“Get a Clue” from Heat Flash

Catch the Dancing Cat Studios crew, very tongue in cheek, in “Get a Clue” by Helen E. F. Madden. “Get a Clue” and other fiction and erotic artwork can be found at Heat Flash and its sister site www.helenehmadden.com.

Thanks for letting us read for you, Helen. We had a blast!

Second Free Book – Pitcher’s Pendant

Due to a problem with iTunes I have to put the link to Tee Morris’s book in a separate post. Please see the previous post for all the relevant info.

Free Books from Dragon Moon Press – Digital Magic

Authors Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine have released their latest novels as free PDFs.

Tee Morris is the author of the novels Morevi: The Chronicles of Raif and Askana and The Case of the Singing Sword: A Billibub Baddings Mystery. He is also the co-author of the non-fiction works Podcasting for Dummies and Expert Podcasting Practices for Dummies. He has podcasts for the above mention fiction as well as a companion podcast for the Dummies books.

Philippa Ballantine is the author of the novels Weaver’s Web and Chasing the Bard. These novels are also available as podcasts. Her free PDF novel is Digital Magic, the follow up to Chasing the Bard.

Tee’s free PDF novel is The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant: A Billibub Baddings Mystery. If you couldn’t tell by the title this is the second in his Billi Baddings series.

Both authors say that these books can be read and enjoyed without having read the earlier novels. We hope you enjoy them too.

Please join Tee and Philippa as they make their run on the Amazon.com charts on Aug 8, 2008. If you enjoy Pitcher’s Pendant and Digital Magic, please support the authors by buying their books from Amazon.com on 8/8/08. They need your help to show the publishing world that podcast listeners matter. This is your chance to show the world what we can do.





Tea and Chat 13 with Dancing Cat Studios

Ronnie Blackwell, Lin Harper, Martha Holloway, and Paul Fischer join Stephen Kilbride on a great episode of Tea and Chat.

We discuss writing, podcasting, producing audio books, and Ronnie’s newly released novel Spite.

Spite: By Ronnie Blackwell

An Excellent Review from Podcasting’s C.A. Sizemore

Dear Paul and Martha,

Yes, Serve it Cold, excellent work. If any one wants an example of a PodioBook done right they should listen to it. Now I know the reason why Tee Morris is doing Morevi Remastered. You guys didn’t raise the bar you changed the game. Loved the use of small town gosip to give us a story so far. Ronnie’s discriptions took me there I could smell, coffee, spice and the river.

C.A. Sizemore

[Submitted via Twitter]

Scott Sigler’s Infected – Free eBook

<The free download period has expired. Get your copy of Scott Sigler’s Infected on line or at your local bookstore. Thank you!>

We did it before and we are doing it again.

Scott Sigler’s new print version of Infected gets released on April 1st, 2008. Over the next few days, his publisher has allowed him to give away copies of the PDF version of the book for free.

We are helping him do just that.

For more information on Scott and Infected, visit www.scottsigler.com

If you want share the file with friends, get them to download it from this page or from:

www.randomhouse.com/crown/infected/downloads/infected_novel.pdf

By getting the file from that link, it’s proving to the big publishers that we podcasters have a clue about what we are doing.

This file will only be active for a few days, at which time the link will become inactive and you’ll have to go to the bookstore to read the story. Which you should do anyway.

Ronnie newest columnist at Gulfport SunHerald

Ronnie is a regular contributor now to the Gulfport, Mississippi, SunHerald. Follow these links to great articles about one of Ronnie’s other lifelong passions–the world of birds and nature.

05 January 2008 I’m no Judy Passport to birding
12 January 2008 Winter brings hummers we never knew
19 January 2008 Backyard Bird Count Needs You

Dancing Cat Studios makes best Podiobooks of 2007

Evo Tera at Podiobooks.com has posted the top 20 Podiobooks of 2007 and we are elated to see one of our three entries make the grade. Kimberly Steel’s awesome teen vampire novel, Forever Fifteen, came in at number 8. Way back in the dawn of Podcasting, in March 2005, we offered to help Kim get her audio cleaned up and on Podiobooks.com. It is gratifying to us that we have helped her make her mark on this new and exciting community.

We send out most sincere congratulations to all the PB authors and their teams in the top slots and we wish them the best for 2008.

The Failed Cities: Hath a Darkness . . .

In addition to offering its listeners their regular story for the month of December,
Variant Frequencies has prepared a special holiday surprise for fans of the two-time Parsec-nominated FAILED CITIES MONOLOGUES, as well as all those who’ve supported the podcast in the past year. We are proud to present THE FAILED CITIES: HATH A DARKNESS, an exclusive 10,000-word eChapbook written by Matt Wallace and produced by Variant Frequencies.

Failed Cities Book Cover

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 25

Denouement. John Turner’s favorite literary term. Loose ends get tied up. But there is still a surprise or two left in this tale!

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 24

Jonny wakes up to find some surprising visitors at the house helping themselves to his coffee!

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Episode 24 needs extra attention

Well, this time we can’t blame the delay on hardware failure. But, please, bear with us. Episode 24 is a really long one and we want to get it right. So, we are taking a little extra time to do just that. We expect to publish on Sunday, December 9th. We hope you will think this episode is worth the wait.

Thank you for staying subscribed!

UPDATE: I guess I spoke too soon! My system has gone back to its old, random-shutdown ways. <sigh> We’re working with the slower, backup system but we are still doing our best to meet today’s publication schedule. Wish us luck!

Serve It Cold – Episode 23

Back in Catherine, Jonny goes out to Burnt Bridge with Butch to have a look at the famous blue Stratus. They decide to look around the family farm in Covington County then head back home to Catherine. Will this day ever end?

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 22

Jonny and Vera discuss shocking news from Catherine. Vera tells Jonny a story from her past–The House of Blue Lights.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Episode 22 delayed

Due to a hardware failure in our main production computer, Serve It Cold episode 22 will be delayed. The iMac suffered a logic board failure early this week, and needs to go into the shop for a few days. The good news is Martha backed up all the data before the system failed. Once we get the machine back we will start cranking out the episodes again.

A Nice Blog Entry About Serve It Cold

Darkstar has a nice blog entry about Serve It Cold. He should rest assured that we hope to bring you more work from Ronnie Blackwell as soon as we can.

Serve It Cold – Episode 21

New Orleans can be a dangerous place: you can get your wallet stolen, your door kicked in, or your shoulder dislocated before most French Quarter residents even get out of bed. On the brighter side, you can get breakfast at Poppy’s around the clock.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 20

Jonny C and the crew head for New Orleans to try to find Ray. Meanwhile back in Catherine, Jonny’s carefully crafted reconstruction of the crime turns out to be dead wrong.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 19

The search for clues in the Grantham murder case continues. The crack Speed investigative team turn their attention to the old Arnold Line trail. Could they have found the much needed break in the case?

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 18

Butch Ellis invites himself over to Jonny’s house for morning coffee amidst the herd of over-excited dogs. Go Joe and Lurker make plans to “fish up” more information on Lattimer Grantham. And Jonny, Narlene and Sonny look for a Louisiana needle in a Mississippi haystack.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 17

Circumstances look pretty bad for Jonny C and the gang: no client, no payment, and Jonny’s actions could be misconstrued as stalking Landis Grantham. Seems it’s always darkest before the cops show up….

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 16

Jonny and Narlene return to Catherine. Jonny calls everyone together to brainstorm what their next move should be.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

More from the author of Serve It Cold

Here’s another rich handful of Ronnie’s Hattiesburg American articles. Please be sure to leave comments on the HA site if you enjoy them!

All aflutter: Count butterflies in Delta this weekend
Aging author splashes into new media wave
Hummingbird season arrives in South Mississippi backyards
They fly by night: Restless thrushes called to migrate

Sitting big: Counting birds in Hattiesburg circles
River: The Pascagoula runs free
Holidays include this annual tradition for local birders

Serve It Cold – Episode 15

Jonny finishes telling Narlene the story of the “Battle of Catherine”. Mafioso, guns, drugs, DEA, explosions, and the last time Jonny saw Big John Turner.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 14

Jonny C and Narlene head back to Catherine. They stop to do a little bird watching to throw off anyone tailing them and Jonny C tells Narlene the story of the “Battle of Lake Catherine”.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Hear Ronnie on Writers Talking

Click on the link to hear Ronnie on Writers Talking, hosted by Matthew Wayne Selznick. For an extra treat, Tee Morris, another Lulu author and Podiobooks veteran joins him on the show. Thanks for listening!

Serve It Cold – Episode 13

Lunch at Mother’s with the Tommys and Narlene is interrupted by unsettling news from Catherine. What’s a hardworking private detective to do? Why, have desert and fine wine at the Napoleon House and rally the troops!

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 12

Jonny drops by the Tommy’s to check in with Narlene and change his disguise before trailing the “happy couple” through the French Quarter. He still can’t shake the nagging feeling that Lily Banks and Lattimer Grantham are making getting evidence for the divorce case just too damn easy!

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 11

Surveillance on “The Granthams” goes like clockwork. But something about it just doesn’t seem to be quite right. Jonny discovers another friend of Big John Turner.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 10

Jonny checks in at The Guest House and finds a friend he’s never met before. The surveillance for Landis Grantham’s divorce case takes Jonny to an art show opening for Catherine’s finest artist, Cindy Aultman. Her subjects turn out to be rather unexpected.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 9

Jonny and Narlene have dinner with the Tommy’s. Jonny gets a little off the sides and a trim–ready for his surveillance later that night.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold covered by Blogging New Orleans

Blogger and Podcaster Mike Schleifstein from Blogging New Orleans has written a nice article about Serve It Cold and Podiobooks. You can read it here. Hopefully Mike will get a podcast out soon and include one of our nifty promos in his podcast.

Michelle Malone Jammin’ Java!

Michelle Malone at Jammin' Java, 11 July 07:

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It was warm weather indoors at Jammin’ Java this past Wednesday night and the new stage made the venue seem a little more formal than in the past but neither slowed down the rockin’ Michelle Malone. The Michelle Malone Band pulled out all the stops to put on a smoking hot show.

And Paul and I had the very great pleasure of witnessing it all first hand.

Michelle’s music has been submitted this year for 2 Grammys: Best Contemporary Blues Album and Best Americana Album and it’s easy to see why. All you have to do is listen. My word, that woman can sing! We were treated to some new old-fashioned blues rock songs that shook the paint off the walls, but, when the dust started coming off the rafters, Michelle scaled it back with an acoustic set that was just stunning.

Michelle Malone at Jammin' Java, 11 July 07But I shouldn’t slight her guitar work which was as much a pleasure to watch as to hear. Words fail me, folks.

If you ever have the chance to hear Michelle Malone live, do not let that chance slide by you. Reach out and grab it with both hands and hold on for the ride. It’s worth waiting for! But while you’re waiting you might as well be listening to some really good music. So, show Michelle some love. Jump over to her site and pick up her latest album, Sugarfoot, and maybe a few of her earlier ones too. You’ll be glad you did.

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Serve It Cold – Episode 8

Jonny checks in with his clients Goat Johnson and Landis Grantham. Jonny and Narlene’s hopes are raised when a team of plain clothes detectives arrive clearly on the hunt for someone, but they soon realize the cops are after a pickpocket team working the crowd around the street band instead of Jerry and Ray. So it goes.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 7

On the way to the apartment, Jonny and Narlene find Jerry’s car parked illegally in the French Quarter and ask Tommy to keep an eye on it. They settle in to the third floor apartment and discreetly watch the goings on out on the street. Jerry shows up–dressed oddly–but can’t get in the car that has a hot date with a tow truck.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 6

Safe and sound at Margaritaville, Narlene tells Jonny C how she ended up in New Orleans with Jerry and Ray. And how she managed to get away to the French Market. Jonny C and Narlene gather supplies for the French Quarter apartment.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Stop the presses! Serve It Cold Special Editions

The original cover for the book was taken from one of Ronnie’s photos. But we had the great good fortune to have two other beautiful pieces of art contributed by Georgia Godwin and Laura Mann. Georgia Godwin’s cover plays with the image of the Altoids box that features in the novel and Laura Mann’s cover really sets the mood for a murder mystery in small town Mississippi.

