The Melting Potcast: Recent Episodes
A. F. Grappin
Another fantastic panel from Balticon 2019, discussing CSI techniques in fantasy (and other fictional) settings.
Announcement: We're scaling back to 1 episode a month for a bit while we're working on house prep and moving and such. Once we triumphantly return to our regular scheduling, we hope to have big improvements to the Potcast. Thanks for bearing with us during this transition!
A. F. and Erin got invited onto an Inside the Actors' Studio-like interview show run by creative enabler Sue Baiman. At Balticon 2019, our Head Chef and Grillmistress held nothing back and spilled all.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop (featuring all that new artwork), and to heart us on Spotify! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Happy New Year!
We're back from our little hiatus (holidays kinda kicked our butts) with a Main Ingredient story from Potcast regular James Silverstein!
Jen of Sedgeholme- One young girl gets chosen by her god to stop a war.
We chase that with a Processed Food segment that tears apart probability: the whale/petunias scene from Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Prompt #21 is now closed.
Now introducing Prompt #23- The dead offer you advice, though not always useful.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop (featuring all that new artwork), and to heart us on Spotify! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Nostalgia Pilots Bumper- Django Wexler
How is it December already?
Well, I hope it means you're hungry, because we have a light, delicious meal for you. We'll start with a pair of Stoke the Fire stories based on Prompt #21: You found a star that actually grants wishes!
"Sealed with a Kiss" by Christopher Michael
"WishStar" by Quinn Grey
And after that, we present you with a deconstructed and reconstructed monologue in our Processed Food segment. Dish Boy Theo reads the V speech from V for Vendetta, doing absolutely no justice to Hugo Weaving at all.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop (featuring all that new artwork), and to heart us on Spotify! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Criminal from Birth by A. F. Grappin Bumper- Nobilis Reed
Our November midmonth episode brings you a TMP friend and contributor's latest big triumph: a panel on Twitch for Dummies by Tee Morris, with Tee Morris, of Tee Morris.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop (featuring all that new artwork), and to heart us on Spotify! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
It's November (holy cow) and it's time to serve up some stories!
We have a pair of Stoke the Fire stories based on prompt #20- The forecast called for heavy snowstorms. But what's falling from the sky is NOT snow.
"On the Winds of Winter" by Christopher Glick
"Red Sky" by Christopher Michael
We follow it with a Mystery Meal destroying the opening of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
And our new announcement: The Melting Potcast is on Spotify!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop (featuring all that new artwork), and to heart us on Spotify! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Command Decision by Terry Mixon Bumper- Keith R. A. DeCandido
October midmonth gives us a short and sweet episode. Grillmistress Erin has prepared some rather pungent Botched Recipes, followed by Processed Food from the film A Few Good Men.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop (featuring all that new artwork), and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
We have an announcement coming for November! Be prepared!
Listeners, it is October 1, and have we got a story for you! We’ll start this month with an epic yet somewhat disturbing (there’s your warning) Main Ingredient story by Potcast friend James Silverstein. It’s been a long time since we had a massive cast like this, so let me start by thanking our guest vocal artists:
David Wendt, Kalila Roche, fox_magoo, Nobilis Reed, Doc Coleman, Keith Hughes, Austin Malone, Spence Spencer, Julayne Hughes, and the author himself, James Silverstein.
Father by James Silverstein
Wilbur’s career as an actor on propaganda TV show Father Knows Best seems to be going stagnant. But when sudden explosions and gunfire announce terrorists bursting into the studio, everything changes.
We follow the story with A Little Seasoning with Keith Hughes. As well as providing a voice for this episode’s Main Ingredient story, Keith is also the author of Timehunt: Borrowed Time and Timehunt: Stolen Time. He’s also a podcaster and all-around great friend of the Potcast.
Prompt 20 is now closed. Our new prompt is OPEN!
Prompt #22- You're stuck in traffic and the person next to you tells you to roll down your window.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop (featuring all that new artwork), and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- James Silverstein Bumper- PC Haring
Fans can be very passionate, and the things they are passionate about can spark arguments and obsession. A panel of professionals at Balticon 2019 discuss toxicity in fans and fandoms. Experiences, how to protect yourself, and how NOT to be toxic are all touched on.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop (featuring all that new artwork), and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Lots of fun new stuff this episode! We are still getting used to actually being able to PAY WRITERS, so thanks again to our amazing Patreon backers (who are also getting this episode FOUR days early) for helping to make this possible!
So they get a head start hearing the two Stoke the Fire stories we have for Prompt #20- The forecast called for heavy snowstorms, but what's falling from the sky is NOT snow.
"Like Falling Snow" by Christopher Michael
"One Particulate Day" by Shannon Brodbeck
After that, Erin puts on her semi-dramatic chops for a Processed Food segment where we make a serious monologue from Requiem for a Dream much more absurd.
And finally, Theo reads a Mystery Meal YOU helped create, making Edgar Allen Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue even more confusing.
Oh, and by the way... NEW LOGO! Patrons helped fund that as well as our other new merchandise art (Butts on Trees and Do the Dhreuga) so special thanks again! Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop (featuring all that new artwork), and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Mental Graffiti by Scott E. Pond Bumper- Nobilis Reed
For our August midmonth episode, we're proud to present our first stories we were able to PAY FOR! That's right! The Stoke the Fire stories in this episode have been BOUGHT!
These are for Prompt #19- You have two left feet... along with your right one.
"Skip Skip Hop" by A. F. Grappin (I actually am just keeping my pay in the Potcast coffers for future updates)
"Two Left Feet" by Kalila Roche
After that, we have a trio of Short Order Cook stories, one for A. F., Erin, and Theo! Thanks to Jason Goodman for the story prompts!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- The Case of the Scarlet Starlet by James Silverstein
Bumper- Tee Morris
Five. Years.
The Potcast is old enough to start kindergarten. Who can believe it?! In lieu of a Main ingredient or Stoke the Fire segment, Erin and A. F. tell the story of the Potcast itself.
Then we screw with words in a Mystery Meal destroying Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. And THEN we torture Erin by Processed Food segment-ing The Song of Beren and Luthien from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
Here's to our next five years!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Criminal from Birth by A. F. Grappin
Erin suggested Dynamic Voice Acting as a panel for Balticon and as a result, got to moderate it. Featuring Veronica Giguere, Tee Morris, Starla Huchton, and A. F. Grappin as vocal artists, the panel discusses interpretation when only voice is used.
ALSO, ANNOUNCEMENT!
Thanks to our amazing patreon backers, we are now able to PAY WRITERS! Starting August 1, 2019, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient authors will receive a small payment when their story airs! More reason to send us stuff!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
There’s some sort of construction going on in the Disaster Kitchen, but that won’t stop us from bringing you a meal’s worth of content!
We start with a ducky Main Ingredient story.
The Chosen One by Christopher Michael
One wizard is determined to find the chosen one who will save the world from evil. But the chosen one who has been found… isn’t exactly the one she would have chosen.
Special thanks to A.F.’s brother Tony Grappin for being a special guest voice actor!
We follow that with A Little Seasoning with Nobilis Reed: author, podcaster, and more!
Finally, our Patreon backer and official Saucier Spence has chosen the Mystery Meal for this episode: the opening text crawls from Star Wars episodes 1-8!
And last but not least, Prompt #19 is closed. Introducing Prompt #21- You found a star that actually grants wishes.
Fluff a Duck from https://filmmusic.io: "TITLE" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Criminal from Birth by A. F. Grappin
Bumper- Author Keith R. A. DeCandido
We recently played 2018's panel of the same name. This year, it was new panelists and a totally different discussion. Great new information and insight. Enjoy!
We were LIVE at Balticon 53 on Friday, May 24, 2019 at 8pm Eastern. To a crowd of pairs and pairs of people, A. F. and Erin were joined by voice actors/podcaster/creatives Tee Morris, Philippa Ballantine, and Spence Spencer to bring you a Main Ingredient story by none other than Potcast Word Chef Keith Hughes. “Double Trouble” was based on Prompt #18- You are informed via phone that your SO has been in an accident. They are standing right next to you.
Afterwards, the crowd participated in a live Mystery Meal based on Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.”
And finally, the crowd got to play a Processed Food guessing game. A. F. read the translated version of a certain song, with the audience guessing. What’s worse, after the game, Tee Morris read a SECOND translated version that was just horrible.
A. F. and Erin also had the honor of announcing Spence as the first Patreon backer to achieve a year at a high tier backing, earning her the official Disaster Kitchen title of Saucier!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
We’re preparing for Balticon 2019, but we still have one little bit of enjoyment from Balticon 2018 to throw into your ears.
“You Can’t Shop at Target in Middle Earth” is a panel about figuring out just what resources your characters have access to in worlds that are vastly different from our own. Your character wearing wool? Where are the sheep? If it’s dyed, where did that come from, and how expensive is it? If they’re wearing armor, where did the ore come from? Where is the smith who forged it, the craftsman who shaped it? Where was the wheat, barley, or other grains of their food grown?
Our 80th episode! At least in numbers. We're getting awfully close to that legendary 100th episode. BUT we aren't going to reach that mythical number if we don't get more submissions in. PLEASE check out our submissions and prompts pages!
