Bound 4 Escape

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Author: R.K. Gold

Narrator: Kyle Tait

Length: 4 hours 3 minutes

Publisher: Earl of Plaid

Released: Aug. 3, 2017

Genre: Paranormal

Neville Canton was about as average as any man can be. He had a mediocre job, a pleasant wife, an on-going feud with his sister, and an average case of cancer that took his life.

But death wasn’t the end of his problems and even average people have to learn to overcome.

Now trapped in a cloud between the living and the dead, he must find his way to the afterlife.

With the help of a spiritual guide he navigates through seven challenges; seven tasks to sever his final connections to the mortal world.

If he fails, he forfeits his eternity and the consequences may be worse than death.

R.K. Gold graduated from the University of Maryland in 2014 with a B.A. in English and is now pursuing a M.S. in Economics from the University at Buffalo.

He is a non-genre specific author who enjoys reading and writing about characters searching for their purpose in life.

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Kyle is a professionally trained voice actor and narrator based in Atlanta, GA. He got his start working in sports radio, spending six seasons as a broadcaster in the Atlanta Braves’ organization. He started doing audiobooks on a part-time basis in 2013, and he enjoyed telling stories so much that he transitioned into voice acting full-time three years later. He’s performed more than 20 titles on Audible across a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres. He also once had a video go viral after he took the pitch at a baseball-themed gender reveal party.

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Q&A with Author R.K. Gold

Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
- Oh wow, the process was incredibly simple on my end. I put it up on ACX, not expecting to get a bite, then Kyle sends me an email and links to some of his other work, and I was just blown away by his voice, and experience. It was really a no brainer to work with him. From there he just sent me regular updates about how far along he is with the book and when he expected to finish by. Whenever he asked for my input I tried my best to offer as few suggestions as possible because I thought I would just get in the way. He clearly had a vision for how he wanted to read this book and I was more than happy to hand him the reins.

Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
- I think the more dialogue the better for an audiobook, but I’m just a listener. To me the gold standard of audiobooks is what Jim Dale did with the Harry Potter series (those were my first audiobooks). I guess to answer your question books about wizards in England translate best to audiobook format.
Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- Absolutely not. I honestly put this project up on ACX on a whim. I didn’t expect to get any responses, let alone a champ like Kyle. I cannot stress to you enough just how lucky I feel to work with a veteran like him right off the bat.
How did you select your narrator?

I listened to about twelve auditions (I forget the exact number at the moment). They were all good but Kyle was spectacular. I knew three seconds in that I was going to select him.

How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
- I try to be as hands off as possible. I write the books because I have a vision for how they should be on the page. I let the professionals handle every other medium.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- Oh god I hope not. If anyone is trapped in a dark cloud trying to break into the afterlife just know I’m sorry. Okay, I guess being real I was loosely influenced by eastern spirituality and philosophies. I obviously structured the test around the seven chakras, but I didn’t feel comfortable blatantly saying that’s what it was because that opens the doors to being wrong and possibly offending people. I was also influenced by the Gita, and Arjuna’s dialogue with Krishna.
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- I walk my dog a lot. I honestly feel when I’m in better physical shape I have better stamina for writing. I also give myself disciplined word count goals, so on off days I can force myself achieve some success (a minimum to strive for).
Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- Absolutely not. I honestly put this project up on ACX on a whim. I didn’t expect to get any responses, let alone a champ like Kyle. I cannot stress to you enough just how lucky I feel to work with a veteran like him right off the bat.
If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
- Of course I would! I have no clue where I would go but I know I would use it. I would probably use it all the time. I might even use it as a diet item. Like I just binge eat like crazy one day, regret it, then go back in time to not binge eat that day. Or even better to sleep more. Oh I need to wake up early so I can go to work? Okay how about I sleep in all day then just go back in time tomorrow to fix it.
How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
- I was in New Orleans when I finished the rough draft so I’m pretty sure I just went out to see a concert. When I finished editing it and sent it in for final proof– I don’t remember. I think I may have just ordered Thai food and watched Netflix.
In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
- I’m not sure. I like writing standalones because you just have this tangible accomplishment in front of you when you finish. A series just elongates that feeling, but perhaps the rewards for a series are greater. I’m not sure. I’m far from a series veteran.
What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Read a lot, write a lot, always know what you’re going to write before you sit down or else you could end up staring at a blank word processor for hours with youtube videos playing in the background.
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- Just go for it. That’s what I did. I had no expectations I just put my piece up and hoped for the best.
What’s next for you?
- I have a few YA series I want to get to, and a couple old manuscripts that have been neglected for far too long. Also finishing my masters in Economics.