Behind the Bottom Line: Recent Episodes
James Schofield
Business isn't really about numbers, it's about people. "Behind the Bottom Line" is inspired by the funny and interesting people I've met or the strange events I've experienced, and which I've turned into stories for different publishers. In each season, I tell the tales of these people or events and also something about the real-life background. I hope you enjoy them and subscribe to my podcast.
Find out the origin story of 'Seven Continents':
- Who were the real life characters the fictional ones are based on?
- Where is Kazbakistan and the other locations?
- How much of the background detail about the diamond industry is accurate?
Learn something about the creation of this podcast, the creative process and what happens when characters start to develop their own ideas of what they want to do, whether the writer wants it or not.
đ§ To get the best experience of this episode, listen with headphones.
đ¨ Image from AI and author
Sound effects: â â â â â Pixabayâ â and â â Freesoundâ â .
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at â â Pixabayâ â .
đIt's show-down time! Kirill, Irina and Macey have organised a meeting with Sir Gilbert Villiers and Roy Marsden, who has no idea what the three of them have found out about him and his connection with Piet Hoodjink, the London director of Durban Diamonds.
But what on earth possessed Marsden to work with Hoodjink? And how is Villiers going to react when he finds his best friend has betrayed him? And letâs not forget, Villiers has a date with the United Nations General Assembly to try to persuade them to let Seven Continents mine for diamonds in Antarctica. How is that going to go down?
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
đ¨ Image from AI and author
Sound effects: â â Pixabayâ and â Freesoundâ .
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at â Pixabayâ .
đ Kirill and Irina are now back in England. After comparing notes about what they have uncovered with Maceyâs research in London, they are all now convinced that Roy Marsden, Head of ECO Warriors and Piet Hoodjink, Director of the London branchof Durban Diamonds, are behind the murder of Sergei Vasilyev in Dhosk. But why would Marsden and Hoodjink be working together? And can they prove it? This might be the moment for Macey to step forward âŚ
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
đ¨ Image from AI and author
Sound effects: Gregor Quendelâ and â LordSonnyâ â from Pixabay and Freesound.
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at Pixabay.
đ Sergei Vasilyev, the source of the threatening messages and packages being sent to Gilbert Villiers, the CEO of Seven Continents, has been murdered, thrown off his 12th floor balcony by persons unknown. But before his killers struck, he sent Kirill Solokov an email. Could that contain a clue about who is behind his death? And could that person perhaps be Gilbert Villiers?
Maceyis also dealing with a tricky situation. How much can she rely on what EammonFitzroy, the CFO for Seven Continents says? đ
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
đ¨ Image from AI and author
Sound effects: Pixabay and Freesound
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at PixabayMusic: Oleksii Kaplunskyi from Pixabay
Kirill and Irina have told Sergei Vasilyev what they found at the diamond mine at the Tuv oasis. His story of what happened to him and his family is going to shock the two of them - and provide an explanation for the sinister events that have been troubling Gilbert Villiers.
In London, Roy Marsden is not pleased to find out that Macey has been visiting Piet Hoodjink, London director of Durban Diamonds, or that she has been lying to him about Kirill being ill. In return, he has a little surprise for her ...
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
Image from AI and author.
Sound effects: â â â Pixabayâ â â and â â â Freesoundâ â â
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at â â â Pixabay
Kirill and Irina head back to Dhosk and civilization after their adventures underground. Their next visit is to Sergei Vasilyev, a colleague of Irina's at the University of Dhosk who used to work at the mine. What has he got to tell them?
Macey has decided to drop in and see Piet Hoodjink, the director of Durban Diamonds in London and a fierce business rival of Sir Gilbert Villiers. Could he be at the root of the problem?
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
Image from AI and author.
Sound effects: â â Pixabayâ â and â â Freesoundâ â
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at â â Pixabay
Kirill and Irina have to go down the stairs into the bowels of the deserted diamond mine to see if they can find anything there that could explain who is behind the campaign to smear Gilbert Villiers. But are they going to get out of there alive?
Macey is also dealing with a tricky situation. How much can she rely on what Eamonn Fitzroy, the CFO for Seven Continents says?
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
Image from AI and author.
Sound effects: â Pixabayâ and â Freesoundâ
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at â Pixabay
Macey Church and Kirill Solokov continue to try to unravel what is happening at Seven Continents, the diamond mining giant. Macey has interviews with some of the directors at the London headquarters while Kirill and Irina, are following up clues given to them by the Kerkomen nomads in the other side of the world in Kazbakistan.
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones. Image from AI and author.
