Lisa Loves Literature: Blog Tour with Audio Excerpt and Giveaway: Destination Dachshund by Lisa Fleetwood

Author: Lisa Fleetwood

Narrator: Stephanie Macfie

Length: 6 hours 59 minutes

Publisher: Bookends Publishing

Released: Oct. 26, 2018

Genre: Travel; Memoir

With teenage children and in-laws in tow, the Fleetwood family embarks on their three-month family vacation just days after the tragic loss of their beloved dachshund, Coco. When two miniature dachshunds in smart winter coats are spotted in Moscow, it’s game on! A riotous, often hilarious dachshund-spotting competition for the lovable long-bodied dog ensues across 15 countries.

Filled with love, laughter, and sadness at times, Destination Dachshund offers a unique twist on the travel memoir with remembrance for those who have been loved and lost, at the heart of one family’s extraordinary adventure through Turkey, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, France, the UK, and the US.

Through the wonder of travel, this remarkable travelogue explores the bond of extended family, the abiding love we have for our pets, and the grieving for loved ones, both human and hound.

Winner: Gold Medal for "Nonfiction - Travel" in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Award contest.

Lisa Fleetwood is a writer, blogger, book reviewer, and keen traveller.
A decades long love of reading, books, and writing led her to following her dream of becoming an author. Her first book, Destination Dachshund: Three Months, Three Generations and Sixty Dachshunds evolved from a travel blog Lisa wrote while seeing the world with her family. She also writes speculative fiction, romance, and children's stories. Lisa joins in on the discussion of books, travel, and dogs on her literary blog Welcome to My Library.
She lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband, two teenage children and three cheeky dachshunds.

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Destination Dachshund is narrated by Stephanie Macfie, a voice artist and radio broadcaster for Southern Cross Austereo in Tasmania, Australia.

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Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
- I loved hearing my story come to life! Hearing it narrated was like experiencing the story all over again. It was a fun and rewarding process and very easy using Findaway Voices who produced and distribute the audiobook.
- As soon as I found out that Findaway Voices was available in Australia (ACX is not available to Australian independent authors), I started thinking about the audiobook. I chose a narrator, reviewed her recording, which was quite a long process, approved it and from there Findaway Voices distributed to all the major audiobook retailers. It was detailed process but it went very smoothly.
Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- No, I hadn’t really thought about it. Getting the ebook and print book published was a big enough task at the time. I started thinking about the audiobook recording about a year afterwards.
How did you select your narrator?
- Findaway Voices have a great selection of voice artists to choose from, and for me the selection was easy as I needed an Australian accent. As soon as I heard Stephanie Macfie’s audition I knew she was the right person. Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?

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?
- We worked closely during the whole process. Stephanie would record each chapter and then I would review and provide feedback and notes. I also provided production notes before she started.

Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- Yes, definitely with this story as it is a memoir. It’s all true - every bit, even spotting 60 dachshunds on our travels.
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
- Yes, it is a sad moment, but the moment we found out our dachshund, Coco, had passed away is an emotional scene in the book and hearing it narrated certainly packs a punch. That one moment sets the scene for the whole book as we depart on our trip full of grief but each dachshund spotting we have lifts our spirits.
What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- That’s not true at all. Books and stories are to be enjoyed in any way. Oral storytelling has been important for thousands of years and it will continue to be important and a great way learn new things and a great form of entertainment.
How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
- Champagne and then lots of sleep. It was exhausting!
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- For Australian authors, Findaway Voices is a great option. During the production make sure to put aside hours and hours to review each and every word of the narration, including the tone and pronunciations.