn’t figure out how to get out.

So, I want to honor the writers’ work. I want them, the authors, to be proud of their work through me. Does that answer the question? I digress a lot.

“With your skills and performing abilities, what are your hopes going forward?”

Going forward. I’ve been a performer most of my life. Started as an actor, became a dancer, got into film and video, writing, painting, editing…I’m restless and curious. I’m driven a bit by the desire to leave something behind. My first screenplay came from a moment where I found myself with my other three brothers, going through my mother’s storage shed shortly after she died. There was all the stuff we were used to seeing but underneath all of it, in nooks and crannies, we found snippets of her more personal, private life. Letters written to my father of the dreams they had for a family and their life. Her personal dreams of for her life. I began to think about that. Dreams found and lost. Untold. Un-lived. And I thought about my kids one day digging through my crap after I’m gone and finding similar things. I wanted them to know at that time how much I loved them and how proud I was of them. So that screenplay of mine, my first one, is about a young man who does just that, finds out about the father he didn’t really know growing up by digging through his storage shed. So going forward?…an actor was asked, “What is success to you?” And he said, “Success to me is being able to raise my family in a creative way”. I like that. Works for me. That’s my future moving forward.

“If you could perform one book, new or old, big or small, what would it be?”

Wow! That’s a good question. And I think I’m going to have to punt on that. I’m an avid reader. I don’t know if I could bring it down to just one book.

I will say this though. I’ve had a number of “Oh! My favorite writer! This is the best book ever” kind of Moments. I’m a huge fan of Louise Erdrich. She’s part Native American who writes contemporary stories that weave in and out of Native American folklore. She’s brilliant. A master poet. She leaves me breathless at times. And, coincidentally enough, she lived in the same little town in Minnesota I lived in as a child. We literally probably missed each other in grade school by a few years.

“Is it difficult working with me?”

Yes! OMG! Just kidding. I’ve found so far in my fledgling career in audiobooks a side benefit has been being able to build a relationship with the authors whose works I get to voice. I have tremendous respect for writers. I feel very fortunate. Very fortunate you gave me your trust in voicing your work.

The Pen’s Voice

October 20, 2021 by Dannul Dailey 4 Comments

Interview with author Jan Hooper — Interview with Jan Hooper and the craft of writing and narrating.

One of the unexpected benefits I’ve found that comes with the craft of narrating is the opportunity to meet and build a relationship with the Author of the books you’re narrating. Janith Hooper is the author of the “Quaking Heart” series; “Ride With Me”, “Stay With Me” and “Fight For Me”, and the Cooper Bar-6 Ranch series: “A Breath Without Life” Novels; “Let Your Heart Beat Again”, “Let Yourself Run Free Again”, “Let Your Love Flow Again” and “Let Yourself Heal Once Again”.

I had the great pleasure of voicing four of her fine novels to date and am anxious to voice the rest.

We had the opportunity to Zoom meet and chat. She’s smart, funny, and a very accomplished writer. Her work is filled with colorful three-dimensional characters, chock full of conflict and romance.

Below is just bit of our Q & A

Dannul – What got you started in writing?

Janith – Raising our four sons to be honorable, godly men was the first important task I felt God wanted me to accomplish in this life. Having fulfilled that when our youngest was the last to move out, I went to God in prayer and asked him what he wanted me to do next. It took me checking different paths only to find closed doors, until I eventually found the open door to writing. Other than making up romance stories for the entertainment of myself and my friends, growing up, I had never pursued writing beyond the occasional newsletter. So, this path surprised me even more than it did my husband, friends, and family. But, one thing I have learned in this life, and that is to trust the Lord. So, I began, and astonished myself even more when I wrote my first very long book in only four months. I had a lot to learn, so my journey began by taking this first book I’d written and using it to learn the ‘craft of writing’. Five years later that book, Ride With Me, was the first one I published.

Dannul – All your books are set in the Western genre. Did you grow up in that kind of environment? On a ranch?

Janith – Yes, I grew up on a 702-acre ranch on the western edge of the central valley, California, on the Delta. It was mostly a farm, but also a ranch with horses, cattle, sheep, and other random critters; and of course, lots and lots of row crops.

Dannul – You’re a very skilled writer. Smart. Creative. After having narrated four of your books I liken them to 50’s and 60’s movies. I see Gary Cooper and June Allyson, Rock Hudson, and Doris Day in the characters you create. They’re very cinematic and structured very much like a screenplay. Is that a conscious thought or choice? Or is that just me?

Janith – Ah, maybe. I hadn’t thought of the old movies, but you’re right that my books are sweet romance, so they probably are a lot like the movies of the 50’s and 60’s. Good observation.

Dannul – Being an artist myself, I’m very aware and respectful of craft. What it takes. The discipline and hard work behind what an artist does. Artists make what they do seem like the easiest thing in the world. If you’ve ever seen professional ballet dancers their movement looks effortless, as it should, but having been a professional dancer myself, I know how hard it is to make it look that easy. With writing, can you talk a little bit about the hard work behind writing the story? Like what your daily routine is. How long it takes to write a book. What exercises, if any, do you do to jog your creative mind?

Janith – First of all, I am a voracious reader. All the books I read are in the romance genre. So, I’m always learning from other authors. Secondly, I try to write everyday, even if it is for only a few minutes. I do this less from a desire to be disciplined, and more from passion. Though it was a unique way God brought me to writing, he also gave me the passion to want to write. I love it, and I want to do it. If I miss too many days, I miss it, and worry just a tad that I might forget how. I am a SOTP writer (seat of the pants), which is, I have a loose idea about what I want the story to look like, and then I let the characters take me where they want to go. It’s all about them. I do research for every little thing along the way. I always begin with prayer, so that God is with me on this journey; that he will empower me, give me ideas, guide me so that I can make a difference in people’s lives concerning their faith, and the honorable way to live.