Sound effects: Pixabay and Freesound
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at Pixabay
Macey Church reports what she has learnt from interviewing Nancy Inovix to Dr Roy Marsden, director of ECO Warriors, and receives an unexpected invitation.
Meanwhile in Kazbakistan, Kirill Solokov sets off across the desert with the anthropologist Dr Irina Kerkomenova to visit the Kerkomen nomads. Do they have some answers as to why Sir Gilbert Villiers is being smeared?đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.Image from AI and author.
Sound effects: Pixabay and Freesound
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at Pixabay
Macey Church and Kirill Sokolov set to work to uncover who is sending sinister messages to Sir Gilbert Villiers and the Seven Continents diamond mining company. While Macey begins interviewing Villiers' colleagues in London, Kirill is headed for Kazbakistan where he gets quite a surprise when he lands at the airport âŚ
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
Image from AI and author.
Sound effects: Pixabay and Freesound
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at Pixabay
Roy Marsden has gone back to London and Macey and Kirill will start carrying out interviews in Seven Continents on Monday, to try to discover who is behind the anonymous messages threatening Sir Gilbert.
So, maybe they can have a relaxing weekend first and renew old friendships? Think again - things are about to turn nasty.
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
Image from AI and author.
Sound effects: Pixabay and Freesound
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at Pixabay
Sir Gilbert has introduced Macey and Kirill to his close associate Dr Roy Marsden, director of the environmental protection group ECO Warriors. But what is his connection to the diamond mining industry and what is it that Seven Continents is so worried about?
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
Image from AI and author.
Sound effects: Pixabay and Freesound
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at Pixabay
Kirill Solokov and Macey Church, investigators for Capstan Consultants are on their way to meet Sir Gilbert Villiers, the chairman of Seven Continents, a diamond mining company, and his wife the former ballerina Tatyana Kerkomenova. On their way to the Villiers' country estate Ashdown Hall, Kirill shares a surprising piece of information with Macey.
Will the fact that he was once engaged to Tatyana help or hinder their investigation? And who else are they going to meet this weekend?
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
Image from AI and author.
Sound effects: â Pixabayâ and â Freesoundâ
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at â Pixabay
Seven Continents is a diamond mining company with a reputation for ethical and sustainable exploitation of natural resources. So why is the charismatic chairman, Sir Gilbert Villiers, receiving threatening messages? And what is the connection to Kazbakistan, homeland of his ballerina wife Tatyana Kerkomenova?
Macey Church and Kirill Solokov, investigators from Capstan Consultants, are given the job of finding out what is going on, a job where personal and professional interests might be about to collide.
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
Image from AI and author.
Sound effects: Pixabay and Freesound
Music: âTri martolodâ Breton folk song, Albin Gogh at Pixabay
Clear your schedules now! September 13, season 9 of BBL is out. 'Seven Continents' is a 14-part thriller set in the diamond mining industry. Recordings are in progress now. Book will be available on my website: Behind the Bottom Line
This is the final episode of season 8âs story âThe Impressionsâ. I talk about the City of London where the story takes place, the sources for the different characters and an interesting theory about what some people believe could explain ghosts. And finally Iâm going to introduce you to my next project.
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
- Image from Edward Penfield by rawpixel.
- Theme music: 'Sugar Cane Rag' by Scott Joplin. Additional music Daddy_s_ and SegeQuadrado, courtesy of Pixabay.
Felicity Appleby's plan to have the building belonging to the London investment bank Ruff, Tumble and Bounderby declared a building worth preserving by the Historical Building Association means the re-entry into her life of Aiden Duchenny, an ex-boyfriend.
Will he help her, or will that entail a price that nobody should expect her to pay?
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
- Image from Edward Penfield by rawpixel.
- Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay.
- Theme music: 'Sugar Cane Rag' by Scott Joplin. Additional music Daddy_s_ and SegeQuadrado, courtesy of Pixabay.
Felicity Appleby has promised to help the Impressions, the peculiar inhabitants of the investment bank she works at near St Paul's Cathedral, find a way to stop the building they inhabit being torn down.
But how will that be possible when other people hardly ever notice them? Could Felicity's old boyfriend Aidan Duchenny - also known as Aidan the Douchebag - help her find a way?
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
- Image from Edward Penfield by rawpixel.
- Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay.
- Music: 'Sugar Cane Rag' by Scott Joplin courtesy of Pixabay.
Felicity Appleby has a job she hates in the London investment bank Ruff, Tumble and Bounderby. The only plus side is the bank's beautiful 19th century building and its location in the City of London, near St Paul's Cathedral.
