This has been a long awaited and exciting announcement. It seems like it was just yesterday we were all participating in a hypothetical contest, right here on this blog, where readers nominated and voted for actors to play the characters in Perception and Deception: A Spy Series in the event it would ever turn into a movie or TV series (which, I’ve production companies show interest before, so it’s quite plausible). Since then, the book has become a #1 bestseller and we’ve began production of a FULL CAST AUDIOBOOK (all praise to God!). Well, the day for us to locate these perfect actors FOR REAL has officially arrived, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to announce round one of this heartfelt, yet action-packed, cast. Once you hear samples of their work, which I’ll be posting soon, you’ll wish you could see them in a movie. There will be more casting announcements in the next week or two, so stay tuned. I’m going to introduce each actor by how they were chosen for their roles. There’s an interesting story for each! So without further ado...let’s announce our brand...new crew...
Brandon Lamberty as Ashton!
Brandon is a smart, super professional, and talented actor that just so happened to be one of the very first applications I received. But he hadn’t applied for the role of Ashton. He applied for Juro. I requested an audition from him early on in the process, and it was one of the most unique recordings I ever received. The scene was where Felix and Juro meet for the first time. He not only played the role of Juro, but he voiced Felix too! In my mind, he was already hired, and I’d marked him in my paperwork as Juro. As time went on, and I continued my search for Ashton, I kept going back to Brandon’s audition...I felt like I was overlooking something very important. Then, out of nowhere, it hit me like a ton of bricks! This actor should play Ashton! He would be perfect! But that wasn’t the role he applied for...would he be open to it? I reached back out to him and asked if he’d be interested in auditioning for Ashton. He was very willing and sent back another amazing recording where he voiced Ashton, Janice, and Gary, all in different tones and accents and improvisation! It was AMAZING! He’s an entire cast in himself! I decided to offer him either role and let him decide, because I knew he’d excel at either one, although I was secretly hoping he’d choose Ashton, because I loved his portrayal of the character and I knew the listeners would too. Well, he chose Ashton, and I was grateful! But now I had no Juro. Well, sometimes, things work out the way they do for a reason, and God lines everyone up exactly where they’re supposed to be in exactly the right moment...
***This role has since been recast! Wishing Brandon all the blessings in the world! Go to the following link for more updates:
Jarrad Biron Green as Juro and Kalvin!
That’s right. This guy is so talented that I had to hire him back a SECOND time. So right around the time I had hired Brandon to play Ashton, I had also just hired Jarrad to play Kalvin. Jarrad was a super professional from the very beginning. When he applied for Kalvin, he sent me a demo where he displayed the ability to play a TON of different voices. He’s an actor, singer, and everything in between! I was very impressed. One of the voices that stood out to me was this “tough guy” New York styled accent that is honestly just timeless and classic in any good story. On top of that, the guy has an amazing speaking voice. Combine the two together to create a character the readers won’t want to stop listening to. I requested the Kalvin audition from him and he sent me SEVERAL variations of the same lines in all different accents! He was a pro, and gave it his all from the very beginning! He was an instant hire, he recorded Kalvin’s lines, and sent them back to me (in four different ways I might add - like I said, super professional). I find his portrayal of Kalvin super fun, and even though Kalvin is the town bully, I wanted to hear more. THAT is quite a talent in itself...he transformed my view, THE AUTHOR of the book, of this character, so that I actually wanted to hear more from him. Jarrad is that naturally entertaining. One evening, as I was reviewing the recordings he’d sent me, I was feeling super stressed because I still hadn’t been able to find someone to portray Juro. It’s an important role, as he’s a fan favorite, and I knew for a fact that fans of this series would have high expectations for the role. I prayed about it: “Bring me someone who is perfect for the role.” It’s funny how the answer can be right in front of you while you’re worrying so much about something. And just like the “epiphany” I had with Brandon playing Ashton, another round of bricks hit me...I KNEW that Jarrad HAD to portray Juro! He was perfect for the role! Dots were officially connected. Why on earth had I not thought of this earlier??? I went back to his initial demos he’d sent and just couldn’t help but smile. His voice was perfect for this part. But would he be willing or available? I reached back out to him and offered him the role. He said, “Count me in!” And the rest is history.
Arlene Arnone as Aunt Rosy!
