Awesome news. AudioFile reviewed White Hot and gave it their coveted Earphones Award.
Narrator Renee Raudman enchants listeners with this unforgettable duo. She nails Nevada’s plainspoken manner and resigned humor and captures her empathy for the vulnerable as it evolves into a steely determination for justice. When Connor uses the voice the author calls his “dragon voice,” Raudman’s delivery expresses sexy Southern charm. Memorable secondary voices, like the jovially psychopathic ice mage and Nevada’s matrimonially pushy grandmother, make the dialogue sparkle.
AudioFile, White Hot review.
In other words, Renee Raudman once again brought the story to life in a remarkable way. She is truly amazing and we’re very grateful to work with her. And – bonus! – I have a special message from her.
Hi Ilona and Gordon!
First, Burn For Me was nominated for an Audie (2015) and now I’ve just heard that White Hot has won an Audiofile Earphones (2017) award! This is very exciting news. It was a blast narrating White Hot. Both my engineer and I were either on the edge of our seats, choked-up or laughing throughout the entire recording process. Your writing (as always) is second to none. (We also felt the same way about Wildfire and are very excited about its upcoming release).
It’s hard to believe we’ve been partnering together for almost 9 years. (November 2008). Thank you for allowing me to bring your babies to life. Also! Please let your fans know how incredibly touched I am for their years of listening and support. They make all the hard work completely worth while, and will never know how much it has meant to me. I love reading all their comments and seeing the enthusiasm they have for each one of your titles. Just like them, I’m always excited (and a little nervous!!!!) to see what you’ll come up with.
There you have it. If you would like to leave any comments for Renee, I know she would really appreciate it.
Congratulations! You are amazing!
Love Renee’s narration! She really draws you into the story. It must be challenging to learn how to pronounce some of those words but she never stumbles! Awesome!
I agree. White Hot is a great listen. Besides the main characters, I also like the voices of Nevada’s sisters and cousins. It must be difficult to do the voices of teenagers and adults, especially with all the dialogue and fast-paced action. Leon’s voice-over during the sneak attack scene is epic and very gamer like, and Bug’s less frantic but still manic speech patterns makes the characters very believable.
Hi Renee! I’ve never bought audio books, but I’m very tempted with such great BFM and WH audio reviews especially with Wildlife coming out. Happy July 1st, 24 more days!!!!!
yea, me too. I’ll be a second try audio listener.
I highly recommend you give them a try. I found the Authorlords through the audio versions of the Kate Daniels series. Renee takes their excellent writing and brings another layer of life. I’ve already finished my print version of White Hot but am looking forward to listening to it as well! (And I can’t wait for Wildfire!)
Congratulations to you all!
Renee – you are awesome! I love the depth you give each character and scene through your pace, emotion, inflection, accent, and pauses. You are at the top of my favorite narrator/performer list. Well done!
And…I have always wondered…do you get to choose the books you will perform?
Congratulations to everyone involved! Ilona and Gordon, and Renee! How fortunate, we the fans, are to have such a team creating and sharing their work with us. Thank you to all of you!!
Renee it is truly a joy listening to you act out Illona Andrew’s books. I work alone during the day so when I listen to books I feel like you are there speaking to me. Thank you for the many hours of company you have gave me. They were entertaining and I have visited often with you.
I travel about a thousand miles each week for work. It means that I am in the car between two and four hours each day. I would die of boredom without audiobooks. I found the first Kate Daniels book a few years ago and I was immediately hooked.
Renee does such an amazing job with the audio. I am seriously impressed that her repertoire of voices is so varied. I’m not sure if she uses a different voice for every single character in every single book or if her reading just gets me so caught up in the narration that it just seems that way. I do know that with nearly every other audiobook reader that I always notice when I switch to a different series that voices get reused. (I remember trying to listen to a book that Jim Dale read after listening to him read the Harry Potter books and I just couldn’t do it. I kept thinking, “That’s Hagrid!” or “That’s Dumbledore!”) It astonishes me that this problem doesn’t seem to happen with Renee’s readings. While the main female protagonists’ voice are a bit similar, that sense that Kate or Dina have accidentally fallen into Nevada’s warehouse just doesn’t occur to me.
I love Every Single One of these audiobooks! Renee is absolutely hands down my favorite female audiobook narrator and my Audible library includes a shocking 757 books. (Side Note: my favorite male audiobook reader is Ray Porter. I swear that I could listen to that man read a phonebook and be inthralled. Listen to the Joe Ledger books if you are curious.)
Thank you, Renee for your excellent work and congratulations!
Renee Rules!
