Showing results by narrator "Mike Vendetti" in All Categories

We meet Evelyn as she is dumping a "male" friend who, in today's world, would be considered her lover. He probably was, but in 1920, they just did not say that in polite literature. Meet the bowl. It was a wedding gift to Evelyn from another suitor she dumped when she married Mr. Porter. As you might guess Evelyn is a beautiful yet rather shallow person. The male friend was about to leave but, unfortunately, Mr. Porter is walking up the drive. Evelyn hides her friend in the closet, but when he decides to leave he bumps into the bowl and it gives off a resounding alarm.

Most Americans celebrate Halloween as entertainment. They go to haunted houses, put on by mortals to scare them, and trick or treat in their neighborhoods. They even have Halloween parties in their homes, but Count Drac Von Stoller's family celebrates Halloween like mortals do on Christmas day.

This short story remains an enigma, as F. Scott Fitzgerald once again takes on the aristocracy. The heroine, Ardita, beautiful, rich, and spoiled rotten lounges on her uncle's yacht until she is carried away by an offshore pirate, Curtis Carlyle. Carlyle tells her of his upbringing as poor white trash in a Tennessee town, and his rise to become a successful musician - but one who has never been able to dance with the aristocracy. Until that is, the beautiful, spoiled-rotten Ardita falls in love with him, as much as she is capable of falling in love with anyone other than herself, on the deserted tropical island.

In the streets of Harrisburg, a man is killed in what appears to be a straightforward hit-and-run - until the victim turns out to have no identity whatsoever. Obituary writer Lenny Holcomb's ability to glimpse the secrets of his column's subjects leads him to suspect that his old friend, ex-congressman George Packard, may have had a hand in the "accident.” But if so, why do all the clues point to Packard's slick political rival?

Lois, a beautiful 19-year-old young woman travels to Baltimore to meet Harold, her love interest, as they consider a breakup. We never meet Harold; instead, the short story becomes more about Catholicism and the priesthood, as Lois first spends an afternoon with Keith, her 36-year-old brother, a seminarian in a Jesuit monastery. Lois and Keith have not seen one another for 16 years, so it is an extremely interesting reunion.

Bill Driscoll and Sam (we never learn his last name), a pair of turn-of-the-20th-century con men embark on quite an adventure. The pair need $2,000.00 to pull off a fraudulent town-lot scam in Western Illinois. They decide to kidnap the only son of a prominent Alabama citizen in the small town of Summit. They should've known when they grabbed their target, who was at the time throwing stones at a kitten, that it would be best to leave him alone. Particularly after he beans Bill with a brick. The situation does not improve with time. O Henry, famous for his humor, plays on words, and plot twists makes this a highly amusing short story.

Known as the "Prince of Preachers", Charles H. Spurgeon, although he preached in the mid-19th century, is still revered by Christians today. From his missive Morning by Morning, Mike Vendetti narrates Spurgeon's morning readings for the month of October.

This short story by O. Henry depicts the plight of a homeless person, Soapy, living in New York at the turn of the last century. A park bench is fine during the summer, but winter comes and Soapy needs a winter home. God willing to pay the price of philanthropy, Soapy determines to spend the winter months in jail. Now the problem is how to be arrested.

The title of this short story by F Scott Fitzgerald is a bit deceptive and doesn't do this story justice. The four fists are actually four very valuable life lessons delivered with a fist.

n Stacey arrived at Bill Bateman's for her five year class reunion, she had no idea how a memory from her past would alter her future. In one innocent moment, a simple cordial act leads one on a path of jealous rage and another fighting for their life. Tempers flare, threats are exchanged, blood is shed, and the services of the homicide detectives are soon requested. In his second release, former homicide detective and award-winning author, Ken Lang, unveils the inner workings of a chaotic homicide unit.

This short story became possibly H.P. Lovecraft's favorite. Lots of things and possibilities going on here. A meteorite has crashed near a small farm west of Arkham, Massachusetts and strange things begin to happen. The life force seems to be being drained from living organisms near the well. The story is being told by a surveyor who is surveying the area prior to a damn being built that will flood the area with a lake. The potential problem is, the "thing" lives in the water of the well.

"Youth" is a surprisingly complex short tale, with a deep core of thought-provoking reasoning. What is our motivation? Where is our growth? What do we consider valuable? These questions and more are brought to light in this story by Isaac Asimov. Youth is one of the rare Asimov stories with alien characters.

Kurt Vonnegut creates a near-perfect world. There are no prisons, no slums, no insane asylums, no cripples, no poverty, and no wars. All diseases were conquered. So is old age. Death, barring accidents, was an adventure for volunteers. The population of the United States is stabilized at forty-million souls. Have a problem? Not really, just call the Federal Bureau of Termination. Nothing to it. Just pick up the phone and call 2BR02B. Thus the title, "To be or not to be".

Charming and thought-provoking, this short story from American master of science fiction Ray Bradbury and narrated by Mike Vendetti follows the misadventures of a group of elderly women who have poured their life savings into a final trip to an outer-space paradise, only to find out that the promised journey doesn't pan out quite the way they expected it to.

Some short stories are amusing and soon forgotten, and others set one thinking. "Oh yeah, or what if". This collection narrated by award-winning audiobook narrator, Mike Vendetti is in the latter category.

Imagine being trapped in the millisecond between the past and the future. All Dave Miller wanted to do was commit suicide in peace, but here he was. Trapped.

Communication is the key to getting along. Space travel makes communication with alien races imperative, but before the language problem could be resolved the war started. A highly intelligent cat-like race able to communicate telepathically is discovered that offers to help. But wait how can you trust an alien or anyone that can hear your thoughts?

"Devouring Shadows" is a gripping tale that blends science fiction with horror elements. The idea of shadows from a fourth dimension introduces a fascinating twist on existential themes, exploring the unknown and the potential danger that lurks beyond our perception.

In "The Auction" by Stephen Crane, brought to life by Mike Vendetti, we are transported to a public auction featuring the possessions of a former sailor named Ferguson. Tired of life at sea, Ferguson meets a woman who symbolizes everything he wishes to embrace away from the ocean's call. They marry and begin building their life together on dry land. During his time at sea, Ferguson had a pet parrot that traveled with him, and his wife soon became enamored with the lively bird, making it a beloved member of their home.

Meet Al Nicely, a man whose last name is the only pleasant thing about him. With a history as a ruthless hoodlum and a deadly .45 that speaks louder than words, Al has climbed the ranks of the North Side crime syndicate seldom needing to throw a punch. From his early days in the Army, where he honed his self-defense skills and navigated the shadows of street life, Al's ambition knows no bounds. But in a world where power comes at a price, how far will he go to rise to the top?