In case you missed it, The Story of My Book: Part 1 & 2 tell about my adventure of bringing the memoir to life, deciding to take the self-publishing plunge and going through the challenges of finding the right title. Read Part 1 & 2.
The audiobook version of Reaching for Sunrise was created on the picturesque German Island Sylt. Daniel, a dedicated and enthusiastic sound engineer, and I shared a week in his recording studio.
Aside from his control room overflowing with computer equipment, mixing boards, and a sitting area, there was a chillout room with a six-seater sofa on which my Wonderdog Coco immediately got comfortable. The sound booth, approximately 35 square feet, contained a stand with a microphone and a side table. A large computer screen was affixed to the wall. Padding on the walls made the small space eerily mute.
I was excited as I began, knowing that someday, people would hear my voice as I read out my own story. My voice would be there for posterity. It reminded me of the days when I would record the voiceover tracks for Steve’s and my Tantra videos and the Chakra Wisdom meditation, script printed in 24pt font in hand, my body moving along with the music and the rhythm of my words. I feel right at home in a studio, on film sets, with cameras, lights, microphones and cables everywhere.
Narrating the first few chapters, recounting my life in Australia and the early days with Steve flowed effortlessly, brimming with joyful and love-infused memories. I felt uplifted by the story and hoped that my voice would carry that elation to the hearts of my future listeners.
Then came the more challenging part: the cancer diagnosis, treatment, and scary, uncertain times. Questions swirled at the back of my mind as I read it all out aloud. Why me? Why? Will I survive this? Disbelief and shock washed over me, the old trauma rose to the surface, and emotions made my voice wobble and choke up. I could hear my sniffles in the headphones. The microphone that stood about half a foot away from me looked oddly comforting. This was not a person I was telling the story to but an inanimate microphone. And yet, I was talking to the world.
By the grace of the divine mystery I had passed through all the events and was still here to record all this. I was sure that my actual voice would help to make that fact even more tangible and inspirational for those listening.
Chapter six was the toughest. There, I describe being told in the middle of the night about Steve’s murder. In the sterile recording booth, with Daniel across the hallway in his control room, I struggled through tears, reading and re-reading the same passage over and over. My heart broke each time when I came to the description of learning about Steve’s death. Even as I write this, I still can’t quite grasp that all of it actually happened.
At some point, I stepped outside the sound booth to catch some fresh air, get a drink of water, make sure Coco was happily chilled out on the sofa, and to check in with Daniel. In his hand was a paper tissue, his eyes overflowing. He had told me earlier that his English wasn’t perfect, yet he understood the entire story.
Eventually, we reached the two lighthearted and sweet happy endings of the final chapter, followed by the epilogue. Finally, all eight hours and 31 minutes of the audiobook were recorded. For quality control, I had to listen to it several times to find the places where one could hear my sighs, quiet crying, and other sounds that don’t belong in a professional audiobook. Daniel and I spent hours going through these edits together, sharing many vulnerable moments and laughter.
Somehow, I felt an even deeper sense of fulfillment than when I had completed the actual manuscript. With gratitude that listeners could join me on this intense journey by hearing my voice, I looked forward to inspiring courage and hope in many, many people, knowing that my spoken words would touch hearts long beyond my own lifetime.
Soon available on Audible and other audiobook platforms. Click below to listen to an audio sample. ♥️