The Chief Sausage Maker

A note from Jack Adkins · The Dragons of Dorwine

Behind the Scenes: How the Dorwine Audiobooks Are Made

Producing an audiobook is part performance, part engineering, and a bit of magic. Michael Kramer is a pro — he sends character samples, asks about pronunciations, and will sometimes suggest a read that surprises even me. Fight scenes? They take the most takes. Emotional scenes? He’ll slow the breath and let the silence speak. Just listening to Michael talk about the process is fascinating.

I'm a theatre guy. I love it all. Acting, directing, writing. To see Michael approach his narration with those sensibilities is a joy. We got to visit them at their home in DC a few years back and had a wonderful time. I have mostly referred to Michael because he has done my narration, but Kate is amazing as well. I love everything of hers I have heard.

Below are a couple of photos: one of me narrating (I try to look earnest) and one of Michael with Kate. I’ll also drop the latest 15-second clip — turn it up.

New audio clip from The Eye of a Dragon — short but atmospheric. Turn the volume up.

Looking for a unique gift for the fantasy lover in your life? You can now gift the audiobook edition of The Blood of a Dragon through Audible with just a click.

Narrated by the legendary Michael Kramer.
Bring the world of Dorwine to someone special this season.

It’s simple, instant, and makes a perfect surprise.

Writing Update

Book 4 is progressing — I’m revising scenes with Vinharla (Anuka's mama) and tightening Anuka’s next big turning point. The tone is darker, and the stakes feel enormous, which is exactly what I wanted. I almost never edit before draft one is finished, but I made some big changes that will affect the trajectory of the whole story. 

Nolan Keller on Royal Road will see more chapters soon.

Lore from Dorwine

“Kelios stood panting, his throat raw, as the pair of prone attackers gaped up at him from the ground. This wasn't right. Everything felt wrong. Somehow a sliver of the bear he had communed with earlier had gotten inside him and was clawing its way to the surface of his mind. Always before, the change had been directed by his own will. But this beast had batted aside his attempts at control like a whale thrashing a schooner. His ears rang and his mind buzzed with information all while his body screamed in protest to the changes. The shock and pain of his bones stretching and thickening, his skin hardening and sprouting patches of dark brown hair from every pore, washed over him. Those seemed a distant problem compared to the horror of understanding what the bear had planned for the two on the ground.”

— Kelios and Irana's Playdate from The Blood of a Dragon

— A saying among ancient Dorwine scouts

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New Sci-Fi & Fantasy freebies for November–December.

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