Showing results by narrator "Sally" in All Categories

Under a Cloud tells the story of a young woman from Reading, England, stuck indefinitely in a south eastern Melbourne suburb, thanks to the COVID pandemic lockdowns. She is alone, adrift, afloat with little motivation and no job or partner to return to in England.... But through her love of clouds, she becomes part of a global network of Cloudies who post their fabulous cloud photos, in almost compulsive daily rituals. Madeline becomes hooked by this new way of experiencing the world. This story is enhanced with atmospheric sound effects.

Memoirs of a caregiver turned cancer patient, turned professional athlete: A young widow suddenly must raise three children alone - all while living with a rare blood cancer and working full time. This situation might make any woman despair, but Sally Kalksma is not just any woman. With her passion for life and her infectious energy, she found the motivation to power through adversity with tenacity and grit while never giving up hope, even when life looked its bleakest.

Dream Cafe tells the story of a baker and seller of delicious cakes who makes the most gorgeous delicacies at her railway cafe, She is not only interested in these marvelous creations but she is fascinated by dreams and nightmares - both hers and other people's, particularly during the Covid 19 Pandemic. She wonders if there is a communal subconscious elicited during night dreams, manifesting various or similar aspects of this global health crisis, Madeline sets out to find out more, only to be confronted with more than she expected.

Don't Sign Anything tells the story of two women whose paths cross unexpectedly, particularly when one of them jumps under a train and dies. But for many years their lives are intertwined with them co-winning prizes, sharing adventures, and creating silver jewelry. The one who dies is a gypsy who became a rampant hoarder, finally living alone with her six cats. It is a story about two very different women and the compassion they share until they lose touch before the tragic train incident.

Wearing a Cape tells of a job working with clients from 50 different nationalities. Going to court with them, representing them at hearings, being with a murderer, and held captive by two psychotic clients - one of whom burnt an old people's home down. It is about working with the repressed, the under represented, the unfortunate and the fortunate. It portrays the stamina to work where there are courtroom threats, gifts of kindness, conflict, and resolution.

Slap It On! tells the story of living among mud brick houses in an artists belt in Eltham, Victoria. It portrays an atmospheric view, which includes the famous artists colony of Montsalvat, as well as raising small girls on a property replete with vegetable and herb gardens, hens, fruit and nut trees, and re-cycled materials. It features a medieval feast, a train crash and a flasher, as well as an earthquake and a deadly bush fire. Special sound effects add to the experience.

Led Through the Jungle is a true story about time I spent travelling through Colombia, which included walking through a jungle near the border with Venezuela. It was a time of some risk in Colombia but my Colombian friend's careful planning enabled me to experience small wild monkeys in that park as well as involvement with other native animals, including cuddling a three toed sloth, seeing a large capybara up close and holding a macaw and seeing iguanas and chameleons.

Tony never asked to be a vampire. He didn't even know they existed, until he interrupted the wrong man. Eden has always avoided turning anyone, but there was something about Tony that made her do it. But now, she has to face the consequences of her actions that night. And adding a new vampire into the mix, doesn't make that any easier.

When charity spokeswoman, Dana, needs a last minute photographer, the last person she expects to turn up is her mate. But the moment he arrives, something changes within her. Luke has always been able to control his magic. But now it's interfering in just about everything he does. If only he could keep it away from the enchanting tiger shifter it seems to have taken a liking to....

Just Eleven Days tells the story of an adult yoga student who decides to enter an 11-day, silent, yoga retreat in an old inner city convent. But she only makes it half way through the retreat when personal struggles and an external incident which cannot be explained render her fearful, until she plucks up the courage to flee. And even then, there is evidence of an unresolved issue.... The story is enhanced with atmospheric sound effects.

Dali-like melting clocks and plans to build a statue and gain a damehood are intermingled in a plot which explores difference, persistence, and diversity. It has a humorous tone whilst touching on serious subjects. It is enhanced with vivid sound effects.

All That Glitters tells the story of two women whose lives have become intertwined. One has a father who is a murderer and the other has survived an upbringing by two drug addict parents. The women's paths cross, and they become a support for each other until a certain threatening incident unravels their friendship, leaving them both with less clarity.

Sometimes, the Christmas story feels distant, removed from our every-day life. The star, the stable, the wise men, feel like they belong in our childhood, and in church plays, but have no bearing in “real” life. The Christmas season can feel like a pause in the ebb and flow of our life. Every year, the Christmas season ends, the decorations are put away, and we turn our attention to the next thing. But if we pack the peace and joy and wonder of Christmas in the attic with our decorations, we have missed Christmas altogether.

With an easy-to-understand approach, you will understand what's been holding you back, and simple strategies to boost your confidence, where your life opens up like you could never have imagined. Achieve goals you never thought possible and break free from the chains that have held you back.

This tells the story of being in a sixth Covid 19 lockdown and the chance to observe the natural world at close hand by careful observation and appreciation, whilst being confined to an unexpectedly small radius....

Little Ripples Everywhere tells the story of a 70-year-old widow and her love for books and words - so much that she makes many train trips around a metropolitan network, leaving many of her loved novels to continue their train journeys without her. It is her hope that will give the new listeners of her books entertainment, encouragement, and insight. The books she leaves behind meet a variety of fates in this humorous tale, but they also carry messages of concern for the environment and the encroaching climate change.

This story talks about travelling in China, and Wuhan in particular, just before the outbreak of Covid 19 in that city in 2019. It highlights darker aspects of this travel as well as the humourous, kind hearted side. It traverses four provinces and highlights memorable experiences whilst looking for cherry blossom in these areas. It is enhanced by sound effects.

When Rowena is abducted back to medieval Land’s End, all is in turmoil. Gareth is trapped in the middle-world. Cedric is losing his soul to the black arts. What’s a modern girl to do? Learn how to control her powers of magic, of course. Things go wrong when she accidently conjures up a Roman Legion in mid-battle. Now she has to prevent Roman and Land’s End warriors from killing each other.

Shattered is one of four short stories in this compilation. Between them, they explore paranormal and ghostly activities, a paddlesteamer wreck and its implications, near drowning and a mystery stranger. The stories explore relationships and reactions between the characters and are infused with atmospheric sound effects.

The Swaggie on the Hill tells the story of a young girl who is puzzled by the adult life around her. This comes to a head when she and her classmates at a small primary school are shut in the school house by their teachers while a threatening man looms in the school grounds, causing simultaneous nose bleeds in two of the boys. And there is the matter of the witch-like woman who lives nearby. She frightens the children as they rush past her place in their billycarts. The story is set in mid 1960s Melbourne and is enhanced with sound effects.