Ditto!!
Renee is a total rock star! Well deserved (IMHO well overdue) accolade for both Renee and team Andrews.
yeah, what they said!
Congratulations to Renee on her well deserved award. She is one of my all time favorite audiobook narrators and I am in awe of her skills.
woooow grrrreat!
i never bought any audiobook…. but i am definitely tempted…
anyway… i love hidden legacy….just now i am eating up burn for me for the
umpteenth time….just keep going!
Buy the audiobooks! I guarantee that you will not be disappointed!
Well done Renee!
Congratulations to Renee!
I love Renee’s narration. I have hundreds of audio books and Renee is a plus whenever I’m looking for a new one. She so deserves the award! Leon’s description of the battle was magnificent. It was young male and so funny. She nailed the whole book. Congratulations, Renee!
Congratulations Renee, I enjoyed your work so much with the Kate books that I looked to see what else you do. I then discovered Tina Whittle’s Tai Randolph series. Both myself and my mother really enjoy your work.
Rennee is one of my favorite narrators. I’d listen to her narrate the phone book. Such fun to have her do Ilona Andrews’ books. I can’t imagine them any other way.
Congrats to you all…Ilona and Gordon for writing an excellent story and to Renee for bringing it to life for everyone. My husband listens to audio books all the time. This has inspired me to give them a try.
Wow, 9 years of audiobooks, I didn’t quite believe it had been that long, so I had to go check my Magic Bites paperback, published April 2007, which led to a couple thoughts…
1) Oops, I missed congratulating the AuthorLords on the 10-year anniversary of fame and fortune! 🙂
2) And double checking, yep, that was all the way back in ancient times BK (Before Kindle)
And congrats to Renee on the well deserved recognition!
The best part about Renee is that she always delivers. Always. Whenever the words “Narrated by Renee Raudman” appear on the cover of a book, you just know she’s going to do the story, and especially the characters, justice. Few things are more satisfying than listening to an amazing story being brought to life by such a talented performer.
Love Renee! I will pick up a book by an author I’ve never read before just because of her voice. Renee is never a disappointment. At least once a year I go back and listen to all your books, just to hear the magical combination of your words and her voice. Truly magical! Thank you all for all you do.
I enjoyed Renee’s narration on your books so much that I sought out (and was delighted with) other novels she narrated. While I’ve found other narrators to enjoy, I’ve not doing better. Congratulations to her for the award, and part yourselves on the back for choosing her yourselves.
With each book I read once, then listen. Renee’s voices adds an extra dimension to each character that builds and creates a new experience. Grandma, Leon, and Bug are a hoot, but how she handles Mad Rogan’s deep rumble and Nevada’s inner angst (“why did I say that”) give heart and soul. Brava!!!
Renee has spoiled me. I am extremely critical of reading voices. She never disappoints. That is why I have your books on Kindle and in MP3 and Audible. Can we agree I am a bit obsessed?
Renee and Ilona Andrews is my go to narrator/author combo if I ever need a fix or am in between stories. I’ve listened to her conversation with Trashy Bitches and learned a bit about how she brings the narration to life (like air writing a note when you are narrating a note between Kate and Curran !!). Catherine Coulter’s Brit in the FBI series where she does the female and MacLeod Andrews for the male voices is pretty awesome.
She’s so good that you hear the voices when you read the book later on.
For those of you who have never listened to her, you may check to see if there is a narration available at your library. My introduction was through OverDrive so that might be a choice also.
Congratulations to Renee on a job well done.
Congratulations!!!!
Renee’s reading of Clean Sweep was my first introduction to the world of audio books, and I never knew how expressive and versatile a person’s voice could be until listening to Renee’s narration. I’m in awe of how well Renee brings all of the characters to life, and have enjoyed the way she has narrated each Ilona Andrews book. Congratulations, Renee, on the Earphones Award, it’s well-deserved recognition of your skill, dedication and passion!
Wow, way to start at the top!
Congratulations to everyone involved ???well done ✅
So. Totally. Deserved.
I almost exclusively* listen to fiction rather than read it, and since audiobooks only really work at slower speeds than those that I usually listen to TTS, I was dubious at first. But… oh, when a performance is good, it makes all the difference.
Now I’m slowly going back and re-buying all of Renee’s audiobooks for your books of which I already have text versions. (And I don’t do that. Multiple copies is silly. Nope, never. Well, it’s on sale. Maybe. Just this once. And that one, too…) They’re even more fun – all the characters are so vivid. And it doesn’t hurt that they last longer (why didn’t it occur to me that this is a plus before?)
