Librivox - The Prince and The Pauper

 This was a lot of fun to narrate.  I got to pull out my native Missouri accent.

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The Prince and the Pauper (Version 4 - Dramatic Reading)

Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

The Prince and the Pauper tells the story of two young boys who are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father in Offal Court off Pudding Lane in London, and Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII. After trading clothes for a lark, misadventure results in trading places - the King must survive a pauper's fate, and Tom becomes the presumed King. The book follows the adventures as the two try to learn the world of the other, and strive to find their way back to their true life. - Summary by Krista Zaleski

Cast:
Prince: llamaart
Tom Canty: Andrea Atwood
Henry VIII: AlgyPug
Tom's Father: Larry Wilson
Lord Hertford: Beeswaxcandle
Lord St. John: Kerry Adams
Miles Hendon: ToddHW
Hugh Hendon: Ethan Hurst
Lord Chancellor, Blind Man, Branded Lawyer, Archbishop and Boy 2: David Purdy
Humphrey Marlow and Prissy: Lily
Hugo and Page: Navin
Tom's Mother: WendyKatzHiller
Nan and Benevolent Stranger: The Countess
Bet and Princess Elizabeth: Victoria Alice Bell
Lady Jane: Dawn Sutton
Lady Edith: Devorah Allen
Father Andrew and First Lord of the Buckhounds: James R. Hedrick
Soldier: Philip
Boy 1: czandra
Crowd 1: Chuck Williamson
Crowd 2 and Goodwife: Marie Christian
Crowd 3: Ted Perkins
Official, Chief Equerry in Waiting, and Blake Andrews: redrun
Physician, Waterman, and Dwarf: Laurie Banza
Servant, First Lord of the Bedchamber, and Prisoner: Cavaet
Admiral: lorda
Female Prisoner and Baptist Woman: tinab37
Ruffler: Miller4815
Yokel: Jaime Kurzweg
Margery and The Fairchild: Mia Catherine
Hermit and Judge: Joe Bergin
Shopkeeper: Elyse
Officer: Inkell
Chronicler: Doug Fajardo
Narrator: John Payton

Genre(s): Action & Adventure Fiction, Historical Fiction

Language: English

 

Audiobook - Things Left Behind

 My newest professional narration is now available.  

 

 Things Left Behind, by James Glass
Narrated by John Lee Payton

When Lieutenant Mark Wheeler of the South Carolina Police Department arrives at a possible murder-suicide, he realizes almost immediately things are amiss. The crime scene is brutal, but upon further investigation, he unveils a sadistic killer at play who will stop at nothing to get away. As the case unfolds, nothing can prepare Wheeler for the gauntlet of turmoil and trouble.

Relentlessly pursuing a psychopath who has flown under the radar for years, Mark fights to keep control—driven to bring this monster to justice. Will the sadistic killer finally be caught or will his instincts which have helped him so far see him through to the end?

Librivox - Twilight Stories

 I participated in this project as well.  Download here:  https://librivox.org/twilight-stories-by-various/

Twilight Stories

Various

A collection of broad-ranging, mostly American stories and poems for children by various authors, including Margaret Sidney, Susan Coolidge, Joaquin Miller, Henry W. Longfellow, and Mrs. Amy Therese Powelson. Each poem or story is followed by an additional short rhyme, drawn from a variety of sources, but not attributed. Topics include history, war, school, everyday life, Fairyland, and more. (Summary by Winnifred Assmann)

Genre(s): General

Language: English

LibriVox - Hearts of Three

Hearts of Three

Jack London (1876 - 1916)

Genre(s): Action & Adventure Fiction, Fantasy Fiction

Language: English

Francis Morgan, a wealthy heir of industrialist and Wall Street maven Richard Henry Morgan, is a jaded young New Yorker. When his father's business partner Thomas Regan suggests that Francis take a holiday in Central America, ostensibly to search for the treasure of the Morgans' legendary ancestor, Francis thinks it's a splendid idea. But he never suspects what adventures await across the border... - Summary by Goodreads

Cast List:

Narrator: Lynette Caulkins
Francis Morgan: john warren hart
Henry Morgan: Benjamin Tucker
Leoncia Solano: Krista Zaleski
Parker and Priest of the Sun: James R. Hedrick
Thomas Regan: John Payton
Señor Álvarez Torres and Yi Poon: Wayne Cooke
Señor Mariano Vercara è Hijos and Bascom: Greg Giordano
Enrico Solano and Lieutenant Parsons: Todd
Alesandro Solano: Ted Perkins
Martinez Solano, Gendarme, Overseer Ramirez: redrun
Alvarado Solano: Andrew Gaunce
Ricardo Solano, Juchitán Haciendado: Inkell
Solano Maid: Eileen Ellen
Solano Servant 1, Trefethen's Sailor, Carib, Haciendado 3, Caroo, and Newspaper Pedlar: David Purdy
Solano Servant 2, Percival, Carib, Old Buccaneer Henry Morgan, Guillermo, Panamanian Judge, Lost Soul, and Canoe Indian: John Kennard
Mayan Lad and José, a Mayan youth: Elijah Fisher
Captain Trefethen: Max Magnus
Carib: Yuqing
Pedro Zurita and Police Lt. Burns: Scott Caulkins
Rafael and Charlie Tippery: Elsie Selwyn
Ignacio and Blind One's Leader: Joe Bergin
Augustino, Capitán Rosaro, and Johnny Pathmore: Bill Mosley
Haciendado 2 and Vicente: Major Toast
Oil Man and Peter McGill: Archives27
Beleaguered Peon and Bear Broker: Beeswaxcandle
The Blind Brigand: Larry Wilson
The Blind One's Daughter: Eliza
Old Maya: Sonia
José Mancheno and Old Wreck: Adrian Stephens
Daughter of the Sun Priest and Concordia: Marie Christian
The Sun Queen: Jenn Broda
Lost Soul: Kristin G
Lost Soul: Christine Bowden
Lost Soul: Michele Eaton
Nicoya: Miss Kay
Rodriguez Fernandez: Scotty Smith
Broken Woman: Dawn Sutton

