Cead Fáilte
A thousand welcomes to Crann na beatha Short Stories and Poetry for June 21st, 2024
I am Terrance Ó Domhnaill, your village scéalaí, back again this week with more stories and poems from online authors.
I just have four short stories this week. We have chapter twenty one of the ongoing story From Beyond the Water Wall, a short science fiction story by a Substack writer, a science fiction horror story and part two of the young adult story about Renae and the pixie.
So gather round once more and let me read them to you under the shade of the crann na beatha, the tree of life.
Click the play button above to listen to the stories I have selected to read.
Just out of curiosity this week, I checked the analytics for this podcast/audio book across all of the platforms I have set up for distribution. The total downloads are in the thousands now.
Over a thousand on my Substack page, and over four thousand on all of the other platforms. This is coming from my hub on RSS.com, which distributes this show across the world on multiple platforms. The largest percentage is from listeners here in the United States of course.
Good work writers. We are becoming popular around the world. Compared to Instagram and TikTok influencers, these numbers are small change but it shows that we do have a growing global audience. Something worth cheering about in these trying times.
I will do my best to keep up with everything and continue to try and provide the best audio content I can give. I know I don’t have one of those Hollywood style professional voices but I try. I think I am doing okay for someone who has never had any formal training in making audiobooks.
This is heartening to know that our efforts to provide the world with good quality stories and poems for their entertainment is having a small impact on some peoples lives. Now it is up to you to keep writing and for me to keep trying my best to turn these stories and poems into something akin to a story time for people everywhere.
For anyone who listens to this show, I am open for suggestions. If you have a suggestion about format, or content (such as special effects) that you think might make the show more popular, I will listen and see what I can do.
I don’t have a crew to help me nor a professional sound studio. I do all of this work by myself out of a spare room turned into a part time sound studio made up of a commercial grade microphone, sound editing software on a robust desktop computer, sound muffling curtains hanging from a ceiling track and some on the job training for sound engineering. All of the backgrounds and commercials you see have been created by me using Canva and Microsoft Paint 3D. My costs include an annual subscription to podcast hosting platforms, such as RSS.com and Apple Podcasts, an annual subscription to Streamyard, Medium, YouTube and the expenses needed to set up my domain name and hosting of my website.
I am not monetizing any of this as I look at this endeavor as a community service to the world when the average person needs all of the simple entertainment we can give them amidst the chaos and daily struggles.
I only ask that all of the people reading this newsletter or listening, pass this podcast on to as many others as they can. Let people know that this simple, free entertainment is available every week and how to find it. Word of mouth is the best advertising in the world. Something I learned when I owned my own business once upon a time.
If someone feels generous enough to want to support my efforts, I offer details in the podcast on how to do that. The easiest way is directly through my website at www.crann-na-beatha.com. It works great. I have had a couple of donations given in the recent past so I know it works.
For all of the writers whom I have shared their stories and poems to the world, keep up the good work. If I haven’t read one of your stories or poems yet, rest assured, I will find them someday and reach out to ask your permission to read one. I plan to be around doing this for a long time yet.
Now I present to all of you this week’s selections to read.
From Beyond the Water Wall
Chapter 21/25 — The General’s Dream
Bane
A ruthless invader, determined to thrive.
The Blooming of the Violet Dusk Oak
Part Two: When Renae becomes fast friends with Vitty, a pixie, she realizes there still may be a way to restore the park to its residents
That’s all I have for everyone this week. I hope those who have followed along this far, return again next week for more. Sláinte
Go raibh maith agat. Thank you for listening to the show today. I hope you enjoyed the variety of stories and poems again this week. If you like the show, please like, subscribe and reply as this goes a long way towards reaching more listeners around the world.
As a Seanchaí, I hope you will allow me to continue delighting you with a story or a poem here under the Crann na beatha. Maybe they will bring you a smile and take you away from your troubles for a time.
As I say good bye this week, I wish to leave you with this Irish blessing as you go about your day. “May your path rise up to meet you and the sun warm your bonnet as you walk down the lane to the pub. May your friends and relations bring you a pint after you retell these stories and poems I give you here.” Slán go fóill — goodbye for now.
T. Ó Domhnaill — Gaelic Seanchaí
Crann na beatha Stories and Poetry Newsletter