At the Corner of Elm and Main by H.L. Burke and Tears of the Sea by Savannah Jezowski

Karyne (00:00:07) - Hi fantasy readers. This is Karyne Norton, your fellow book binger, and you are listening to the Finding Fantasy Reads podcast where you can test out a new fantasy story every single week to find your next favorite author.

Today I'm featuring two different stories by two different authors. Both stories can be found in the Tales of Ever Afteranthology, which was put together by A Fellowship of Fantasy. It's a few years old, but I was excited to find several nuggets inside.

The first story is written by H.L. Burke, and it's told from the perspective of a lamp. But considering it's an inanimate object talking, it packs a lot of emotional punch. Heidi Burke has jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series. Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns. But she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture. Married to her high school crush, who is now a U.S. Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life, but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.

This first story is narrated by Paeter Frandsen, host of Christian Geek Central, and it's short and sweet, which is why I'm featuring two today. So be sure to stick around for the second story. Spoiler alert, it has a mermaid. For now, please enjoy At the Corner of Elm and Main by H.L. Burke.

Paeter (00:01:44) -  At the Corner of Elm and Main is read by Paeter Frandsen. Due to copyright, the full transcript of the story cannot be included here. 

Karyne (00:19:46) - I hope you enjoyed listening to At the Corner of Elm and Main by H.L. Burke, narrated by Paeter Frandsen of Christian Geek Central. If you want to read more by Heidi, go to HLBurkeAuthor.com to find more of her books. 

If you enjoyed listening to Paeter narrate the story, you might also enjoy listening to his podcast, Christian Geek Central, where he discusses movies, video games, and all things enjoyed by self-proclaimed geeks from a Christian worldview. 

If this is where you typically tune out or turn off the podcast, don't forget, there's a second story. It's written by Savannah Jezowski, and I have to admit that my mind was blown when I realized she and Everly Haywood are one in the same. I don't know why it feels like I discovered some superhero's secret identity, but it does. And it almost makes me want to adopt a pen name so someday I can give someone else that feeling. 

Savannah writes swoony sweet romantic fantasy under the pen name Everly Haywood, with a focus on strong leading ladies and brooding but huggable heroes. An advocate for her goblin princess with down syndrome, she also features characters with disabilities. When she isn't tangled up in magical curses or drinking pumpkin spice coffee, she can be found weeding her garden, homeschooling her fairy princess, and reading. Stick around to the end to find out how you can snag a free book from Everly, who is actually Savannah. My shock is actually sort of embarrassing because she very clearly has both names on her Instagram. Anyway, more about her in a minute. Please enjoy Tears of the Sea by Savannah Jezowski. 

Karyne (00:21:34) -  Tears of the Sea is read by Karyne Norton. Due to copyright, the full transcript of the story cannot be included here.

Karyne (00:48:41) - I hope you enjoyed listening to Tears of the Sea by Savannah Jezowski, narrated by Karyne Norton. If you want to read more by Savannah, go to everlyhaywood.com (because remember, that's her pen name) to find more of her books. You can sign up for her newsletter there to snag Dark Affliction, which is one of my favorite newsletter freebies to date, and I've read a ton because that's where I find a lot of stories for the podcast. 

Speaking of newsletters, if you want to get email reminders for new episodes, be sure to sign up for the Finding Fantasy Reads newsletter. I also include links to deals on audiobooks, new releases, and freebies from our featured authors, as well as anything else that I think might interest someone who enjoys fantasy audiobooks and short stories. I will have links for both authors' sites and the newsletter in the show notes. 

Thank you all for listening, and happy reading!