In this one, we bring a Main Ingredient story from the mind of Doc Coleman and his Crackle and Bang (The Perils of Prague) universe.
"Before Breakfast"- Lord Richard demonstrated some odd talent with firearms during an incident in Prague. Titania Bang and Tinka are trying to figure out just what talents he has.
We follow up with a Food Critic segment where A.F. discusses The Magister Trilogy (Feast of Souls, Wings of Wrath, Legacy of Kings) by C.S. Friedman.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Nostalgia Pilots Bumper- John Walker, author of The Statford Chronicles
We're in hectic preparing-for-Balticon mode, but that doesn't mean we can't still serve up a hearty word meal!
Erin and A.F. start off with a pair of Stoke the Fire stories based on prompt #18- You are informed via phone that your SO has been in an accident. They are standing right next to you.
"An Evening Conversation" by Jason Goodman (this also touches on like 5 other prompts, knowing Jason)
"Redux One - Six" by David "Doc Blue" Wendt
We follow up with a nice Mystery Meal, featuring a cameo from the littlest Junior Chef. This is from The Call of the Wild by Jack London.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- The Perils of Prague by Doc Coleman Bumper- Author Charlie Brown
Okay, we're back on track.
And yet A.F. still isn't back in the kitchen. So Grillmistress Erin is serving up another helping of Botched Recipes. She follows it up with A Little Seasoning with authors/streamers/podcaster Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris!
Prompt #18 is now closed. And now opening is:
Prompt #20- The forecast called for heavy snowstorms, but what's falling from the sky is NOT snow.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Nostalgia Pilots Bumper- Philippa Ballantine
Gah! Sorry this episode is late. A.F. and Erin had a hectic weekend that got in the way. But better late than never, right?
We bring you an amazing workshop recording from Balticon 2018: Improving Your Reading. Erin ran the workshop, keeping things in order as narrators helped authors discover new ways to make reading their works better!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
A. F. is out of the kitchen so Erin is serving up some Botched Recipes! Authors Chris Lester and Charlie Brown get some mentions in this set of bloopers!
After that, A. F. (who still isn't in the kitchen) interviews author Hugh J. O'Donnell in A Little Seasoning. Apologies for some audio issues on A. F.'s end.
And finally, we Mystery Meal up some more Shakespeare! This time, it's poor King Lear getting the treatment.
The Melting Potcast is OPEN to submissions and needs YOUR help! Main Ingredient stories (up to 5000 words) and Stoke the Fire stories (up to 1500 words and based on one of our prompts) are needed, badly!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Best Served Cold by John G. Walker Bumper- Scott Roche
We love you!
Okay, now that the sappy Valentine's Day stuff is past... we're bringing you MORE!
We start with a Main Ingredient story by David "Doc Blue" Wendt
The Ostinato Cafe is full, and there are couples at every stage in their life sharing this special night. But something more makes it even more meaningful than any of them realize.
We follow that with some Processed Foods, where your crew has destroyed famous love poems by putting them through multiple layers of Google Translate!
The Melting Potcast is OPEN to submissions and needs YOUR help! Main Ingredient stories (up to 5000 words) and Stoke the Fire stories (up to 1500 words and based on one of our prompts) are needed, badly!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Yikes! Murder and Stuff Bumper- Nutty Nuchtchas Music Evening Touching Moments One - Pulse Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
We kick off February with a three-course meal for your ears! Start out with Main Ingredient story "The Jewel of Lir's Hammer" by Laura Nicole.
Winifred wakes up, remembering only an explosion, to discover the ship she's been living on has been taken by pirates. Now outed as a woman, how is she going to keep her life in her own control?
We follow the story with A Little Seasoning with the author herself, Laura Nicole. A. F. and Laura Nicole (aka Spence) discuss the story as well as audio narration and audiobook production.
Finally, we torture Dishboy Theo with another Mystery Meal, destroying a scene from Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
The Melting Potcast is OPEN to submissions and needs YOUR help! Main Ingredient stories (up to 5000 words) and Stoke the Fire stories (up to 1500 words and based on one of our prompts) are needed, badly!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Empire of Bones by Terry Mixon Bumper- P. C. Haring Music Evening Melodrama Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
It's well past due, but the Balticon Bonus episodes are joining the regular numbered episodes. Also, as Erin and A. F. will being going to OTHER conventions this year, it doesn't make sense to call these Balticon episodes anymore. From now on, any convention panel episode will now be referred to as The Chef's Table.
That said, this episode's IS a panel from Balticon 2018. Editors and agents discuss "Pitches We're Sick of, and A Few We'd Like to See."
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Happy 2019! We're starting off the year by cleaning the table a bit with some Table Scraps! These are Stoke the Fire stories that never got a partner in the same prompt. Plus, in this case, they're also both stories by our Head Chef!
"Red Tape" and "Seeking Kernels"
We follow that with a Processed Food segment with Dishboy Theo playing a poorly-translated Hannibal Lecter as he sizes up Agent Starling in Silence of the Lambs.
Prompt #17 is now Closed!
Introducing Prompt #19: You have two left feet...along with your right one.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Six Stories, Told at Night by K.T. Bryski Bumper- Mike Luoma
2018 is nearly over, and this is the final episode for this year. At least, in our normal feel. Our Patreon backers will still have one more special episode just for them, so consider becoming a backer! Link to our Patreon is lower in the notes here.
A. F. is cooking solo, bringing you a Christmas magic story by Keith Hughes.
"There Arose Such a Clatter"
Something strange is going on on Ray's roof. If he weren't up late on Christmas Eve trying to assemble a bike for his little girl, he might have missed the magic.
After that, we sink into a Mystery Meal from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
PROMPT #17 CLOSES AT THE END OF THE YEAR! You have 2 weeks left to write and submit a dinosaur story!!!
Also, we are in dire need of YOUR participation! As always, we need Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, but we can also use suggestions for Short Order Cook segments, authors to interview for A Little Seasoning, and pretty much any other suggestions you can toss our way. Check our About Page to see what kinds of things we offer and get ideas to help! And also our Submissions Page!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- The Black by Paul E. Cooley Bumper- Michael R. Underwood Music Christmas Rap Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
We almost didn't make this episode happen in time. Seriously. Things got really hectic in the Disaster Kitchen, but we managed it, and here it is!
We start this meal with a Main Ingredient story based on like... 4 prompts.
A Most Peculiar Bizarre Day Ever by Jason Goodman
Some weird rain has brought a bunch of crazy people into the hospital, and Jay is just plain out having a rough day. We chase that with a Processed Foods segment including a mangled version of Valerie's letter from the movie V for Vendetta. You want to listen to this one, folks. Erin had a tough time keeping it together.
Reminder that Prompt #17 closes at the end of the year!
Also, we are in dire need of YOUR participation! As always, we need Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, but we can also use suggestions for Short Order Cook segments, authors to interview for A Little Seasoning, and pretty much any other suggestions you can toss our way. Check our About Page to see what kinds of things we offer and get ideas to help! And also our Submissions Page!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Mental Graffiti by Scott E Pond Bumper- Chris Lester Music March of the Spoons Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Lots of fun new stuff this episode! We are still getting used to actually being able to PAY WRITERS, so thanks again to our amazing Patreon backers (who are also getting this episode FOUR days early) for helping to make this possible!
So they get a head start hearing the two Stoke the Fire stories we have for Prompt #20- The forecast called for heavy snowstorms, but what's falling from the sky is NOT snow.
"Like Falling Snow" by Christopher Michael
"One Particulate Day" by Shannon Brodbeck
After that, Erin puts on her semi-dramatic chops for a Processed Food segment where we make a serious monologue from Requiem for a Dream much more absurd.
And finally, Theo reads a Mystery Meal YOU helped create, making Edgar Allen Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue even more confusing.
Oh, and by the way... NEW LOGO! Patrons helped fund that as well as our other new merchandise art (Butts on Trees and Do the Dhreuga) so special thanks again!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop (featuring all that new artwork), and to leave us a review on iTunes! And please talk about us on social media!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Mental Graffiti by Scott E. Pond Bumper- Nobilis Reed
We finally made it to an episode that shall not be numbered.
Yeah... it's numbered. But never mind which number.
More importantly, it's time for some Stoke the Fire stories! These are from Prompt #17: You have a dinosaur bodyguard. And as an added bonus, they're by the same author, David "Doc Blue" Wendt!
"Sugar and Spikes- a Flint Redstone Story"
"A Brief Excerpt from [REDACTED]"
We trail that with another Mystery Meal made with your help! This one destroys The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
Also, special thanks to Patreon patron Spence Spencer!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Criminal from Birth by A. F. Grappin Bumper- Mike Luoma
It's midmonth October (already?!) and we're here with another Main Ingredient story! "However Improbable" by James Silverstein.
A lost file containing words written by Dr. John Watson has been found. Is this really what happened to Sherlock Holmes?
We follow it with a Food Critic segment in which A. F. reviews Make Bright the Arrows by S. A. Huchton.
Finally, we destroy English (and a couple other languages in the background) with a Processed Foods segment. This monologue from the movie Dogma went through 6 languages before being returned to flawed English!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- ARCHIVOS Bumper- Scott Roche, author of The Casebook Esho St. Claire
We love so much giving new or newish writers an outlet for their words, and this is what we've got today! We bring you Brownsville Creek: A Suburban Legend by Shay Brodbeck.
There's something in Brownsville Creek. Even it doesn't seem to know what it is, but it's figuring it out to the detrement of humans.
We follow up with a Mystery Meal from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. We should be sorry, but we're not.
Prompt #16 is now closed. We bring you now Prompt #18
You are informed via phone that your SO has been in an accident. They are standing right next to you.
Thanks to Nick Deding for the prompt!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Weekly Podioplex Bumper- John Walker, author of The Statford Chronicles
Hey there! It's another panel from Balticon 2018, this time about Tuckerization! Along with Nobilis Reed, Val Griswold-Ford, and others, our own A. F. was on this panel! Enjoy!
It’s been a while since we proclaimed our idiocy. It seems about time to do it again. Grillmistress Erin serves up some Botched Recipes!
As if that weren’t enough, A. F. reappears magically to give a Food Critic segment for The Terra Gambit by Terry Mixon.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Six Stories, Told at Night by K. T. Bryski Bumper- Beyond the Wall (Chooch and Viv Productions)
Where has August gone? We're up to midmonth already? Well, fine. Here, have a Main Ingredient story! It's based on Stoke the Fire prompt #14- A rash of people have just entered the emergency room--all of them exhibiting superpowers.
ER Invasion by Scott Roche
Something strange and urgent is going on in the ER. Somehow, it's the woman who fixes the copier who takes charge and sets out to protect the innocent.
We come after that with another of our new Processed Foods segment. Theo reads "The Rules" from the movie Fight Club. We translated it through like 8 languages before spitting it back out in English!
We cap off the episode with a Mystery Meal. Erin reads part of one of Lucy's letters to Mina from Dracula by Bram Stoker.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- The Black: Arrival by Paul E. Cooley Bumper- Django Wexler
The Melting Potcast is four years old. FOUR! We can't believe it! We're bringing you a full menu to celebrate, starting with a pair of Stoke the Fire stories. They're both based on Prompt #14 A rash of people have just entered the emergency room-- all of them exhibiting superpowers. But one of them also touches on Prompt #15- There is an expiration date for your birth certificate. It's only a few days away.
"Expiry" by Christopher Michael
"The Waiting Doom" by Hugh J. O'Donnell
After that, we have another beautiful piece of literature twisted into a Mystery Meal. We give you the cloning process scene from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
And finally, we introduce an all-new segment. Happy birthday! This one... is almost as bad as Mystery Meals. In the new Processed Food segment, we take well known monologues from movies and theatre and put them through several layers of Google translate. This time, it was Morpheus's red pill/blue pill speech from The Matrix.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- ARCHIVOS Bumper- Philippa Ballantine
It's July 1, and the kitchen is gearing up for a hot summer. We start with a Main Ingredient story by Potcast friend James Silverstein!
The Journal of the Ivory Throne
Lonnie has gone missing, and friends from his seafaring village are determined to find him. But the trail leads to the Ivory Throne, an island told of in their worst stories.
After that, we treat you to some rather frightening audio from A.F. and Erin's trip to Balticon, including some delirious, late-night word games.
Prompt #15 is now closed. We introduce Prompt #17! You have a dinosaur bodyguard.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Weekly Podioplex Bumper- Scott Roche, author of the Esho St. Claire novels
We're back in action, AND back from Balticon! Time to get the ovens back on and cooking.
So we bring a triad of Stoke the Fire stories, based on Prompt #14- A rash of people have just entered the emergency room--all of them exhibiting super powers.
"The Day the World Broke" by Linton Bowers
"Emergent Services" by David "Doc Blue" Wendt
"Untitled" by Zack Mann
Follow it with a Mystery Meal, featuring the opening scene from Moby Dick or The Whale by Herman Melville.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Criminal from Birth by A. F. Grappin
Bumper- Tee Morris
The Disaster Kitchen has reopened, and we're preheating with the last panel we had from Balticon 51 last year.
Why the Storyteller Needs a Narrator- a discussion about giving your narrative a voice.
As in vocal performer. This is about putting your work in audio. Also, Erin and A. F. were both ON the panel, along with some other staggeringly amazing voice artists and writers with amazing perspectives!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
April kicks off with a rather poignant Main Ingredient story.
"The Orb of Sakmip" by David Wendt
Sakmip's new president seems a little too attached to the relic meant to remind him how not to govern...
We follow that with a new Short Order Cook segment, in which Dishboy Theo details an...interesting week.
Finally, we close with a Food Critic segment. A. F. reviews A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan. Spoiler alert: 5 spoons!
Prompt #14 is now closed. Introducing prompt #16- The sounds on top of the roof suddenly stopped.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- The Casebook of Esho St. Claire by Scott Roche Bumper- John Walker, author of The Statford Chronicles Music- "Black Vortex" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
You know what we haven’t done in a while? Given our head Chef a vacation. So Grillmistress Erin gets the kitchen to herself for this midmonth episode, and of course, you’re getting some Botched Recipes!
Follow that up with another installment of our new Short Order Cook segment, and that sounds like a good time to us!
Bumper- Mike Luoma
Promo- Mistletoe Radio
This whole episode is a huge mess. The Dish Boy greets you, which is bad enough... and everything just kinda goes downhill from there. But the high points...
"Countdown" by Scott Roche
Barry has years left of indentured servitude as a delivery man. But one particular package may be his own deliverance.
After that, we introduce our new Short Order Cook segment. A. F. has 5 minutes to plan and tell a story. The challenge came from Word Chef Jason Goodman...and A. F. did NOT see this one coming.
Finally, we tear apart Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in an all-new Mystery Meal!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Mental Graffiti by Scott E. Pond Bumper- Charlie Brown Music- "I Can See It Coming" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Things get raunchy when panelists at Balticon 51 (including A. F. and Erin) turn sexy scenes into hilarious mad-libs with the help of the audience. NSFW!
It’s February, and love is in the air. So we at the Disaster Kitchen are bring you a Main Ingredient story about love…sort of.
“A Bad Case” by Charlie Brown
When Steven wakes up with a condition that was passed to him, he’s determined to find a way to get rid of it. Unfortunately, the condition, “Gnomes,” isn’t so easy to get rid of. And it’s interfering with his everyday life.
After that, we treat you to A Little Seasoning with Word Chef Chris Lester. Largely, we discuss his newly released book, The Lost and the Least, and what’s coming down the line in Metamor City.
Our final course is a Mystery Meal from William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- The Black by Paul Elard Cooley
Bumper- Chris Lester
Music- "Teddy Bear Waltz" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
January midmonth brings us a new story by Word Chef Hugh O'Donnell. True to his form, it's a Main Ingredient story based on a Stoke the Fire prompt. In this case, Prompt #13- Where did the corn go?
Yes, it's a Freelance Hunters story!
When a town goes missing--the whole town--only Glory, Bingo, and Joachim seem interested in investigating and claiming the reward for finding it.
We follow it up with a What Boils My Pot? segment in which Erin extols the folly of infodumping unnecessary details. A. F.'s brain actually works on this one.
We're also introducing TWO new segments this spring! Short Order Cook and Pot Roast!
Short Order Cook- email themeltingpotcast@gmail.com (Subject Line: Short Order Cook: NAME, where NAME is the host you wish to challenge) and include a 1-2 sentence story idea. That host will have 5 minutes on a future episode to plan and tell a story based on your idea!
Pot Roast- Like a Friar's Club roast, but regarding writers, podcasters, and other storytellers. Tweet, Facebook, or email the crew with suggestions and/or roast fodder when asked!
Don't forget to review us on iTunes, and check out our Patreon and Swag Shop!
Promo- ARCHIVOS
Bumper- Phillippa Ballantine
Music-
Living Voyage Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
We start this meal with a Main Ingredient story based on like... 4 prompts.
A Most Peculiar Bizarre Day Ever by Jason Goodman
Some weird rain has brought a bunch of crazy people into the hospital, and Jay is just plain out having a rough day.
We chase that with a Processed Foods segment including a mangled version of Valerie's letter from the movie V for Vendetta. You want to listen to this one, folks. Erin had a tough time keeping it together.
Reminder that Prompt #17 closes at the end of the year!
Also, we are in dire need of YOUR participation! As always, we need Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, but we can also use suggestions for Short Order Cook segments, authors to interview for A Little Seasoning, and pretty much any other suggestions you can toss our way. Check our About Page to see what kinds of things we offer and get ideas to help! And also our Submissions Page!
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon, our Swag Shop, and to leave us a review on iTunes!
You can submit prompt ideas, Stoke the Fire and Main Ingredient submissions, Pot Roast ideas, and Short Order Cook ideas at themeltingpotcast@gmail.com or check themeltingpotcast.com/submissions for info.
Promo- Mental Graffiti by Scott E Pond Bumper- Chris Lester
Music
March of the Spoons Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Happy New Year, Lexiconnoisseurs and Word Chefs! 2018 is promising some new segments from us (to be announced later this year) and of course, all kinds of new content.
But enough about the future. Let’s focus on NOW!