 

Download all files here:  LibriVox:

2023 Hogswatch letter

 Season’s greetings, y’all!

2023:  Honestly never saw this year coming.

Cindi and John had planned to date a while, take some time off work to occasionally visit each other, and ultimately she would move to Omaha just before we married in October. Well, that didn’t happen. She was not allowed to take time off work – even unpaid – for even one extended weekend a month, so she gave notice and moved here in January. We found a house we like, and made our union official several months early, so that she had no gap in health insurance. We are mailing from the new address, so we hope you didn’t throw away the envelope. 

We still had our wedding on Halloween, with John’s son Arthur officiating, in our own backyard. A small gathering, but still quite a bit to get ready for. Halloween seems to be a “thing” for our family. Robin & John, Arthur & Anita, and Cindy & Randy were all married on Halloween.

And (a new) life goes on. We’ve joined a couple of book clubs – one for science fiction/fantasy, and one for mysteries. We’ve found a couple of local D&D games. And, of course, we’re “playing house” (as John calls it), learning how to be partners. It’s amazing to be friends for so long – since college. We were friends because we were so alike. To advance the relationship has been healing for us, following the loss of our spouses.

John participated in three separate shows at the Lofte theater – Doublewide, Texas, the Lofte Variety
Show, and A Doublewide, Texas Christmas. This is the first, and possibly only, Christmas show John will ever do.

John was also contracted to narrate an audiobook: Kingshire Falls, by Steve McElhenny. Soon after finishing that, he received another narration offer, with promises of sequels from both writers. Retirement (in 3 years!) may not involve door-greeting at Wal-Mart after all.

On that subject, Cindi is not officially retired, but has been taking the time to allow her knee and heel to heal. The gel and steroid shots seem promising, and we’ve found a fabulous orthopedic insole that completely alleviates the pain from her heel spur. Hey, we’re senior citizens now, so we’re allowed to talk about medical stuff. 

We attended Cindi’s hometown all class grade school reunion in Navarre KS, thrown because the building has been converted to a community center. Alumni from several decades attended. Cindi knew almost everyone; John knew no one, but everyone seemed nice and the food was good.

Cindi has enjoyed moving back to the midwest – after 40 years – and she is, shall we say, over-exuberant about snow (John hopes that wears off sooner than later). It’s strange living with someone that spent so much time in Phoenix. She wanted to turn the thermostat to 80 in the summer. She had to take light sweaters with her because AC was too low for her in most public places.

We placed a Little Free Library in front of our house, in honor of Robin. So far more people have left
books than taken them. 

We feel blessed this year, and wish all the blessings of the season to you, throughout the year to come. 

John & Cindi

Audible: Kingshire Falls

 This was the perfect project for my first professional audiobook recording.  

The characters intentionally ride the border on stereotypes, which allowed me to have all sorts of fun with the voices.  

Steve McElhinney was delightful to work with.  He was gracious accepting (and sometimes rejecting) suggestions -- even gave me an editing credit.  I hope to work with him again.  

Be sure to listen to the sample!

It came from beyond the sky.

At first distant glance, the spherical object appeared nothing more innocuous than a shooting star. Yet, upon further observation, there was something unsettling about its descent. This was no natural free-fall.

The year is 1953, and the citizens of the American rural town of Kingshire Falls are busy preparing for its centenary.

What was intended to be a day of celebrations soon turns into a desperate fight for survival as friends and family begin to turn into mutated creatures, intent on taking over the town.

Low on weapons, ideas, and hope, a motley crew of survivors must band together if they are to survive.

Kingshire Falls is an affectionate, tongue-in-cheek, homage to the wonderful (and not-so-wonderful) sci-fi and horror B-Movies of the 1950s-1980s. It’s a quiet place to live, but you wouldn’t want to die there.

©2023 Steve McElhenny (P)2023 Sicaso Publishing

Audible Link

And now I'm off on my next project: Things Left Behind, by James Glass.

Librovox: The Dream

I started this work with every intention of recording it as a solo artist.  Life and other commitments got in the way, and I relinquished control of the project after recording the first chapter.  I think that I reacted badly to the project listener (PL), which didn't help.  

At any rate, I did handle the entire first chapter, so if anyone's interested, here's an HG Wells novel!

The Dream: a novel

H. G. Wells (1866 - 1946)

The story is set in a Utopian future. On an excursion, Sarnac, relates his vivid dream to his friends and recounts how he lived the entire life of one Harry Mortimer Smith, an Englishman from times past, in his dream. - Summary by Sonia

Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Science Fiction

Language: English

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