However, after bumping her head on a cupboard door, Felicity finds that the building is home to a whole other group of people, the Impressions, who badly need her help. Can she help them survive the 21st century?Â
đ§ To get the best experience of this story, listen with headphones.
- Image from Edward Penfield by rawpixel.
- Sound effects courtesy of Pixabay.
- Music: 'Sugar Cane Rag' by Scott Joplin courtesy of Pixabay.
Welcome to the 'Behind the Bottom Line' Summer Special 2022. Two great episodes to listen to on holiday. Today's stories are:
â˝ âThe Debtâ â Jimmy King was once a prince on the football pitch, worshipped by thousands. Now, heâs just a bitter, old man in a care home, waiting to die. But not everybody has forgotten his glory days. Can someone bring them back for a moment?
đ âAnother death in Veniceâ â Miss Winterleigh is a woman with a past and a dark secret. She only has one remaining wish, but how is she going to get it? And who can help her?
đ§ These two stories have been sound-scaped. To get a truly immersive experience, listen with headphones.
Image by rawpixel.com
Music & Sounds: JuliusH / Fronbondi Skegs / u r7iwd4nklp / SounsForYou / Microsammy / Ashot-danielyan-Composer / AntipodeanWriter from Pixabay
Welcome to the 'Behind the Bottom Line' Summer Special 2022. Two great episodes to listen to on holiday. Today's stories are:Â
đ¨âđź âThe Interviewâ â how good are you in job interviews? Cuthbert Trill wants to kill himself but is persuaded to apply for one more job. Will he get it?
đş âFull Moonâ â Topfoods plc chairman Jerome Jones is really into diversity for really bad reasons. But heâs in for a shock when he finds out HOW diverse his employees are.
đ§ These two stories have been sound-scaped. To get a truly immersive experience, listen with headphones.
Image by rawpixel.com
Music & Sounds: JuliusH / Fronbondi Skegs / u r7iwd4nklp / SounsForYou / Microsammy / Ashot-danielyan-Composer / AntipodeanWriter from Pixabay
Thanks to his magnificent moustache, Wilhelm Adler has always managed to get his way in both the boardroom and the bedroom.
But Candy Harding is disgusted by it and remains completely immune to his charms, which of course makes her doubly attractive.Â
How can he persuade her to think again?
Music by JuliusH Pixabay
Image by rawpixel.com
Sally King is shopping in Hal Mart Superstore in Portland. As always, her experience is made much easier if she follows the advice given to her by her shopping cart. Only this time, the shopping cart has one or two strange suggestions for her.
What on earth was her husband doing the previous weekend while she was in Florida?
Music by JuliusH Pixabay.
Image by rawpixel.com
This story first appeared in Speak Up!
Jack is a highly paid motivational speaker with a secret. Bibi is his coach and she has a secret too. What could be the key for both of them to tell each other their secrets?
Could it be the catchphrase that Jack's old sheepdog Billy always said to Jack? 'Who dares, wins?'
A transcript of this story is available on my website: www.behindthebottomline.com
Music by  JuliusH Pixabay.
Image by Pixabay
This   story first appeared in Business Spotlight.
Richard Olsen is a financial journalist, investigating Hawksmoor Trading Ltd, an investment company with a lot of dirty fingers in a lot of dirty pies. His story is going nowhere until he meets Annie Hart, a junior secretary with a conscience about what Hawksmoor is doing. She provides him with the evidence he needs and even goes to bed with him. Everything seems peachy, until a lawyer comes to his office with a warning ...
Music by Music by  JuliusH Pixabay.
Image by rawpixel.com
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight.
Superlearning - now that sounds like a nice way to polish your skills. Lie back, get a massage, relax and allow the soft whispering in your ear to improve your performance, without any effort at all.
Only over time, too much superlearning might have unforeseen consequences, and turn you from a pleasant coworker into a raging sociopath. And then who knows what might happen?Â
Music and sound effects: JuliusH and Pixabay
Picture: Rawpixel
Hello loyal listeners!
Apologies, but because of a huge conference which I'm currently organising, I won't be able to post any more sessions until March 29.Â
While I'm away, why not catch up on some of the episodes you may have missed? There's lots of great material which I'm sure you'll enjoy. So, until next time, look after yourself and happy listening!
The teams from sales on the third floor, and accountancy on the seventh floor like to prank each other.
But this time, they may have gone a little too far âŚ
Music by JuliusH, Pixabay.
Image by rawpixel.com
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight.
Mr Hickson is making a pot of money from his new property development at  Brancaster Towers and itâs a nice place for him to hide his mistress, Roxanna. But who is behind the mysterious door in the West Tower? And what are they looking for from Hickson?
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2010
Music by Pixabay and JuliusH, Pixabay.
Photo by Antonio Dillard from Pexels
Ed and Jane are scriptwriters for a big Hollywood studio, who've been told they've got to work together. She likes to write dramas and he likes to write thrillers.
What neither of them can write are romantic comedies. Or can they?
Music by JuliusH, Pixabay.
Photo by Monstera from Pexels
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2020.
Imagine you have only six months to live. What would you do with the time?
A) Travel
B) Eat in the best restaurants
C) Poison the managing director of the company you worked at for thirty years?
The choice is yoursâŚ
The text for the story can be found in the transcript section on my website: https://www.podpage.com/behind-the-bottom-line/
Music by JuliusH, Pixabay.
Photo by Food Photographer | Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash
An old man in a hospital ward is convinced his grandchildren are trying to steal his company from under his nose. Can he persuade his lawyers that they have to do something to stop this, or will he just be ignored?
This story is based on a thousand real events.
Music by JuliusH, Pixabay.
In the final episode for season 6 find out about:
-
Pacelli and the real-life Advanced Centre for Wellness and Meditation
-
the importance of pugs and Tarot cards in life
-
shopping in Venice
Iâll also share some interesting facts and figures about my podcast in 2021 and carry out a live Tarot reading concerning its future in 2022. Join me if you dareâŚ
And, if you still need a Christmas present for someone, why not buy my books, âPeril in Veniceâ and âDouble Troubleâ? Check out âBook Shopâ on my website: www.behindthebottomline.com
âBehind the Bottom Lineâ is available on all podcast players and will return at the end of January 2022. Subscribe now (itâs free!), so you never miss an episode.
Music JuliusH Pixabay
Caliban and his henchman Milos have been arrested, but the real head of their drug dealing gang â the New York socialite Dotty van Meese â has just met the unsuspecting Emily for dinner.Â
Is Emily going to get out of this alive?
Music by JuliusH from Pixabay
On Pacelli, Filippo has set up a meeting with Caliban Leone to see if they can agree on a drug deal. Meanwhile, Emily decides to follow the mysterious man she saw talking to Leoneâs henchman, Milos, on the Lido.
But is this really a good idea?
Music by JuliusH from Pixabay
Emily Leeâs holiday in Venice has not been peaceful. Some headache tablets packed in Emilyâs suitcase by the masseuse Maria Torres from her yoga retreat, turn out to contain ecstasy, causing Emilyâs friend Filippo to behave very strangely when he took one by mistake. The two of them have now gone to the police where they find out something even more shocking: Mariaâs boyfriend has been found drowned in the lagoon and Maria has disappeared.
Filippo has a plan to find out what Caliban Leone is up to, but is it going to work?
Music by JuliusH from Pixabay
Emily has left the Advanced Centre for Wellness and Meditation and is now supposed to be spending a week in Venice with her friend Filippo Cimino. Filippo takes her to have lunch with some good friends of his who run a restaurant, but on their way back to their hotel, Emily has a shock. In the newspaper she reads that a guest she met on the island, Jason Tucker, has died of a drug overdose in Berlin. Could this have anything to do with the founder of the centre, Caliban Leone?
Music by JuliusH from Pixabay
Emily is enjoying her stay at the Advanced Centre for Wellness and Meditation on the island of Pacelli in the Venetian lagoon, but there are some disturbing things about the place. Why has Caliban Leone, the founder of the centre, got a full-scale chemical laboratory in his cellar? What caused the argument between the centreâs cook, Paolo, and Calibanâs sinister henchman Milos? And what is Maria, Emilyâs fitness coach, hiding?
Music by JuliusH from Pixabay
Emily wants answers to the questions that have been bothering her since she arrived at the Advanced Centre for Wellness and Meditation on the island of Pacelli. Why are boats arriving on the island in the early hours of the morning? And what is in the herbal tea that the guests drink before their early-morning yoga class that made her behave so strangely?
Emily needs answers from Caliban Leone, the mysterious founder of the Centre. But will he give them to her?
Emily has met some of the bizarre other guests on the island of Pacelli at the Advanced Centre for Wellness and Meditation, including Sergei â the video installation artist from Moscow, Jason Tucker an obnoxious DJ from England, and the extravagant Dotty van Meese with whom Emily shares an interest in Tarot card reading and pug dogs. Today, Emily gets into her health regime properly, and things are about to get a little weird.
Music   by JuliusH from Pixabay
Emily has arrived in Venice and travelled across the lagoon to the island of Pacelli and the Advanced centre for Wellness and Meditation, run by the charismatic Dr Caliban Leone.
