Episode 378: Meet the Cast of the Writers of the Future Volume 42 Audiobook

What makes a science fiction or fantasy story unforgettable?

I got to explore this question (and so much more!) on the Writers & Illustrators of the Future podcast with host John Goodwin and several of my fellow narrators from the Writers of the Future Volume 42 audiobook: Stefan Rudnicki, Gabrielle de Cuir, Orson Scott Card, Jim Meskimen, and Scott Peterson.

We talked shop about science fiction, fantasy, and the stories that move usโ€”diving into everything from how we got our start in audiobooks to what makes this anthology so special. Being surrounded by colleagues and friends, many of whom I’ve known since my earliest days behind the mic, was a true gift. What an honor it was to be a part of this conversation!

Writers of the Future Volume 42, written by L. Ron Hubbard, published by Galaxy Press and produced by Skyboat Media, just debuted as #1 on Audible and Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Science Fiction Anthology.

Tune into Podcast Episode 378 below:

Listen to Writers of the Future Volume 42 on Audible.

A Night of Magic at the 42nd Writers & Illustrators of the Future Awards Gala

My heart is still so full from attending the 42nd Annual Writers & Illustrators of the Future Awards Gala last Thursday evening. To be in a room surrounded by so much love, joy and kindness, celebrating this year’s award-winning writers and illustrators from all over the world, was truly special.

As one of the audiobook narrators for Writers of the Future, Volume 42, published by Galaxy Press (releases April 28, 2026), I was so honored to be included in this magical night. A highlight of the evening was meeting the writers whose stories I had the joy of bringing to life: Canary by Brenda Posey and illustrated by Roddy Taylor; and A Girl and Her Dragon: A Life in Four Parts by Joseph Sidari and illustrated by Josie Moore, which I co-narrated with Stefan Rudniki. Reconnecting with dear audiobook colleagues and celebrating with friends both old and new made the evening even more meaningful.

Here’s a glimpse into this unforgettable night!

Thank you to the amazing team at Author Services, Inc. and to L. Ron Hubbard for founding these life-changing contests. Here’s to dragons, distant worlds, and the power of imagination! โœจ

New Year, New Stories: January Releases ๐ŸŽงโœจ

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, and I’ve missed connecting with all of you.ย  I’ve been focusing on the work – narrating, auditioning, and honing my craft โ€” and it’s been a full and rewarding time.ย  But I do think it’s important to share the stories that touch our lives, so here I am!

January brought four new releases, and I’m excited to tell you about them.

๐Ÿฆ‰ Owl Diaries

I’m so delighted to be a part of the Owl Diaries series by Rebecca Elliott, published by Scholastic Audio.ย  “This adorable New York Times bestselling series is now available in audio format โ€”perfect for young readers who love friendship stories with animal characters.”ย  The first two books released in January, with more to come throughout the year.ย  What a hoot it’s been bringing these sweet characters to life!ย  Available wherever you get your audiobooks.ย  ๐Ÿฆ‰๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿฆ‰๐Ÿ’•

Racial Justice for the Long Haul

Racial Justice for the Long Haulย by Christine Jeske, published by Christian Audio, is a thoughtful exploration of bridge-building and meaningful change through honest conversations across communities. I’m honored to have narrated this one โ€” it’s full of grace, challenge and hope.ย  Now available wherever you get your audiobooks.

๐ŸŽธ Mother’s Hip

This month on Lightspeed Magazine:ย  Mother’s Hip by Corey Jae White and Maddison Stoff โ€” a haunting sci-fi story about a war pilot merged with a mothership, the drone children she’s conditioned to love, and what happens when that conditioning is violently stripped away.ย  Years later, she’s a veteran musician playing dive bars, trying to process her trauma through song.ย  Navigating these two different states of being – armored warrior and broken survivor โ€” was a beautiful challenge. This one really moved me.ย  ๐ŸŒŒ Link to listen to or read the story is here.

๐ŸŒ™ Jennifer’s Daughter

Dropping this week on Nightmare Magazine is Jennifer’s Daughter by Sara S. Messenger.ย  Fourteen year old Lane is homeschooled, isolated, and living with a mother who has dangerous secrets.ย  When Lane secretly befriends River, a lonely boy whose father has his own monstrous truths, their fragile connection becomes the only normal thing in their lives โ€” until the night their parents discover each other.ย  The tender friendship between these two kids, both drowning in secrets but desperate to feel normal, broke my heart.ย  Raw and deeply affecting.ย  ๐Ÿ–ค Link to listen to or read the story is here.

