MAKING HEADLINES AUDIO BOOK

Posted on November 24, 2025 by Newschick

CHAPTER ONE – SECOND HALF

So here it is! The latest audio instalment of my novel MAKING HEADLINES – voiced by myself and hubby Alan Fletcher. For those of you who know Fletch better as Dr Karl and might be sad about Neighbours coming to an end, you can get your weekly fix of drama and intrigue right here – also while hearing the dulcet tones of Mr Fletcher.

The cover of MAKING HEADLINES — Rachel Bentley features on the cover page for the novel MAKING HEADLINES

MAKING HEADLINES follows the story of a young TV reporter, Rachel Bentley, as she navigates her way up a tricky career ladder – all the while dealing with the emotional impact of reporting on life’s tragedies and juggling some major dramas in her personal life.

You can hear the first half of Chapter One in the previous Blog and the second half here. I’ll create a new post once a week for easy and FREE listening.

Chapter One is naturally the ‘establishing’ chapter of the book which will introduce the listener to the main characters. You’ll also learn Rachel is facing some tough challenges in her personal life with her unemployed dope-smoking boyfriend while career-wise, she takes on a sexist senior in the newsroom…

Fletch plays a variety of roles in this instalment. He voices Rachel’s boyfriend Tim, several police officers and Rachel’s newsroom chief-of-staff, Rob Kingsbury.

The plot thickens further in Chapter Two. If you’d like an email every week for easier, regular access, subscribe to this blog and it’ll happen automatically. Stay tuned and let me know your thoughts in the comments section!

AUDIO BOOK – A READING OF MY NOVEL ‘MAKING HEADLINES’

Posted on November 10, 2025 by Newschick

It’s coming up to the TEN year anniversary of the publication of my first novel MAKING HEADLINES with Harper Collins. I must say I probably should have done more to publicize the book at the time, but self-promotion can be awkward – not to mention the fact that I felt slightly disappointed my labour of love had only made the grade as an e-Book. SO now I’ve decided to use this milestone to try something fun that might also help garner interest.

Keep in mind that while I DID, in the past, work as a TV journalist and newsreader, MAKING HEADLINES is definitely a fictitious book! While I had an Arts Degree and was a qualified journalist, I went ‘back to school’ after I left Channel Ten to study the art of novel writing at RMIT where I obtained by Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing. And of course, during my studies, we were told to write about what we know best for our first novel. So this is what I’ve done. The main character, Rachel Bentley, lives a much more outrageous life than Jennifer Hansen!

Each week, I’m going to read half or a third of a chapter (depending on the length of each chapter) and post it here on my website so you can listen to it – like you would an audio book. I’ll post it here as an audio file so you can easily play it in the background while you get on with other things.

I’ll start with a general introduction to the novel, but afterwards will just get on with reading the book. Not sure how I’ll go reading the more ‘spicy’ sections, but that might provide some amusement! So here goes!

A SHORT TEASER FOR MAKING HEADLINES:

Stay tuned for the first intalment from Chapter One next week!

CHAPTER ONE – PART ONE

AND HERE IT IS! The first half of Chapter One from my novel MAKING HEADLINES. This is where we meet the main protagonist – Rachel Bentley – who is navigating her way through some tricky developments in her personal life as well as some challenges in the newsroom at Network Six where she works as a TV reporter.

I’m also thrilled that hubby ALAN FLETCHER has agreed to read the male voices from the novel, making this officially his first acting role since NEIGHBOURS ended. He does a wonderful job too! I hope you enjoy listening to this and I’m keen to hear your feedback. You can leave a comment on my Blog or direct message me on Instagram. My Instagram handle is jenahansen.

The Year That Was – the highs and lows of 2015

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Newschick

It’s always a nostalgic time. The last day of the year inevitably leads to reflection about the year that was – dreams won and shattered; friendships rekindled and lost; unexpected joys and tragic lows.

I know it hasn’t been a great year for many and I’ve also had my fair share of sad times, but I’m going to take pause to put on my Pollyanna hat for a moment and try and celebrate the highlights.

Before going down that path, I want to pay tribute to two people no longer with us. It’s my way of keeping their memory alive.

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Rochelle and me

I can’t say ‘goodbye’ to 2015 without sharing one more memory of my dear friend, Rochelle. Her passing was such a massive shock and her loss has been so hard to come to terms with. That sadness will stay with me and our friends who all miss her so much, and will do for years to come. Only two years ago we had a New Year’s Eve party at our place and of course, karaoke was a part of the evening. Rochelle blew everyone out of the water with her version of the Adele song ‘Someone Like You.’ It was a heart-wrenching and poignant rendition and the only moment in the night where everyone stopped to listen. Singing was just one of her talents.

We thought about having another New Year’s Eve party this year but I’m not quite ready for that yet. Maybe next year.

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Nic Jacobson

And then for my son and his friends, just over a week after VCE exams finished, their schoolmate Nic Jacobson was tragically killed in a car accident. The school community rallied around Nic’s parents, Laurie and Jane and his sister Marni. Unspeakable sadness. Inexplicable loss and devastation. Tom had been at school with Nic from Prep through to Year 12. Our hearts go out to Nic’s family and you will forever be in our thoughts.

Before those tragedies, there were happy times. Afterwards too, although those days are also tinged with a sense of loss as you try to remember the special moments and be grateful for what was and then to live in the moment, knowing how precious and short life can be.

So for now, I’m going to focus on the highlights that made the year special – some planned, some unexpected – but all bringing light and some joy to temper the sadness. Here’s my Top Ten for 2015: