Coffee Contrails

Meet award-winning authoress Helene Simkin Jara in this 2021 interview. She talks about her books: Because I Had To, True Doll Stories We Remember, and Turn Left at the Gorilla and Go Down the Hall.

"The Lawn" by Helene Simkin Jara is a comedic(?), sci-fi audio adventure about neighbors, being, well, neighborly. Harold looked forward to his writing group every Wednesday night. The prompts that people took turns giving were usually enough to get him going on a fun ride. The prompt was sort of science fiction like which wasn’t his forte, but well, why not? He figured he’d write about a couple of extraterrestrial beings wandering around in his next door neighbor’s backyard. Boy, she’d shit her pants if that really happened. Harold chuckled to himself at the thought of it.

Meet Mark Sbani in this 2021 interview, where he discusses his two Coffee Contrails' features: Moon Man (2013) and Alley Cat (2021). He is a Denver producer, playwright, and short film enthusiast with his next musical "The Isle of Eigg" to be released in Scotland next year.

Meeeeow ~ This is Alley Cat, a radio crime thriller by Mark Sbani. Be on the lookout for. White female. Light brown hair, close-cropped. Medium build. Scarred complexion. Attempt to ID. Real name: unknown. Alias: Alley Cat.... Listen to the story, here on Coffee Contrails.

Interview with emerging writer Thomas Throop, creator of Freddy Finn and the Catfish Burglar Matter. His short story "Selfless" can be found in the anthology "Unlocked Stories: Ten Stories, One Phone". He has also contributed "The Traitor’s Portrait" to the unofficial, Warhammer fan-fiction site Cold Open Stories. Learn more about his creative projects at unlockedstories.com.

Freddy Finn in the Catfish Burglar Matter is a sci-fi noir story by Thomas Throop. ...Attention: Marcellus Watkins, care of First Tri-State Insurance, New York City. The following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the Catfish Burglar Matter... Listen to the story, here on Coffee Contrails.

Interview with emerging writer David Pirinelli: Recent Cinestory semifinalist with his story "Niagra Fell" and his advancement to the Second Round with "Hell Off Earth" at the Austin Film Festival, David's work continues to impress. His short story "NumbersFTW" can be found in the anthology "Unlocked Stories: Ten Stories, One Phone" or listen to his Coffee Contrail's adventure Reunion. Learn more about his creative projects at unlockedstories.com.

Hank Meyermann is a short story by Meera Collier. Saturday afternoons were the best for Hank. His mother would be in the kitchen, and his sisters would be preparing their dresses for church the next day. His father was busy in the shop, selling meat for the town’s Sunday dinners, and Hank had the parlor to himself. He would sit in the silence of the soft pink room with light streaming in and the keys before him. Listen to his story, here on Coffee Contrails.

Reunion is a short story by David Pirinelli, adapted from his drama teleplay Hell Off Earth, which placed in the 2020 Austin Film Festival Script Competition. A supply crew investigates a distress call from the remote Mining Station G08, which floats alone in a dark corner of space. The station's seven thousand inhabitants eked out a meager living burrowing deep into the ancient rocks beneath them. It was a grim life, but in 2245, most ways of life were pretty grim. Listen to their story, here on Coffee Contrails.

Sorrow is a short story by Anita Dime. Ryan walks along old paths within the Big Basin National Forest, challenging the perception of self from today, tomorrow, and the yesterdays. He walks with the ghosts that walk along with us.

Reveal is a short story by R.W. Heubel, and it is loosely based on his larger book project titled, We Three. ~ "As David ended his late-night shift of shuttling his patrons back and forth across the Bay Area, he did what he always did after getting home and parking in his assigned carport at Hales Apartments. He cleaned the windows of his minivan, restocked the beverage holders with water bottles and wiped down his leather seats. Then, he checked for any items people left behind. There it sat on the floor behind the driver seat, another cellphone. David picked it up. On the back of the phone was one word, GrayStar. It wasn’t a brand of phone he recognized."

Interview with emerging, science fiction writer R.W. Heubel: He is an author and abstract painter. His work can be found in the anthology "Unlocked Stories: Ten Stories, One Phone". Learn more about his creative projects at chickenbonebob.com or on Twitter @BobHeubel.

Night Calls is a short story written and narrated by Anita Dime. Into the early morning hours, Forensic Specialist Cindy Pruett and Officer Wright investigate a crime scene. Passing his squad car along the muddy path, Wright lifts the yellow crime scene tape as they enter the secured area. “You arrest anyone yet?

Maria is a short story written and narrated by Helene Simkin Jara. In the summer of 1966, Helene ran away from LA to New York City. To make ends meet, she lands a typing job at $66.23 a week. Listen to her slice-of-life recount of her summer in the city.

El Dragon Fafnir is a Norse myth adapted by Jimena Dib and narrated by Bauti Jantus in Castellano (Spanish). In the bowels of the earth hides an unequaled treasure, but it is guarded by the dragon Fafnir and no one can defeat it. Who will dare to face the dragon? This is the story of the birth of a hero, of how he fights to achieve his fortune ... and his misfortunes.

Document 13 is a short story by Cristina Romero. With the escape route imprinted in her mind, she pushed the door open, setting off the alarms. The shrill sound followed her as she wove her way through the maze of hallways. “Hello? Abby? Is that you?” Join us on this contemporary Sci-Fi adventure.

Interview with contemporay crime fiction writer Cristina Romero: She is a self-publishing author of the "Sui Generis" series, which is available on Amazon. Her work can also be found in the anthology "Unlocked Stories: Ten Stories, One Phone". The stories that she writes tend to be character driven and writes what her characters whisper in her ear.

Leo on the Train is an award-winning short story by Meera Collier. It is late summer, 1944. Ride along with Leo in the hot train car, as he dreams with the clacking of the chigga-chigga-clatter-beat rhythm of the passing telephone lines, dreams of music, Bella, and goodbyes.

Interview with short story writer Meera Collier. Her award-winning short story, Leo on the Train, will be featured on Coffee Contrails before the end of 2019.

The Maltese Spectrum is the first story in the chronicles of Johnny Grant, Private Eye. Set in an alternate 1930's New York City, the story follows Grant as he investigates what at first glance appears to be a simple case, but what seemed routine quickly takes a turn for the bizarre. Gyrotaxis, automatons, airships, and more...Grant soon finds himself up to his neck in deception, seduction, weird technology, and murder. Download now! Learn more about the author Rick "Paladin" Pratt at https://www.facebook.com/themaltesespectrum.