Coming in February:ย  Book 4 in Jody Hedlund’s beloved Matchmaker series โ€” more on that soon!

Thanks for being here. It feels good to be back.ย  ๐Ÿ’œ

 

 

 

Inks, Scrolls, and Secrets – A Week at the Raven Feather Salon – Now on Lightspeed ๐Ÿชถ

Featured this week on Lightspeed Magazine is A Week at the Raven Feather Salon by Carrie Vaughn โ€” a beautiful new fantasy story that I had the joy of narrating.ย ๐Ÿ’ซ

At the Raven Feather Salon life slows down. Tea brews, buns bake, poetry is read, scrolls of protection are inked, and the soft melody of a lute drifts through the air. ย โœจ

But life wasnโ€™t always like this for Sparrow. Not long ago, she was on the battlefield, inking protective scrolls for the army. Sheโ€™d had enough of blood and war โ€” and walked away at the height of her powers.

Until now.

When her old friend Major Kin rushes into the salon, everything changes. A spy has infiltrated his ranks, and Sparrow may be the only one who can uncover the truth. But doing so means risking everything sheโ€™s builtโ€ฆ and the people sheโ€™s come to care for.

To listen or read A Week at the Raven Feather Salon head over to Lightspeed Magazineโ€™s June 2025 Issue 181.ย  Big thanks to the wonderful team at Skyboat Media for sending this gem my way. ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿชถ

It Holds Her in the Palm of One Hand – PART TWO – goes Lightspeed! โšก๐Ÿช

LS - It Holds Her - Part 2 with background color

๐Ÿš€ The story continues …

Part Two is out! Dropping this week on Lightspeed Magazine is the next installment ofย It Holds Her in the Palm of One Hand by Lowry Poletti, a really unique sci-fi story podcast I so enjoyed narrating. If you’ve been following along, you know things are getting interesting …

To find out what happens next, head on over to LightspeedMagazine.com, where you can listen to or read Part Two now.

ย Click here if you missed my post about PART ONE.

Transmission complete. ๐Ÿ˜‰๐ŸŽง๐Ÿช

A Bird, a Ship and a Question of Trust – New Story Podcast Drops on Lightspeed ๐Ÿš€

It Holds Her in the Palm of ne Hand Part 1_WPIMAGE๐Ÿš€ BUCKLE UPโ€”we’re going to Lightspeed!ย 

Dropping this week in the February issue of Lightspeed Magazine is a new story podcast that I had the absolute pleasure of narrating for Skyboat Media!

It Holds Her in the Palm of One Hand by Lowry Poletti is a mesmerizing sci-fi novelette that turns the familiar “first contact” idea on its head.ย  Set in deep space, on the planet Miphre, It Holds Her in the Palm of One Handย follows an uneasy, even antagonistic, relationship between humans and gastors – intelligent birds whose true intentions remain a mystery.ย  Are they allies? Manipulators? Something else entirely?ย  Lightspeed is serializing this story over the next two weeks, and Part One is out now!

To listen or read It Holds Her in the Palm of One Hand – Part 1, head over to LightspeedMagazine.com, Issue 177 – link is here.

Huge thanks to Lightspeed Magazine and Skyboat Media for the opportunity to bring this thought-provoking story to life.

Until next time, see you on the bit stream! ๐ŸŽงโœจ

Hugo Award Finalist: The Sound of Children Screaming

The Sound of Children ScreamingAbsolutely thrilled and overjoyed for Rachael K. Jones and her well-deserved 2024 Hugo Award nomination for Best Short Story with The Sound of Children Screaming. Narrating this powerful piece for Nightmare Magazine (October 2023) was an honor I wonโ€™t soon forget. ๐ŸŽ™๏ธโœจ

As an audiobook narrator, some stories truly leave a lasting mark, and this is one of them. ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐‚๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ž๐ง ๐’๐œ๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐  is a chilling, important tale that resonates deeply in todayโ€™s world. Inside Thurman Elementary, a mysterious portal traps a teacher and her students in a world suspended in time, with The Gun just beyond the classroom doorโ€ฆ

The Hugo Awards take place this Sunday, August 11th, in Glasgow, Scotland at the 82nd Worldcon.ย  So wish I could be there!ย  Sending out big congratulations and lots of #HugoAward love โค๏ธ to all the nominees.

