January 18, 2025

“Wire Man” by Andrew Newall

Posted by in Featured Posts, Writing
“Wire Man” by Andrew Newall

 *Featured image courtesy of FenesiKinga on Pixabay.com* Heroes can come in all shapes and sizes, and Andrew Newall proves that in his wonderful piece, “Wire Man”. This is a very unique story that I’m sure all of you will enjoy, and I look forward to seeing more stories from Andrew in the future. A little man made from one rod of wire, no more than eight inches tall, shrugged off his motionless pose and walked to the edge of his high shelf to look across the studio. Strewn with drawing and painting utensils, it was standard chaotic clutter uplifted by striking watercolours, pastels and models lying here and there.  The artist had left for lunch. That familiar sound of the door locking signalled play time for the wire man and his colleagues. Papier mâché figures…

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September 20, 2024

“A Fairy Tale for Adults” by Crystal Storm

Posted by in Audio Arts
“A Fairy Tale for Adults” by Crystal Storm

Hello, Fictional Cafe Listeners, it’s me your friendly Barista Ruby and I’m back! (The vacation was lovely, I got a marvelous tan and now I am back with plenty of vim and vigor as well as plenty of audio adventures for you to enjoy! First up, “A Fairy Tale for Adults” by Crystal Storm. Colin and Nia are two ordinary parents going through a separation. They take their kids on a family outing… and are accidentally teleported to another world. Will Colin and Nia be able to find their way back home? Colin and Nia are arrested and have to plead their case before an Angelic Judge in a courtroom full of magical creatures. Will they be able to convince Raziel to set them free? Colin and Nia begin their quest to try and find…

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June 3, 2021

“Bicycling with Butterflies,” A New Book by Sara Dykman

Posted by in Writing
“Bicycling with Butterflies,” A New Book by Sara Dykman

Editor’s note: Most of us are likely curious about the person who writes a book — in particular, one who rode her bicycle 10,201 miles to follow the monarch butterfly migration from Mexico across the United States to Canada and back again. So we’re introducing a new feature to our book excerpts: a Zoom interview with the author. If you like what you’re about to listen to, watch, read, please leave a note in the Comments—and treat yourself to a copy of Sara’s book. This is the best book about adventure cycling I’ve ever read, and it’s available on Amazon in hardcover, Kindle and Audible. ~ Jack Bicycling with Butterflies excerpt: “A Million-Winged Sendoff” DAYS 1 AND 2 / MARCH 12 AND 13 MILES 1–118 The sun’s warmth began to pour steadily through the branches,…

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March 15, 2020

“The Boggart” and other Poems by Julia Franklin

Posted by in Writing
“The Boggart” and other Poems by Julia Franklin

The Boggart   There used to be this boggart in our house. Not a big thing, really; actually quite small.   Of course, we didn’t used to see her that way; There was a time when we were the ones that were small.   She had a row of teeth for every bit of flesh we bore. She’d bring them out, all neat and sharp and small.   One day we stared her down and brought our own teeth out, And the growl that stirred in her throat was small.   The night passed without incident. When the sun rose, We found footprints out the door. We thought, “Now who’s small?”   I heard she found another house to haunt, Its occupants each Bambi-eyed and small. **   The Truckers   It’s a world that…

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