We have a Main Ingredient story by dear Word Chef James Silverstein.
“World’s End”
A mourning, small-town sheriff gets a visit from an FBI agent tracking down a local necromancer. Of course, it’s someone he knows. Someone close.
We follow that up with A Little Seasoning with Django Wexler (best name ever) author of The Shadow Campaigns and The Forbidden Library. WARNING: We touch lightly on spoilers for The Shadow Campaigns, but it is broad. Highly recommend those books, though.
Finally, we have a delightful Mystery Meal, tearing up a scene from Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Cameo by the littlest Junior Chef.
Prompt #13 is now CLOSED. Introducing Prompt #15!
There is an expiration date for your birth certificate. It's only a few days away.
Don't forget to review us on iTunes, and check out our Patreon and Swag Shop!
Promo- Starsigns by A. F. Grappin
Bumper- Django Wexler
Music- Oppressive Gloom Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
An early morning panel about authentic romance in novels, featuring panelists Nobilis Reed, Scott Roche, Starla Huchton, Bob Chase, and Ken Schrader,
This episode is going to be like none we’ve ever done before. We received a pair of Stoke the Fire stories that defy most description. Largely because they go above and beyond the intention of our Stoke the Fire prompts. Between two stories, a total of 12—that’s right TWELVE—of our 14 prompts to date are covered. We won’t list them all here, but the only two prompts not covered today are prompts #1 and #3. We give you:
“A Potluck Podcast” by Jason Goodman
“Cornjuration” by Jason Goodman
We follow those phenomenal stories—our “Stoke the Fire in Review”—with A Little Seasoning featuring author Pip Ballantine.
Bumper- Tee Morris?
Promo- ARCHIVOS
Someone has taken over the Disaster Kitchen. The Junior Chefs! What do they do but try to embarrass the crew? The JCs bring you some Botched Recipes and cook up some sort of food dish just in time for Grillmistress Erin and Dish Boy Theo to reclaim control.
While sampling this odd concoction, Erin and Theo bring a Food Critic segment where A. F. and Erin discuss My Bittersweet Summer by S. A. Huchton.
Finally, they wrap this ridiculous mess up with a Mystery Meal, destroying the “To be or not to be” soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Don’t forget to check us out on iTunes (and leave a 70-star review), Patreon, and our swag shop!
And... there miiiiiiiight be something fun at the very very very end of the episode.
Promo- Necropolis by James Silverstein
Here in the Disaster Kitchen, we try to bring you real food for thought. And our Main Ingredient story today certainly brings it.
Author Doc Coleman gives us a tale that strikes on not one, but TWO Stoke the Fire prompts...but it's still a Main Ingredient story. Here we have
Prompt #12- Write a story featuring some kind of mystic cheese.
Prompt #13- Where did the corn go?
"The Blessing of the Cheese"
Professor Crackle had determined that creamed corn is the best gift to bring a sufi in Istanbul, much to the puzzlement of his young companion. Miss Titania Bang is eager to see just what the sufi had in mind when he invited them all to be guests.
Special thanks to Chris Lester and Veronica Giguere for lending their voices as Professor Crackle and Titania Bang! You can find these characters in Coleman's novel, The Perils of Prague.
We follow up the story with a long-missed segment. A Little Seasoning! A.F. talks collaboration and creation with Tee Morris.
Finally, Theo reads a Mystery Meal that tears up The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
Promo- Starsigns by A. F. Grappin
Music-
Industrious Ferret Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Another Balticon panel, this one very special. You've heard panels that A. F. and Erin have been on... well, this one only had A. F. in the audience, but ERIN WAS MODERATOR!
That's right. Erin moderated conversation on activism in genre fiction, featuring panelists Brenda Clough, Ted Weber, Day Al-Mohamed, and Fran Wilde.
It’s October, and that means it’s time for another episode of The Melting Potcast! Today, the Head Chef and Grillmistress bring you a Main Ingredient story by Heath Howell!
“The Long Weekend” Oliver has spent the last four months taking care of his mother. At the end of his rope, he boards a plane with her, hoping it might be the beginning of the end to the trials.
We follow that with a new What Boils My Pot segment, in which Erin rants about misused foreign languages.
And wrap things up with a nice Mystery Meal, desecrating a scene from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
Prompt #12 is now closed. Newly available is prompt #14- A rash of people have just entered the emergency room…all of them exhibiting superpowers!
Music- Bittersweet Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sound effects by the Free Sound Project
Promo- ARCHIVOS
Author readings from Balticon 51, featuring Nobilis Reed, Jennifer Povey, and a chapter of Starsigns by our very own Head Chef!
It’s our (belated) Birthday Bash! Erin and A. F. bring you three Stoke the Fire stories based on prompt 13- Where did the corn go? One of them is from a brand-new Word Chef!
“Fly-By Corn Thieves” by K. L. Koster
“A Series of Blog Posts on the Conundrum of the Corn” by David “Doc Blue” Wendt
“Corn Mother” by Scott Roche
Did we mention this episode would have cake? While A. F. heads out for that, the Grillmistress serves up a heaping helping of Botched Recipes. Keep your ears peeled for one of the best Grillmistress laughing fits ever.
Prompt #12 will be closing at the end of September, so get your stories in for the cheese prompt ASAP! Also, Mystery Meal requests will be picking up on Facebook and Twitter soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Promo- The Deadly Studies series by A. F. Grappin
The Disaster Kitchen is back and recovering from our hectic summer. More importantly, our staff is returning! Grillmistress Erin is back behind the mic, and along with A. F., bringing you some Stoke the Fire stories!
These are for Prompt #12: Write a story featuring some kind of mystic cheese.
"Al Fredo and the Cheese of Doom" by Scott Roche
"A Transformative Experience" by Erin Kazmark
"Morning Tragedy" by Val Griswold-Ford
We follow it up with a Mystery Meal. That's right, we're finally getting those going again! This time, we destroy a scene from The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Promo- Mistletoe Radio
Just A. F. again, hopefully the last time before our third anniversary on August 1!
A. F. brings you a Main Ingredient story from J. K. Miles.
A LITTLE TINKERING
Meander has tried four times to stop this bloody war. He's wandered the time stream, but every attempt has failed. If this fifth plan doesn't work, he may have to give up altogether.
Promo- STILL WATER by Justin R. Macumber
Music- Rynos Theme
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
We’re still on a short kitchen staff, so it’s just A. F. today. Our Head Chef brings you two new Stoke the Fire stories, based on prompt #11.
The empanadas you just took out of the oven have exploded, and something alive is emerging.
We give you
“Grow-Dee” by Brayzin Narstirius
“The Magic of the Kitchen” by James Silverstein
We hope to be back to our usual quality and content come August and our third anniversary. Thanks for bearing with us while we’re recovering from the kitchen disaster in the Disaster Kitchen.
Promo- The Case File of Esho St. Clare by Scott Roche
Erin and A. F. were panelists at Balticon 51! Here's a discussion on writing specifically for audio, also featuring Paul E. Cooley, Veronica Giguere, P. C. Haring, and Steve Lubs.
The Melting Potcast's first ever live show, at Balticon 51! Erin and A. F. go about their usual antics with no possibility of edits.
Start off with a Main Ingredient story by Julayne Hughes-- The Nast Pasty, based on prompt #11: THe empanadas you just took out of the oven exploded, and something alive is emerging!
Follow that up with an all-live Mystery Meal, read for once by the Head Chef! We destroy Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss!
And we took suggestions for last minute What Boils My Pot!
Promo- The Twain Shall Meet by John G. Walker
The Pot cast crew introduces a brand new Word Chef in his first Main Ingredient story:
Her Evening Chair by Heath Howell
Melissa takes an evening to explore beyond her senses.
Follow it up with a Food Critic segment about Comorbid by Lorelei Logsdon, and then a What Boils My Pot segment where Erin rants about the physical trait shopping list.
Promo- Veil of Shadows by Terry Mixon
A. F. actually got invited to be on this panel when someone couldn't show! Dirty scenes of literature are turned into madlibs with the audience's help. NSFW or small children!
It is April Fool's Day, and there is plenty of foolishness going on in the Disaster Kitchen! Erin and Theo kick us off with some Botched Recipes sure to tickle your innards.
Follow that up with A Little Seasoning from Balticon 50, with A. F. interviewing Lauren Scribe Harris.
We close with a new Mystery Meal featuring a scene from Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Get out your calendars for this one, folks.
Prompt #11 is now closed, so we're introducing prompt #13:
Where did the corn go?
The only limit is your imagination.
Don't forget to find us in iTunes and leave a rating and review. It really helps! Also, check out our Patreon and our store.
Erin and A. F. will be at Balticon 51, so come see us!
Promo- Weekly Podioplex
A short panel from Balticon 50, It Takes a Village. While independent publishing calls itself independent, it's really a group effort with a network and family. This panel discusses building and nurturing that network so creatives aren't alone.
Dave Robison
Veronica Giguere
Walt Boyes
Scott E. Pond
Paul E. Cooley
Sue Baiman
Our March first episode brings us a new pair of Stoke the Fire stories. These are for prompt #9- You wake up alone at night with bite marks on your legs. What’s eating you?