(TTS or audiobook – it’s a lifestyle think, devoting my eyes to reading means I can’t to anything else.)
Renee’e narration is second to none, she draws you into the characters and bring them to life in a way that you actually believe thats what they truely sound like! Some narrators are great but she’s phenomenal! Well done!
Congratulations Renee. You deserve this award. You are very professional and very good at what you do. In particular, you have added to our enjoyment of the worlds created by team Andrews by bringing their books to life as audiobooks.
I am one of those people who like to have both an ebook and a paper copy but, once I had heard your narration of an Ilona Andrews book, I now automatically look for the audiobook as well.
Thankyou for bringing the characters in Burn for Me and White Hot to life. On 25 July I plan to be reading Wildfire but on 26 July I hope to be listening to your interpretation of all those terrific characters and their adventures.
I love Renee’s narration and really appreciate her bringing your books to life.
I first came across your book when I was looking for something to listen to while walking (across Spain) so she’s been an integral part of me fan-girling you guys (technically I fan-girl all 3 of you).
Thank you Reneee 🙂
Were you walking the Camino?
That is wicked cool! Makes me wish I could hear better so I could be more of an audiobook person but sadly I’m very hard of hearing. But I am happy for y’all and for her!
I must confess that sometimes I search Audible for Renee’s work, because it’s that great! Poor narration can ruin even great books. Renee always nails it, making some mediocre books wonderful. However, when great books are read by great narrators, like Ilona and Renee, the results are spectacular. Thank you both for the hours and hours of joy!
I love Renee’s narrating – which is funny because I didn’t at first. I started listening to the Kate Daniels series with my daughter (age 19) and really disliked her treatment of Kate in the first book. I felt it made Kate sound like a romance novel damsel in distress which she emphatically is not. But the authorlord’s books captured my daughters attention and wow has our opinion changed. Now I can’t imagine anyone else doing narrating them – the talent Renee brings to the story is imply outstanding. Not just good or great … outstanding.
I look forward to listening to more of her work!
PS It would be awesome if she could narrate Derek and Julie’s book (Greywolf) too!
Congratulations, the honor is well deserved. Your narration has provided countless hours of entertainment not only for the books you have narrated for Ilona, but I count Blue Eyed Devil as on of my all time faves. Bravo.
Innkeeper Chronicals was the first signed book I have pre-ordered. I guess I’ll have to make the Nevada series as my first audio purchases. Good work you all.
Thank you Renee for being able give us different, realistic voices! I have all of the Kate Daniels and Hidden Legacy audiobooks; the accents are fantastic, the guy’s voices are believably male, and there are very few discrepancies. Top 3 favorite narrators without a doubt.
I’ve said it before: Renee brings a whole “performance level” to the books that just elevates the reading experience. I read the books first and then listen and hear what I missed the first time through. I don’t have every book on audible yet but I will! Thanks Renee! You are so talented.
I believe the Book Devouring Horde made the overwhelming support in favor of waiting for Renee to work her magic on the Ilona Andrews magic back around the time of a wedding. Hope the marriage is still kisses and sugar hearts.
I really love your work.
Hey, I love the audiobooks that Renee narrates. It’s amazing how they all feel so different and perfect for each book! I started out with the edge series a while ago for my drives to Vegas from LA and they made it bearable. A few months ago, in an attempt to stave off the awfulness of waiting for Magic Triumphs, I decided to listen to books 1-9 on audiobook. I figured it would take me a long time, perhaps a book a month and that would kill some time during the wait. 2 MONTHS. That’s it. I couldn’t stop. Renee is captivating as a narrator. And part of the reason it took 2 months was waiting for library holds. It was like I got to read the books for the first time again.
I always check the blog when I am listening to White Hot. Everyone is so right. Renee nailed the characters. Congratulations.
Listening to Renee is my preferred way of “reading” your books. So glad she and your White Hot are getting the accolades they deserve.
My favorite narrator by far and I’ve been listening to audible since 2008. Hope to listen to you for a lot longer. Cheers!
Renee sets the bar so high – I wish all narrators were as talented and hardworking as she is! She is THE voice of Kate and Nevada and yet somehow brings even peripheral characters to unmistakable life with her skillful interpretations. She captures Kate’s bad-assery and Nevada’s idealistic naïveté so perfectly. Thanks for bringing my favorite characters to life, Renee!
Rene has always been one of my favorite narrators to listen to. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and for me the narrator is as important as the author. I often browse books by a narrators name, rather than category. I know that A good narrator always enhances a great story. Thank you Rene for making one of my favorite Authors even more enjoyable.
