Audiobook Narrating with Andria Mae / Ali Dane from Closed Door to Dark & Spicy Audiobooks

Season 5, Episode 570: Audiobook Narrating with Andria Mae Ali Dane from Closed Door to Dark & Spicy

Guest Bio:  Andria Mae (also Ali Dane) is a narrator who snuck into the audiobook party in 2021 and never looked back. With a passion for the art of novel to audio adaptations, she embraces everything from sweet and fluffy romances to dark, spicy, and even nerdy adventures. When she's not in the recording booth, she's tending to the tiniest of hobby farms, full of quirky animals that bring her immeasurable joy. Andria is devoted to transforming written words into immersive audio experiences, capturing every emotion and nuance along the way. 

Website: www.alidane.com Linktree: https://wlo/link/@RWTLO

Instagram: @andria.mae.audiobooks and @ali.dane.audiobooks

Lemon8: @ali.dane.audiobooks

Threads: @ali.dane.audiobooks

BlueSky: @Ali-Dane-Audiobooks

Episode Summary:

With a background in vocal performance and a passion for storytelling, Andria shares her journey from podcasting to audiobook narration, revealing how she discovered her love for this unique art form. In this episode, Ruan and Andria dive into the nuances of narrating different genres, from closed-door YA to spicy romance. They discuss the challenges of voice acting, including how to portray male characters and the intricacies of duet narration. Andria opens up about her creative process, the importance of preparation, and how she navigates the evolving landscape of audiobook production. 

As they explore the world of romance and the significance of representation in storytelling, you'll hear about Andria's favorite projects, including her recent work in the omegaverse and her collaborations with indie authors.

1. Introduction to Andria May and her journey into audiobook narration

2. The evolution of Andria's voice acting and narrating styles

3. Challenges and techniques for portraying male characters

4. Synchronous vs. asynchronous duet narration

5. Insights into the creative process and preparation for narration

6. Discussion on the representation of diverse voices in romance

7. Andria's favorite projects and upcoming releases

8. The impact of societal changes on book covers and marketing

Some of Andria Mae's Audiobooks (affiliate links, commissions may be made on purchases that support the podcast, thank you!)

The Summer Playbook https://amzn.to/41dbGp0

A Dose of Pretty Poison https://amzn.to/3EOt2j3

My Hot Best Friend is an Irish Vampire https://amzn.to/42UFBU8

Podcast Host Ruan's recent Audiobooks:

Never Say, Never Swing https://books.ruanwillowauthor.com/neversayneverswingaudiobook

Protectors: A Warrior's Requiem, Chronicles of Protectors https://books.ruanwillowauthor.com/protectorsaudiobook

Transcript

Season 5, Episode 570: Audiobook Narrating with Andria Mae/Ali Dane form closed door to dark and spicy books. 

This transcript was created by Headliner ai and was not edited by a human so it will contain errors. Please email any questions to ruanwillow@gmail.com

No AI training allowed. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved Pink Infinity Publishing LLC.

My guest today is also an audiobook narrator, Ali Dane, Andria Mae.

Ruan Willow: Hello, everyone. I'm super excited you're here at my podcast. This is Ruin Willow, and I'm super excited to talk to this person because she does something similar to what I do. I'm an author and obviously podcaster. Here I am. But also I do audiobooks, and my guest today is also an audiobook narrator. I'm so excited because she's actually my. I think you're my first, narrator on the. Really? I think so. I'm trying to whack my brain. I'm like, did I have anybody else? Anyway, I want torod introduce everybody to Andrea May, who also goes by Alli Dane. So I'm going to give a little spiel about what she does and who she is, and then we're going to get into our chat. And so she narrates everything from YA and new adult stuff. That is more Closed Door is Alli Dane, and Andrea May is the romance side of what she does. Close to Open door.


Alli's audiobook career started with a desire to help an author friend

Okay. Alie Dane, or Andria May, is a dc, Maryland based voice actor specializing in dynamic and emotional storytelling. With a background in vocal performance, acting, and musical theater, she has found a way to marry her love of performance with her obsession with books. She fell in love with audio engineering and recording when she started podcasting about books and collaborating with indie authors. Alli's audiobook narration career started with a desire to help an author friend make her first audiobook and discover that narration was her favorite type of performance. And again, this is Ruin Willow. Welcome to the O Fuck yeah. With Ruin Willow podcast. And welcome. Andrea. I'm so excited to chat with you.

Andrea May: Fuck. yeah. I'm so excited to be here. I'm like, I listen to the bio and I'm like, who is that? Thank you so much for having me.

Ruin Willow: I'm super excited to chat with you and I think it's so interesting how you rolled into this. You were actually helping a friend make a book.

Andrea May: Yeah, it started with, yeah, I was podcasting first and that was where I discovered a love for all things audio. And I was like, oh, I actually like the text technical side of things. And I like audio engineering and the editing and cleaning up all the little noises and everything. you know, but then I was interviewing indie authors on my podcast and then, there was one that came on, ah, AG Porter. And we became friends and she was like, yeah, I'm thinking of turning my first book into an audiobook. And she's like, it's up on acx. And so I kind of. And I was like, you know what? I've. You know, I have this background. I was studying vocal performance and opera, and I kind of, you know, put that side of my life aside. you know, I said goodbye to theater and all the things, and I was doing, like, the respectable thing in life, you know, and I was like, you know, what if I just do one. What if I just do one book, you know'like? And we can collaborate together as friends. and so I did the one book. and then. And then one turned into two. and then two was three. and then my husband was like, oh, so, like, that's the last one, right? And then now we're three and a half years into it. I'm recording. I'm doing this podcast from the shedio. He built me in my backyard so that I could. And now I'm going on three and a half, four years of audiobook narration from, like, the Gateway Drug. That was one. One book.

Ruin Willow: I love that. That's just. That's just really kind of fun. And it was like, you know, obviously was just kind of, like, meant to be for you, you know? Like, that's just really cool.

Andrea May: It's really weird how that happened because, like I said, I had been in vocal performance before, and it just felt like every door I went to was closed. And it's like, I didn't have quite the right voice type or the right body type, and I wasn't quite right for musical theater, and I wasn't quite right for opera, and I wasn't the color ofatura. And then I also wasn't, you know. You know, I wasn't. Wasn't. Was'was'wasn't, and so I was like, you know what? Everything's telling me no. and then it's so weird because then when I came to audiobooks, like, weirdly, it just. It felt effortless. And it was the first time it was effortless. And I was just narrating what I heard in my head all along. And so then just. It all came spilling out. And it's so weird how that happened, because performance in theater and making it in acting was never easy, ever. It was always, like, so hard to break into anything, you know?

Ruin Willow: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Totally.


When you first started out, your voice was very spicy romance

And so, when you first started, now, the first book you did, was that a closed door or an open door?