We give you:
“There’s No Such Thing as Lollywogs” by Austin Malone
“Me: It’s What’s for Dinner” by A. F. Grappin
After the break, we have another Mystery Meal, with an early scene from Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations. Keep your eyes on our Facebook group and Twitter feed for prompts for the next Mystery Meal!
Also, both Erin and A.F. will be panelists at Balticon 51 in Baltimore, Maryland Memorial Day weekend! A. F. will have copies of Starsigns, which came out back in December!
Promo- Balticon.org
Before starting this episode, have to apologize for two things. One, that it's late. Two, we got some weird buzzing in our audio that I couldn't get rid of. At least it isn't in the Main Ingredient story. Speaking of...
CHEESE PIRATES by Chris A. Jackson
Chris has given us the honor of producing the prequel story to his CHEESE RUNNERS trilogy. Following the story, we also have a Food Critic segment for the trilogy itself. (Spoiler alert, all three books get 4 spoons!)
And we finish up with revealing the prize winner for our cheese contest of the last month and a half. One lucky winner wins Audible codes to get all three books of the CHEESE RUNNERS trilogy. Find out who it is!
Promo-Necropolis by James Silverstein
Music- Doobly Doo Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
THEO IS BACK!
Our intrepid trio of hosts is on vacation, but we're still giving you an episode!
We kick off with an all new Main Ingredient story.
JET PACK by J.K. Miles
All that's between me and the jetpack I've always wanted is a single bureaucrat. How could things get any worse?
Music- How it Begins" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
We follow that up with a Mystery Meal taken from THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER by Mark Twain.
Don't forget about our contest for free Audible copies of the Cheese Runners trilogy by Chris A. Jackson!
Promo- MENTAL GRAFFITI by Scott E. Pond
It's time for another panel from Balticon 50! This was the Queering the Feed panel, discussing gender and sexuality bending in media. This panel was run by Jared Axelrod of The Voice of Free Planet X and also featured A. F. Grappin, Hugh O'Donnell, Ruth Lampe, and J. R. Blackwell.
Also, big reminder! We're still accepting submissions for Prompt #12- Write a story featuring some kind of mystic cheese. Until February 10, all submissions will earn their author an entry into a drawing for Audible codes to get the Cheese Runners Trilogy by Chris A. Jackson. That's 3 books for FREE! Stories must be 1500 words or less to qualify.
It's a new year with a new surprise from the Potcast crew, but that comes later. We kick off 2017 with two Stoke the Fire stories for prompt #10- An animal from outside your local ecosystem has entered nature and is breeding uncontrollably.
"An Unexpected Fluffle" by Nick Kelly of the Geek Wolfpack Podcast
"Lawn Care" by A. F. Grappin
We follow the stories with a Mystery Meal with a scene from Animal Farm by George Orwell, and then an all new segment. Erin brings us What Boils My Pot, our new outlet to rant about grammar things, tropes, and other things in storytelling that get on all our nerves.
Prompt #10 is now closed, but we've opened Prompt #12- Write a story featuring some kind of mystic cheese.
NEW CONTEST ALERT! Between now and February 10, all Stoke the Fire stories submitted will earn their writer an entry into our newest contest. The grand prize: codes to get the entire Cheese Runners trilogy (by Chris A. Jackson) on Audible. That's right. THREE FREE AUDIOBOOKS!
Promo: Six Stories, Told at Night by K. T. Bryski
It's time for another Balticon Bonus Episode! This time it's a presentation by Maria V. Snyder, regarding How to Write Fight Scenes!
This was a great presentation that A. F. thoroughly enjoyed. Hope you do too!
Erin's in charge of the Disaster Kitchen today, bringing another hefty helping of Botched Recipes!
After that, she serves up another interview from Balticon 50. It's A Little Seasoning with creator of The Voice of Free Planet X, Jared Axelrod!
The Patreon patron-only episode is going to drop sometime this month. You can only get access to that episode if you are a backer, so check out our Patreon. As little as $1 an episode will get you access to the Patreon feed. That episode is going to have something we've never had on the show before: a Main Ingredient story by our Head Chef! And the money really does help, guys. You get more than just the feed.
Don't forget, prompt #10 is closing at the end of the year, so get your stories in!
Promo- A Broken Magic by Justin R. Macumber
A. F. and Erin are still sick, but not as bad as two weeks ago. Their temperaments and bickering are definitely back to normal as they bring two new Stoke the Fire stories based on prompt #9- You wake up with bite marks on yours legs. What's eating you?
"Slug Teeth" by Dan Absalonson
"Monster Hunting" by Hugh J. O'Donnell
They follow up with a Mystery Meal from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. And Theo's finally back to read it!
Promo- Necropolis by James Silverstein
Bumper- Lauren Scribe Harris
The plague has hit the Disaster Kitchen. That's right. A. F. and Erin are sick, so no lengthy notes here.
We bring two orphaned Stoke the Fire stories.
"The Wizard's Chamber" by Hugh J. O'Donnell
"The Interview" by Scott Roche
Follow that up with a Mystery Meal featuring a great scene from Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird.
Bumper- Chris Lester of The Raven and the Writing Desk
Promo- Esho St. Claire by Scott Roche
A great discussion/presentation from Balticon 50 with Denise Clemons. There's more to a meal than just the food. Listen to find out more!
It's been some time since our last Food Critic segment. A. F. and Erin discuss The Thousand Names by Django Wexler.
After that, Erin serves up another hefty helping of Botched Recipes.
Prompt #9 is now closed.
Prompt #11 is OPEN! The empanadas you just took out of the oven exploded, and something alive is emerging!
We have a serious need for submission, so we're opening a call! Please check out our prompts for flash fiction, or send us a Main Ingredient story of 5000 words or less. Check out the submissions tab for information.
Promo- The Voice of Free Planet X
Bumper- Jared Axelrod
September's midmonth episode brings A. F. and Erin back to you with some all-new Stoke the Fire stories! These are based on prompt #8- Aliens have given you a supersense. How do you use it?
"Safe Scents" by A. F. Grappin
"Touch" by Sarah Celiann
Follow that up with A Little Seasoning with musician Kim the Comic Book Goddess. From Balticon 50, she and A. F. discuss telling stories through lyrics and music rather than prose. It's a very different sort of conversation, and one A. F. was very pleased to have!
Don't forget, prompt #9 closes at the end of September!
Promo- NECROPOLIS by James Silverstein
Bumper- Michael R. Underwood, author of the Genrenauts series
It has been interesting trying to get this episode together. Between baby junior chef, Theo working nights, and the sudden surgery Erin ended up needing, we're just glad this episode happened at all!
So we bring you not only your two beloved hosts, but a small sloo of guests! Junior Chefs Emily, Meg, and Lachlan join A. F. and Erin to bring you an all-new Main Ingredient story!
Rider of the Postal Apocalypse by Martin Spernau
Everyone is afraid of the mailman, but Mary doesn't quite understand why. So when she meets one, she runs like she was taught, but her brother's fear doesn't make much sense to her. But the mailman has a delivery for Mary's brother. A delivery that means something dire.
Special thanks to Tammy Pruett for providing the voice of the mailman. And if anyone's wondering, Tammy is... ERIN'S MOM!
We follow up our story with a much-delayed Mystery Meal. Only Erin and A.F., but they bring you the Mystery Meal version of the confession scene from Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!
AND! We finally get to reveal the results of our second Cookoff Challenge (Roche vs. Malone)! But we're not telling you here. You need to listen!
Our next Cookoff Challenge will be open to all writers! Keep tuned for more details when it happens!
Remember, prompt #9 closes at the end of September, so get your stories in!
Check out our Patreon at patreon.com/afgrappin . 2016's backer-only episode is in production!
Leave us a review on iTunes!
Check out our new store to buy your very own TMP swag! More products to come!
Music-Tenebrous Brothers Carnival- Act Two Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Bumper- Chooch and Viv of the Beyond the Wall Podcast
Promo- Six Stories, Told at Night by K. T. Bryski
An amazing presentation/discussion on the craft of writing with Connie Willis from Balticon 50! You need to listen to get everything out of it!
Don't forget that voting is still open for our second Cookoff Challenge. You can vote on Facebook and Twitter! Hurry, because it closes on August 21st!
Two years already we've been doing The Melting Potcast, and we have no intention of stopping! As proof, A. F. (whose birthday is today, too) and Erin (whose birthday is NOT today) bring you the stories for our second Cookoff Challenge. Two authors, head to head, for prompt #8- Aliens have given you a supersense. How do you use it.
Sniffing Out Trouble by Scott Roche
Head Lights by Austin Malone
Sorry, but we're still not playing a Mystery Meal this episode. They ARE coming, we promise! We bring you A Little Seasoning with Chris Lester, author of Making the Cut (and other great books) and host of The Metamor City Podcast.
Don't forget to check out our Patreon, and leave us a review on iTunes! It really does help!
Bumper- Tee Morris
Promo- The Roundtable Podcast
Once again, we have no idea where A. F. has disappeared to, so it falls to new mother (again) Erin to host an episode. Before the rigors of Mommy-Brain set in, here's what this midmonth episode brings!
