"A work of art doesn't have to solve a problem, it just has to formulate it correctly." ~ (Attributed to) Anton Chekhov

". . . The world is unjust and the mighty crush the powerless. It has been the same struggle since the beginning of time. You must choose your side. You either defend the powerful or you defend the helpless. There is no in-between. That is why you must continue to fight, so that one day, the oppressed will win, and they will create a just world where life will be good, where no one will be cast aside. It is the only thing that matters in life." ~JOURNEYS by Patty Flores Reinhart

I wrote JOURNEYS in 2020, but as I listened to my recording partner/technician/guest narrator, Sarah, read this paragraph in Chapter 8 this morning, I inwardly flinched at how prescient these ideas were given the tragic events in Minneapolis this past weekend. I did not sleep well during that entire first year of the pandemic. I had a short reprieve of somewhat anxiety-free slumber during the Biden administration, but I have been plagued by persistent insomnia since election night, 2024. Once again, I feel tremendous gratitude for the arts in any form because the arts remind us of our humanity - that our better angels DO exist, and we can access the truth of our nature if we are just willing to be brave enough. (Courage is one of my favorite virtues. No wonder I am a Gryffindor.)

On my way home from our recording session, I was listening to the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast and I was struck by this quote: "The dream of repair is the whole job of fiction." I love that!

We are very close to completion on this audiobook, and at the end of our session, Sarah and I metaphorically patted ourselves on the back because it is sooo good, Ya'll! The different voices provided by my guest narrators, their wonderful acting, the heightened drama and emotion enhanced by the incorporation of musical underscore, and Sarah's brilliant editing will make this a very unique listening experience. Sarah even compared it to a radio play. I couldn't agree more. It will be so much more than your average audiobook. It will be like a film projected directly into your mind's eye!

Audiobook - Coming soon!!!