Andrea May: That was closed door. So basically the whole beginning of my career was Alli Dane. It was all know. And it's interesting how my voice and my performance has evolved over time, but I was very I was doing a lot of ya. I was doing a lot of new adult, even though what I was primari merily reading was very spicy romance. I do love, like YA and you know, Percy Jackson and you know, all of the YA series and, you know, so it felt easy to do those, but I was like, when am I going toa get to narrate some, like, spicy romance? Like, I'm ready for it. And so it'd be like fade to black and. And you know, even in the ones that I do fade to black, I was really, like, really getting into the romance of those. but, yeah, all of those pretty much. And then up until my first spicy novella I did, it was Pumpkin Spice and pour overs by, Elise. Oh my gosh.

Ruin Willow: I see.

Andrea May: I said I had a bad memory at the beginning of this.

Ruin Willow: I know I'm really bad with names myself too. Sometimes. I like, write them down because, yeah, book names and people names. I'm like, wait, what? What is that?

Andrea May: Elise Kennedy. Elise Kennedy. and so I'm so sorry, Elise, if you ever listene to this. I love you so much for giving me my first and trusting me with you. Re nol so pumpkin spice and pour over and it was so. It was cute. It was small town, only one bed and like, rival such like, you know, they're competing for the same job and like a little. He's like a boy scout in the streets, but then like kind of like a daddy Dom in the hotel room.

Ruin Willow: Nice. Nice. Definitely very sexy now.


Andrea Ma loves duets, but they are more time consuming

So I have to ask you this. When you are, how do you generally go about it? Do you, you know, do you pull in male narrators? Do you try to do a male voice? Do you just use your own voice? Do you lower your voice? What do you do for the male characters?

Andrea May: I feel like, and this has evolved over time, but I think that what has what indie authors book me for a lot of the time is that I don't do, like, I don't pitch down. It's like super low. I don't. I've heard that I have, like, I'm not like, known for my male voices. but I do like, I add like a whisper equality to them and, you know, like, make it like fun and sexy. So I change my voice a little bit. I love narrating duet selfishly, because then I get a lot less vocal fatigue trying to, like, really, like, place exactly where I want to in my voice. but I'm definitely not one who, you know, I try to be very listenable and So I don't go all over the place. and so, yeah, so I've done. But the unique thing about the duets that I've done is that, the duet I did as Alli Dane, the bride of Laycaster with Henry Kramer, that one is what we call asynchronous. if anyone's not familiar with, like, duet recording style, so he records on his own. He just, you know, clicks all the dialogue. I, you know, I do all of my parts. But then the other romance duets that I've done, the Promised Princess by Lachell Rain. My Hot Best Friend is an Irish vampire by Roxy McCleain. One of my favorites. Those ones are actually recorded synchronously. wow. As well as a. Ah, Darling Aviator, by Lar Holliday. those ones, we were like, in a discord or like a zoom call together.

Ruin Willow: Oh, sure.

Andrea May: We're open rolel and so we're able to, like, play off of each other. So not only are you doing, like, your own voices, but then, you know, my co narrator would make a choice that was, like, maybe unexpected or not the choice that I make, and I'm like, oh, that completely changes my delivery. So they are more time consuming. It's more expensive to do them that way. But I love. I love a good synchronous duet with a good partner. It, like, you trust and, like, you know, you know, is gonna, like, carry you through that. And, yeah, so that's my experience with duet. But I do a lot of duel. Most of my Andrea Ma stuff I've done since September has been all dual. All dual stuff.

Ruin Willow: That's so interesting. I've never done the synchronous, but I've done different things, like for my own audiobooks and I actually just did. I've done a few duets for other authors as well. So, like, I would record mine and then send it to them so they could get. They could play off of me, but then I didn't get to play off of them. But, you know, sometimes if it was just. If it was. If the line really didn't fit the storyline, I would have them redo it, you know, like. But then, yeah, it add so much more time, so much more delay, so much more work to it. So I can see how synchronous would be, really great because you're playing off each other live, and that's just huge.

Andrea May: Yeah. And lots of giggles and stuff too. Like, we definitely have some laps while we do it. And, you know, some of it Will do, like, live on TikTok or live on my Discord server. And then the other one's like, if we're doing, like, a spicy scene, we're like, nope, nobody needs to see us laugh our way through this, because then, you know, somebody says something, somebody gets the giggles. So, like, you know, we laugh about it.

Ruin Willow: editing will happen, right? Yes.

Andrea May: Yes. And so the production company I work with a lot that I do those synchronous duets for, is AB Book Services. Shout out to Antoine Bandeleay. He's been my engineer since 2021. He is a badass. And so, yeah, so he gets my continuous m. Mine of my co narrator's continuous role, and it's, like, full of a lot of. I'm sorry, Antoine. Yeah, I got distracted. Enjoy cutting it out.

Ruin Willow: Right. Does he do the full processing for you, or. He does. Okay.

Andrea May: Yeah. And so we send him. We just. We, like, syn clap at the beginning. We open roll for our whole session. We save periodically so we don't have, like, lose, like, two hours or anything.

Ruin Willow: Right, Right.

Andrea May: Then he does the full processing. He cuts out all of our bloopers, and he, like, cleans up all my. All my little mouth noises.

Ruin Willow: Oh, yes, those lovely noises.

Andrea May: Yes, all those things. And. And makes it all beautiful for me. So. Yeah, that's cool.


When you're doing the synchronous, you actually are seeing each other then

Ruin Willow: So now when you're doing the synchronous, you actually are seeing each other then.

Andrea May: we usually have cameras off. but that's, like. I think that's, like, an ADHD thing for me. Is that, like. Then we're like, we're really locked into each other's vocal performances.

Ruin Willow: Yeah.

Andrea May: Versus, like, responding to, like, ##ial. Expressions or anything. I know, like, I make a lot of faces. And then it's also a good thing because then, you know, there was one scene I was doing with Jake McCaskill. and, it was so badass. He, was like, am I allowed to talk about, like, violence, like, slightly?

Ruin Willow: Oh, yeah. Ye. Yes.

Andrea May: So in my hot best friend is an Irish vampire, the FMC's new boss, like, gets a little handsy, and he shows up at the bank where they work to, like, teach him a lesson and de hands him. And I was like. I was sitting here listening to his whole performance of him, like, absolutely. Just, like, getting revenge on this guy. And I was like. I was, like, covering my face. I was, like, trying to be as, like, silent as possible on the other end. I was like, good thing we didn't have cameras on because, like, he Me be like, oh, my God, Jake, your performance is so good.

Ruin Willow: Yeah, I suppose it would be.

Andrea May: Yeah.

Ruin Willow: Be kind of distracting because you're trying to focus on your lines and what you're feeling and, you know, portraying what that character is feeling. I can see that. For me, too, that would be very distracting because. Because then I would be looking at the person like, oh, what do they do? You know what I mean? Like, you'd be looking.

