The Anklecast

Monty and his friends have always had a lot of fun out in the woods playing near the clubhouse they built, but one day, things change substantially when Bea asks them to catch a butterfly, but they get something else instead... Afterward, Rish and I talk about framing devices, romanticizing a certain time period, and...how to use a phone while time traveling?  As always, thanks to Kevin McCle...

Jean-Paul has spent his life rehabilitating and tending to the few plants left on the surface of the Earth. The planet is mostly dead after the nuclear holocaust that his ancestors released on us all. Then one day while on the surface, Jean-Paul saw movement out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't the wind, there was something out there... Afterward, Rish and Big talk about several things, from ol...

Trent and Brent were two children with rhyming names but vastly different life paths to travel. Brent was brilliant, a boy genius, destined to do something amazing, Trent was average and prone to mischief that would eventually lead him down a dark path of suffering and regret. Their paths would cross again, however, and when they did, Brent would be the one who didn't get it and Trent would be the...

 Jerome and Kirk embark on a mission to save their loved ones from vampires. They venture into their sanctuary and attack them where they live...and they were armed with expert advice from the one and only Johnny Staker, YouTube star and legendary vampire hunter. Afterward, Rish and I talk about vampire tropes and their use in media, working on author-ly activities, and getting feedback. Enjo...

Part 2 is here, rejoice and sing! We finally get to find out what happens to Tyler, Glynnis, and Lady Justice when they attempt to rescue Karma from the clutches of Tyler's evil ex-girlfriend, Harper. Will they get away with it or will Harper catch them and destroy them like she has to countless others? Find out in the exciting conclusion to "Karma Is My Boyfriend." Afterward, Rish and I talk abou...

Tyler and Glynnis get an invitation to a party. They have nothing going on that night, and are hoping to at least get some free beer or maybe a hit off someone's blunt, but when they get to the party, they find that they're in for much more than they bargained for in more ways than one. Afterward, Rish and Big talk about the origins of the story and even share a special AI created version of the s...

I said I'd done my piece for Christmas this year, but I was wrong, and I'm here to share one more Christmas story before we ring in the new year. Scott is a recently single dad who watches over his young son, Ryder. He finds his life to be miserable and tedious, until Klaus Kringle comes along and shows him that it could be so much worse. Afterward, I talk a little about my new goal of writing ove...

Just in time for the last day of November and the kickoff of the holiday season, I have a new Christmas story to share with you. A woman receives a letter years after it was supposed to arrive, but it seems meant to be, as if someone were granting her heartfelt wish...or will it be her worst nightmare that comes to pass? Afterward, Rish and Big discuss some of the joys of being a writer, like the...

It's finally here, the concluding chapter of my epically long novella, "Do Over!" You can finally find out just how it all turns out. Can Joel and Jillian turn things around and get their lives back together? Will Allison ruin everything? Can they defeat time itself? Afterward, Rish Outfield and I talk all about the story. Rish and Announcer Man give their reaction to it, and they talk about it fo...

So, we have part four of my novella, "Do Over". Things are getting crazy. We find out who is on the other side of that door, and no, it's not Lazybones (sorry for the misdirecting red herring of a song). We find out just how bad this confusion from the two timelines can be. So, buckle up, strap in, and hit play for the penultimate episode of "Do Over." It's up on the feed now or you can right clic...

It's episode three of my novella, Do Over. Joel and Jillian take a big step together as Joel changes his past to a future that he wants to live in. At the end of last episode, Joel caught Jillian snorting heroin, and now he has to deal with that problem...but it's only the beginning of the problems he will have to deal with. Jump in and enjoy the next installment of Do Over on The Anklecast. After...

Joel is back for more of his adventures in the past. He establishes himself and gets used to how things are now, but not everything is hunky dory. There were problems in the past, and they begin to rear their ugly heads at him. What will he do? How will he change things for the better? Keep listening to "Do Over" to find out! This time, I do the episode solo. I talk about the struggles of writing...

