The Copse

Dear listener,

I'm back at last with Episode 56, The Copse, after another long wait. It's been a sideways kind of year for me but I have kept writing when I could. 

This story is for you if you have ever taken a rock home from a walk or a pinecone or a feather, or gathered a collection of keepsakes from the wilderness. It's also for you if your body limits you from doing the things you imagine. Take flight with the girl, Rowena, and her little friend, the blackcap. I hope you will find this a soothing tale.

Here's a direct download link but remember you can subscribe to Borders of Sleep with your favourite podcast app and even find it on Audible.

The soundtrack on this episode is from Laura Inserra: Musical Incense - volume one, available from Magnatune.

I hope to bring you a special festive December tale later this month too, so stay tuned.

Sweet dreams,

Seymour

The Cadillac in the Pond

 

Dear Listener,

I'm delighted to bring you Episode 55 - at last and thank goodness! With my apologies for another enormous gap since the last episode.

This one began as a short piece of whimsy but soon took on a life of its own, as they often do. I hope you find it entertaining and, most of all, soothing.

Part of the lateness of this episode has been due to me making some life changes recently so that I can give more regular dedicated time to writing and creating these stories for you. There were quite a few ducks to get lined up, and not a few challenges on the way. Nevertheless, I hope it means that I will be able to drop fresh material with greater frequency in the coming years and grow the creative projects surrounding the podcast in a more sustainable way.

Here is a direct download link for those who prefer that approach.

The soundtrack in this episode is by Juan Sanchez, available from Magnatune.

If you are enjoying the podcast and have not already done so, please consider joining my email list or following Borders of Sleep on Facebook. You can find out how to support me to keep writing on my Support and Donations page.

Thanks for coming along on this audio journey, and I hope we can travel together again at the borders of sleep soon.

Until then, sweet dreams!

Seymour

The Boat Going Home

Dear Listener, 

I've been having vivid dreams again this year, and here's another story that came from a dream. In it you will meet a special friend that I was privileged to have for a while, as well as accompanying me on a strange and wonderful journey along with another friend, somewhat mysterious. 

I hope this is a comforting tale to fall asleep to; the dream was certainly comforting for me.

As always, I am flushed with gratitude to all the wonderful listeners who keep an ear out for me and who have kept encouraging me too. All your comments and reviews are so appreciated and I have made some good friends around the world from those who have got in touch with me. 

Here's a direct link to the MP3, and of course you'll be able to get the podcast on your favourite podcatcher as well as on Audible and Apple.

The soundtrack is by Cari Live, from the album Rising Above.

I hope it will not be long before we take another trip together. Until then ... sweet dreams!

Seymour

Flea

 

Dear Listener,

I hope you enjoy this episode, which is, in fact, the retelling of a strangely detailed dream I had about three years ago, with a little bit of licence. It betrays some of my own ongoing fascination with the painter's art. 

I often hope, when I fall asleep, that I will go back to that town and see some more. May it carry you to another world too!

If you'd like to be more informed about my work, what's coming up, what inspires me, and how you can support me, please consider joining the mailing list. I send out a new email with each episode but no more frequently than that. Continually I hope to become better at producing at least one episode a month, although I would love to be doing this all day every day.

Here's a direct link, if you'd like to download the MP3 directly. 

The soundtrack on this episode is by Jay Kishor from Stories from My Grandfather's Village. 

I am extremely grateful for the episode artwork created by our 'Artist in Residence' between sleeping and waking: Soledad Fernandez-Whitechurch. She does wonderful work not unlike the hero of this story. See for yourself here. 

Thank you for listening and, until next time ... sweet dreams ...

Seymour 

The Guestbook

Dear Listener,

My hope is that that this story affords you a little breathing space on a troubled planet, and perhaps a pleasant pathway into sleep. The inspiration for it has come from the inexorable emergence of springtime here in the Northern Hemisphere put alongside a real place I visited in Devonshire many years ago and first saw the forlornly neglected guestbook

I want to thank Soledad Fernandez-Whitechurch for her lovely illustration for this episode. Look out for more of her work here in the coming months. Thank you also if you have written to me or left encouraging reviews or comments since the last episode. Life does not always afford me the bandwidth to create new stories but I am so grateful for the many loyal and patient listeners.

So, if you'd like a direct link to download the mp3, here it is. The soundtrack to this episode is from The Bright Knowledge by Diana Rowan.

Until next time, have a wonderful spring and sweet dreams,

Seymour

The Spudfellow

Dear Listeners,

If you have never known the simple delights of harvesting potatoes, then I thoroughly commend it to you. Who knows ... you might find some treasure, or even a Spudfellow, and it could change your life!

This may be the longest Episode yet, at 45 minutes, but I hope you enjoy it. Here is your direct download link.

AND, look! We have wonderful new artwork created by a brilliant artist and devoted listener based in Austin, Texas: Soledad Fernandez-Whitechurch. Please take a look at her Instagram or check out her website: Soledad Fernandez-Whitechurch Murals and Fine Art.

The soundtrack in this episode is by Healing Muses, from their album Reflections on Magnatune.

Until next time, sweet dreams,

Seymour

The Artisan, The Abbot and The Architect

 Dear Listeners,

Glad I am to be bringing you Episode 50 at last. Perhaps it is a good moment to thank all the cheerleaders, encouragers, supporters, journeying companions at the borders of sleep for helping me so much to get to Episode 50. At moments, it has been overwhelming to hear from listeners how you have made the stories part of your lives and I am so grateful to have had the honour.

This episode will bring you pleasure, I hope, as others did before it.

You'll find the music in the backing track on Magnatune as usual and it is played by the aptly-named Healing Muses.

If you like to grab a straight MP3 of the episode: here's your link.

Thank you all for listening and I wish you the sweetest dreams as always,

Seymour

Monday Mechanical Club

Dear Listeners,

Here is Episode 49 for your listening pleasure: a story about a stenography machine. I had a lot of fun writing it, and the characters have since become good imaginary friends. I hope you like them too.

It's been a long wait, for which I apologise. The story flowed very easily at the composing stage but there seems to have been a mountain to climb to record it.

Here's your download link if you want the direct MP3. 

The background music is from Chad Lawson's Song of Prayer album on magnatune.com

May your sleeping be sweet and your waking be fresh,

Seymour

To Catch a Skerrid

 

Dear Listeners, 

Here's Episode 48 for you: a little light mood for the springtime of the year! 

Magic runs in the family, so when cousin Rupert comes to spend the summer with Damson and her mother, there are magic tricks, a little transdimensional tomfoolery, and, of course, poetic justice. 

I hope you enjoy listening. Here's a link to directly download the MP3. Don't forget you can use any podcatcher app too. 

If you'd like to listen more closely to the soundtrack underneath, it's well worth it: listen to Undefended Heart by Hans Christian on Magnatune. Have a wonderful April! 

Seymour

The Frog and Banjo

 

 Dear Listeners, 

I'm delighted to bring you the tale of The Frog and Banjo, inspired by an imaginary pub sign and with almost no basis whatsoever in the waking world although some of the characters may be as courageous and others as unkind as some people you have met. 

Here's your direct download link, and if you like the sound of that music in the background it's by Jami Sieber on Magnatune. 

If you're enjoying the podcast, feel free to jump in and say hi over on facebook, drop me an email or leave a comment here. Listeners have asked about how they can give to support me in this endeavour and the best way to do that is to buy me a coffee until I get something else sorted out ... 

But most important of all, enjoy the story and take care of your dreaming selves! 

With much love and gratitude,

Seymour