Andrea May: Yeah. And you see me, like, reaching over and periodically getting my, you know, drink of water, you know, while'recording and then there's, like, a scene towards the end of My Hot Best Friend where I, like, sobbed through, like, the last, like, two chapters that I. Like, two whole chapters that we recorded. I was like, he doesn't need to see me, like, crying over. Likeprised, like, oh, it was. It was so much fun, though. but, yeah, Jake is one of the few people, though, like, I will synchronous.nart with him, like, any day because he' so fun to work with and just a very safe, like, person to work with. And so that's much appreciated to have a con narrator like that.

Ruin Willow: That's very cool.


Now, when you're doing in sex scenes and stuff, do you make sounds

Now, when you're doing in sex scenes and stuff, do you make sounds or you. You. Do you not add in, like, you know, moaning or sounds or anything like that? Or do you have. No sounds like that?

Andrea May: so I think we. I never really heard what. Because I hate listening to myself. I'm one of those. And I'm like, I can't. I can't listen. Sometimes duet is easier for me to listen to because then I can kind of focus on the other person and be like, okay, how did this all come together? And I feel like I'm listening to something completely different and not myself. we did do some, like, a little bit of, like, moans and stuff. We kind of played with it a little bit in the Promise Princess. and. But, like, really, like, I try not to too much. Like, I would save that more for, like, Patreon kind of content. You know, sometimes they'll ask for it. you know, but I kind of have some, like, different boundaries of, like, what I'm willing to kind of put into audiobook format and what goes into other stuff. And then you. It's always kind of awkward, like, okay, but how do I. Because you're thinking it from a very technical standpoint. I'm like, it. It's not just a moan. It's like, but how do you make it sound nice on the microphone and, like, really Capture and have it be pleasurable for the listener and not just me going, mmm, right.

Ruin Willow: And the other thing is too, making those kind of sounds end up being louder than you expect them to be. So like you can compare it to your voice and you can see how much of a bigger spike at it. So sometimes it needs to be squished down if you do something too loud. But it'funny how, you know, I didn't really realize that and know, obviously I know it now, but at first I didn't really realize that and I like, I didn't feel like I was louder when I made the sound, but I clearly was because you can see it.

Andrea May: well, if I can get nerdy for a second about like vocal performance stuff is like closed mouth sound like buckboy, I'GOING to get techie. nerdy. Now you have a close mouth sound. You have to express so much more air and like force to like get the sound to come out. So that probably is like where that louder sound comes from. that like forcedure air.

Ruin Willow: It's so funny. I was looking at your Instagram too, I think, and you were doing a, ah, duet with someone with a little video clip and then she was like cover in her mouth. And it's so funny how much that so changes. You could just tell from me, like, it just really does sound different. You can, you know, like, we really do those things. I do that too, which I. Oh.

Andrea May: Yeah, that's been some of my favorite things to do. I haven't. When I'm working with publishers, I try not to because I've done some stuff with like dreamworks and like Spotify and I'm like, okay. So if I was doing indie, I would like clear it with the author and be like, is it okay? But like some of my favorite performances, it's like they're in like ah, an eating scene or like they're eating a piece of bread. I'm like, hold on. I like run to my kitchen and I'm like, you know, eating it. and a lot of my Alley Dane stuff has a lot of like special effects and like voice filters, and doesn't have quite as much of that. And so, you know, stuff like over the moon, by se, Anderson, tons of voice filters and things like that. But it's, you know, they're bre talkucking through a reeather. And those duet clips, as you saw, we're super proud of those. That's part of the fam audio takeover that I started with Rute Boles and Paige Renfeld back in. I think it was 20, 21 or with years. And so that was our first Sapphic September that we did as a part of, the Femm Audio takeover. It's usually just, you know, pairing authors and narrators to do clips. I really wanted to do a Safpphic September and to change up our format. And so we did this duet challenge, and so that was our first experiment with it. So those were all, narrators responding to, we would have, like, a set of narrators that did, like, the starter script and then anyone could do at us, back. So that one that we did where they were like, you know, covering their mouth, we had so fun doing that clip because it was just such an interesting, fun dynamic that's like. It's different from, like, the usual audiobook kind of format. So we got to have a lot of fun with those. So.

Ruin Willow: Yeah, that's very cool.


Do you have a favorite genre to narrate or is that hard to pick

So what's your favorite? Do you have a favorite genre to narrate or is that, like, really hard to pick?

Andrea May: It is. It's so. It's so hard because, you know, and I feel like I'm in my Andrea era right now because I've just been doing lots of, like, contemporary romance, and I'm loving it so much. I'm having so much fun. I have a soft spot for rom com. I just, you know, I get to, like, just use the full range of, like, my Bubly kind of voice. And I like it to do, like, almost kind of like the voice equivalent of like, physical comedy, like, in the booth. but then, like, I've only done one sci fi, and I love sci fi, so I can't even say it's like, my favorite genre when I don't do it very much. But I'm a huge, like, Star wars, like, Marvel nerd. And so, you know, I love listening to, like, the Star wars audiobooks and stuff that's like, full cast or, you know, I love fantasy and stuff too. and so. But yeah, I love contemporary romance and I love rom com and I think that will never change. but then it is really cool getting to do stuff with, like, veryant fantastic creatures and powers. And I love fantasy and sci fi too, on the other side. Yeah, it's hard to.

Ruin Willow: It is hard to pick now when you're doing that kind of thing. You do a lot of different kind of voices. Like, you know, are one of those narrators that kind of will curate a voice for. Yeah, like some sort of creature. Not a human.

Andrea May: Yeah. it's interesting because I thought one of the things that would really hold me back when I first started this industry is that I don't do a lot of voices. And you know, everyone. I'be live record and people would come in and'like okay, like now read it like, you know, Grover. And I'm like, yeah, I can't a Grover impression. that's like, you know, so I'm not like an impressionist or, you know, I don't have a super flexible voice. you know, it's kind of here all the time. So even my male voices, I'm like, yeah, I really nailed that male voice. And I play it back and I'm like, you sound exactly the sameh. And I was like, man, I really got it. No, but you know, I think over the Moon was really fun because it was the most extensive of character voices I've ever done. and then probably also Jam Wallace's air the claiming Elfhamim series. The era of, A Shadow. Sorry. I'm working on Air of Starlight and Truth right now. So I'm trying to like, I'm like, well, Air of Shadows are nce because there's like these witch characters. And so I do change my voice and you know, and do some like nasally things and kind of and try to do like the full range. but I definitely don't, you know, call myself like a character voice actor because there's some people like, you know, Henry Kramer, you know, he does all the male voices on Percy J's Bride of Lacaster. And like he just. Every single voice he does, he sounds like a completely different person.

