It's been a long time in the making, but finally! The best of Message from the Muse has been collected on Flaming Muse: Matchstick Tales that Ignite the Soul, which contains almost four hours of story-telling recordings. Included are essays, poems, missives, dreams and stories for your listening enthrallment, plus several surprises that have never been published anywhere, ever! And this wasn't an easy process, folks. I expect full-blown kudos for this work of art, as it was recorded in our little studio with howling coyotes, barking dogs and whirling hummingbirds outside our window. Oh, you can't hear them, but that's because we've spent a gazillion hours ironing out the rough spots. Not to worry, there's enough hand-spun energy in this one to keep it authentic and visceral. And we've added an extra cup of charm just for the lip-smackin' goodness of it.
So the truth is, I've been keeping Flaming Muse a secret and it wasn't at all easy. It was recorded during January and February 2009, but we held off bringing it out 'til this brand spankin' new website was ready to strut her stuff. The upside of keeping this under wraps, was that I got to collect feedback before this, our official release. In late February, I took a bunch of copies to an inspiration workshop in Chicago where I was a presenter, and sold out the entire batch--didn't even have a copy left over for myself. I offered a discount price to all who would write a review for me, and here's some of the feedback I received:
"Angi's gift for story telling taps into the very essence of what the hopeful human experience can be and delivers it in trappings that wonder, mystify and inspire the listener/ reader to reach into their own matrix and come out revitalized, refreshed and empowered to be a better version of themselves. Angi is a rare gift...If you were to look at the face of your own personal muse I would not be surprised if he/she had an uncanny resemblance to Ms. Sullins." Gretchen Boyer, Northbrook, Illinois
"I laughed, I cried, I soared...Angis stories, poems, and ponderings took me on a flight of inspiration. Her ability to tell her own tale while reaching deep inside you to help you find your own is uncanny. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride!" Barbara Bellamy, Machesney Park, Illinois
"Absolutely one of the best speakers I have heard! Listening to Angi share her thoughts, writing, and life stories opens the doorway to the realization that there is wonder in the here and now, a place and time for laughter and tears, brightness and shadows. She reminds us to be aware of life's beauty and magic that surrounds us in the everyday." Amber Fell, Rockford, Illinois
"Angi Sullins has a new CD out called Flaming Muse. Good goddess, how could I NOT purchase something with a title like that?! It's a keeper for sure...Her stories, her life, and the way she looks at it, have made me pause and review my own life stories. She makes me think, and in an entertaining way. She's made me cry, not from sorrow but from joy as I try to understand how she walks the walk she does. I find her an amazing woman. I treasure this CD, but most of all I treasure the opportunity that is mine to listen to her voice and feel her passion whenever I wish." Karen Kerr, Wisconsin
Alright, who wouldn't be excited with reviews like that? They inspire the Snoopy Happy Dance. You know the one I'm talking about, where Snoopy throws up his ears, body perfectly still, feet whirling at 90 miles an hour? Yup, that's what my heart looks like knowing people like what I do. I'm inspired by those who are inspired by me. What a delicious circle!
So here's my offer to you: I'm listing Flaming Muse, in our shop, at the introductory reduced price I offered my workshop participants. And with that special price, I'm eliciting the same promise I art-twisted from them: write a review! And no, I'm not holding you to it, I'm just holding my breath. Don't let me turn blue
Listen to audio excerpts here
This audio book is now available in our shop as a collectible 3 disc audio set or MP3 download.
From the back cover of Flaming Muse: Matchstick Tales that Ignite the Soul~
Someone once said that the human heart is made not of muscle and blood, but of stories. From time out of mind stories have inspired, sustained and soothed the heart. When we seek to connect or commune, we do so through story. And there is no better place for story - those that ignite and inspire - than by the fire.
Flaming Muse contains almost four hours of original stories and poems by Duirwaigh Studios founder Angi Sullins. Many of the tales are taken from Angi's popular blog Message from the Muse and from her first novel Duirwaighs and Dreamfields: A True Fairy Tale. In this three-disc collection, Angi, a born storyteller and keeper of the muse's cookfire, will stir tales of love and loss with those of passion and presence, to create for you a cauldron of inspiration.
Come. Sit by the fire. Your heart is tinder. Kindle. Kindle.