This is the first part of my novella called "Do Over," in which a man who has reached the end of his rope gets the chance to go back and try again, and possibly avoid the mistakes that he's made in the past...or does he? Afterward, Rish and I talk about some of the things we would like to go back and change if we had the chance to do so, and we open it up to the audience. Please comment and tell u...

It's arrived, the second half of my story from the very first Broken Mirror Story Event Rish and I ever did. Listen to find out what happened in Joe's search to find out why a ghost is haunting his home, particularly his baby monitor. Why is that ghost coming for his son? Afterward, Rish and I talk about the story behind the story, why and how it was written, and just how much of it was autobiogra...

This month, I present my story from the first time Rish Outfield and I did a Broken Mirror Story Event. It's from so long ago that it was, by my count, my fourth completed story ever. It's got a good premise, though. Check it out: Joe, a young father of a newborn, is watching his child when he hears a voice threatening voice from the baby monitor. He rushes into the baby's room to find that...no o...

Okay, folks, I'm back again with part two of "Sepia Tone Prison." It's time to find out whether William will finally get to move on to the next plane of existence, and what happens with Beth and Ryan. Jump right in, folks, the water's fine. Afterward, Rish and I talk about why I wrote the story the way I did and whether I would have written it differently today. Spoiler alert: the answer isn't ver...

 William is a ghost. In the afterlife, spirits are required to stick around and help their loved ones until all those that remember them are gone. Only then can they head into the light. The last relative that knew William just died, but William is still hanging around. No portal to the next realm has appeared, and William has no idea why... I present to you the first half of this large story...

When the mailman drops off a package on Ethan's doorstep, he is confused. It's addressed to him, but he never ordered anything...he's about to return it when he discovers that it contains exactly what he needed before he even knew that he needed it. Afterwards, Rish and I talk about the option for sequels. If everybody loved something that one of us wrote, could we make the story go on somehow? Ri...

Alright, folks, let the crossover event begin! Here's part one, in which I present my story, "Long Term Memory." After spending his life inventing a time machine, a 70-year-old-man travels back to when he was merely 25. He's going to make sure that this time he ends up with the woman he's spent the last 45 years dreaming of. He's thought of everything...or has he? Afterward, the crossover continue...

Back in 2009, Rish and I put together a Christmas special on the Dunesteef called "The Spirit of Christmas." It was an audiodrama, which is a bit of a useless beast when it comes to writing. You can just as readily publish an audiodrama script as you can a screenplay. However, I didn't want the story to go to waste because I liked it a great deal, so I converted it from script to short story. I pr...

In rural Central America, two missionaries arrive at a woman's house to share a message from Jesus, however, they might not be what they seem and may be there for an ulterior motive... Afterward, I discuss the story with...no, not Rish. He bailed on me. Spurned my entreaties. Had better things to do. I discuss the story with Marshal Latham, because Marshal has a special connection to the tale. &nb...

 When Frank Sinatra reached his 50th birthday, despite being on top of the world, he had a hard time with the milestone. However, his muse paid him a visit that day and brought him a special gift. Announcer Man and I got together again, and we invited Rish along to talk about the story and even more about all the things going on these days, and what I've learned about improving my writing and...

I got together with Announcer Man and Rish Outfield, and we put together a fun episode of the show for y'all. It's the first monthly installment of the relaunched Anklecast. Today's story is called "Eye-opening". In it, a woman who has suffered a heavy loss looks for help in dealing with her grief, but the healing doesn't go as she expected for anyone.  Renee Chambliss, Marshal Latham, and Ri...

It's another episode of the Anklecast. I'm going to do one every month, and, well...I barely made it in time, but here we are. Today's story is "Party Girl." It's one that I wrote just last year as I was working my way towards 300,000 words. After the story, I made a sort of vlog of my experiences in the Arctic Blast that froze Texas last week. It was an interesting month for sure, especially that...

I swore I was going to do it. You didn't think I would. In fact, you warned me not to, but I did it anyways. I made another episode of the Anklecast. Today's story is "Active Shooter Training." Oh, and I also threw in a little bitty story as an appetizer called "Date Night." After the stories, I talk a little bit about my goals for the year. I suppose I really ought to do a post where I put them o...