Ruin Willow: It's'amazing isn't it? I think that's amazing that people can do that.

Andrea May: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Ruin Willow: Amazing what people can do, you know. Yeah, I know a few people that do that too. And it's just like, wow, you know, and just the way, the way they can change their voice and then consistently change their voicee to that character. Because, you know, doing it like once. Yes, doing it once or twice, but to continually do it throughout a book, that's a challenge.

Andrea May: And that's, I did some coaching with, I think it was Arin Moon and she had. It was like creating like characters and choices and that was the big thing. If it's like a main character or a secondary in that family of leads, like, you're going to have to do it a lot. It's whatever you can do consistently and healthily throughout the Length of the book. And so I always check, and I'm like, okay, this person has two lines in this book. They're not gonna be like, have a whole POV in, like, book two. And I'm have to do, like, this gravelly, like, nasty sound in, like, book two. but it is fun when you get to kind of, like, throw in, like, some extra, like, gravel. And I have, like, which character I did for. For Jam Wallace, I was like, oh, this is so fun to, like, get to do these, like, ethereal voices. but, yeah, it's hard coming up with all the different things and how to change your voice enough for them. Yeah.

Ruin Willow: And some of them can kind of hurt a little bit. Like, you're saying you gotta be healthy about it because, you know, if you do something. Because I've done someere it. Yeah, it actually kind of hurts a little bit. So you don't want to do too much of that, right, because you don't want to damage.

Andrea May: Yeah, absolutely. And you see. And I've seen a lot of my colleagues and, you know, talking about, like, yeah, ah, I had to do, like, vocal rest or I'm really struggling because, like. And I think male narrators really struggle with a lot, too, because they have a lot of pressure to do, like, the deep, like, rasping voice all the time. And that's very taxing. And so I actually have a couple videos on my TikTok about embracing your natural sound and not trying to constantly push yourself into a box. Because much of my life, I actually pitched my voice down a lot because people wouldn't take me seriously. You know, I talked to them on the phone. Like, what can I actually talk to? Like, I don't want to talk to a student volunteer. I want to talk to someone who works. I've worked here for five years. I'adult and so I would. And it was. I found that it was damaging to my voice. And so part of narration for me has been learning to love my natural voice and care for it and not push it into a box. And so then I've, you know, seen different people, and they just, like, push it down and try to make their voices so. And I'm like, there's something to be said for a really lovely, like, tenor voice, that's, like, smooth and soothing. Like, that can be just as wonderful and sexy to listen to as, like, a deep, gravelly voice. And we need to have this, like, wide range of voices. You don't have to just have a husky s. You know, sultry voice to be appealing as a fem narrator. You can have a high voice like mine. and I think that my background in vocal performance has helped me because then I know how to use vocal fry correctly to kind of get that gravel without creating fun. It's a relaxed state versus tents. and so that's been really helpful and having all those vocal warm ups to really get myself into a space and how to place things in different parts of my voice to get the sound I want. and then knowing when to stop pushing basically. Yeah.


The main character should be as close to your natural voice as possible

Ruin Willow: Makes sense. Yeah. And I think it's almost easier to do a main character in as close to your natural voice as possible.

Andrea May: Yes. Yeah, that's definitely. And that's the advice that everybody gives you is like whoever the main character is, like that's you, it's me. with like then my little flavor sprinkling that I put on for the character and how they speak or how fast or you know, how they sound during like intimate scenes. but yeah, the main character is as close to your natural range as possible.

Ruin Willow: And for me I'm pretty much self taught. I mean I've done over 500 podcast episodes. Not all of them are fiction, but then I have over 70 audiobooks. And so for me I'm more self taught. But I know what you're saying because I've kind of learned it through time just in doing, just in doing it, you know, like just it's amazing how you can change your voice by the tone, the pacing, how fast you say it. A very slight thing, you know, and it's, you know, it's something that I didn't really realize or understand until I really started doing so much audio that y. A little bit can go a long ways.

Andrea May: Yeah. And I was self taught as well. I kind of Tony Stark my way into audiobook. I was like I super, super hyper focused. and I was like I'mnn learn everything about this. So yeah, I was like very. I was completely self taught in the beginning which sometimes industry people will be like no, no, you can't do that. And I was like I didn't.

Ruin Willow: Too bad.

Andrea May: I get like performance coaching and stuff now and that's fun to do. Like I like to do open studios because then you can kind of hear and it's much more about playing with it than somebody trying to like being like this is what you need to do or like, like, you know, And so that's been really nice because I like, I like those Performance settings where you can play and explore and try different things. And that's, that's still part of like that self taught exploration of you know, finding those different voices and trying them on. And I think I always try to drive it from like the character and the emotions place first. And so like the character, the emotions comes first and then like how we change the vocal quality is kind of secondary to that.


Are you someone who likes to react and narrate before you start

Ruin Willow: Now are you someone who does a lot of, you know, taking notes, reading the entire thing before you start, or are you someone who likes to react and narrate as you're reading it the first time? I've talked to people who do it both ways.

Andrea May: I'm kind of insane in my prep process. I am actually set and it's like weird because I've been all about like my prep process and like really reading closely and like diving into the characters and taking tons of notes and I, I need to know where the arc of the story is. And I highlight and change colors on my manuscripts like crazy. And then September hit, and I was like I'mnna slow down on production because you know, life is busy and you know, I've got stuff going. And then I like booked some of like the most like sought after gigs that I had been just like working towards. And I hired a prepper, but I taught my prepper my method and her, she does exactly what I tell her to do, you know, so I still do, I still read through and I still look very closely at things. and but she does all of my highlights and she does chapter, summaries for me. So I'm able to you know, really kind of dial in and like look at the stuff that really matters. And then she kind of gives me like the breadth of it. but I miss being able to have the time to really dive in. And that's kind of the double edged sword of like you want to be a narrator because you love the story, you want to narrate these things and you want to just get like fully into the story. But to then be a narrator you have to book and you have to keep booking and you have to stay irrelevant and you have to book enough to keep the lights on and to keep doing this and so then do that. Some part of your prep process has to, Something's got toa give. and you start getting shorter and shorter turn in deadlines. It's like, hey, audition is due a week, Final audio is due like two weeks.

Ruin Willow: Right?

Andrea May: You, I literally don't have time to do that level of prep that I used to. And it kind of hurts because, like, I kind of wish I had more time to really do it justice. But that's just a new challenge that I've been facing of like, how to be really present in the story and maintain the integrity of my work with, like, okay, so you can just kind of react to these things. You know, the story, you know, you have your summaries, you know the direction and like, the major plot points and the plot twist that's coming. and. And I feel like I've been having a lot of fun in my performance, kind of letting myself experience things in the moment. I don't recommend that for new narrators because when you're starting, there's so many other things going on around you. You want to know where you're going in the story. You don't want that to be the thing. But then now I'm so comfortable in the booth and I'm not worrying about my tech or this or that or whatever. And I'm like, okay, let'we can play in the moment with this. And so that's been interesting.

