#15-The Hear Now Festival, Kansas City, MO

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Kelley Hazen

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Rozanne Devine

Hear-Now-Fest-Mark-Twain-we Next week, I will be participating in the audio equivalent of a film festival.  Hear Now: The Audio Fiction and Arts Festival is the only festival of its kind in the U.S.  It features contemporary audio fiction including: live and scripted solo performances, audio theater, audiobooks, audio art, classic radio drama, sound design, and much more.  Kansas City, MO hosts this festival this year from June 11-14.  The festival is featuring a celebration of the works of Mark Twain.  Actresses Kelley Hazen and Rozanne Devine and I will be appearing on Thursday evening to read excerpts from three works of Mark Twain.  I will read from Huckleberry Finn; Kelley will read from Tom Sawyer; and Rozanne Devine will read from The Diaries of Adam and Eve.  In this podcast, I feature an interview with actress Rosie Devine, information about Kelley Hazen and readings from all of us.

#14-An Interview with Sue Badeau

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Voice Actor George Taylor & Author Sue Badeau

My wife and I met up with Sue Badeau outside Atlanta one Saturday afternoon.  She graciously agreed to be interviewed about her work with adoptive and foster children and as a writer.  We talked about her involvement in the Sweetland series from Helping Hands Press and I play some excerpts from the two books I have recorded for her.  Summer in Sweetland: Never Too Old and Roots and Wings at Loonstone Lake: Call of the Loon.  Thank you, “Dr.” Sue Badeau, for a wonderful Saturday afternoon and a fun interview.

Here are links to the books discussed in this interview:

#13-How Would Jesus Date?

John Paul & Lauren

John Paul & Lauren

This week’s podcast comes courtesy of a blog posted by a young man studying at The Princeton Theological Seminary.  He asks the question which titles our podcast: How Would Jesus Date?  Intriguing to me.  Even better are the thoughts he shares with us.  Thank you, John Paul Cooke for sharing these thoughts and allowing me to use them in this podcast.

#13-Historical Novels 2

The Outlaw Unchained - Assassins EverywhereThe west of the mid-1800’s was mired in conflict over the issue of slavery.  Against this backdrop, C. Q. Scafidi brings us The Outlaw Unchained: Bleeding Kansas.  This conflict plays a role in this action filled novel.  And Scafidi shares much about Bleeding Kansas.  Never heard of it?  Some background and some tantalizing excerpts from the novel are featured in this podcast.

#11-Historical Novels

DOI #4-CoverLet Freedom Ring coverHistorical novels provide us with information, drama, interesting settings and fascinating characters.  Not to mention, that we actually can learn something of actual events.  In this podcast, I examine and play samples from two of the historical novels which I have recorded.  From the days of the founding of our country, we’ll ask the question, “Would you sign?” from the Declaration of Independence Series.  From the troubled Civil War era, we’ll watch the surprising actions of a sutler in Murray Pura’s series, Let Freedom Ring.  John Hancock was written by Joseph Max Lewis.  The Sutler of Petersburg was penned by Joy Ross Davis.

A special note about this podcast.  You’ll hear authentic music from Revolutionary War times and Civil War times in the background.  From Revolutionary Times, you’ll hear the ballad “Free America.”  From Civil War times you’ll hear, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, “The Bonny Blue Flag”, and “Shenandoah.”

#10-The Merger of Audiobooks & Spiritual Ideas: #3 “Non-Prophet Murders”

Non-Prophet Murders coverBecky WooleyMy friend, Becky Wooley, has written a murder mystery/clerical crime/satire called Non-Prophet Murders which is full of spiritual ideas.  While making you scratch your head trying to figure out “who-dun-it”, Becky challenges you to think about the Church and your beliefs and allows you to laugh, too.  How does she do it?  Well, you have to listen to the podcast to find out!!

#9: The Merger of Audiobooks & Spiritual Ideas: #2 Novels

Swaddling Clothes coverOnce Upon a Christmas Eve coverThis is the second week exploring the merger of audiobooks with spiritual ideas. While we may usually think of Bibles, books about the Bible, or devotionals containing spiritual ideas, there are other forms of writing which can be rich in spiritual ideas. In this episode, I take a look at two novels which explore spiritual ideas using the story of the birth of Jesus as their platform.  Amber Shamel’s The Swaddling Clothes is a historical novel inspired by a Veggie Tales episode.  Anne Baxter-Campbells Once Upon a Christmas Eve tells the story of a teenage who needs to learn a lesson or two.  You’ll hear excerpts from both of these books.

#8-The Merger of Audio Books & Spiritual Ideas: Devotionals

A Mended Heart

A Mended Heart

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God Me & A Cup of Tea

I’ve said that this podcast is dedicated to “audiobooks, spiritual ideas, and other items of interest.”  Today, I start a series of three (I think) podcasts which will highlight the merger of audiobooks and spiritual ideas.  I have recorded two devotional books, A Mended Heart by Patti J. Smith and God, Me and a Cup of Tea by Michele Huey.  In this podcast, I talk about both books and play excerpts from them.

#7-Life in Sweetland

Sonrise in Sweetland, v1 coverSummer in Sweetland coverHelping Hands Press has released a series of books set in Sweetland.  I have recorded two of those books.  In this week’s podcast, I talk about these two books and play samples from the audio of each one.  Take a listen to samples from Sonrise in Sweetland, The Short Engagement and Summer in Sweetland, Never Too Old.

#6-Resurrection Power

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Photo by gt.Photos.

The Apostle Paul writes, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10).  As we approach the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, I offer some thoughts about how to “experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.”  Pull out your Bibles and join with me as we explore this topic.  (Thanks to the Harding University Concert Choir for our closing to this podcast, “His Name Is Life.”)