Very nicely done on burn for me, haven’t listen to white hot yet (buying it after I type this) I’m glad your also doing wildfire (at least I hope you are) thanks, and excellent job
I much prefer to read books to myself. After reading this award, I can’t wait to listen to Renee’s narration. So I’ll now own both books in 3 formats, soon to be 3 books!
There are more, many more. Renee has polished so many. Check out the Books tab on this site.
Rene, you are so much fun to listen to! You and the Andrews male a great team!
Is there any way to get an audio sample of the narration? Because inquiring minds want to know.
You can go to audible.com and get a few minutes worth for each book.
See if your library has one of the previous books.
I truly enjoy Ms. Raudman’s narration. It is through her that i found your books and I’m so glad I do. Her ability to make so many voices is awesome. Plus, i love your writing style.
My boyfriend has dyslexia and can’t really read a book himself without a really long investment of time. Rene, (between you reading Kate and James Marsters reading the Dresden files) he’s finally been able to enjoy books, and I’ve been able to enjoy talking about my favourite world’s with him. Thank you so much from both of us.
Thank you, Renee, and Congratulations!!
Congatulations! I love Renee! Thank you!
I can let you know that, as I was reading Renee’s note, I was a little petrified.
Please, Lord, don’t let this end with “but, I’ve decided to retire from narration to pursue my lifelong dream of collecting cat whiskers to make placemats.”
Thank you, Renee, for sticking with the series through all the nonsense the universe seems determined to throw at you, Ilona, and Gordon. I hope you know how….right it feels to hit play and know that Kate’s snark and Curran’s grump are going to sound right.
Raudman and Andrews forever!
Cat whisker placemats? Rofl.
Renee does a fantastic job in bringing all of your characters to life. Congratulations to you all!
Ilona: While your writing is fantastic, Renee Raudman’s narration adds another couple of dimensions to the enjoyment of the stories. Her ability to bring the characters to life multiplies the impact of each story. We (the fans) are incredibly grateful for this collaboration between authors and narrator. Please, please keep up the excellent work!
Congrats Renee! I read some of the books physically before I listened to the audios, and though they’re amazing on their own, you really brought the characters to life. I’ve even used them to get my dad into reading/listening again. Thanks
Huge, well-deserved congratulations! I have to say, I was a little disconcerted at first by one narrator reading three different series’ in the first person (Kate, Innkeeper, and Hidden Legacy). Kate and Dena were read very differently, though, and Renee did a great job. I enjoyed the narration of Burn for Me, and after White Hot, I admit that I was completely wrong to doubt the narrator. Renee does such a great, great job with Nevada (and your writing) that I can’t imagine anyone else narrating her story. Kudos!
Although I have all your books as books, I love having them as audio books too. Renee is amazing; the number of different characters who are immediately identifiable as they begin to speak boggles my mind when I think about it. So, mostly, I don’t think about it; I just sit back and enjoy the ride. Thanks, Renee! Thanks, authorlords!
Renee,
You so deserve this award for all the amazing work you do.
And it is all your work. When I need to expand my audio library, I look for books you’ve narrated.
Thank you for choosing this career and for working with my favorite authors!
I love her narration of your books. She has a great voice and her deliver really bring the characters to life
Congratulation Renee, you really can made book to come to life. I appreciate and thank you for that. You are one of three audiobook female actors I like best, accompanied by Marguerite Gavin (Hollows) and Kate Reading (aka Jennifer Mendenhall; Wheel of Time), so you have a really good company. I hope you´ll do many more books from Ilona and Gordon. Their books are fun to listen and it is thanks to your effort too.
P.S.: My favorite male narrator is Mark Vietor (Nightside)
I love the Nightside books because of his reading is so evocative! I tried getting in the Drood series on audiobook but couldn’t connect to narrator. Finally came back to them later just as ebook.
Gotta go there. As a person with a visual impairment, audiobooks are primarily how I read. While an author, or in this case authors, can write a fantastic book, a bad narrator can totally kill that very same book. Renée, you are by far one of the best narrators I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.
People don’t realize how important narration is. Voices add depth to the character, and it makes that story come alive.
Congratulations! This was an honor well deserved.
Congratulations to you guys- because let’s face it, White Hot is AHHH-MAZE-BALLS!! (Yes, that’s a thing in Australia, just go with it ??). But I wouldn’t have enjoyed the audiobooks- Kate, Deena, Nevada or any of the Edge series- anywhere near as much as I have, without Renee’s talent! Brilliant work all round. Thank you for hours of enjoyment & please do carry on!