Ruin Willow: Oh yeah. It's a total different approach. And I can see why people want to, you know, like both ways of it, because the natural reaction sometimes can be very valuable as well, you know. So, yeah, it's a hard call, but yeah, it's probably better to not start out that way.

Andrea May: Yeah, I agree. Well, but then even like, there'll be times that I'll like read it and I'll of say a line out loud and I'm like, oh, I love how I did that. But I wasn't in the booth. And then I get back the booth and then I'm trying to like, when it comes to recording time and I'm like, I can't quite back capture it. And so Iantly have this like fomo. But that's a technique thing of like, once you've done it, how do you recreate it again? How do you recreate pickups? Because the worst is when like you have some line that you're like, oh my God, that was just my favorite line. And you even like pull it for like your samplesus. Like, oh my God, that line just like it hit so hard. Like I had this line from this book I just did, and it's like something about like misogyny. I don't know if it was the misogyny. Da D da and it's like, it's this whole long like, ranch she goes on and she's like, bitches, never forget I'm bitches. And I was like o. That was such a hard line. And so I snipped it. Guess what was in my pickup packet? That line. And so I had to like. And I was like so angry. I was like in that character and angry when I. And I was like, I gotta get.

Ruin Willow: Back therees do this whole land.

Andrea May: And I'm like, oh man, I'm so mad. I loved it in that moment. So. But we got it done. It's.

Ruin Willow: Yeah.

Andrea May: It maybe didn't quite hit the way the first one did, but I got to a point where I was happy with it.

Ruin Willow: Yeah. It's so funny how it's so much of your emotion and acting it out really. It's so much a part of it, you know, like you feeling that. And so. Yeah. Getting back into that place can m sometimes be a challenge. Yeah.

Andrea May: Yeah. And then I just remind myself, I'm like, that's. That's acting ally like you got.

Ruin Willow: You gotta get right.

Andrea May: Yeah.

Ruin Willow: Get back into. Yeah. That head space.

Andrea May: Yeah.


Have you ever done something where you thought this book was really extreme

Ruin Willow: So now have you done something where you thought was like oh my gosh, this is really extreme. Have you had that kind of an experience where you're like this book was really extreme. Should I have done this or were you were like yes, that's awesome. Or what kind of experience did you have? Like around that kind of a thing.

Andrea May: Like extreme. Like I like maybe took it too far with my performancee. Yeah. Yeah. so there's a couple of parts in and I thought for sure that the producer was going toa come back and be like Andrea, what the fuck?

Ruin Willow: Why did you that?

Andrea May: But like I was like, I don't know how else to do this. And I'm like, I just got toa go balls to the wall with it. And in dose a pretty poison, drop a pretty poison and shot a pretty poison. I think in books two and three or in all three books, there's some part where like the characters are drunk and and it specifically a references that they're slurring their words and that they're having a. And so it was so specifically referenced in the text. You like I can't deliver it straight. And so I did this and literally making myself la because I was like, ah. I'm like o, there he is. M m. And I was like, oh man. I'm like there. I'm like, the proofers are going to come back and be like what the fuck? Girlfriend went crazy. And they, they didn't send it back. And I was like. I told my co narrator that because he has a drunk scene too and be like. But he usually goes pretty out in his performances tos I was like, ah, that'll be fine. I was like, I thought for sure they were gonna send it back. and, there was, like, definitely some parts where they were, like, yelling. And then I was like, oh, man. I was like, I really went for it when I got pissed off in that scene. And I made sure I wasn't, like, clipping, but I was like, yeahe. I was, like, so angry that I was like, they might say that was too much. and I'm, trying to think. Oh, and then in Fortune of Emerald and Saul and Fate of Ruby and Throne fully sobbed through, like, multiple scenes. I was like, they'renn say. They'renna say that was too noisy in a bad way.

Ruin Willow: Right.

Andrea May: Right.

Ruin Willow: Yeahus. You know, if it's too extreme or too loud or they can only do so much with it and it's. Yeah, it's either gonna work or it's not. Right.

Andrea May: Yeah. So I had to do a couple of takes and then I'm like, that was I you. I was unintelligible.

Ruin Willow: We need to reco that all that gets to be the problem. Yeah, exactly. They still need to understand the words. Understand the words.

Andrea May: Yeah.


Do you have a favorite book that you like to ohd

Ruin Willow: Oh, do you have a favorite book that you like to ohd completely impossible to pick. I'm sure it's.

Andrea May: Oh, no. I mean. So, okay. Can I do, like, greatest hits? Am I allowed to do that?

Ruin Willow: Yeah, yeah, do that. Yeah, for sure.

Andrea May: So I absolutely have such a soft spot for this is Ally Dane titles, but Fortune of Emerald and Salt and Fate of Ruby and Throne. And I think this is coming out late enough that I can. That you can be the first to hear that we are secret releasing a new year's novella. it's in post production right now, so by the time this comes out, it should be out in the world already. and so we're releasing a secret novella. So it was so fun to go back to that world like that. that duology so has my heart. And it was one of my very first books that I did. But I just. I loved the story and I. And it was just such a pivotal part of my career. And sometimes it's still hard to listen to because I feel like my performance has changed and grown so much, but I think it's still up. But that is definitely one of my favorite favorites. And then I really love of Pride. Pancakes in Paris by Em Mej Holland. I, narrated that with Josh Putnam. that one's dual, but just sweet, but, like, really conveys, like, real emotions. and that was like, an early Andrea May title for me. and, Oh, my gosh. I'm like, looking up at my shelf right now.

Ruin Willow: I know. It's like you need, like, a list in front of you, right?

Andrea May: Yeah, I have to have, like, a list of them. And, you know, I loved over the Moon by Essie Anderson because that's like. That one was like, the most character voices and I got to creatively direct. It has sound effects, it has music, it has all these voice effects. So, like, that one's my favorite for that because it was like, it was almost like a graphic audio, but like, like a solo production. And so that was really, really cool to do. and then. And then I have a couple that I've just recorded that are like, not up for pre order yet that I can't really talk about, but one of them is by one of my favorite authors. Like, it was like, one of. You know how you have your bucket list and people are like, oh, my gosh. Like, who would you just, like, kill to, like, pray for? And I got to narrate for her this year. And that one, it's up for a pre order, but my name's not on it yet, so I can't talk about. but I'm so, Oh, my gosh. It'it should be. It's releasing in January.

Ruin Willow: Oay.

Andrea May: So that one is. That one was probably a really, really fun one to do. but those are kind of like some of my, like, greatest hits.

Ruin Willow: Well, you actually might be able to say it. Cause this isn't airing. I should have told you that. This isn't airing T until February 14th.

