Jon and Stephen Recorded Readings

For the seventh episode of Season 3, we rejoin Jason Nightingale as he settles into guard duty. But our go-getter knows better than to sit idle. On the agenda: archery practice, discussions of unconventional foods, and self-esteem exercises for a certain bear cub feeling down on his romantic prospects. Jason may even make his first-ever friend—and proceed to have a panic attack at the idea of having a friend. And it might turn out that this “not-friend” is holding back critical information that our young trainee needs to ferret out.And don’t go anywhere, because next we conclude with the kickass finale of “My First Day” and Season 3. Follow the podcast so you won’t miss the final confrontation with the golden-locked antagonist, who turns out to be far from just another pretty face.Instead, she might just be a pretty face with otherworldly allies and an arsenal of magic.View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/humor/my-first-day-part-2And, as always, please consider leaving a quick rating or review wherever you listen.Cover photo by Stoic Rhino and licensed through Unsplash.

For the sixth episode of Season 3, we join a youth from humble origins who is eager to climb the ranks of an up-and-coming private security firm known as the Nightingale Agency.Young Jason brings several advantages to the organization: no family, no friends, and no ties to otherwise distract him from his training. Just so long as the Nightingales continue to feed him, he’ll do whatever they ask. Follow the Nightingale apprentice as he and his mentor have been called to the home of three bears under threat by a home invader backed by nefarious corporate interests. But even with his singular focus and food-based motivation, will he have the skills needed to complete his first official assignment?So epic is this tale that we decided to split it up into three parts for our season finale. So tune in next week for Part 2!View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/humor/my-first-day-part-1And, as always, please consider leaving a quick rating or review wherever you listen.Cover photo by Lene Magro and licensed through Unsplash.

For the fifth episode of Season 3, we have a triple header. That’s right, not just one, but three stories unified by theme and even recurring characters. That theme? Economic satire.Proceed at your own risk. You’ve been warned.For our first stop, a dastardly scheme unfolds against the innocent residents of Virginia and the supply-side economics they hold so dearly within their hearts. But can one well-intentioned retail worker spare his home state from destruction? Or will the automated help line stymy our villain’s nefarious plans all on its own?For the second stop, we turn our attention to the sworn enemy of Communistress, the Defender of Cash, Profit, and the Laissez Faire Way. That’s right, Free Market Man is here to save the day!For the third and final stop, Free Market Man returns to earn his anti-hero badge as the Defender of Soft Currency, Shareholder Value, and the Laissez Faire Way confronts an old foe, the dastardly shepherd of tariffs known as the Protectionist.View the original stories on Vocal to read along (ordered by appearance):“The Revolution will be assisted by the next available representative”: https://vocal.media/fiction/the-revolution-will-be-assisted-by-the-next-available-representative“Free Market Man”: https://vocal.media/fiction/free-market-man“Free Market Man Returns”: https://vocal.media/humor/free-market-man-returnsAnd, as always, please consider leaving a quick rating or review wherever you listen.Cover photo by Vladimir Solomianyi and licensed through Unsplash.

For the fourth episode of Season 3, we visit the far-off future to join the CEO of SimCorp at an inflection point in his posh life built off deluding the rest of the globe.SimCorp, a corporation that has grown wealthy and powerful on the mass production of virtual reality technology. The world sits squarely under its profit-driven thumb. If, as the company promises, “reality is as near or far as you wish,” then what happens when their figurehead walks out the door and faces the reality of the world he helped build?View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/futurism/fourth-wallAnd, as always, please consider leaving a quick rating or review wherever you listen.Cover photo by Artem Sapegin and licensed through Unsplash.

For the third episode of Season 3, we join the Earth after the bombs of The Final War have ceased falling and the irradiated dust left over from the Very Bad Week has settled. The final vestiges of humanity have emerged and set to work on rebuilding that which represented the greatest epoch of humanity: the online writing platform Vocal.Unfortunately, the other survivors across the globe have not returned to content creation, that most noble of pursuits. And the only active users, the AI bots, take on the aura of gods as the generations pass. Two in particular attract followings among the human observers. And it just so happens that they are diametrically opposed in their preachings. Until all comes to a head as two opposing religions resolve their differences in the way most do.View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/fiction/the-last-commentAnd, as always, please consider leaving a quick rating or review wherever you listen.Cover photo by Tima Ilyasov and licensed through Unsplash.

For the second episode of Season 3, we ask the age-old question: If walls could talk, would they turn out to be opinionated know-it-alls eager to talk a haggard detective’s ear off about all they had picked up from watching Jeopardy! for decades on end?That’s right, we’re taking the “If walls could talk” maxim to its logical endpoint as a wall provides a statement to the police about a grisly death it witnessed.View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/fiction/stonewalling And, as always, please consider leaving a quick rating or review wherever you listen.Cover photo by Greg Shield and licensed through Unsplash.

For the inaugural episode of Season 3, we ask the age-old question: does being the best magic wielder truly earn you the title Chief Sorcerer when everyone on the planet is learning it from scratch, including you?Forgotten by their futuristic sci-fi government, the settlers of a desolate world must learn to make do with what is left behind. Fortunately, the planet offers one advantage: the existence of magic. The catch? They’re learning how to use it for the first time. Including the most adept of them all, our hero, the Chief Sorcerer. What could possibly go wrong?View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/fiction/one-unchecked-boxIf you enjoyed this premise, don’t forget to vote in our poll or leave a comment—if you listen on Spotify—and you might just see a future book from our author with this story as the opening chapter.And, as always, please consider leaving a quick rating or review wherever you listen.Cover photo by John Gibbons and licensed through Unsplash.