Now is the time for her to meet the rather peculiar other guests, staying on Pacelli, and have a Tarot reading done for her by the exotic Dotty van Meese.
Music by JuliusH from Pixabay
It's the year a shark is spotted swimming down the Grand Canal in Venice, and young executive Emily Lee badly needs a holiday. She decides to travel to the Advanced Centre for Wellness and Relaxation on the small island of Pacelli in the Venetian lagoon for some yoga, warm weather and excellent food.
But is the Centre and its charismatic founder, Dr Caliban Leone, everything it should be?
Music by JuliusH from Pixabay
Behind the Bottom Line is back on the audio waves for season 6 on October 6 with a detective story, 'Peril in Venice'. Join Emily Lee as she travels from Munich to the island of Pacelli in the Venetian lagoon for a well-deserved holiday at the Advanced Centre for Wellness and Meditation. The question is, will she manage to return?
What was the real-life background to 'Double Trouble'? In this last episode of season 5 of Behind the Bottom Line find out about:
- the original model for 'Double Trouble'
- the influence of a disaster back in 1968
- how advertisements torture me
- how I choose the names for my characters
You will also get a sneak preview of season 6 which will be coming to a podcast player near you at the beginning of October 2021.
Image by Kurt Bouda from PixabayÂ
Tim, Nick and Wanda are now in London filming the Xaewoo Motors commercial with Lady Lois. So far, things have been going well, but Jemima Madison, the bossâs daughter, isnât stupid and sheâs starting to ask a lot of questions.Â
What will happen if she finds out what's been going on?
Image by zl2ifb from PixabayÂ
Tim has found a way to bring his brother, Nick, Wanda and Lady Lois up to London to film a commercial for Xaewoo Motors. But can a goat act? And will the twins really get away with fooling everybody for very much longer?
Image by Marcel Langthim from Pixabay
Tim Aldridge needs to come up with a new advertising campaign for the Madison & Oggers client, Xaewoo Motors in less than a week. Will his longing to escape London and get back to his farm help the creative juices flow?
And what about his brother Nick trapped by floods on the farm? Is he simply flirting with Wanda, the Polish agricultural student, or is this something more serious?
Image by butterflystroke from Pixabay
After his unfortunate encounter with Tanya Mischkovich in a restaurant, Tim Aldridge is desperate to leave London and get back to his farm. But a visit to a cheese shop which sells his very own 'Aldridge Blue' cheese makes him realise that he has been guilty of avoiding his business responsibilities, and when he does get home, he's going to have to make some changes.
Meanwhile, Nick is finding out that being trapped in a dark cellar isnât always such a bad thing. Especially if youâre in that dark cellar with Wanda âŚ
Image by Pavel Bokr from Pixabay
Tim is still in London pretending to be his twin brother Nick, an advertising executive for the company Madison and Oggers.
But things are about to get tricky for Tim: Jemima Madison, Nick's ex-girlfriend, has invited him out on a date. Can he keep her fooled, especially as she starts getting more than a little bit friendly?Â
As for Nick, back on the farm he's advising Tim's wife Gwyneth on how to write a seduction scene for her latest romantic novel. But is the technique he describes starting to work a little too well on Wanda, the attractive agricultural student?
Image by GLady from Pixabay
Tim is finding out that his brotherâs life in London is more complicated than he realized. His colleagues are competitive, he has to create a new advertising campaign for a car in only a week, Nickâs ex-girlfriend wants to get back together with him and thatâs before heâs even met the boss, Louis Madison...
Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay.
Timothy Aldridge has to leave his beloved farm and the quiet countryside to go up to London to take the place of his twin brother Nicholas â an advertising executive â at an important meeting, after Tim, his wife Gwyneth and a goat called Lady Lois accidentally knock Nick out.
Itâs only supposed to be for one meeting, but then Nick finds flooding has left him trapped on the farm and his brother Tim trapped in London pretending to be a top businessperson. What could possibly go wrong?
Image by bstad from Pixabay
Nick Aldridge's relaxing weekend down in the countryside on his brother Tim's farm is suddenly interrupted by a call from London. Who's calling Nick late on Friday evening and what on earth can they want? And how will Tim, Gwyneth and Wanda react?
Image by Lara Badioli from Pixabay
Timothy and Nicholas Aldridge are identical twins with very different lives. Timothy runs the family farm in a quiet part of the south-west of England while Nicholas is a senior manager for the advertising company Madison and Oggers in London.
One wet weekend both their worlds change for ever. Nick has an accident and has to stay on the farm, so Tim secretly takes over his brother's job in London. Follow them from one comic disaster to another as they find success, love and happiness when chaos enters their lives.
Image by Chräcker Heller from Pixabay
Heard of the âboil the dogâ approach to change management? No? Then you need Sheona Hakovski, motivation trainer from San Diego. Sheâll soon have your people leaning in, giving 110% and boiling dogs ⌠or is it frogs?
Find out in âNegatron Nickâ
This story appeared in Business Spotlight in 2018
"Think positive, talk positive, feel positive!"; "Your attitude is your altitude!"; "Together we achieve more!"
Don't you just HATE office work slogans? And even worse than the slogans, are the managers who try and use them to motivate their teams.
Poor Mr Finkel thought he could use them to whip a difficult team into shape. But he hadn't met Julie and Paula ...
This story appeared in Speak Up in 2015
Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay
Things are so bad for Cuthbert Trill he has decided to end it all. He's lost his job, his wife's run off with his best friend, and now a wave has just washed his glasses out to sea. Still, he could probably manage to drown himself if it wasn't for the annoying stranger on the beach who wants to interview him for a job. Why won't they understand that this is not the right moment?
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2015.
Jimmy King was a star on the football pitch, worshipped by thousands. Now he's just a sad old man in a care home were nobody likes him, waiting to die.Â
But there's one fan who still remembers what he was like in his glory days and she owes him everything she's achieved in life. Can she find a way to repay her debt?
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
Photo by Call Me Fred on Unsplash
Derek Ebdon is an art forger of such exceptional skill that the experts find it impossible to tell if a work is created by him or by one of the old masters.
But one day he buys a book with occult powers, and things start to go badly wrong.
This story was first written for Business Spotlight in 2017.
Music: A Hand In The Dark - Underbelly & Ty Mayer
Image by Jazella from Pixabay.
Patrick Power has recently been relocated from his job as Head of Public Relations in a large corporation on earth to ... Heaven plc. But he's not happy with working his way up the heavenly hierarchy slowly, he wants to be the Commissioner's assistant and he wants the job now. The question is, how can he get rid of the present occupant, the Archangel Gabriel? Maybe it's time to use his PR weapons ...
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2018.
Image by Please Don't sell My Artwork AS IS from Pixabay.
What would you do if you found a dragon in the boot of your car?
Jonathan and Susan are going on holiday when they find the last remaining dragon in Britain, Tatzl, has smuggled herself into their car and is trying  to escape from the zoo that they work in. Should they help her return to her home in the mountains of Bavaria or should they turn her in? The two of them have a difficult moral decision to make ...
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2016.
Photo by Kyle Loftus from Pexels.
Britain has left the European Union and Her Majesty's Secret Services are having to find ways to generate income. When Agent 001 joins BeSoft Toilet Tissue as a Change Agent consultant he find that his set of skills can be surprisingly useful. The question is, whether the company shares his opinion ...
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2018.
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels.
Venice, 1948 and a lonely young Englishwoman makes friends with the mysterious Miss Winterleigh. What is the secret that keeps Miss Winterleigh attached to the city, and what does it have to do with the cemetery of San Michele?
This story was first published in Speak Up magazine in 2016.
Photo: original.
âNo, my lord,â protested Amanjia, struggling to free herself from Borridorâs arms as the thin silk dress that barely covered her firm bosom strained to preserve her modesty...
It's Sunday and our hero has to write a boring motivational speech for the company chairman when he'd much rather be working on book 2 of his fantasy trilogy 'Hallindale - The chronicles of wind'. What can he do to force himself to produce the corporate nonsense expected of him, when all the time his mind is with Amanjia and Prince Borridor? Could a crossover be helpful?
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2019.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels.
Ever wondered how an author puts a story together? Explore with me the background, ideas and impulses that lead to the creation of 'Vixen'. Find out about magical Japanese foxes, toxic masculinity and supernatural appearances late at night on deserted roads...
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't done so already, I recommend you listen to 'Vixen' episodes 1-4 BEFORE listening to this episode.
Photo by Maksim Goncharenok from Pexels
Colin Sutherland is starting to panic. A strange encounter with the fox when the family is out driving, and cryptic messages left on the answering machine from Inspector HĂźttl in Frankfurt about his ex-mistress Yasmin Tilki, give him the feeling of being trapped. But instead of asking for help from Flora and the children, he lashes out at them, driving them away.Â
Then a noise outside in the dark makes him think he might at least be able to deal with Princess Jasmine âŚ
Photo by Alex Andrews from Pexels
Colin's behaviour has become increasingly peculiar after a phone call from Inspector HĂźttl of the Frankfurt police and the repeated appearances of a mysterious fox his children have named Princess Jasmine.Â
Over Christmas itself, things seem to calm down, until the family has to drive along a quiet, foggy road late at night ...
