108 posts by Ruby Fink

September 3, 2021

“Coming Home” and “Run Sally” by Podplays

Welcome back Fictional Cafe Listeners, this week we will be covering “Coming Home” and “Run Sally” two episodes that can be found on Podplays. Unlike most of our Audio Arts posts which follow a serialized format, these two episodes are completely independent of each other’s stories. What they both have in common however, is their MUSIC. PodPlays® are Family Friendly audio dramas delivered in podcasting format. It’s like listening to a movie with the added bonus of discovering new and original songs written and recorded by Nashville’s top HIT songwriters and artists. So turn it on; turn it up, and don’t worry if the kids want to listen in, in fact, ask them to sing along! “Coming Home” Charlotte left her small town sweetheart, Dash, for the life of a high society designer in London….

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August 20, 2021

“A Bit of Time Travel” by Ben Kempf

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Welcome back to Fictional Cafe and “A Bit of Time Travel” by Ben Kempf. What would you do if you had a time machine? Would you use it for something important? Or would you use it to do something a bit trivial or even a bit silly? Join us as we hear the stories of those who’ve traveled through time . . . and the lessons they learned along the way. It’s time for A Bit of Time Travel! “The Ostrich and Anchor” In today’s episode, we’ll hear about how two friends, Tom and Gary, experienced the best night ever in the small town of Greycourt, Alberta . . . and what happened when their co-worker, Melvin Marcus, who didn’t. “The Snowball Effect” In today’s episode, we’ll hear the story of how Timothy Llewellyn performed…

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August 6, 2021

“The Awkward Screw” by Michael Curtis and Tim Ramaekers

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Happy August Fictional Cafe Listeners! This week we will be covering “The Awkward Screw” by Michael Curtis and Tim Raemakers. From a Galaxy best heard through headphones comes, the adventures of The Awkward Screw! Climb aboard this Heavy-Repair vessel and get to know the four-person multi-species crew as they work their way through the Bell-Wave Galaxy. But somewhere along their path they find themselves in the midst of a quest to save the entire universe… The Awkward Screw docks with a Long-Range Asteroid Tracking satellite in a remote region of the Glove Belt to see why it’s stopped transmitting to Taka Station. CreditsWritten and Produced by Michael Curtis and Tim RamaekersMixed and edited by Michael Curtis CastAnju Jayohwen is Jack TyradesHelount Gafse is Tim RamaekersMarrk Deet is Jack TyradesTony Pale is Michael Curtis A radiation…

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July 23, 2021

“Donald August Versus the Land of Flowers”

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Welcome Fictional Cafe Listeners to Donald August Versus the Land of Flowers by Emily Donovan and Benjamin Kern. Donald August is a fun 5-episode comedy fiction podcast with a dash of mystery. A 12-year-old boy named Donnie and his reluctant summer nanny Lex set out to play detective in South Florida and instead stumble into a real mystery: a supernatural palm plant. In episode one August finds a mysterious plotted plant. Donnie and Lex need to study up on the suspicious flora they saw in Uncle Rowan’s yard yesterday, but, since Donnie doesn’t want to use up his screentime, they’ll have to do things the old fashioned way. Donnie spent the morning at his “usual joint” (his Uncle Rowan’s house) – but is there a darker reason why he’s drinking Capri Sun before noon? Perhaps…

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July 10, 2021

“House of Many Ways” by Diana Wynne Jones

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Hello and welcome back, Fictional Cafe listeners! It’s time for the House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones. Since so many people enjoyed Howl’s Moving Castle, I thought it would be fun to pull up another epic from the hands of the same gifted author. Charmain Baker has led a respectable, and relaxing sheltered life. She has spent her days with her nose in a book, never learning how to do even the smallest household chores. When she suddenly ends up looking after the tiny cottage of her ill Great-Uncle William she seems happy for the adventure, but the easy task of house-sitting is complicated by the fact that Great-Uncle William is also the Royal Wizard Norland and his magical house bends space and time. Though she is supposed to clean up the mess…

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June 18, 2021

“Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Welcome back Fictional Café Listeners, it’s time for our second audiobook for Audiobook Month! I’d like to share with you a personal favorite, “Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones, read by Jenny Sterling. Many of you may be familiar with Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 film adaptation of this book, but I prefer the narrative version, as Diana is able to create a story that is beautiful in its detail and wonderful in its world-building. Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the…

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June 4, 2021

“Wuthering Heights” adapted by Rachel Pulliam

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Happy June Everyone! This week we are going to listen to “Wuthering Heights,” written by Emily Bronte and adapted by Rachel Pulliam. In honor of June being Audiobook Month, I thought it would be fun to post an old classic, that is both timeless and – in this case – produced by Dream Realm Enterprises. Penned in 1847, Emily Bronte’s story of love, hate, and revenge has remained an eternal classic. Heathcliff, a foundling boy, is taken in by the kind Mr. Earnshaw and raised with his own children, Cathy and Hindley. While Hindley’s jealousy grows, Cathy finds the boy endearing and together they form an inseparable bond. Despite her connection and love for Heathcliff, Cathy struggles with fulfilling society’s expectations of her to marry a rich man or the desire to follow her heart….

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May 21, 2021

“Wordtastic” by Steve Schneider

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Welcome readers and listeners, to a podcast that is both delightfully amusing, entertaining and educational about kids and spies and kid spies! Welcome to “Wordtastic” by Steve Schneider! Due to an evil plot that has wiped out written language and is causing spoken language to fade from memory, special agent spy kids must race against time to collect and archive known vocabulary before it is lost forever! The show provides multiple exposures to content-rich vocabulary terms in the context of a fun story of spies and espionage that features kids as the heroes and main characters. In this premiere episode of Wordtastic! we meet the teams of special agent kids and learn about “The Incident.” An energy wave, known as “The Pulse” has swept across the world and removed all written and recorded information and…

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May 8, 2021

“Rogue Tyger: Pilot” by Jabberwocky Audio Theater

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Welcome Fictional Cafe viewers, did everyone enjoy their Cinco de Mayo? Because it’s time for Rogue Tyger : The Pilot. We have a fun 5-part series this week from Jabberwocky Audio Theater, because who’s sick of sci-fi? I’m not! 5,000 years into the future — in a corner of the galaxy where Earth is no longer known — humans and a dozen other sentient races have forged a civilization. Spacers brave the oceans of void between hundreds of worlds for power, glory, and simply to survive. This is the tale of one band of spacers and their ship: the Tyger. Jabberwocky Audio Theater invites you to join the crew of the Tyger as they search for adventure, riches, and possibly redemption. Modeled after classic cliffhangers such as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar or that one with the alien guy and the…

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April 24, 2021

“The Sojourn” by Daniel Orrett

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Welcome back to the next segment of our Sci-Fi Month! This week we’re covering “The Sojourn” an audio drama by Daniel Orrett! The Tantalus Cluster is the fragile cradle of humanity. Adrift in the divide between galaxies and surrounded by the vast emptiness of the intergalactic void, the Tantalus Cluster is the only home humanity has ever known. Desperate and facing starvation, humanity’s only hope is a strange nebula that has suddenly appeared beyond the edge of the cluster. Its shifting clouds may hide a source of salvation for the people of Tantalus, but time is running out. Signing on to the ambitious Avalon Expedition, Privateer Captain Cassandra Farren will face the shadows of both the past and future as she leads her small crew into the unknown in a last, desperate bid for the…

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