Andrea May: Oh, well, then I'll tell you right now. Okay, so it's In Too Deep by julialivia. yes. So I'm obsessed with her and like, her Honeywood series, it's so cute, but it's like she has this beautiful, like, cozy, like, world building. It's like fantasy level, like, world building, but, like, contemporary. It's really lush. Worlds that she creates, and they're so fun and playful, but then they get spicy. And, the Honeywood series and then the off the hook, the Never harbor series is, like, loosely based on. So I've read, like, all of her stuff. And then I auditioned for her on Dreamscape, and she was like, don'know. Like, I picked you for Too deep. And I was like. I could cry. And so I just. I just did pickups, like, literally two days ago. And it was such a fun book to do. So that's like, definitely, like, greatest hits for me.

Ruin Willow: That's awesome. Yeah, that's so fun. Yeah, that's just so much fun.


At what point did you decide you wanted to add the Andrea May?

Now, at what point did you decide you wanted to add the Andrea May? Were you. Like, I just want to. I Like, you probably wanted to separate.

Andrea May: Yeah. So. And it's like. And it's weird because, like, what my initial dividing line was going to be was that it was going to be if it had the C word or the P word. You pick whichever C word and P word you want. How we divide it. and then. But then it was starting to get to be, like, too conf. Because, like, how do you divide it? Because, like, I have some Ali Dane, like, the Fire within series. They have some, like, open door sex scenes, but it's really, like, such a small part of the plot. It is not a romance. It is kind of there. And so I was like, that's not. But that's not Andrea. And it's kind of open door, but it just. It doesn't fit there. And so I was like, well, like, here's how I'll rationalize, like, how it's different. and then, you know, But truthfully, the reason that I started Andrea May was, you know, Alli felt, like, so very specific in, like, the branding and the type of work that I was doing as Alli Dane. And then I was. And then I had this other one. And then also I was starting to do spicy stuff. And I still work my day job. And so if you work with me, you know me. No, you don't. And, you know, I work in education. And, so, like, it was just like, you know, I just didn't. I wanted to have, like, another layer of, like, plausible deniability of, like. I don't know what that is. Who's Andrea? Never heard of her. My name's Ally. But, you know.

Ruin Willow: Exactly.

Andrea May: Yeah.

Ruin Willow: we need that. I think that's. That's. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

Andrea May: Yeah. And so. But then I was like, e. So then I have some stuff as, like, Ali Dane that, like, I think I'm gonna move over to Andreaus. It's indie authors, so I'm gonna kind of Future books I'm doing with them. They're gonna be as Andrea because it makes more sense to just kind of. If it's. If romance is what the focus Is regardless of how spicy the romance is, it'll go over to Andrea because, you know, we can have some like, because I have one coming out in February, March, that's like not open door like at all. but it'it's so romance focused that I was like, you know, this will continue with Andrea. And then in January I'm recording an omega verse that my joking like tagline is all the knots and no choosing that one. I'm like, we have everything. There's no, no, the door is like closed is not even fade to black. And then it's, you know, the other side of it is like, you know, everybody's all in one bed.

Ruin Willow: Right, Right. That's awesome. Yeah. And that makes a lot of sense. I think that's probably a good distinction because. And I feel like a lot of this is also seen in a lot of romance bookstores. They're doing everything from the sweet romance all the way up to the spicy stuff. There's so many romance bookstores popping up, independent bookstores, and they're kind of doing the same thing. it's all romance just on a different level. Right.

Andrea May: Yeah. And I almost like, I worry about saying like, oh, we should have a rating system like sort of how we do for film and television. Because then I feel like that then leads to censorship potentially.

Ruin Willow: Yes.

Andrea May: But I'm like, I just, I want a way to quantify how many like spicy scenes there are because you know, even looking, I'm looking for ya like young adult f fantasy titles to like give to my voracious 12 and 13 year old readers that are reading on like high school level. And I'm like, I don't know what to give them. And so I'm trying to like. And I'm like, okay, so just tell me, is it open door or closed door? How. How many season P'DO we have in this book so that I know, can I give this to my 12 year old kind of stuff. but yeah, we are seeing kind of just like the breadth of romance and kind of how it all fits in together.

Ruin Willow: Yeah, I think that's a good way for indie authors to think about it is if it is open door, put that in your blurb. Know m. Make it known without a question that it's open door.


A lot of people are using the word spicy, you know

A lot of people are using the word spicy, you know, like because, the word erotica sometimes or erotic is getting censored and look on as dark, something bad, taboo. So I noticed a lot of people are switching to spicy. But the problem with that is. There's a lot of variation in the word spicy Pots possible.

Andrea May: Yes, yes. there is a huge variation because like even, you know, fortune of emerald and salt, Monro and I, or actually Monroe coined this term or she've heard it from somewhere else. I don't know who gets credit for it, but she's like, it's spicy but the spice is cinnamon. It's cinnamon spice. It's completely closed door, but it leads right up to it.

Ruin Willow: And.

Andrea May: And I'm like, damn, bro. Like, that was so like emotional and that was hot. But like there's nothing explicit about it though. But it's so well done. And I'm like, I'm like, girl, that was spicy. But also like, you can't. If you call that spicy, people will revolt and they'll be like, that's not spicy. You know, it was completely cutat door. So like, how do you classify it? And I'm like, I just want to know. Open door, closed door, how many sees how peas.

Ruin Willow: Right, right. Like I just. I'm a founding author for a new site that's written. So it's stories, but it's romance from sweet to spicy. And it's called Fo Re. And the way they're doing it is the number of chili peppers hot hot pepper pictures in they each veryious, explicit. Like how many sex scenes are in this content and that's how you pick your pepper. If it has like that'more scenes or whatever, then it's a for pepper. I don't remember. I can't remember exactly how it is. But you know, but you're right, it can lead to more censorship, which we don't want. But it also. You want it to be what the reader wants and they're not like shocked by it. Yeah.

Andrea May: And it's hard because it is subjective. Like what is spicy for one person? Like what one person think is one or two spicy. Two chili peppers is so subjective. But then within the framework of your website, I really like how you guys are giving it context and like objectively here on our side, I. Here is what one chili pepper means.

Ruin Willow: Yes.

Andrea May: So that like people understand. We need a. What's the like word on a map where like the key. We need a key. The key.

Ruin Willow: Yeah.

Andrea May: Yah, we need key so we know what it isuse. Like if one pepper for you is this. I just need to know what the definition of that is. because I think that's really handy. Like the number of scenes. Because then I had, I heard some and I didn't totally agree. But also, it's subjective. So, like, who's to say they can't say this? They said that a YA that has no kissing but, like, there's romantic feelings was one Pepper spice.

Ruin Willow: Oh.