Main Ingredient story- The Cost of Freedom by Jeff Brackett
Deep in cyberspace, a hacker encounters a frighteningly tough defense system: a soldier named Guardian. Sean has no choice but to fight... and to figure out how to beat the most advanced program he's ever seen.
And then, since it's Erin, you know you're getting another batch of Botched Recipes!
Promo- Weekly Podioplex
Bumper- Nutty of the Nutty Bites Podcast
Special thanks for the music:
Blipotron Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
The oven timer FINALLY went off! Grillmistress Erin and Theo have welcomed their little bun in the oven into the world! We have a new Junior Chef in the kitchen, so it's only A.F. today, bringing you two new Stoke the Fire stories. These are for Prompt #6- Why is everyone afraid of the mailman?
"Special Delivery" by Terrie Keenan
"Postal" by Linton Bowers
Both are brand new Word Chefs, so hooray for new blood!
A.F. also brings on the first interview from Balticon 50, A Little Seasoning with Michael R. Underwood, author of Geekomancy and the Genrenauts series.
Prompt #8 is now closed. Now opening is prompt #10- An animal from outside your local ecosystem has entered nature and is breeding uncontrollably.
Keep your eyes on our Facebook and Twitter feeds for requests for our next Mystery Meal!
Promo- The Street by Paul E. Cooley
Bumper- Mary Ellen Warren of Reader/Writer
Sorry to immediately have another panel episode for the midmonth, but we're still reeling from Erin's pregnancy, and things will be a little touch-and-go for a few months as we settle into having the baby around. You'll probably be hearing more A.F. than the others, and maybe even some new voices helping fill the gaps while the whole maternity thing is still fresh.
We will have a new Stoke the Fire episode on July 1. For now, enjoy the first of our recorded panels from Balticon 50: Creating Believable Villains with Maria Snyder. It is a longer one than we're used to (an hour 20 minutes as opposed to the usual 50 minutes) and there's some visual stuff you won't be able to see (unless you have some sort of magical powers) but there is a ton of great information here. Enjoy!
A. F. just got back from Balticon, and there is much sleep to be had. There will be tons of great audio in the year to come, between panels, interviews, and other fun. But for now, it's time to play another bit of Seasoning from last year's Balticon.
A. F. and Erin interview JRD, Jaymay, and Opopanax from SkinnerCo and the Flash Pulp podcast.
Follow that up with a brand new Mystery Meal of the creation of the monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Bumper- Nobilis Reed of the Nobilis Erotica Podcast
Promo- Kickstarter for Genrenauts Season 1 by Michael R. Underwood
It's almost time for Balticon 50, so here's the last of the panels we recorded at Balticon 49!
Since this was recorded, a decision has been made about whether our Grillmistress Erin will be at Balticon. Sadly, she will not be in attendance. A. F. will still be there, so don't be surprised if you get a microphone shoved in your face!
It's May, and the Potcast crew is bringing you a new Main Ingredient story!
"Osiris O'Cyrus and the Nexus of Hells" by James Silverstein
Occult investigator Osiris O'Cyrus regales an English gentleman of an adventure into the nature of Hell. But the tale hits a little close to home when an inhuman creature is revealed.
Special thanks to Kevin McLeod of Incompetech for the music.
"The Complex" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
After that, we have a brand new Mystery Meal! Erin reads a marred version of "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
And stick around after the credits for a surprise!
Bumper- Charlie Brown, author of Quarter Moon
Promo- Mental Graffiti by Scott E. Pond
It's episode 28, and A. F. is working hard on your next Main Ingredient story, so Erin is at the helm! Some of the audio quality turned out crap, due to being rushed. Hopefully this won't happen again. Sorry, folks!
First, she brings you the last bits of interview A. F. had back in October with the Archmage Ed Greenwood. It's not much, and the audio is a little wonky, and there's not really an intro, but you get the idea. There is a little bit of fun that we just really didn't want you to miss out on.
After that, Erin brings you more Botched Recipes!
We've had another challenge issued for a Cookoff! Austin Malone (you might remember him from our Valentine's episode in 2015) has challenged Scott Roche (you might remember him from our VERY FIRST episode) to a write-off for prompt #8- Aliens have given you a supersense. How do you use it?
2500 words or less, due June 30, when prompt #8 will be closing anyway. Hold onto your hats and get ready for it! And keep your eyes peeled for another open submissions Cookoff this summer!
Don't forget to check out our Patreon!
Bumper- Paul E. Cooley, author of The Black, The Black: Arrival, and The Street, among other things
Promo- Best Served Cold by John G. Walker
It's April Fool's Day, and we're not doing an April Fool's episode because we've grown into adults now.
Not really, but this is a real episode.
First up is a Main Ingredient story based on a Stoke the Fire prompt. Prompt
4- A company has just received an order of "fledges." They did not
order these.
We present "F.L.E.D.G.E.S." by Scott Roche
Special thanks to Paul K. Ellis for lending his voice for this story.
After that, we bring back the Food Critic segment. A.F. tells all about Genrenauts by Michael R. Underwood. The first two novellas of the series, "The Shootout Solution" and "The Absconded Ambassador" both get 5 out of 5 spoons!
Our final segment is a Mystery Meal, torturing the infamous duel scene from Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers.
Some announcements!
Check out our Patreon and help us make the Potcast even better!
Prompt #7 is now closed. Brand new is Prompt #9, given to us by none other than Ed Greenwood!
You wake up alone at night with bite marks on your legs. What's eating you?
Finally, we release the results of our first Cookoff Challenge! Who won, David "Doc Blue" Wendt or JRD Skinner? You'll have to listen to find out. Thanks for voting, and keep your eyes peeled for our first public Cookoff!
Promo- Balticon
Bumper- P.C. Haring
We're back with our fifth Balticon Bonus episode, featuring panels from Balticon 49! This time, we bring you the How to Intelligently Torture Your Characters panel. Enjoy!
Bumper- Tim Dodge
It's about time A. F. disappeared so Erin could bring you some Botched Recipes. Not a lot of preamble on those. Time to see once again how dumb our hosts are.
Following that is an interview with the vivacious and amazing Starla Huchton, author of the Flipped Fairy Tales, the EVOLUTION trilogy, the Endure series... and a lot more. Go check out her work!
Prompt #7 closes at the end of March, so get your stories submitted!
Voting for our Cookoff Challenge ends March 23rd, so go get in your votes on Twitter @meltingpotcast and our Facebook page!
Bumper- Scott Roche
Promo- Liberty Station by Terry Mixon
First of all, sorry this episode is a week(ish) late. Our recording space lacked sufficient silence for us to get this episode done on time. Then work happened, so A. F. didn't have tons of time to produce audio. Lots of sorry all around.
We promised it would happen, and the day has arrived! We're here with our first Cookoff Challenge! Back in November, David "Doc Blue" Wendt challenged JRD Skinner to a write-off. Erin and A. F. laid the ground rules. No more than 2500 words. Valentine's Day love theme, and one of the main characters in the relationship had to be a cryptozoological or mythological creature. Well, the results are in, so here are the stories.
"Love Cryptoamerican Style" by David "Doc Blue" Wendt "Heart of Stone" by JRD Skinner
YOU get to vote on the winner! Check Twitter @meltingpotcast for a poll where you can vote for your favorite, and we'll have a place you can vote on our Facebook page, as well! So yes, you can each get TWO votes! Our three intrepid hosts will announce their individual picks when we reveal the winner on April 1. Our hosts' votes also each count twice, just because we're special. Voting will remain open until March 23!
The winner of the Cookoff will win a The Melting Potcast T-shirt!
We do plan to have more Cookoffs in the future, some that are open to the public!
Don't forget to check out our Patreon. Help us make the Potcast better, and you can get some awesome TMP swag!
Bumper- Dave Robison of the Roundtable Podcast Promo- Supervillain Corner
You may remember Chris A. Jackson from our special November episode when his book HELLMAW: DRAGON DREAMS was released.
Well, Mr. Prolific Writer Man has ANOTHER book out today! PIRATE'S PROPHECY is now available!
It's been a while since we've had a Main Ingredient story (not counting our Christmas episode), so here we are with a gritty sci-fi story by Paul K. Ellis.
CHRONOS ITERUM- A Colonial Marshall has been exiled to a station on the far side of the sun. His task- to assess property damage, a job that is far beneath him. He wasn't in the best mood to begin with, so this is only going to cause problems.
Special thanks to the author for providing the voice of a character in the story.
After the story, we have A Little Seasoning with the author himself, when Erin and A. F. chatted with him at Balticon 49!
Finally, we have a new Mystery Meal. The scene? Romeo's balcony scene monologue from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Hang onto your butts for this one!
NEWS! Our Patreon has launched! Help the Potcast become a paying market, upgrade equipment, and generally provide more! In return, you can get physical swag, a bonus episode, and other rewards!
Bumper- Paul K. Ellis Promo- MENTAL GRAFFITI by Scott E. Pond
Another panel from Balticon, and this one is definitely NOT for children. The panel is Dirty Madlibs. A group of authors and podcasters have taken scenes from romance novels and turn them into madlibs live with the audience.