Congrats everyone. (And yes, as another aussie, can confirm its a thing?)
Hello All! Reading your comments have left me utterly speechless. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and feelings. I’m deeply humbled. And overjoyed. I can’t tell you how how much your words mean to me. Speechless.
Happy and Safe Fourth of July to you all! xo Renee
Congratulations Renee! Thank you for hours of wonderful listening pleasure. Looking forward to the next one!
Rene Raudman is amazing and the perfect fit for your stories! (The gent who narrated Derek’s book, was perfect for Derek btw.) I’m always thrilled when we hear that Rene is narrating another one of your stories. She does such a super job, that I honestly love listening to audio versions of your books frequently. I’ve listened and re-listened to the Kate Daniels series more than I can actually remember to count. They are awesome companions while I work at my dull job. (But hey! It’s got benefits, pays the bills, AND lets me listen to audiobooks!)
Thank you thank you to both the authors and the audiobook narrator! You guys are a fantastic team and I’m ridiculously excited whenever a new story comes out!
A award that is well deserved.
Bask in the knowledge that people really like the combination of Ilona Andrews and Renee Raudman.
Awesome and well deserved. Congratulations ?!
Renee. I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE your EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES of all Ilona and Gordon’s books. The AUTHORLORDS create worlds with their words and you bring their words to LIFE. You are the PERFECT PAIRING of EXCEPTIONAL TALENTS. My thanks to all of you for the many, many hours of pleasure you bring to my life.
Terrific!
Congrats Renee to you and your engineer. I get tension headaches from reading for long periods, so audiobooks are now my preferred way to read novels. Your narration brings the worlds to life and i enjoy them tremendously. Please don’t stop, you have something special there.
I have listened to all the Innkeeper and Rogan-Baylor books out. I recently began to acquire the Kate Daniels and Edge audiobooks. Renee Raudman does a fantastic job with distinct voices for each character. I have all the books published so far. They are some of my favorite rereads and relistens.
I was listening to Magic Bites today and noticed during Kate’s discussion with the knight protestor that he asked for “collaboration” of her connection to Greg Feldman. I think that is supposed to be corroboration.
Sorry this stupid autocorrect keeps changing what I wrote. That should be knight protector.
I’ve listened to hundreds (maybe thousands) of audiobooks and Raudman is is definitely a top notch voice actor! Very few have her range in characterization and can do both genders so convincingly. I’m so glad she is receiving the recognition she deserves!
While I very much appreciate the writing of Ilona Andrews, I really appreciate the added depth of Renee Raudman’s narration. Her clear distinction between characters and emotions is just incredible! Definitely one of the best narrators out there today! I have to say that I’m spending more of my book dollars on audio because I can keep on enjoying the story while eating, cleaning, doing laundry, driving, etc…I’m not limited to sitting. Thanks to the three of you for the hours of happiness you have brought to my life during some trying times – Bless You!
I love Rene’s performances of your excellent books. So congrats to both you for your writing and Rene for her reading. I have listened to many of your books multiple times.
Thanks!
oops! Sorry about the type. Renee, not Rene
I have some hearing issues and sometimes it feels like my brain disconnects from my ears, so I don’t do audiobooks…. but your books would be the ones I would try to listen to, if I was going to start getting into audiobooks. Miss Raudman sounds like a talented reader and a lovely lady!
I don’t know if it’s been mentioned, but both BFM and WH are on sale at Audible right now. (I assume that’s for members only, but I don’t know.) WH was the only Andrews audio I didn’t already have, so I picked it up. I usually listen to the books as soon as I finish reading them, and it’s fascinating to me how different the two experiences are.
Congrats to all of you on the award!
I do the same thing! It’s like getting to enjoy it for the first time TWICE!
I’ve been reading ilona’ s books before they were available in audio form, they were great and I was hooked from the first book I read.
Then they came out on audible, I was sceptical because for the most part I didn’t enjoy listening to books.
With reservation I bought The Edge with a credit, I had read it already, but wanted something to listen to while I was driving from P.A. to Virginia.
Within the first chapter I was sold. Renee brought the book to life, it was already a great book but through her performance it became tangible, real, and I was drawn into Rose’s world.
Her ability to convey emotional and to connect the characters to audience is amazing, and the range of her voice seems never ending. The consistency of her characters is always flawless, (Curran always sounds like Curran) you know who is talking without ever being told.
Thank you Renee for your hard work, and for sharing your amazing talent. You will forever in my mind be the voice of Kate Daniels.
Everyone’s like GOT coming. I’m over here like, yea but Wildfire.