Andrea May: I was like, I don't. And I'm like, I don't. I don't agree with that because to me, spice means intimacy of some kind. To me, it would have to be like, at least fade to black to be. Well, don't even for it to be like a one Pepper Spice. But I'm like. But also, like, who am I to say what somebody can or can't classify something. But this is why we have confusion. So.

Ruin Willow: Yes, it is. It is why we have confusion. It's hard too, because, you know, I just had a bookstore owner on here and we were talking about how people judge a book by the COVID And the same thing is for audiobooks, people do judge it by a cover. But some people don't even read the blurb. So they're not ne, are't necessarily getting the open door, closed door, all the description. So it's like, I think the bottom line is we can't please everybody. We do the best we can. We put it in the blurb. Yeah, you try to get an image that works for the COVID but yeah, you're never going to make it perfect, because of that subjectiveness.


There's been some discussion about the cartoon covers and that they're misleading

Andrea May: Yeah, well. And I love all the cartoon covers partially just because I'm a rom com and contemporary lover. And so like, everyle, like, cartoon cover. I see I'm just like, salivating. and then I went to Steamulant back in August and it was just like a sea of, like, cartoon covers. And they were all so beautifully done and I love them all. But then I kind of had this moment of realization because Steam_ul is a very diverse reader and like, author space. And there's kind of been some discussion about the cartoon covers and that they're misleading or making people think way when they're not. But I was like, you know what major shift we happen we had happened right before? We had all these cartoon covers. We have all these emerging, like, diverse authors and diverse characters, and we have charact in wheelchairs and, of all different betiful cultures. And we do not have stock fol photo of these people.

Ruin Willow: Right, exactly.

Andrea May: so now we've had this explosion of the cartoon covers. And it's so cool because the cartoon cover can be whatever you want it to. Now, this is just my own little hypothesis, but I Think that that kind of is what spurred the cartoon cover movement is that like we want to see ourselves represented on these covers. The only way that we can do that is if they're animated. yes. So if we want to see the cartoon covers go away, we gotta do better with our stock photos.

Ruin Willow: And that is so, so true.

Ruin Willow: I think you're really spot on with that. And it makes sense because we. The stock photos don't exist.

Andrea May: No, they really don't.

Ruin Willow: It's really hard to find such things. So. So. But that also gives us a lot of freedom to do it. I, you know, I think too it can be misleading, but I feel like a lot of spicy authors that there are some spicy things with cartoon covers, aren't there? I'm just gon say they're not very many, but they really do still do. The cartoon covers.

Andrea May: Yeah, no, like I have one coming out in January, the Summer Playbook. And it's a soccer player like literally like straddling the college football player. And I'm like that's kind of spicy. So that can be spicy too. So there's no guessing about that. That that one is going toa have a little spicy spice to it.

Ruin Willow: Well then, and the thing about that too is you're not going to get any backlash from the act. The model saying I don't want to be on that kind of book because it's not a person.

Andrea May: Yeah, it's not a person. And also I think people were seeing a lot of the, the books and the covers were getting dungeons because of what was on the COVID 100%. and so, and I think the cartoon covers are like the discrete cover. So we're seeing those really beautiful floral covers. you know, kind of just like the background and the objects and then the cartoon covers is like, you know, we have to respond to the, to the market as it is. And if your work is going to get dungeone, if, if it has male nipples on the front the COVID Right, right. Then like what are you going to do? Because like, you know, I have a It's a parody title under the name Roxann Zill's a parity for Charity wants to go look it up. It's called an Insect'desire Complete Infestation. You can find it everywhere. You cannot find it on Audible. It is dungeone so hard on Audible because of the words on the COVID and because it has this insect guy with like antenna and a cr. And they're justed, it's absolutely Hilarious. It is so unserious. If you listen to it. It's not making fun of erotica or monster romance. It is just. It's literally just. It was basically ad libips a book. My friends wrote it and all proceeds go to charity.

Ruin Willow: Very cool.

Andrea May: That one is like. That's an example of it. It was like, just like a fun, silly, like insect, you know, monster.


Why have we gotten to the point where even man nipples are taboo

Ruin Willow: why have we gotten to the point where even man nipples are taboo? This is ridiculous.

Andrea May: I know.

Ruin Willow: I don't think women nipples should be taboo either.

Andrea May: No.

Ruin Willow: Even men, especially they walk around with no shirt.

Andrea May: Huur on know, Norm, I don't understand it. I don't understand it all. Like, you know, and you think back.

Ruin Willow: 20, 30 years ago, the covers were like. People are like half, you know, clothes are falling off of them and. And they were like just sitting on the counter in the grocery store. You just grab them and it was fine. You know, I remember the days when Cosmopolitan would be there just. And now you can't even have Cosmopolitan sitting out there because their coverage became tooque and then they started doing different ones. But I mean, just the changes in my own lifetime of what is considered okay for a cover has just. It's, it's. It makes your head spin.

Andrea May: Oh, yeah. No, I mean, I don't understand how like we are simultaneously, I feel like. And maybe it's because I spend too much time on tik Tok but likeaneously the most like sexually liberated like generation. But then like somehow things are even more conservative and like media ever wor before. Yeah, because I remember that you can go in the grocery store, you could see like Sports Illustrated magazinees, even sold Playboy magazines in the 7 11.

Ruin Willow: Yes. Oh, yes. they might have had like a little cover to cover the nakedness, whatever. But they were there. Yeah, they might have had like a, you know, a metal thing or whatever like to cover.

Andrea May: Yeah. So you like. I mean, but like that it was all there. And now in this world we where like, you know, I am exposed, you know, since joining TikTok was exposed to like all this like new information to. Then I was like, wow, like I am not a heterosexual person. I'm actually demisexual and pansexual and like, so it could be everyone, it could be no one. but like, you know, and so it's. And I was like, wow, it's so amazing to have all of this like, wealth of like, information and to like able to I self identify and really like embrace your own sexuality. And then it almost seems like the rest of the world was like, that's not good. Like, we need, like, tamp it all down because people are getting a little too liberated. And, you know, it's interesting. It's very interesting.

Ruin Willow: It is. But, I don't necessarily like it. I think that, you know, and maybe that's what it is. It's more of a backlash. And hopefully it'll swing back the other way where it's not so taboo. I mean, come on, male nipples, they walk around, on the beach, every beach. You know, I mean, this. You know, they're working on something in the backyard, and it's okay for them to take off their shirt. So it's like we're just sending really weird messages also to people, especially younger people, like, oh, no, male nipples are not okay. Like, what?

Andrea May: It's pro. we know how Amazon loves AI. So they're probably just using, like, AI scanners that are like a nipple scanner me.

Ruin Willow: But, you know, this whole thing has got me caus. I've taken like, five of my books that had, like, a picture of, you know, a couple in bed. It didn't literally show anything. a blanket was covering, you saw maybe her bear shoulder. So I took those and I made discrete covers in response to this because of things getting. And, you know, it's just. It's really hard to, as a creator, to follow these trends. When you made something a while ago, right?