Among the panelists are: Scott Roche Laura Nicole- the Gypsy in the Attic Bliss Morgan
Scott E. Pond's book, Mental Graffiti, will be available for purchase at the end of January. He was kind enough to ask the Potcast crew to make a promo. And here it is!
Happy New Year! The Disaster Kitchen is still up and running, bringing you a pair of Stoke the Fire stories based on Prompt #4- A company has just received an order of "Fledges." They did not order these.
"Paper Dolls" by Austin Malone, read by Erin Kazmark "Sanguine Delivery" by Paul K. Ellis, read by Theo Kazmark
Then we close things up with a Little Seasoning from Potcast friend and Word Chef, Scott Roche. You might remember him as the author of "Hole Card" the very first Main Ingredient story we ever did. He's also had stories in a few other episodes, so you know we like him and he seems to like us.
Prompt #6 is now closed. Now introducing Prompt #8- Aliens have given you a supersense. How do you use it?
Bumper- Mike Luoma of Glow in the Dark Radio Promo- The Casebook of Esho St. Claire by Scott Roche
The crew of the Disaster Kitchen wants to wish you a Merry Christmas, so we've put together a trio of presents, one from each of us.
From our Grillmistress, a poem: "The Great Kringle Caper" by Jeff Brackett
From our Dish Boy, a Main Ingredient story: Do You Believe in Magic? by Briana Robertson
From our Head Chef, a pair of short Mystery Meals, two scenes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Special thanks to our guest voice artists for the Main Ingredient story: Dave Robison Terrie Keenan Paul Ellis The two Kazmark Junior Chefs Agent Fuschia SkinnerCo R. Judas Brown
Promo: Veil of Shadows by Terry Mixon
Music: "WIsh Background" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
It's time for another book release in the Hellmaw setting of The Ed Greenwood Group imprint!
A. F. talks with author Erik Scott de Bie about his novel, Blind Justice. It's available today through amazon.com and other sites!
It's our December episode, featuring a bagload of goodies! We start out with a pair of not-at-all-Christmas-related Stoke the Fire stories for Prompt # 4- A company has just received an order of "fledges." They did not order these.
"Fledge Invasion" by A. F. Grappin
"My Brother's Keeper" by Jrd Skinner of the Flashpulp Podcast
Then, we're off to the Food Critic segment, where A. F. tells Erin (and you!) about THE BLACK: ARRIVAL by Paul E. Cooley. It gets 4 of 5 spoons from the Head Chef.
And finally, we have another Mystery Meal! This one read by Dish Boy Theo Kazmark, it's a butchered scene from C.S. Lewis's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE . Hold your sides.
An announcement: Prompt # 6 will close on December 31 to make room for a new prompt at the start of 2016!
Bumper- The Way of the Buffalo Podcast
Promo- EMPIRE OF BONES by Terry Mixon
Author John G. Walker's next book, Best Served Cold, releases in December! He asked the Potcast crew to make a promo for him. So of course, we delivered!
A. F. and Erin are joined by author Chris A. Jackson, to talk about his new book with The Ed Greenwood Group, Hellmaw: Dragon Dreams. There's a little audio warping issue a couple times, but it really only messes with a word or two. Sorry about that!
Promo- Best Served Cold by John G. Walker
This midmonth episode has A.F. drowning in a sea of fanmail, so it's up to Grillmistress Erin to host. She brings A Little Seasoning with John G. Walker, author of The Statford Chronicles.
Following that, we had another mess of Botched Recipes.
Promo- Nobilis Erotica Podcast
Our November episode is bringing you something a little different. We're starting off with three Stoke the Fire stories, but unlike the usual delivery, we've got three stories by the same author, based on three different prompts. But all three stories are in the same series.
Prompt #4- A company has just received an order of "fledges." They did not order these.
Prompt #6- Why is everyone afraid of the mailman?
Prompt #7- Write a story featuring a member of the Potcast crew as a main character.
We give you three stories by David "Doc Blue" Wendt
"Pledge Drive- The Office of Unusual Delivery Services Part I"
"Cross Roads- The Office of Unusual Delivery Services Part II"
"Recursion- The Office of Unusual Delivery Services Part III"
Following that, we have a Food Critic segment. If you listened to yesterday's episode, you know that the first book in the TEGG imprint has just released. A. F. tells Erin about the first book in the Hellmaw setting: Your World is Doomed! Spoiler alert: A. F. gives it 4 out of 5 spoons!
Our last and newest segment is the new Mystery Meals segments. Our crew has spent time on Facebook and Twitter asking for parts of speech, and taking suggestions from you, our Lexiconnoisseurs! Yeah, we're doing Mad-Libs. But these are for iconic scenes of classic literature. For our first Mystery Meal, we've butchered a well-known scene from The Fellowship of the Ring
Last but not least, we are announcing our first Cookoff! David Wendt and future Word Chef JRD Skinner have challenged one another to a writing challenge. They're allowed 2500 words to write a Valentine's themed story (to be released back-to-back on our V-Day episode in 2016). And Erin now announces the characters they will be using for their Cookoff:
CRYPTOZOOLOGICAL CREATURES! Sasquatch, Chupacabra, Skunk-Ape, Nessie, etc.
Keep tuned in early next year to hear their stories and help pick a winner!
Promo- Still Water by Justin R. Macumber
A. F. is back with Ed Greenwood, now that the first book of The Ed Greenwood Group (TEGG) has been released! That's right! Hellmaw: Your World is Doomed! by Ed Greenwood is finally available to buy! If you hadn't preordered, well, then you should go get it now! Right now! At Onder Librum, Amazon, or other retailers like this one! We'll wait.
Okay, you're back? Great. A. F. and Ed discuss briefly some of the quirks of this book before they derail into talking more about the setting, and you may even get some hints about the next books in the setting!
Keep tuned in tomorrow for our regular episode, November 1!
SURPRISE! A. F. speaks with Ed Greenwood about his new shared world project, The Ed Greenwood Group (TEGG)! Find all the information you could ever hope for at Onder Librum!
Our October midmonth episode is the second of our Balticon Bonus episodes, featuring a recorded panel from Balticon 49. This time, we give you "Podcaster Improv." Not a lot to discuss here, as the panel is lengthy. Check out our prompts and submissions pages, and keep an eye on our Facebook page and Twitter feed for more details on our pending Mystery Meal segment.
Our October episode brings some great material. First of all, we've got the entire crew hosting, so you know it's already a disaster.
First, we have a pair of Stoke the Fire stories (and one poem!) based on prompt #5- Something in the bathroom is your character's spiritual leader or confidante.
"Origami Sin" by Martin Spernau
"Drip Drip Drip" by A. F. Grappin
"Bathtime: An Invocation" by Austin Malone
We've got our first poem, so thanks for the submission, Austin!
Our Food Critic segment has A. F. talking about EVOLUTION: ANGEL by S.A. Huchton. It gets a full 5 of 5 spoons!
A Little Seasoning brings an interview with voice actress Veronica Giguere! Check out her website here and her Twitter @vforvoice. We highly recommend listening to her work!
Prompt #5 is now closed. We're opening Prompt #7- Write a story featuring a member of the crew as a main character.
Keep your eyes on our Facebook page and our Twitter feed (@meltingpotcast) for details on a new segment in development! We'll need YOUR help to make it happen!
Promo- A BROKEN MAGIC by Justin R. Macumber
Another mid-month episode, this time with bloopers and more bloopers.
Actually, just the regular amount of bloopers.
Then we add A Little Seasoning with Doc Coleman
Prompt #5- Something in the bathroom is your character's spiritual leader or confidant, will be closing on Sept 30th, so if you've got a submission, get it to us NOW!
Promo- The Freelance Hunters Bumper- Gypsy in the Attic
It's September, and you know what that means!
Good, because we don't.
Anyway, it's our first true variety episode. We've got a few things for you!
First, we have two Stoke the Fire stories based on prompt #5- Something in the bathroom is your character's spiritual leader or confidant.
Expiration Date by D. E. Medus
Drunken Confessions As Told to My Confidante, the John by Briana Robertson
Then we move on to A Little Seasoning with Katie Bryski. Find more of her stuff here.
And finally, we're introducing the Food Critic segment. If words are food for the soul, well you need to know where to eat, right? Erin and A.F. discuss THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY, the first book in John G. Walker's STATFORD CHRONICLES series. Both hosts give it a rating of 3.5 of 5 spoons!
Promo- Supervillain Corner (returning October 31)
Bumper- Ben Delano of The Reader/Writer podcast
It's happened! Another mid-month episode! This is a panel from Balticon 49, entitled Dynamic Voice Acting.
Listen to six amazing voice artists put their talents to scenes first one way, then another, and hear the differences in character, tone, and other things. Laughs and fun, but definitely not for children. Enjoy!
It's our first anniversary, and the Melting Potcast is growing up! First of all, we're proud to announce a new name for you, our fans:
Lexiconnoisseurs
The name came from Stephen Granade and Alex White of Disasterpiece Theatre .Thanks guys!
Our featured story this week is THE ICE BOX by Hugh J. O'Donnell of http://hughjodonnell.com/ and http://wayofthebuffalopodcast.blogspot.com/ . This is actually Main Ingredient length, but was based on Prompt #3- Each food in your refrigerator has a different effect on your mental health.
