Coffee - Rockets and Battleaxes

Episode 23: "Leaf By Niggle" by J.R.R. Tolkien (part 1)

Welcome to episode 23! We finally have a story by the great JRR Tolkien on the show. Niggle is the primary character of this inwardly-reflecting story. It was long enough that I decided to cut it into 2 parts. Part 2 will be released in a couple of weeks. Before the story, we take a shallow dive into Tolkien's history. I knew he was in World War I and it inspired some of his writings. One thing I didn't know is how he would invent languages - just for fun! Quite a brilliant chap and I am glad we still celebrate his works today. If you want to know more about Tolkien in detail, a great place to start is https://www.tolkiensociety.org/ . Our coffee of the month is a dark roast from Dice and Drip! Check out this veteran-owned company at https://www.diceanddrip.com/ . Thanks for tuning in - Enjoy the show!

Episode 22: "The One Who Waits" by Ray Bradbury

Ray is back and boyhowdy does he have a story to tell about human explorers and what they find on the planet Mars. Or should I say, what finds them? Coffee of the month is Adventurer from Dice and Drip, a veteran-owned company dedicated to gaming, service, and a great cause! Thanks again for listening!

BONUS episode! An excerpt from "Soulsucker" by Jeffrey Simmons

From the mind of author Jeffrey Simmons comes a story of alien abduction, survival, and betrayal. This is a book I recently produced and narrated. "Soulsucker" chronicles the trials and tribulations of five unique individuals the moment they are "flashed" away from Earth. They soon discover not everything is as it seems and will have to rely on their strengths AND weaknesses in order to survive. Paperback, hardback, and Kindle versions are available on Amazon. https://a.co/d/2pHGNN4 Audiobook is available on Audible. https://www.audible.com/pd/Soulsucker-Audiobook/B0G1V2SPK5?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpMore on author, Jeffrey Simmons: https://simmonspublishing.net/ Thanks for listening and Happy New Year!

Episode 21: "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry

It's the holidays and I wanted to bring a classic seasonal short story to the podcast. While it isn't my usual content, it's a story I've wanted to narrate for quite some time. There are a couple of great lessons in here and a couple new words I learned along the way. As always, thanks for listening and have a Merry Christmas and healthy, happy holiday season!

Episode 20: "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke

A Jesuit astrophysicist, with a wavering faith, is on board an exploratory vessel to investigate the Phoenix nebula, many light years from Earth. He makes a shocking discovery that is thousands of years in the making. The coffee of the month is a light roast blend from New Moon Cafe in Augusta, Georgia! www.newmoondowntown.com https://www.newmoondowntown.com/store/product/costa-rica-la-cuesta-copy/ If you're in the mood for something more long-form, check out "Soulsucker" available on Audible. Five "random" people are abducted by aliens and go on a psychological adventure that spans time and space. https://www.audible.com/pd/Soulsucker-Audiobook/B0G1V2SPK5?eac_link=r0ieCF348ZDy&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B0G1V2SPK5&qid=b6ZqiCaQ37&eac_id=135-4672854-3600445_b6ZqiCaQ37&sr=1-1 Thanks again for listening!