The Lonely Heart … Just In Time For Valentine’s Day!

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Susan Hanfield

Although not your typical Valentine’s Day love story… The Lonely Heart is a story sure to capture your heart. I had so much fun recording this hauntingly disturbing tale, mainly because the writing of Aliette de Bodard is so good!! The story is now available at Lightspeed Magazine and it is a retelling of the “The Painted Skin” from Pu Songling’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.

The Lonely Heart is graphic, explicit, dark and all the while completely compelling. Part of the fun for me as a narrator is learning about the places & traditions of the characters that I get to portray. To get into the right mind-space for this particular story, I spent a lot of time researching the area of China where the story took place, most specifically the “Ghost City” of old Fengdu. It’s incredibly fascinating! In case you’re interested, here is an article on some of the historic facts & myths of this old city located on the bank of the Yangtze River. Enjoy! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengdu_Ghost_City

A Step Into The 1930s, A Volatile Court Room And The After-Effects Of A Nuclear Plant Accident …

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Susan Hanfield

This is what you’ll find in the new cut of my Dramatic Demo Reel! The clips included here are from Magdalene, a 1930s period piece directed by Rebecca Cremona. I play Magdalene, a former concert pianist who, no longer being able to continue in her loveless marriage, decides to end her life by taking a lethal dose of Laudanum. Magdalene won a Directors Guild Award, several honorable mentions and also screened at the Cannes Film Festival where Magdalene acquired a seven year distribution deal with Shorts International. Also, included here, is a clip from Island Song, directed by Richard Massey. I play a no-nonsense judge to the incredibly talented Richard Gant. Island Song won the Audience Award at the Pan African Film Festival! The third piece is from a PSA I did called Accidents which deals with the Chernobyl disaster, directed by Remii Huang. In this clip, I play a therapist dealing with clients who were not able to forgive themselves for their part in this most devastating incident.

Have a look & thanks so much for taking the time!

“Two-Ton Tony had a hard body…” JUPITER WRESTLERAMA – A wonderfully rich, captivating story that I had the pleasure of narrating

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Susan Hanfield

“Two-Ton Tony had a hard body…” JUPITER WRESTLERAMA – A wonderfully rich, captivating story that I had the pleasure of narrating is now available at Lightspeed Magazine. This gripping story is about murder, betrayal, love, and intrigue and it all takes place on a cramped space station!

I have become an immediate fan of the writer, Marie Vibbert. Her stunning use of language and imagery in Jupiter Wrestlerama made this particular story incredibly exciting for me to narrate.

You can listen to the podcast of Jupiter Wrestlerama for free here: Jupiter Wrestlerama. Be sure to stay and check out the many other incredible stories that the 2014 Hugo Award Winning Lightspeed Magazine has available online. You won’t be disappointed!

Featured in House Beautiful Magazine – “The Best! for the Kitchen”

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Susan Hanfield

I’m excited to share that a print ad I did for Food Cycler just got some great press! Food Cycler was recently featured in House Beautiful magazine where it was not only given the spotlight, but also received accolades for being “The Best! For The Kitchen.” This is a wonderful product, so do check it out! You can see me and my adorable little co-star throughout Food Cycler’s new website here: https://nofoodwaste.com

Pauline’s Passion & Punishment AND Other Escapades! Oh my.

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Susan Hanfield

Oh my, is right! Such unrestrained fun I had narrating one of 5 stories in Pauline’s Passion and Punishment and Other Escapades written by Louisa May Alcott , beloved writer of Little Women. Alcott wrote this series under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard, which should give a little insight into how scandalous these stories were for the time!! The story I had the pleasure of narrating, Marion Earle: or, Only an Actress! explores sexual betrayal and abandonment following the life of an actress and what many assumed was her disgraceful profession. It’s a fierce story, full of passion, heartache, self-sacrifice and suggests another view of what the life of an actress may really have been like during that era. Alcott herself made a journal entry in 1858 stating “Perhaps it is acting, not writing, I’m meant for. Nature must have a vent somehow.” She clearly had a heart for her subject matter. I’m so glad she did.

Pauline’s Passion and Punishment and Other Escapades is now available on Amazon, Audible and Downpour. Published by Blackstone Audio and Skyboat Media.

For the past week I have been immersed in MORTAL DANGER…narrating the book, that is!

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Susan Hanfield

For the past week, I have been immersed in MORTAL DANGER…narrating the book, that is! MORTAL DANGER is Ann Aguirre latest YA novel and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be bringing her words to life for Macmillan Audio. I have been having so much fun! While I always have a heart for YA novels, after spending many years as a volunteer youth worker for teens, this particular novel has me riveted. The beginning of the book, captured my heart and now, almost nearing the end, my breath is catching in my throat as the suspense mounts! I will keep you posted when the audiobook version is out. We’ve got probably a couple more days of recording and I am already getting sad it’s coming to a close. I LOVE it when that happens.

SALVAGE written by Carrie Vaughn

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Susan Hanfield

We’ve had a blast this month destroying Science Fiction and taking over Lightspeed Magazine’s June Issue. Here is a link to the story SALVAGE that I had the pleasure of narrating. This was such fun. I mean…how often does one get to play the captain of a space ship after all? Not often enough, if you ask me!

I also really love Carrie Vaughn’s writing and was super excited to be able to read her fabulous words once more. Enjoy!

http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/salvage/

WOMEN DESTROY SCIENCE FICTION! There is no SALVAGE

Posted on June 8, 2014 by Susan Hanfield

This is a promo for a wonderful, deeply moving story that I had the pleasure of narrating called SALVAGE, written by the very talented Carrie Vaughn. My recording will be released sometime this month as part the WOMEN DESTROY SCIENCE FICTION! June issue at Lightspeed Magazine. We women have high-jacked the June issue and there are plenty of treasures to behold! Please visit the special June issue here. You won’t be disappointed and just remember…Resistance. Is. Futile.

Wastelands – Stories of the Apocalypse

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Susan Hanfield

Just released by Blackstone Audio & Skyboat Media – WASTELANDS: STORIES OF THE APOCALYPSE. This is a fabulous collection of 22 tales of the best post-apocalyptic literature from the last two decades! I had the pleasure of narrating two wonderfully chilling pieces – MUTE by Gene Wolfe and KILLER’s by Carol Emshwiller. The collection is edited by John Joseph Adams and 11 of us narrators were chosen to bring life to its pages. The stories are an exploration of what it means to remain human in the wake of Armageddon and are from many of today’s most renowned authors of speculative fiction—including George R. R. Martin, Gene Wolfe, Orson Scott Card, Carol Emshwiller, Jonathan Lethem, Octavia E. Butler, and Stephen King. The entire anthology is available at downpour.com. I hope you will check it out!

The 2014 Audie Awards with Ender’s Game Alive!

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Susan Hanfield

What an incredible joy it was to be a finalist with the cast of Ender’s Game Alive for the 2014 Audie Awards! We were nominated in 3 categories for Multi-voice; Original Work and Distinguished Achievement in Production. This has literally been a dream come true and nothing short of wonderful to have had the opportunity to play Valentine and to have worked on this very special audiobook. I have loved every moment. Heartfelt thanks to Orson Scott Card for writing such an awesome script; to our brilliant director, Gabrielle de Cuir; our amazing producer, Stefan Rudnicki of Skyboat Media; and to our wonderful publisher, Audible.com, for generously inviting our entire cast to attend the Audies as their guest. Toguro!!