After a night of heavy drinking, Glory and Bingo realize that they accidentally drank her emotion-potions. And worse, their roommate Joachim is missing. What is the regret potion doing to him?
You can find more Freelance Hunters stories here.
We're also introducing a new segment: A Little Seasoning. These are short interviews with established authors, talking about craft and their works. Our first interview is with Paul E. Cooley. Check out THE BLACK ARRIVAL, just released in May, or his other works here.
Finally, we have received a webcomic submission from Patrick Toner, also of The Way of the Buffalo podcast. This wasin response to Prompt #6- Why is everyone afraid of the mailman? Check out the comic here.
PROMO- Elysian Springs Kickstarter
We just wanted to make sure everyone got the fixed version of our audio. Here's the real, full version of Episode 14. Sorry about the problems!
SORRY! We had some technical difficulties. This file should work better. You know... actually being complete.
It's the last episode of our first year of The Melting Potcast, so things will be changing come next month. Until then, enjoy a new Main Ingredient story: A BAD IDEA by Martin Spernau
Coyote lost at cards, and now an old fortune teller is making him pay off the debt by changing history. But when his target isn't alone, things go awry. How is Coyote going to deal with this new development, and worse, will this change pay off his debt?
Promo: THE BLACK ARRIVAL by Paul E. Cooley
At Balticon 49, A. F. and Erin had the honor of being interviewed by Hugh and Pat of The Way of the Buffalo podcast. Here's the recording of the live audio.
Liner notes from The Way of the Buffalo
Today we are proud to present our Balticon 49 live recording featuring A F Grappin and Erin Kazmark of The Melting Potcast! Special thanks to our lovely audience!
What we're enjoying this week:
P-Tone watched The Lone Gunmen!
Hugh read Marvel's Secret Wars!
A F watched Game of Thrones!
Erin watched The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and other stuff!
Today's show was sponsored by Mail Chump, the service that puts your mailing list to work for you! Send Better Spam!
Music provided by Kevin MacLeod. Hugh's Blog
Pat's Webcomic
Erin and A. F. are still recovering from Balticon, so Theo is alone at the controls, bringing you another collection of bloopers for you to enjoy.
We've also got the results from last month's guesses of what A. F.'s initials stand for!
Prompt #4 is now closed, so we're opening Prompt #6!
Why is everyone afraid of the mailman?
Promo- THE CASEBOOK OF ESHO ST. CLAIRE by Scott Roche
We've got a returning author presenting his second Main Ingredient story!
BOBBY AND SPINEL by Scott Roche
The little pink dragon has shown up in Bobby Stewart's backyard a few times, and Bobby has finally decided it's time to try and catch it. But the interaction turns out to be far more life-changing than he could have expected.
Other news- Erin and A. F. will be at Balticon 2015 and hope to see you there. We'll have some swag to give out, and we hope to do tons of recording, so be ready to talk!
Also, tweet @meltingpotcast with your guesses or suggestions of what A. F. stands for!
Promo- Balticon
Sorry about that prank episode yesterday, but not really. Here's our real April episode, featuring three brand new Stoke the Fire stories from the crew of the Disaster Kitchen!
Prompt #3- Each food in your refrigerator has a different effect on your mental health.
"A Taste of the Past" by Theo Kazmark, read by A. F. Grappin
"Interview with a Refrigerator" by Erin Kazmark, read by Theo Kazmark
"Cream of Whatever" by A. F. Grappin, read by Erin Kazmark
Promo- The Roundtable Podcast
UPDATE: There is a new audio file that has some fixes in the story "Interview with a Refrigerator." Sorry about the poor editing before!
Is it a Stoke the Fire? A Main Ingredient? Something else?
You'll just have to find out!
It's our TENTH episode!! We couldn't be more pleased to bring you our biggest Main Ingredient story yet: THE BURNING LAND by Jeff Brackett.
Kapin Arik and his ship, The Serpent, are traversing the seas beyond what anyone has explored before. The mystical Seer, Uson, knows that the land they find will contain treasure beyond value. Aboard the generation ship The Armstrong, Rayland is worried about the health of their crew. Luckily for them, a habitable planet is only weeks away. Can they make it before their ship kills them all?
Prompt #3 is now closed.
Prompt #4 is still open- A company has just received an order of "Fledges". They did not order these.
And now introducing Prompt #5- Something in the bathroom is your character's spiritual leader or confidant.
Promo- I Should Be Writing (ISBW) Podcast
It's Valentine's Day, and we here in the Disaster Kitchen wanted to show our love! So we have a special treat for you, word chefs! A Main Ingredient story that is full of... the Greek gods! We give you VALENTINE'S DAY ON MOUNT OLYMPUS by Austin Malone
It's Valentine's Day, and Eros is not at all pleased at having to do his job yet again. Only Persephone, wife of Hades, can help. But how?
Special thanks to Jeff Brackett and Nobilis Reed for lending their voices!
Promo- Supervillain Corner
Erin and Theo Kazmark kick off February with another collection of Botched Recipes. Our bloopers are numerous, and we want to share them with you!
Note: there is some strong language in these bloopers.
Fans of author Sam Sykes might recognize one of his Twitter bits referenced, too.
Stay tuned after the outro for a special treat!
Promo- DOWN FROM TEN by J. Daniel Sawyer
Welcome to a new year in the Disaster Kitchen! We're back with our last couple stories from Prompt #1- A servant gets asked to do something out of the ordinary.
"The Blunders of Lord Grahmaar Warmouth" by Martin Spernau. Find his Roundtable Podcast appearance here.
"The Butler Job" by Michael Bergonzi.
Don't forget! We've issued a challenge for the soon-coming Valentine's Day! Take either of our open prompts and baste it with love!
Prompt #3- Each food in your refrigerator has a different effect on your mental health. Prompt #4- A company has just received an order of "Fledges". They did not order them.
Submit flash stories for our Valentine's Day episode by Jan 20! Check out our submissions page for guidelines!
Promo is for Hidden Harbor Mysteries.
It's about time we had another Main Ingredient episode! Our story this month is THE FIRST CITY by T.C. Forsdike.
Something is going wrong with Wilkens's plane, and he's crashed in an unpopulated jungle with no communications. In finding his way to the crash site, he realizes someone has already put out the fire. And that someone is there, waiting for him.
Special thanks to voice actors Evie Robinson, and from The Roundtable Podcast, Dave Robison!
Promo- Every Photo Tells
It's NaNoWriMo, and A. F. has left the microphone on and unattended. Erin Kazmark has taken over the Potcast and is bringing you a bonus episode chock full of Disaster Kitchen soundbytes-- all the bad ones.
It's blooper time!
Promo- Tales from the Archives
A little change of plans this month! We got a trio of Halloween submissions and just had to get them podcast!
Prompt #2- A common household object isn't what it seems.
We have three submissions:
"The World Wide Web" by Sarah Iozzio
"Vacuums Suck" by Justine Roberts read by Erin Kazmark
"Pearls" by Austin Malone read by Theo Kazmark
Prompt #2 is now closed, but we've still got two prompts open.
Prompt #3- Each food in your refrigerator has a different effect on your mental health. Prompt #4- A company has just received an order of "Fledges". They did not order these.
Promo- Dan Dan the Art Man's Book Reviews
Our second Stoke the Fire episode! Prompt #2- A common household object isn't what it seems.
We have three submissions:
"Inside" by Nobilis Reed
"The Polymer Pattern" by Julayne Hughes read by Erin Kazmark
"Cardboard Time Machine" by Scott Roche read by Theo Kazmark
Prompt #1 is now closed, but this prompt is still open, and we're opening Prompt #3- Each food in your refrigerator has a different effect on your mental health. Submit!
I also talk about NaNoWriMo and the Roundtable Podcast- (It's Episode 59, not 149 like I say in the audio. My idiocy shows itself).
Promo- The Drabblecast
Our first Stoke the Fire episode! Prompt #1- A servant is asked to do something out of the ordinary.
We have two submissions:
"Excerpts from the Logs of Penfold PRKXN stroke 9B, Serial Number 79834" by Nobilis Reed
"Carl Waits" by A. F. Grappin read by Theo Kazmark
Don't forget, both Stoke the Fire prompts are open for submissions! I hope to get at least one more episode out of each prompt before retiring them and opening some new ones, so write while they're open!
Promo- Reader/Writer podcast
Welcome to the very first episode of The Melting Potcast! Our featured story is Hole Card by Scott Roche.
When Death and some of his friends get together for a friendly game of poker, they don't expect to have a stranger join their game. They didn't expect him to win, either. And worse, they didn't expect what he did after he won...
This has been updated with the remastered (at least a little) version of the audio. I apologize for the volume issues people have been having. It comes with learning a new art form, right? It can only get better from here. I'd like to thank Nobilis Reed for the pointers already given and those to come.
Welcome to the Disaster Kitchen of The Melting Potcast! In this introductory episode, host A. F. Grappin gives you an overview of what to expect in episode types and goes over some basic submission guidelines. The podcast launches officially on August 1, 2014, so get out those pens and check out the prompts!