Monday, December 25, 2023

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


Wednesday, November 8, 2023

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.

Monday, November 6, 2023

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






Tuesday, August 1, 2023

LibriVox: Hernani

I recorded about 3 words for this project.  LibriVox

Hernani

Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)
Translated by Camilla Dufour Crosland (1812 - 1895)

First performed in 1830, this was once described as a play on which the "romantic school centered its
hopes". The Classicists at the time felt that this play was a threat to everything they deemed important in literature. Set in 16th century Spain, Hernani is a tale of romance and intrigue.

Described in 1912 thusly: "The performance was permitted, so tradition says, in the expectation that the play would discredit the romantic school once and for all. The principal actress, Mlle. Mars, was outraged by Hugo’s imagery, and refused point blank to call Firmin [actor] her ‘lion, superb and generous.’ A goodly claque, drawn from the ateliers and salons, brought the play to an overwhelming triumph, and for fifteen years the dominance of the romantic school was indisputable." ... and "Hernani passes from one cataclysmic experience to another; the whole of life seems to depend on the blowing of a hunting horn.".

This play inspired the opera "Ernani" by Giuseppe Verdi, premiered in 1844. - Summary by Jake Malizia

Cast list:
Hernani: Greg Giordano
Don Carlos: Jake Malizia
Don Ruy Gomez de Silva: Alan Mapstone
Doña Sol de Silva: Jenn Broda
The King of Bohemia: Algy Pug
The Duke of Bavaria: James R. Hedrick
The Duke of Gotha: Michael Broomhill
The Duke of Lutzelbourg: redrun
Don Sancho : Adrian Stephens
Don Mathias: John Payton
Don Ricardo: Larry Wilson
Don Garcie Suarez: James R. Hedrick
Don Francisco: Andrew Gaunce
Don Juan de Haro: KHand
Don Gil Tellez Giron: Sandra Schmit
Doña Josefa Duarte: Lynette Caulkins
A Mountaineer: ToddHW
A Lady: Michele Eaton
First Conspirator: Adrian Stephens
Second Conspirator: John Payton
Third Conspirator: Andrew Gaunce
A Conspirator: ToddHW
The Page: James R. Hedrick
Stage Directions: Sonia
Editing: ToddHW

Genre(s): Romance

Language: English

Librivox: Love and Friendship

 I worked a bit on this one (voice of the Innkeeper).

Love and Freindship (Dramatic Reading)

Jane Austen (1775 - 1817)

Love and Freindship [sic] is a melodramatic epistolary novelette written by Jane Austen when she was fourteen years old. Although the novels Austen became known for were not published until she was in her thirties, she was an active writer from the age of twelve, frequently composing epistolary works such as Love and Freindship. Austen eventually compiled 29 of her early writings in three notebooks that became known as the Juvenilia and that she called “Volume the First”, “Volume the Second”, and “Volume the Third”, including Love and Freindship in “Volume the Second”. Love and Freindship is set contemporaneously to Austen’s writing and consists of a series of fifteen letters, most of which are written from the perspective of the protagonist, Laura, who recounts her extraordinary personal history to her friend Isabel’s daughter. The novel satirizes sentimental novels, which were a popular genre at the time. Austen’s early works are frequently published with the original spelling errors unaltered, a practice that is particularly conspicuous in the case of Love and Freindship because of the spelling error in the title. Austen dedicated this novelette to her cousin Eliza de Feuillide, who is believed by literary critics to have inspired multiple characters in Austen’s writings, including the titular character in the novel Lady Susan. In 2016, Lady Susan was adapted into a film that borrowed the title Love & Friendship, albeit with the spelling corrected. - Summary by David Purdy

Cast List:

Laura: Irene Rubio

Sophia: Devorah Allen
Edward Lindsay: Larry Wilson
Isabel: rosefiasco
Augusta: Jenn Broda
Gustavus: Tomas Peter
Polydore: David Purdy
Claudia: Michelle Purdy
Sir Edward: Adrian Stephens
Augustus: redrun
Philippa: Norah Nelson
Lord St. Clair: Algy Pug
Janetta: deaspoke
MacDonald: ToddHW
Servant: Greg Giordano
Postilion: Rich Brown
Innkeeper: John Payton
Narrator: James R. Hedrick

Genre(s): Dramatic Readings, Epistolary Fiction, Humorous Fiction

Language: English

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

LibriVox - The Clandestine Marriage

David Garrick (1717 - 1779) and George Colman the Elder (1732 - 1794)

A secret liaison and wedding. What will happen when they find out? - Summary by Michele Eaton

Cast List
Lord Ogleby: Greg Giordano
Sir John Melvil: Adrian Stephens
Sterling: ToddHW
Lovewell: Jim Locke
Canton: Alan Mapstone
Brush: Krista Zaleski
Serjeant Flower: John Payton
Traverse: Algy Pug
Trueman: Lynette Caulkins
Mrs Heidelberg: WendyKatzHiller
Miss Sterling: Annie Mars
Fanny: Jenn Broda
Betty: Adrienne Prevost
Chambermaid: Mira Williams
Trusty: Lauren-Emma Blake
Servant: David Purdy
Narrator: Michele Eaton

Genre(s): Humorous Fiction, Plays, Romance

Language: English