Jim Patton
Voice actor, Audiobook Narrator
jimbpatton2021@gmail.com
Jim Patton is a professional voice actor and audiobook narrator recording from his home studio. Over fifteen years ago (e.g. James Baxter, Googies, 2010), he began remotely recording audiodrama from a home studio. Audio snippets from several of these performances are included in the last sample on this page.
In 2021, he began narrating audiobooks. Owing to his audiodrama roots, his style is one of portraying strong characters. He has coached with Joel Froomkin, PJ Ochlan, Paul Ruben, Johnny Heller, Joe Arden, and Jack de Golia to refine his audiodrama acting skills for audiobooks.
His home studio audio quality has been approved by top-5-publisher sound engineers. Here is a download link for his studio room tone.
He has guided projects as a rights holder through several distribution outlets and can help authors through the publication/distribution process.
Audiobook Samples
Western drawl – M/F 3rd person – A short selection from TL Ryder’s Vella, “Angel at Large” about Billy Bob, a cowboy dark angel speaking to a young woman with a baby. The 5 minute version of this clip is at this Youtube link.
Contemporary Fiction – Poignant M/M dialog and third person narration. Two old men reflect on their lives as one shaves the other, presumably the last time before he dies.
Contemporary Nonfiction – First person narrative of a San Quentin prisoner relating the story of an attempted escape. The audiobook was nominated for a SOVAS award.
Horror, M/M/F, 1st person – A jowly, balding, middle-aged serial rapist/killer comes out to his wife, hoping she will assist or at least understand him. He is encouraged by the evil sarcastic God/narrator.
Dark fantasy – 3rd Person, M/M – Fantasy hero threatens his evil brother from Christopher Russell’s Divinities Twilight Rebirth. The full 45 minute podcast performance of the Rebirth Prologue is at this Youtube link.
Western action scene M/M/F/M/M – 3rd person limited – an action-sequence, chase scene, from the protagonist perspective. Southern, general American, Scandinavian, and Irish accents
Chicago mobster M/M/M middle age mafia gangster, with Chicago accent, 1st person, grilling a mark, and discussing the situation with another gang member.
Comedy, Historical fiction, Irish accent – 1st person with Irish, Southern accents – M/M/M Two Irish soldiers and an officer in the Confederate army, one of whom has infiltrated Yankee lines, gotten drunk, and is pretending to be a Yankee soldier.
Non-fiction description of the evolution of the North American electrical grid.
Character clips – This is a variety of clips taken from audio drama productions I have acted in. The audio quality varies because they are taken from the original performance sources. The characters represent: Sorcerer-like arrogant, old grouch, poet, gangster, southern effeminate, Lone Ranger-like, German, nervous, dweeb, asylum doctor, sage, earnest
About - Jim Patton
Jim Patton grew up in Colorado and spent his early career as an international electrical field engineer. In this capacity he spoke French and Spanish with sufficient fluency to direct work crews installing major electrical equipment overseas. He later earned a doctorate in electrical engineering and taught at the University of Maine for many years before becoming the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at National Technological University (now absorbed into Walden University).
He acted in high school and college. He played Hamlet in a college production and acted in community theater before becoming interested in audiodrama and audiobooks.
When he isn’t recording, he is cooking, hiking with his dogs, or working on his mobile sound studio (camper van).
Recent Reviews
A God of Hungry Walls by Garrett Cook
Review by horror blogger, Christina Pfeiffer, (UNCOMFORTABLY DARK! THE NEW HOME FOR INDIE HORROR.)
Narrated by Jim Patton, you will do yourself such a disservice if you only read it. Patton takes you into the house and forces you to watch as these terrible things happen, one right after the other. His voice changes are just as bizarre and unnerving as the book itself and that’s a compliment, I promise. A HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND 5/5
Audible reviews
Unique Haunting Story
When I started this one I had absolutely no idea what to expect as I went in completely blind. I realized pretty quickly that it was going to be more explicit than my typical horror reads, but I continued listening because the story was intriguing and the narrator, Jim Patton, was fun to listen to.
Brilliantly bizarre
Uniquely, written, and unsettling. This will stick with you for a while.
This was such a trip. The best way I could describe it would be a psychological, erotic extreme horror. Jim does a fantastic job with the audiobook, and I think this is the best way to experience it. If you’re looking for something to challenge you and be satisfied in the end, this is it. 5 stars
Accents
Narrator Accents: He is comfortable speaking in a western US accent or a number of southern US accents and feels confident he could maintain them through an entire book.
Character Accents: He is a relatively quick study at a variety of accents. He has voiced several British accents, along with a number of other accents. He could maintain them through a major character role. He can, with study, voice a wide variety of other accents for relatively minor roles.
Accent clips – French, German, Russian, Scandinavian, Irish, Southern refined, Southern coarse, British RP, Yorkshire, Scottish
Coaching
Joel Froomkin – He has completed Acting for Audiobooks, a 15 week acting course delivered by award-winning narrator and director, Joel Froomkin. He attended Joel Froomkin’s Audiobooks at Sea cruise/workshop in the spring of 24.
PJ Ochlan – He has completed PJ Ochlan’s six-class Masterclass Series and has had private coaching with him.
He will continue to seek out high-level coaching whenever possible. He is also an alumnus of PJ’s workshops on ‘Character Voice Toolbox’ and ‘How To Be Your Own Dialect Coach’.
Don Baarns – He has completed Don Baarns’ complete courses on Studio One and Rx and enjoys editing/mastering his own work.
Johnny Heller – He has attended Johnny Heller’s New England Retreat 2023, and has coached privately with him.
Jack de Golia – He attended Jack de Golia’s, ‘Character Voices 101’, offered by the Las Vegas-based Voice Actors Studio.
Paul Ruben – He privately coached with Paul Ruben on mystery/thriller narration.
Joe Arden – He attended a romance narration workshop offered by Joe Arden.
Let's connect!
Questions?
jimbpatton2021 ( at ) gmail ( dot ) com
(612) 208-6396