When you narrate multiple books–“play” a character over and over–you feel like you know them. It is different from just reading a novel and archiving it off your kindle. Some months (like say, April, May, June), I’m living with Viola Roberts during every waking moment: recording her voice, hearing her thoughts, embodying her attitude.
Best of all, when I am preparing, recording, and editing the Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries, I find myself spending a lot of time laughing. What I love about Viola is how much humor there is in her everyday life. She is always ready to crack a joke, express some silly self-awareness, and lighten things up. Like Murder. (Except not really. Murder is serious. Seriously fascinating.)
As a character, she can be a little blind-sided by her loyalty and love for her family of choice. She can be equally dismissive and judgemental about the competence of law enforcement (for no particular reason). But overall she is the writer I know with the most entertaining procrastination plans.
The Stiff in The Study is Book 2 in the series, and what I liked best about performing it was what I learned about the heroine. With that in mind, here are the top 10 things I love about Viola Roberts:
10. Like me, Viola loves small-town life. There’s nothing like knowing that if you go out, you’re probably going to run into someone you know.
9. Appreciation for the human form: Viola acknowledges beauty everywhere. Luscious and curvy, spare and lithe, blonde, red, white, black, male, female. Viola hasn’t come across a trans person yet, but I believe she doesn’t care. If they’re rocking their look, she sees it and it rocks her world.
8. Yes. That’s right. Viola saw that. I love someone who’s paying attention.
7. Architecture turns her on. Viola is aware and appreciative of buildings and interior design.
6. Pastries. I love a woman unafraid to scarf baked goods at a stakeout. Or take them to an interrogation. Hell, I love any woman who loves muffins the way I do.
5. Viola is polite (most of the time). Even if she won’t eat your pot brownies, she appreciates that you offered her one.
4. BFE! Viola is your Best Friend Ever. She’s got your back, whether it is getting you out of jail or supporting you at your latest book signing.
3. Ooodles of self-esteem. Viola is okay on her own. Family and friends are great; romance is fun; but at the end of the day, she can–and wants to–take care of herself.
2. Someone finally agrees with me that a beverage that “smells vaguely of rotten mulch,” should not be imbibed.
1. The girl really knows how to turn a fork into a weapon.
Catch this amazing character in book 2, coming soon to audiobook!
What do you think?