I’m smiling as I write this because Arlene and I have become such good friends. Professional, filled with heart, willing to chat with a chatterbox like me about this project, and deep dive into the story, this woman is a producer / director’s dream. She applied for Aunt Rosy, Ashton’s rough around the edges aunt with an underlying heart of gold. Her audition for the character was spot on. I was so excited that I brought my laptop to my mom’s house and showed it to her. I can still remember Mom listening to the audition, and she said, “Why haven’t you hired this woman yet? Go hire her right now! What are you waiting for?” I was already planning on hiring her, but Mom expedited the process that night. I went home that night and sent the offer letter. From there, Arlene and I continued to connect in a heartfelt way. She read the book and sent me beautiful notes about how much she enjoyed it (and that matters because I wanted the actors to feel passionate about it). I ended up asking her questions about the story, about the characters, that helped me as I went about my decision making. She has a very accurate, intuitive perception of the stories she works works on. Arlene invited me to watch her in a virtual play, which I was more than excited to attend, and I brought my mom and husband along to watch. We all loved her emotional performance, and so did the rest of the audience. She doesn’t know this, but she was actually the very first person I ever hired for this project, so I hope she knows what an impression she made on me! Felix got Aunt Rosy, but I got something even better...I got an Aunt Arlene!
Tod Walker as Wolf and Mr. Henderson!
Another actor with two roles! A talented, organized, super professional with a kind, warm voice that a role like Wolf really needs. This role was one that I sent out the most audition requests for, searching and searching and searching tirelessly. It was really hard to find someone who could naturally fit this character the way I had it in my mind. Wolf is the main mentor of the entire series, and for those of you who’ve read all the books in the series...(no spoilers here) you know how his character eventually develops and why it was so important to find a great actor with heart. I heard Tod’s demo and instantly loved his voice, so I requested an audition from him, and asked him to read for Mr. Henderson too (a character in the book with an Australian accent). WOW. His recordings were incredible! He had the warmth, mentoring tones, and heart that this character NEEDED. I was so excited because this was another role I’d been stressing about for a long time, and the perfect actor just showed up out of nowhere (like most blessings do). Not to mention, his Australian accent for Mr. Henderson was spot on! Instant hire.
Ashlie Whitworth as Jamie!
Ashlie is a multi-talented, organized, beautiful, fun to work with actress, who obviously brings sunshine and light to any job she takes. Ashlie’s impressive demos and website drew me in right away, and as I started talking with her, I just knew she’d take this character, pour her true passion for acting into the role, and deliver an outstanding performance that would leave the listeners wanting more. You see, Jamie is a complex character that has a complicated relationship with the main character. They want to be friends, but the crowds they hang around with often prevent them from doing so. Jamie hangs out with Kalvin and his crowd, while Felix hangs around with Ashton and Gary. The two groups are mortal enemies, which adds a fun element of drama to this small town story. So as I searched for Jamie, I really needed someone who could portray this complicated relationship and have the ability to switch tones easily when interacting with the main character. Well, Ashlie delivered a perfect performance, and I’m so thankful to have her in this project!
Ollie Sloan as Gary!
Professional actor, singer, songwriter, musician...this guy does it all! Like I said, no spoilers here. But for fans of the series, you know all about Gary’s character development. I was looking for a very particular, quieter, smooth sounding voice. One that would really draw the listener in. Ollie initially stood out to me because of the great cover letter he submitted with his application, where he talked about his deep understanding of the character. He also included a demo of himself playing a character from a movie that I had actually just watched (God’s timing) so I was intrigued! I listened...and his portrayal of that particular character really struck me. That was Gary’s voice. There was no doubt in my mind. Audition requested. Instant hire!
Andrea Hintz as Felix!
When I first started this project, I wasn’t really planning on participating from an acting or narrating perspective. I had posted the role of Felix along with all the other roles. But several readers and author friends coaxed me into playing the part. Apparently, a lot of audiobook lovers enjoy books narrated by the authors, and I didn’t know. I’m thankful to them for their kind encouragement. But don’t worry. You won’t have to listen to my voice all the time, because Felix only narrated part of the book. We also have TWO other narrators, and an entire cast of actors that you’ll get to hear way more of, and we’re here to celebrate THEM and THEIR superior talents.
Annette Hintz as Janice!
When I was writing the character Janice, I always heard her in my mind as a loving, warm, motherly woman, very similar to my own mom. The character also displays that loving protection and concern toward Ashton and Felix throughout the entire book. She’s the woman you want on your side, and honestly, everyone needs a Janice in their life. After I had decided to take on Felix’s role, I was setting up my recording equipment (which I already had from previous recording projects I’ve worked on - see how God prepared me?) and I suddenly thought about my mom. Not only did she have the warm, loving voice I always heard in the character, not only was she a great voice actor because of her prior experience in professional communications, but I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of the role. My mom has always supported me in my writing since I was a child, she’s done editing for several of my books, and she’s listened endlessly to my storylines (she knows what’s going to happen in book five - I don’t leave her dealing with cliffhangers like I leave my readers...sorry lol). Without her consistent support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I packed up my home studio, took it to her house, and had her record Janice’s lines. It was a blast, and she’s a total natural. So that motherly / daughter type interaction between Felix and Janice will be quite real in this audiobook! And, by the way, Janice’s husband has one line in the book, and I tore my dad away from a western movie marathon to record it for me that same night. So that was a blast!
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