Greetings, folks!
Someone wrote in with a question regarding the Vampire of Montana audiobook, which I wanted to address. Foals (as in the baby horse) has an odd accenting to some; it’s a Texan thing (for certain regions of Texas.) The narrator opted to use the Texan flare for Daphne when regards to foals, so it’s going to sound strange for those who aren’t from that section of Texas (or other places that use this linguistic twist.)
The audiobook proofer happens to be from Texas, so she didn’t notice (nor did her partnering childling). Considering the relationship between Montana and Texas, I am totally fine with the flare that Keira opted to use for this book.
So yes, when you hear foals with a heavy emphasis that makes it sound more like foul/fowl, it is author approved for this specific book.
If it’s good enough to fool the Texan proofer, it’s good enough for me.
And yes… there are linguistic regions in the United States that make foal sound like fowl/foul. Try saying it out loud with some severe Texan twang, and you should be able to hear it. (It’s a fun linguistic exercise, too.)
Let’s just say I became gloriously puzzled over the conversation, as I’ve lived all over the United States and Canada, and I strugglebussed for a bit trying to figure out the problem. I’ve lived in places where foal is closer to foul/fowl than to how cityslickers pronounce it!
Pleasedon’tcomeafterusoverthis.
As a general rule, I let the narrators have creative leeway with the titles, because audiobooks are an art and a performance. (And I can’t listen to them due to my anxiety. I have panic attacks trying, so I heavily rely on the narrator and my proofing team to do, well, the nitty gritty.)
I wrote the book, but it’s the narrator’s turn to have the freedom to turn it into vocal art.
Thank you for your understanding!
Dialects and pronunciation are wild. I have italian american pronunciations with a mixture of NY and Rhode island accent…and then moved to the south, where i learned there are at least three South carolina accents that locals can tell apart but i can’t…not to mention speed variations in how fast we talk (or don’t)… hearing July with the accent of the first syllable from a coworker threw me for a loop, me not knowing what a hush puppy was stopped my team in their tracks…
I grew up in southeastern MA, and lived in southern NH for a few years. I met a man named Dawn. Then realized it was Don! They also pronounced Derry (a town) as dairy. It took me a while to get the hang of it. And this was only a two hour drive from home!
Wait, how else do you pronounce Derry? XD
I’m also a western-SE Mass (northeastern RI border) person and I say Dawn/Don and Derry/dairy the same! I’m so fascinated. 🙂
It’s easy enough to tell what word is said from context clues even for those of us who have very limited experience with different accents.
Thank you for explaining the pronunciation of foals, in the Vampire of Montana.
Thank you!!! I’ve been looking for a non-criticizing way to ask “Where in the world does “foal” sound like ‘fowl”. It was obviously intentional…but it did smack me around a bit. My Mom left Texas (and, temporarily, Dad) quickly to avoid any of us kids picking up any Texanese.
“Could you tell me which region has the word foal sounding like fowl/foul, please? This is how it is pronounced in Vampire of Montana. I have not heard this regionalism before.” “Texas and some western states.” “Okay, thanks!” <--- example conversation. Of course, when I was told about it, I had to go on a bit of a hunt because I CANNOT listen to audiobooks, but once I nailed out the issue, and jarred my brain into remembering where I'd heard it done like that before... now I've been running around the apartment sayin' foal with that heavily drawn out a that become a w sound and giggling like a lunatic over it all day. I appreciate you looking for a non-criticizing method in which to ask the question. Thank you.
I’d never argue local pronunciation. Once upon a time I was in Mississippi (BTW, that’s Miss’SIPih) and this Yankee needed to have someone translate what I was hearing as ‘bowies.’ We were on the Gulf Coast, but buoys didn’t fit the conversation, and it wasn’t really quite that. With help I learned that what was meant was ‘boys.’
I like that your audiobooks have characters with different accents. I just accept that everywhere has different ways of pronouncing different words. I then add it to the way I talk and mix it all up.
I also really enjoyed this audiobook! thank you!
In utah we have a city called hur_i_con not hurricane. The other word that stood our was dressage. They used a long a. I do enjoy the reader.
Sorry anyone gave you grief over a narrator accent. I love your books. I’m not much for audiobooks but if it helps you feel better, I’ll buy this one. Just keep writing…..
So I noticed the strange to pronunciation of foal. I accept it as a regional pronunciation. They do strange things in Texas:) It might have been better if the narrator used a Texas accent in the audiobook but that is all I have say about that.
It isn’t just Texas. It is in use in pockets all over the US apparently, judging from people who chimed in with where they are at and how they use it.
Thanks for explaining the pronunciation difference. I love your books and your narrator. She does it in Doggone mess and it was driving my poor Wyoming brain a little nuts. If she’d been reading it in a Texas accent I might have grasped that it was a linguistic twist. Unfortunately, every time she said it in her un-accented voice I just kept thinking cindercorns don’t have chicks.
Yeah, at this stage… I’m so irritated with how people are unaccepting of things done differently from them I want to just never do another audiobook, because holy crap… it’s a word… just because it’s not pronounced the same way you (the universal you here) are used to… doesn’t mean it isn’t right.
I really hope people learn to behave better about art, because yeah, I’m often pressured about audiobooks, but they’re not particularly profitable, and I’m not really feeling like I want to invest more than what I’ve already booked because of how people have been behaving.
They want “Television English” and that’s… not even a broad representation of American English.
I’m very tired of the general issue and discussion, though. Especially because of how hard the whole team works on the books.
I’m going with just ignore the haters. I know it can be exasperating and if I came across as critical I apologize. I went looking for the reason why it was pronounced that way on purpose. As I said, I love your books and your narrator. I very seldom re-read or re-listen to books, but I’ve listened to all of yours many times. They never fail to entertain and I have something I can put on if I need something that doesn’t require my full attention because I’ve listened to them before.