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Colin Sutherland has flown back to Ireland from Frankfurt for Christmas with his family. But all is not well: his ex-mistress has disappeared in mysterious circumstances and the police are now looking for her. Meanwhile an anonymous postcard with a picture of the Hotel in the SĂźd Tirol they stayed in together has arrived at his home. The fact that his garden is visited at night by a fox shouldnât be a big deal, so why does it upset Colin so much?Â
And then Inspector Regina HĂźttl from the Frankfurt police decides to give him a callâŚ
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Meet Colin Sutherland: rich and successful with a loving wife and two adorable children. Heâs got everything worked out ⌠or has he?
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HUMOUR: the mischievous Julie and Paula are back, causing chaos in a pharmaceutical company as they take charge of a team of chemists trying to develop an anti-depressant with no side-effects. Drugs, alcohol, lust ... what could possibly go wrong? This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2017.
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FABLE: Thomas had everything he wanted in life, money, friends and an endless supply of charming companions. But one day all these pleasures turned to ashes in his mouth when he went blind. Thomas promised a huge reward to whoever could help him see again, but when a little old man managed to do just that, Thomas wasn't sure if he liked what he saw any more.
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2014.
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DRAMA: Kingsley Adams is a CEO asshole. But if he's your CEO, there isn't very much you can do about it. Or that's what people thought until someone found the password to his secret bank account and leaked details about insider trading to the press. But who was it? And how did they get the information?
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2016.
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DRAMA: Mike Smirch is chief gossip reporter for the magazine Titillation. The kind of stories he writes are ones about royalty in trouble, actors snorting coke in nightclubs or reality TV stars dying of cancer.
But when he signs up for a workshop in 'Dynamic Positioning' with the charismatic therapist Bela Horvath, he has to learn an uncomfortable truth.
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2017.Â
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HUMOUR: What do you feel about chatbots? Do you talk to Siri? Do you chat with Alexa? It might be impressive what these chatbots can do, but that's nothing compared to EmDee. She can paraphrase your words, look inside you, she can empathize with you. But is that what you want?Â
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2017.
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DRAMA: Simon Cassandra is a fortune teller - not with a crystal ball or Tarot cards but with computers. He works for the government, trying to model future scenarios to help ministers make their decisions. There's only one problem - they don't like listening to experts.
But perhaps Mr Camille, a barber working at the famous barber's shop Frederick Hobbs in London, will pay attention. His life could depend up on it ...
This episode was first published in Business Spotlight in 2016.
DRAMA: Mickey Jones was a bully as a child, terrorizing his way through school and inspiring fear in all around him. Years later our storyteller thinks he has met him again at a party and tries to get revenge on his childhood tormentor. But is Michael Jones, CEO for an investment bank, the same person as Micky Jones, North London thug?Â
Whoever he is, the guests at this party are going to experience an evening unlike any other.
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2018.
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SUSPENSE: Professor Johnny Hampden, the most brilliant scientist to ever work at Klaxx Pharmaceuticals, has a very good reason to fear side effects. Join him over a brandy and he might tell you the terrible story of Sergeant Norman and a mysterious plant from the depths of the jungle.
This story was first published by Business Spotlight in 2016.
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SUSPENSE: Successful corporate lawyer Henry Fist is having a well-deserved drink as he relaxes on his well-deserved holiday on the Cayman Islands when he gets a visit from a young admirer of his work, Nick Mephistopolous. Is Henry about to get something else well-deserved?
This story was first published by Business Spotlight in 2016.
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HUMOUR: Edward, a refugee from Sierra Leone living in Berlin, has an opportunity to find a sponsor for a business idea he has. But will somebody really be interested in sponsoring a snail farm?
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2017.
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HUMOUR: Julie and Paula have to organise a 300th anniversary event for a bank. But with a tiny budget, a radical ex-boyfriend and his band, not to mention gift bags sourced from a bankrupt sex shop, this party isn't going to go smoothly.
The ever-popular Julie and Paula first had this adventure in Business Spotlight in 2012.
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HUMOUR: what lengths are you prepared to go to get yourself a nice assignment? Roddy, BjĂśrn, Florian and Petra are all desperate to win the starring role in a video being made about their department within the European Commission, and solidarity between them quickly breaks down as they compete to become the cool, sexy face of the modern librarian.
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2012.
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Suspense: What would you do with immortality and the powers of a god? You'd put things right in the world you say? But how do you think you'd behave if you found there was something you couldn't get, however powerful you believed yourself to be?