Janith – Okay, now it’s my turn, Dannul. When did you get started in the entertainment business? And, why?

Dannul – I’ve been a performer since I was 19. I got into the theater by hap’n stance. I had a friend who was in theater and my first year in college he was in a show. He said to me one day, some guy who had a part in the play quit and they needed someone. He said why don’t you do it. So I did. And from that experience, I felt like I’d found my place. My tribe if you will.

Janith – What brought you to the art of narrating novels?

Dannul – I’m curious by nature and I think all art, the creative arts, are interrelated. It’s all about telling a story, whether it’s through dance, literature, fine art, music, it’s all about the process of self-exploration and finding a voice. Our unique voice and mastering the tools to express it. So I’ve bounced around a bit. Got my degree in theater, was a stage performer, went into dance, I was a brief member of the Milwaukee Ballet, musicals in NY, acting in film and video, writing screenplays, editing. I’m interested in all of it. I’ve made my own films. A documentary. I’ve written half a dozen screenplays. I paint. I play piano, badly. So narrating, for me, is just a logical extension of the art form. And for me I love being able to, hopefully, transport the listener into the very visual world the author creates. I want them, the listeners, to see in their mind’s eye the “movie” of the story. And in your case, with your stories, a bonus for me is being able to play incredibly, rugged handsome cowboys.

Janith – I remember seeing a video of you warming up to read one of my novels. It was very unique…and entertaining. But, beyond that, I’m sure there is a very real reason for doing it. What do you do to warm up, and why?

Dannul – I don’t do much. Take a shower. Get coffee. I do an audible “oooooo” up and down the scale just to warm up my vocal cords. Then I “burrr” my lips to wake them up. And a tongue twister or two like “The lips, the tongue, and the teeth” just to get my tongue involved. Then I read a page or two allowed before I actually record to get into the feel of the chapter or whatever I’m recording.

Janith – What do you enjoy most about narrating?

Dannul – I like the emotional scenes. Whether it’s a female character or male. Something about being in this little booth alone, no one watching, just listening, I can just get into it and not feel self conscious about anything.

Janith – Is there a particular voice you like performing the most?

Dannul – That’s tough. I did a fantasy book where the main character was the Grimm Reaper. I used a slightly higher tone than my own and made it raspy. I channeled my best Voldimort from Harry Potter.

Janith – During a dialogue, how do you figure out who is talking next and how they have to sound quick enough to make the conversation sound natural?

Dannul – With character voices I build the character in my head. If it’s an older man, petite woman, Death, whatever I try make up what they look like to me in my head. So when I’m reading I’m seeing the two character talking to each other. That seems to work pretty well.

Janith – Do you read a book ahead of time, and figure out your voices? Or just wing it?

Dannul – I will always read the whole book first if at all possible. If I have a couple of books I’m working on I at least read three-quarters of it to get a feel for the tone, and the characters. And if really pushed I’ll at least read the chapter first before I record it to see who’s in it and all that.

You can find more about Janith Hooper at www.JanithHooper.com. Check out her audiobooks on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes.

WE’RE OPEN!!!!

August 19, 2021 by wadmin 1 Comment

We’re open!

Actually, no WE, just ME!

I’m open!

Woohoo for me!

Thought it was time to hang a new shingle and open my doors to a new gig. Well, not so new really. I did a fair amount of VO work back in the day, like the latter part of the ’90s. Yeah, that day. Remember then? Computers were big and bulky. Floppy drives were just that, floppy. The internet was just a baby! Remember struggling and waiting for that damn phone line to sputter and ding and wacky, wacky back and forth till it caught, and then suddenly you were on AOL. Remember AOL? Does anybody even use that anymore?

So, yeah that was back in the day. VO then was clunky then. I’d go to my agents’ office, sit with him and record the piece into a cassette player. Then he’d have one of his assistance run the cassette over to Clatter and Din.

Then I’d go home and wait. And wait. And wait. Didn’t like that part, the waiting part.

At that time theater was booming for me. I was in one show after another for most of the year, year after year. I was teaching, directing, choreographing. So VO was not high on my list of things to do.

Then one day my agent and his office just disappeared. Gone. Rumors flew, but I was over the agent thing by that time anyway.

Well, times have changed. VO now can be done from the comforts of home. The internet is EVERYWHERE! One audition can come from anywhere in the world. It’s really a revolution and now it fits me like a glove.

I should have done this decades ago, but then again, timing is everything. Right?

I’m now fully geared up with all sorts of great new toys and tools. I built my own recording studio. And for the better part of the last year and a half, I’ve been recording audiobooks on a daily basis.

Audiobooks give me a great opportunity to learn the tech end of VO and it gives me the opportunity to flex my acting muscles! I’ve played; incredibly handsome cowboys, (typecasting), spunky beautiful leading ladies, frightened young boys, mean-spirited New Orleans cops, the Grimm Reaper, and even the Devil himself.

Great fun all that!

And with that said…I’M OPEN for business!

Love being in front of the mic. And I’m looking forward to working with you.

Coming up.

Two new audiobooks have just wrapped recording; Let Your Heart Beat Again, by Janith Hooper. The 1st book in a 4 book series of which I’ll be recording all of them. And Ascending Beyond, by Toby Alexander. The 1st book of the Grimm Reaper’s journey. I’ll also be voicing that series.

So stay tuned. Podcasts and free audiobooks are on their way!!!

DANNUL DAILEY

Voice Actor

Introducing CJ Klinger

Enlightened Souls

The Pen’s Voice

WE’RE OPEN!!!!