If you havenโ€™t yet, you can read or listen to ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐‚๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ž๐ง ๐’๐œ๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐  in Issue 133 of Nightmare Magazine by going to Nightmare-Magazine.com or hitting the link here!

Special thanks to Stefan Rudnicki and Skyboat Media for entrusting me with this unforgettable story. โœจ

Summertime … is the time to go Lightspeed ๐Ÿš€

LS July Issue 2024 copySummertime ๐Ÿ–๏ธ is perfect for escaping into a new story podcast!ย  So delighted to be featured in the July Issue of Lightspeed Magazine, narrating three different story podcasts:ย  one fantasy and two science fiction tales.ย  Huge thanks to Stefan Rudnicki, Skyboat Media and Lightspeed Magazine for sending these beautiful gems my way.ย ย 

For a flash fiction story about magic, melody and love caught in the cycles of time, check out Songs of the Sorrow of Thorns by Amayah Perveen.ย  It’s hauntingly beautiful.ย ย 

If you’re in the mood for something lighter, don’t miss The Only Writing Advice You’ll Ever Need to Survive Eldritch Horrors by Aimee Picchi, out today!ย  This story was a blast to record.ย  Our heroine secretly fights crime (Eldritch Horrors!) at night under the guise of being an accountant.ย  ย When her boyfriend breaks up with her over her suspicious 3am “accounting emergencies,” she puts pen to paper and writes him a letter.ย 

Lastly, if you love heist stories, ย The Heist for the Soul of Humanity by Filip Hajdar Drnovลกek Zorko may be just what you’re looking for.ย  Out in the solar system, Josephine Foster and her team of female thieves plot to steal Orion’s Sabre, but the real prize is much more valuable.ย  Releases on Lightspeed July 18.

Grab your beach gear, headphones, or tablet and head to LightspeedMagazine.com to listen to or read these stories for free.

Buckle up … we’re going to Lightspeed! ๐Ÿš€

New Story Podcast Drops on Nightmare Magazine!

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Ready to descend the shadowy stairs?ย  Dropping today in the February issue of Nightmare Magazine is a spooky new story podcast that I had so much fun narrating. ๐ŸŒ™

Preamble to the Death of a Small God, written by H.B. Menendez and produced by Skyboat Media, follows an outcast … the last of her kind, navigating a forest haunted by pursuers until she stumbles upon a house nestled between ancient oaks.ย  This house, and the lingering spirit within, becomes her refuge, but its mysteries … are as enigmatic as its welcome.

Grab your flashlight and come with me over to Nightmare-Magazine.com, where you can listen to, or read Preamble to the Death of a Small God.ย  #storypodcast #newrelease

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Thrilled to be Featured in the February Issue of Lightspeed Magazine

Final for Lightspeed Feb 2024As Lightspeed Magazine celebrates their 15th Anniversary, I’m thrilled to be featured in the February issue as both a storyteller and podcast host!ย 

Having narrated some mesmerizing tales for Lightspeed, today brings the release of two exceptional stories.ย  Buckle up … we’re going to Lightspeed! ๐Ÿš€

As we launch into Lightspeed, Scarlett, written by Everdeen Mason, unveils the tale of an inventor shaping his own AI companion, posing an intriguing question: What would it be like to be idealized for a form you didn’t choose?

In our short shot, Further Examination and Capture of Candle Skulls Associated with the Baba Yaga, written by Mari Ness, narrated and hosted by yours truly, we delve into the mystery of Russian Folklore surrounding the Baba Yaga.ย  Trust me, she’s not the granny you’d want to encounter in the woods at night.

Lastly, in case you missed it, check out Companion Animals in Mahล Shลjo Kira Kira Sunlight, written by Stewart C. Baker, an absorbing dive into events around an American Web Series, released just last week.ย 

ย Lightspeed Story Podcasts are produced by the award-winning team at Skyboat Media, and to whom I extend heartfelt thanks for featuring me in the February issue. โค๏ธ

If you’d like to listen to or read these stories, head over to the February issue of Lightspeed Magazine.com, where you can enjoy them at no charge, or simply follow the link here.

Until next time, see you on the bit stream … ๐Ÿš€