Watch out world - Helen's cyber stalker can't handle rejection and things are about to get rough...
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2013.
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HUMOUR/CRIME: Horst and Jim are two con-men, down on their luck. Desperate to make money they come up with the ingenious scheme of selling unwanted castles in Germany to gullible Americans. All goes well until Howard Schmidtlein III from Texas walks into their office and rumbles their fraud. But he has an interesting proposal for them ... This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2014.
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ROMANCE/STEAMPUNK: Can you imagine an alternative world where steam powered airbuses are the transport of choice and children learn how to fix a boiler in kindergarten? Now come on a first date with Ernest and Millicent and discover London as it might have been ...
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2013.
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HUMOUR: Do you want your boss to know how much you weigh? is it acceptable if the lift tells you to take the stairs? Would you like your canteen register to tell the rest of the canteen what you plan to eat for lunch? Topfoods PLC wants to help its staff become the best version of themselves, but which version is that exactly?
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2014.
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CRIME: What would you do if you found out your partner was cheating on you? You could throw them out, you could forgive them, you could try counselling ...Â
Or you could do what Rose does and get your revenge. A very nasty revenge.
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2012.
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HUMOUR: Do you know the secret to success in any corporation? Professor Thomas Kozlowsky, the man the US media called 'the business guru to the business gurus', does. And if you get him drunk enough, he just might tell you ...
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2014.
Photo - Pixabay.
HUMOUR: Birthday parties are funny things, each culture has its own traditions and ways to celebrate. Antonio finds that what is perfectly normal in Venezuela gets a little lost in translation when transferred to Brussels...
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2014.
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HUMOUR: Would your dog do a better job in the office than you? Toby, a young Jack Russell thought he could, and for a day he and his master changed places. While his master ate kibble and went for walks in the park, Toby got to chase Jilks, the ghastly but efficient company salesman, and meet the lovely Miss Lucy Honeycomb. Where his master has failed, will Toby succeed?
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MEDIA SATIRE: When Julie Blossom accidentally becomes an overnight YouTube celebrity, she and her friend Paula embrace the opportunity to become the go-too source for any media outlet looking for good sound-bites from Britain's youth. But Julie's enemy, Goldfish Man, has different ideas and will do anything to bring her down. The question is, how low will he go?
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2012.
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HUMOUR: What do you know about the people in your company? I mean, what do you REALLY know? Nick Samuel is asked to explore the diversity of employees at Topfood plc so his boss, JJ, can win an award. But what Nick finds out is really not at all what JJ is expecting.
This story appeared in Business Spotlight in 2011.
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HUMOUR: A young manager, worried that his team hates him, takes them on a team-building weekend into the Welsh hills. But what should be a bonding experience turns into a nightmare when one of the team members goes missing...
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HORROR: Dr Gayle Jamieson trains crows in a research lab to see if they can perform useful tasks for the military. But when her boss, Professor Lang, abuses the trust she has created between birds and humans, the birds extract a terrible revenge...
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FABLE: Tony Spark needs money for his start-up and he hopes to get it from a business angel, Archibald Gabriel. But to get the money, Tony has to pass a little test. Will he pass the test and - more interestingly - would you?
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2011.
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MURDER: When you're caught in a traffic jam and you look at the concrete walls of the bridge or the tunnel that's alongside your car, what do you see? Could that be a face looking back at you? Mr Dimkin could tell you, but would you want to know?
This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2012.
HUMOUR: Meet Tim Hatchett - master manipulator, prince of PR - the owner of Hatchett Job PR agency, the agency that will manage your company's reputation when even your own PR manager throws in the towel.
When Global Power Solutions wants the British government to build a nuclear power plant near London, nobody thinks they have a chance of persuading them. But with Tim involved in the process and willing to fight dirty, things might get a little radioactive.
This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2013.
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HUMOUR: Julie and Paula are told to organise the hotdesking arrangements in the company they work. They quickly find that they can turn this authority to their advantage and pretty soon, most of the office are buying them presents to get favourable treatment. But what happens when they go on holiday? This story first appeared in Business Spotlight in 2011.
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HUMOUR: Pampered executive Mr Taylor is used to always having the best when on a business trip. But how will he cope when his efficient new assistant, Colin Smith, starts enforcing the company's new travel code? This story was first published in Business Spotlight, 2012.
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MURDER: Jasper Slink is a successful young trader in the City of London who is not above using devious means to make a profit. But is sharing his most recent cunning plan with Smitty, the head barman at the "Bull and Bear" wine-bar, such a good idea? This story was first published in Business Spotlight in 2010.
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