Episode 15: If I Knew Then

Click here for full episode.

It sound like such a good idea at the time!

In “There is Rest for the Wicked,” a couple go through the motions of something that isn’t there anymore. By Vincent Douarre, copyright 2014, used with permission. Read his bio here.

In “Bleeding Out,” a man recovering from a relationship learns a few lessons from a friend on the farm. By Brian Burmeister, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio here.

In “Smooth Operator,” the outfit blessed by the voodoo priestess seemed like such a good idea… By Jason Kerzinski, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio here.

Plans are underway for future episodes. What do you think? What are you looking for? Be sure to Contact Us and let us know!

Happy listening,

Kris

Episode 15 Contributors Part 3: Jason Kerzinski

Scrambling to put the finishing touches on Episode 15 which is, well, bloody wonderful in more ways than one. Jason’s story, I think it is safe to say, is completely unique.

Jason Kerzinski is a playwright, short story writer, poet, and artist living in New Orleans. He just released his fourth book. IN BLOOM is the fourth in a series of collections, ten stories apiece, that was preceded by EXCEEDINGLY BEAUTIFUL, LITTLE ABYSS, and RULER OF HEARTS. The books are designed and printed by Constance Press, with covers by Pirate’s Alley artists. Find him on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JasonKerzinski?ref=hl

If you are here because of the call for submissions on Newpages.com, welcome! Have a look around see what we do, listen to a couple of shows, and we look forward to reading your submission. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Happy listening!

Kris

Episode 15 Contributors Part 2: Brian Burmeister

There’s no good way to describe this episode. You just have to listen to it. And Brian’s story is the short short that ties it together.

Brian Burmeister is Program Chair of English and Communication at Ashford University. He co-wrote the nonfiction play Farmscape: The Changing Rural Environment, published by Ice Cube Press, and his writing has appeared in Cleaver Magazine, The Furious Gazelle, and Yellow Chair Review. He can be followed @bdburmeister.

Happy listening,

Kris

Episode 15 Contributors Part 1: Vincent Douarre

Episode 15 is another one of those where we squeeze in 3 very short stories. The first is by Vincent, and I completely adore the last line of his bio. Gives you a great sense of the story to come.

Vincent Douarre is a student of English Literature at La Sorbonne. His work has been featured in The Bastille, The Birds We Piled Loosely, and The Belleville Park Pages. In his spare time, he enjoys imagining all the ways a future marriage could go wrong, and writing stories about them.

Enjoy your weekend,

Kris

How May I Help You? #FridayFlash

I don’t usually post my own fiction on this blog. That isn’t really its purpose; I’m more trying to promote the podcast.

Today I’m going to make a rare exception. There’s a fantastic writing community on Twitter who use the hashtag #FridayFlash to share their short short stories, and I’ve been invited to participate. I love reading the stories, and I wanted to join in, plus I was inspired yesterday.

After a pretty rough day, I found myself having great appreciation for the service professionals. They deal with customers mad at their corporate bosses, they work with the public all day, every day, and they have to work hard and fast to keep the lines moving. Plus they have to be nice. You know these folks. They pump your gas, serve your food, flip your burgers, scan your groceries, and launder your shirts.

So, in their honor, here’s a piece of microfiction, a style I’m really just learning to do. It is 99 words long. And, yes, it is a story about the kind of week I had.

Enjoy! And watch this space for more info on the podcast.

Happy reading,

Kris

How May I Help You?

“How may I help you?”

“This doesn’t work.”

“Did you drop it?”

“It’s not my fault.”

“Have you contacted the insurance company?”

“You don’t do that?”

“No.”

“What do you do?”

Wish I knew. I can’t contact insurance, I don’t control taxes, what’s broken I can’t fix, and I hate this company more than you do. I wish I could help, but I’m just the guy who works at the cell phone store.

“Can I speak to a supervisor?

“You bet.”

After eight hours, I go to text my buddy, tell him I’m gonna be late. Damn. No service.

Episode 14: Him, Me, You – new voices

Click here for full episode.

Today’s stories are all fresh voices, from newer and younger writers or starring youthful characters. They bring us a fresh perspective in more ways than one.

“1001 Reasons to Love Rachel Maddow” is the typical boy-meets-girl story told in untypical fashion. By Zachary Hay, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio here.

“So Bored” is a piece of microfiction featuring the voice of a young person having an adventure, or maybe just wasting time. By Jake Bible, copyright 2015, used with permission. Find out more about Jake and read his other microfiction at jakebible.com.

In “Out of Order,” you find yourself as a fifth grader on the school bus, a dangerous place to be if you aren’t ready to relate to others. By Angela Luo, copyright 2014, used with permission. Read her bio here.

****A couple of corrections to errors discovered post-recording:

1) The correct title of Jake Bible’s podcast is Writing in Suburbia. Find it in iTunes or check Jake’s website for more information.

2) The hashtag to follow on Twitter for flash fiction is #FridayFlash

As always, we look forward to hearing from you!

Episode 14 Contributors Part 3: Angela Luo

The third story featured on this week’s podcast episode is by very talented high school senior Angela Luo. I am so glad she sent us her story and it is a privilege to feature her work.

Angela Luo is a senior at Dougherty Valley High School. In addition to writing, she is a competitive figure skater, a ballerina, an artist, and an aspiring rapper. Her work has also appeared in Wilderness House Literary Review and The Noisy Island. Angela draws inspiration for her writing from her personal experiences and her social network.

Watch this space! New episode Wednesday.

Happy listening,

Kris

Episode 14 Contributors Part 2: Jake Bible

I first encountered Jake via his fun podcast Writing in Suburbia, which is an enjoyable look into the life of a pro writer. When I found out he also does the Friday Night Drabble Party, in which he shares a piece of microfiction on his website every Friday, I wanted to share a piece on the show and he was very kind to agree to this. Jake’s story “So Bored” features the voice of a young character, which fits in perfectly with the voices of the young writers featured on this week’s show. Big shoutout to Jake for sharing his work, and do check out his bio for all the great things he is up to.

Jake Bible, Bram Stoker Award nominated-novelist, short story writer, independent screenwriter, podcaster, and inventor of the Drabble Novel, has entertained thousands with his horror and sci/fi tales. He reaches audiences of all ages with his uncanny ability to write a wide range of characters and genres. Jake is the author of the bestselling Z-Burbia series set in Asheville, NC, the Apex Trilogy (DEAD MECH, The Americans, Metal and Ash) and the Mega series for Severed Press, as well as the YA zombie novel, Little Dead Man, the Bram Stoker Award nominated Teen horror novel, Intentional Haunting, the ScareScapes series, and the Reign of Four series for Permuted Press. Find Jake at jakebible.com every Friday for his free micro-fiction release, Friday Night Drabble Party. Join him on Twitter @jakebible and find him on Facebook.

Happy listening,

Kris

Episode 14 Contributors Part 1: Zachary Hay

I am currently at work on our third episode to feature 3 stories by 3 different contributors and it is my pleasure to introduce them, starting with Zachary Hay.

Zachary Hay was born in Detroit, MI in 1994. He remains in the area reading, writing, and preforming stand-up comedy. His work has recently been featured in Crab Fat magazine and his short story “Paperclips” is soon to be featured in the Arlington Literary Journal Online. He can be found on Twitter at @Zachhay.

Watch this space for more info on our talented contributors and for Episode 14 coming your way Wednesday. Happy listening!

Kris