This week's episode is a special feature near and dear to your author. "Sinking Prospects" not only netted me my first ever Vocal challenge win, Runner Up in the Vocal Ship of Dreams Challenge, but it also inspired an entire series around our indomitable protagonist Martin Williams that is now Stephen's first-ever book."Sinking Prospects" follows Martin as he fights to focus on his assignment while most other passengers of the ship aboard the sinking RMS Titanic are preoccupied with survival. His bosses at the Firm have marked a wealthy passenger for death. No matter the fact that everyone is about to drown, Martin must ensure Richard Oblensky joins them. After all, professionals leave nothing to chance, and Martin is the top of his field.This story is featured as Chapter 1 of A Bloody Business, now available on Amazon and Audible:Amazon: https://amzn.to/4aohXzUAudible: https://adbl.co/3vr3VPcBook page for more details: https://stephenaroddewig.com/a-bloody-business/Thank you so much for joining Martin on his lethal escapades and supporting a first-time author!Cover image designed by Brigitte Criqui Wild

This week's episode follows a fictitious figure during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Though our protagonist Ezra and his actions are the product of the author's imagination, they are based on the real heroes who fought back against their Nazi captors in the dark days of 1943. You can read the episode transcript as well as the Author's Note on Vocal to learn more about this event: https://vocal.media/fiction/he-who-fightsCover photo by unknown author and licensed through Wikimedia Commons.

This week's episode follows the sailors of Oyster, a lifesaving ship stationed on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. When a distress call goes out that a merchantman is sinking in a winter gale, Oyster's crew jumps to, unaware that they will soon come to face with the United States' newest enemy: a hunter that prowls the depths and claims its victims from beneath the waves. View the episode transcript and Author's Note on Vocal for additional context: https://vocal.media/history/sasha-s-sacrificeCover photo by Willy Stöwer and licensed through Wikimedia Commons.

This week's episode presents Stephen's first and only fan fiction to date. Inspired by his editing work on Book 2 of the Echoes trilogy, he set out to predict how it would all end in the third and final installment. Along the way, he had a heck of a lot of fun introducing time travel to the series and thrusting the series protagonists Laura and Maverick up against the nefarious Dr. Alice and her new-found partner J. Edgar Hoover. The year is 1937. And their location? The Hindenburg.You can read the episode transcript on Vocal: https://vocal.media/fiction/memoria-d725rq07p2Read Heroes to see how it actually all ends:Book 3: https://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Echoes-Trilogy-Book-3/dp/1957204060Full series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TMBSKTZCover photo by Vitold Muratov and licensed through Wikimedia Commons.

This week's episode features "The Rocks," a nautical tale of stoicism and faith in the face of a withering storm set in the 17th century.This story was written for the Vocal Painted Prose challenge and placed 2nd overall. As part of the challenge, "The Rocks" is based off a real painting: Ships in Distress off a Rocky Coast by Ludolf Backhuysen (1667). The author was lucky enough to see this composition in the National Gallery of Art back in 2015, and eight years later knew instantly what piece his story would take its inspiration from. You can view the full painting as well as the episode transcript on Vocal: https://vocal.media/art/the-rocks-knqz0vemCover photo is a cropped excerpt of the painting by Ludolf Backhuysen, which is in the public domain.

We're so back (⌐■_■)

Jon reads "Beyond the Cape," a tension-filled story of a lighthouse keeper on the rocky shores of Maine and his only companion: a shark. View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/history/beyond-the-capeCover photo by Daniel Gregoire and licensed through Unsplash.

Creative Conversations show page: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1781288Creative Conversations, meet Recorded Readings. That’s right, we’re practicing brand synergy by sharing another podcast’s episode (with permission, of course). Fortunately, Stephen just happens to be featured in this interview.Marissa also has a new book out, which Stephen copy edited, so go read Anomalies for both our sakes: https://www.amazon.com/Anomalies-Marissa-Lete/dp/1957204036

Jon reads "Dash Point," a tale of the paranormal set in a lighthouse on the tip of Cape Cod. View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/fiction/dash-pointCover photo by Quaid Lagan and licensed through Unsplash.

Jon reads "Outside Mission Parameters," a story based on the final journey of the Space Shuttle Challenger and told from the perspective of pilot and astronaut Michael J. Smith. View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/fiction/outside-mission-parametersCover photo by NASA and licensed through Unsplash.

Jon reads "Hunting Shadows," a tale of action and suspense inspired by Tiger King and the Zanesville Animal Massacre. View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/fiction/hunting-shadowsCover photo by Geran de Klerk and licensed through Unsplash.

Jon reads "King of the World," a post-apocalyptic tale of survival in the American plains. View the original story on Vocal to read along: https://vocal.media/fiction/king-of-the-world-daxp8e06yoCover photo by Stefano Valicchia and licensed through Unsplash.

From absurdity to economic satire to meta humor, Season 3 has something for everyone. Unless you hate to laugh, in which case, who hurt you?