Andrea May: Yes.

Ruin Willow: Like, it already exists and this culture has changed. So it's. Yeah, yeah.

Andrea May: And then that's. And if it's hurting author'bottom line to then have those things be hidden, you know, and then also hits your bottom line because then you have to reinvest in recovering, you know, all of your books. And that's. That is no small investment to do that.

Ruin Willow: Yeah, no, it's not craziness. I don't know. I hope our culture swings back the other way, because I don't, Things that are. Shouldn't be taboo are being made taboo. And to me, Open Door is a celebration of love. To me, the open door scenes, the sex scenes are the culmination of romance, the celebration of it. So.

Andrea May: Yeah. And we're doing our part to put that out into the world. And. Yeah. Whether it is closed door, whether it is open door, whether it's, you know, you know, nodding and no nodding, all kinds of things. Like, it's just, you know, even if it's like I'm narrating something that I'm like, you know, that's not my cup of tea necessarily. But like. Like it's. But like it's. You can still understand somebody's. And that it is beautiful and loving to somebody else and, and how sex positive it is and how it can help people get into the right frame of mind. U. you know, or help them explore in a safe way their sexual exploration and ideas and, and. And make it okay. It's okay to think about these things and to wonder about these things and try new things in a safe way. and it really is a part of the plot and,

Ruin Willow: Oh, for sure. And I think also people, for me, anyway, doing all of this has helped me realize a kink is just a kink. It doesn't define who you are. So even if you like something super dark, that's a kink.


You narrate something that you would never actually do in real life

That's okay, you know, so there is more openness that way. And I personally, like, you know, even narrating something that I would never actually do in real life. You know what I mean? Like, do you like that too? Like, it's something that you maybe never actually would do?

Andrea May: Yeah, because it's like, you know, like I said, I'm doing this like, omegaverse in January and it's my first omegaverse. And it is. But it'it's. So wildly outside of like, what is even physically possible as like a human being that, like, it's fun because it's like, it's so freeing and to get to like, I don't know, just like, explore this whole other side.


Ali Dane has a few new releases coming out this year

And so I was like, oh, man, are people reallynna be thrown that, like the rom com narrate, you know, Andrea is like, now we're gonna thr in like omegave verse. But it's like she's like this ingenue, you know, very like, naive shelter, sheltered character. And it's honestly a beautiful story because, like, she was imprisoned her whole life and, was denied any sexual feelings and was told she was never going to be able to have that. And then turns out it was like, medically suppressed. And like, she was likeying this thing, but then, like, flip side of it, then she was like, being used. And so the whole story really is about her claiming her sexuality and her embracing that and finding her people that she loves, and like, finding. And then she kind of brings in these other kind of broken people I put not like, you know, but they were like damaged and kidnapped as well. And she's like, no, they are a part of like, my, you know, my pack too. And so I'm like, You know, people could be like, oh, it's just like a silly like omega verse with like Nani. But no, it's like it's about claiming your life and sexity and your sexuality and your freedom, you know, and its s own way. But you gotta be able to like read between the lines.

Ruin Willow: Yeah, yeah, I love that. That sounds wonderful.

Andrea May: Yeah.

Ruin Willow: And that's the kind of stories that I want to see happening where people are embracing their sexuality and exploring it and claiming it. Yes, that's, that's wonderful.

Andrea May: Yeah, I'm really excited for that one. So I have I'm starting to coordinate with my four co narrators on that one.

Ruin Willow: Oh, brutal.

Andrea May: Super, super fun. Super super fun editing.

Ruin Willow: That one sounds like a nightmare.

Andrea May: Like yt'yeah well it's dual not duet, for podium. So it'll be, you know, we each have all our own chapters. love to do. Oh my gosh. It's my dream to do a multicast though. Like that's on my like lifetime bucket list is like to work with graphic audio and do graphic audio multicast. Because I just love. Because you know, I love to do the sound effects and the music and like the fully immersive listening experience that you just. I don't always get to do. so that is, that's on my bucket list of a thing to you. If graphic audio is listening to this, please put me in. In coach.

Ruin Willow: Exactly. Will you tell everyone where they can find you? And is there anything that you wanted to mention that with. We haven't said yet. This has been really fun. It'has been really fast.

Andrea May: I know. Like where did the hour go? No, this was super fun. so you can find me hopefully on TikTok moving forward in the future. We'll see what happens with that. but basically all of my socials are Ali Dane audiobooks or Andrea May audiobooks. or yeah, so it's Andrea May audio on TikTok that may go away. but I'm also on Instagram. so you can find me as Alli Dane audiobooks or Andrea May audiobooks on Instagram. I'm on Lemonade. you can find me. my website is www.alidane.com and yeah, you can find me on Audible. and also why I love when my books go wide so you can listen to them in your library. I love. I'm a huge hoopla listener myself. I love hoopla. so those are kind of all the places that you can find me. Just had a few really exciting releases come out. the Pretty Poison series by Kelsey Clayton. It was one of the hashtag bestssitookalk. so that was a really exciting release. I narrated that with Benjamin Crow. so Dose of Pretty Poison Drop and Shot are all available now. I have some really fun things coming out next year. and. And yeah, that's. That's pretty much it. That's where you can find me.

Ruin Willow: That's so awesome.


You're not podcasting anymore, right? Or is your podcast still out there

Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for sharing. This has been really fun and interesting and it was so fun. It was. I know. I'm like, seriously? It felt like it was like five minutes. I'm like's been an hour.

Andrea May: I know when two podcast lovers get together then have super fun times. But thank you so much for having me. I really can't wait to listen to this when it comes out and listen to the rest of the podcast episodes that you have.

Ruin Willow: No. You're not podcasting anymore, right? Or is your podcast?

Andrea May: my podcast is still out there. You can still listen to it. Reading with the Lights off. I apologize for my previous audio quality is very early days for me back when we were recording on our phone still and before I upgraded my whole setting. Yeah, Reading with the Lights off is still available on Spotify. so you can find it there. and I have a few different author inter ###s I'm not podcasting anymore. just because I spend all my time in the booth. and But I do miss it which is why I was reaching out. Like I miss being on podcast.

Ruin Willow: Right.

Andrea May: Yeah. So you can still find Reading with the Lights off now Reading with the lights off is my slogan for my narration.

Ruin Willow: I saw that on your website.

Andrea May: Yesah. so I sit in the dark reading book. So I love that how it all evolved.

Ruin Willow: So that is so cool. Well, thank you so much than you. Good luck to you and maybe we'll connect again in the future ab than you.

Andrea May: Absolutely. Thank you so much. Have a great one.

Ruin Willow: You too. Bye.