This writer came across one of the most interesting and finest recorded audio books
I've had the pleasure of listening to on my commute each day. The Novel is outstanding, but to hear it come alive was gripping! I was curious to whom this lovely voice was who interpreted this story. I then had the pleasure of conducting this interview with Henrietta Tiefenthaler.

This is a must have audio book of 2007!

Q: Please tell us about your background

Henrietta: I was born and bred in London. I went to an English boarding school for most of my upbringing, but both my parents are Austrian. Well, my father is half Austrian, half German and my mother is fully Austrian. She is from a city called Graz, which is the same city that Arnold Schwartzenegger is from. In fact, she became a famous model in England and had her photo taken with "Schwarzie" back in the day. I have attached it for you to see. The other model in the photo went on to become Miss World and my mother is god mother to her son. I used to go and stay with a friend of my mother's in Graz every summer in order to learn German.


Q: Is this the first audio book you read for?

Henrietta: This is the second audio book I have read. The first was a compilation of short stories written by well-known female authors, called "Deadly Housewives." It was like a spin off of Desperate Housewives, but much more extreme as the housewives mostly plot to kill off their husbands.

Q: Why were you chosen to do the reading?

Henrietta: I have been working on audiobooks for about 4 years, producing and directing them, so I have a lot of experience behind the scenes. As my parents are Austrian, I speak it almost fluently. I also speak a bit of French, which enabled me to pronounce most of the foreign words and names (of which there are many). I live in Los Angeles and love the movie industry and, as Leni was a filmmaker, I have a lot of different connections to her life and the book.

Q: Why was this book special to you?

Henrietta: I know a lot about Germany and Austria during the second world war. My father is like a walking encyclopedia when it comes to history and Germany. He knows everything about the Nazis' rise to power, Hitler and Leni Riefenstahl and so he was able to help me with the intonations of their voices as well as the other characters'. Hitler, for example, had a very shrill unmistakable voice as an orator––they say it could hypnotize the masses––however, in private, he spoke calmly and endearingly. He had a lot of fans on both a personal and public level during his reign. I watched a lot of documentaries either filming Leni Riefenstahl as a protagonist, or filmed by her, to get a sense of how she would have spoken. She very rarely spoke English and I therefore decided against giving her a German accent for her speech, which was translated into English for the book.

Q:Have you met the author?

Henrietta: I met the author, Stephen Bach, briefly, while he was at a book signing in LA. I felt compelled to go and introduce myself.

Q: How long did it take you to record this?

Henrietta: It took about 2 weeks to record with days off in between.

Q: Can you give us a brief synopsis of the book/storyline

Henrietta: As the sub-title suggests, the book is about the life and work of Leni Riefenstahl. Stephen Bach portrays Leni in her true light. She is credited as one of the world's greatest filmmakers, however, what were the repercussions of her work? Despite claiming that her ambition was solely to political awareness while working under the direct authority of Hitler, to what degree can an artist be held unaccountable for his or her work? Leni was a Nazi propagandist, but denied any allegations that she was responsible for the deaths resulting from the Nazi's rise to power. Her 103-year life was so full of contradictions, but Bach lets the facts speak for themselves. As well as depicting Leni's upbringing and career, Bach describes Germany and the industry in which she worked, both inextricable from our understanding of her motivations.

Q: Do you have other books lined up you will voice over for?

Henrietta: Not for the time being. If I come across a project that I have as much interest in, I will of course pitch myself for it.

Q: What are your career goals?

I work in book publishing as well as audio books.

I recently co-wrote Anna Nicole Smith's biography with her half sister, Donna Hogan, and I would like to do more writing. However, finding a subject matter nearly as compelling as my last protagonist will be a challenge!

LENI
ON AUDIO

PRODUCED BY: Michael Viner
Phoenix Audio, Beverly Hills, California

For more information contact:

Karen Ammond- Publicist - kbcmedia@att.net