Our Audiobook Q&A series is back — and this time, we’ve gone GREY. Today, we bring you our in-depth audiobooks chat with Becca Battoe, the narrator of E.L. James’s wildly popular Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed.
1. How did you come to narrate the audio editions of the 50 Shades books? Were you a fan of the series?
I have worked with Random House Audio for a few years now, so they have me in their databank as a reader. When E.L. James and her people called Random House looking for voices, mine was one of the many options she was given to choose from. Apparently, she chose my voice as the reader for these novels, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!
2. Once you signed on to narrate the series, did you feel a certain amount pressure give the popularity of the books?
Fortunately, when I got the call from my producer offering me this job, neither one of us had any idea how huge this title was going to be. I was still recording the second and third books when they released the first one, and I was astounded at all the press it got right out of the gate. I’m still at a loss for words. They were released over 20 weeks ago, and all three are still in the top 10 on Kindle, audio and paperback. It’s amazing!
3. Did the “adult” nature of the books present any special challenges to you as a narrator? Were there any passages that gave you pause as you were recording them? Continue reading