To honor Georgia and Laura’s work, we asked Ronnie if he would create special editions of Serve It Cold to showcase their art, and he went us, not one, but two better. Available now from Lulu are two collector’s editions of the novel. Each with a little something extra to make it even sweeter. Choose your favorite or get them both!

Serve It Cold (Georgia Godwin cover art) includes the Jonny C short story, Crossing. $12.95

Serve It Cold (Laura Mann cover art) includes the Jonny C short story, Silver Hull. $12.95

Serve It Cold – Episode 5

Jonny heads to New Orleans to start his divorce case and find Narlene. Jonny checks Sonny’s past with Steve at Margaritaville. He finds Narlene and takes her back to Margaritaville for lunch.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Ronnie on Lulu Radio

Jason Adams of Lulu interviewing Ronnie at Balticon.

Have a listen to Ronnie’s interview on Lulu Radio Episode 31 with Jason Adams. Ronnie and Jason discuss jumping into Creative Commons publishing with both feet, the process of publishing both through a conventional press and through Lulu, and how the podiobook came to be. Lulu Radio is funny and informative and we hope you give Mur Lafferty and Jason Adams a listen on other episodes as well. You can find Lulu Radio at the link in this post.

Serve It Cold – Episode 4

Goat introduces Jonny to his club manager, Sonny Richard, who was beaten up the night before. Sonny tells Jonny how Narlene got the marijuana in the first place. Jonny gets evidence in the divorce case.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 3

Jonny starts working his divorce case beginning with a little surveillance on all three of the Granthams: Landis, Latimer, and Lilian. Go Joe Jackson takes over the routine investigations for Speed Investigations.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold – Episode 2

Jonny finds evidence in the parking lot and heads into the woods. After an incident in the woods Jonny visits Goat at The Rocking the Cradle Bar which he has bought and is refurbishing. Jonny gets a divorce case in New Orleans.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Read Ronnie’s articles in The Hattiesburg American

If you are enjoying Serve It Cold and can’t wait for more from the author, then check out Ronnie’s articles in The Hattiesburg American. The newspaper is not able to keep archives of the articles online for very long. So periodically we will refresh the links in this post. Please leave comments about the articles on The Hattiesburg American site instead of or in addition to here. Enjoy!

Watch Hummingbirds This Weekend — offline
Anticipate Jewels of Spring — offline
Waiting for the King on Dauphin Island — offline
Legend of Crow-baby — offline
Listen for Song of Wood Thrush — offline
Summer’s first harvest of wobbly baby birds arrives — offline
All aflutter: Count butterflies in Delta this weekend
Aging author splashes into new media wave
Hummingbird season arrives in South Mississippi backyards

They fly by night: Restless thrushes called to migrate
Sitting big: Counting birds in Hattiesburg circles

Serve It Cold – Episode 1

Convenience store manager, Jonny C. Speed, is accused of stealing marijuana from Narlene Moore. Narlene calls her brother Goat Johnson and the cops to set them on Speed.

Credits: voices, sound effects, & music »

Serve It Cold Launch Party

The Serve It Cold podcast launch party will be at Balticon in Hunt Valley, MD.

Join us 9pm on Sunday May 27, 2007 at the Hunt Valley Marriott for drinks, snacks, and a free CD with the first three episodes. You will also be able to meet the cast and crew, and if we’re all lucky, author Ronnie Blackwell will make it.

See you there!

-Paul F.

Welcome to DancingCat Studios!

Welcome to the launch of our new site. Come on in. Have a look around. Tell us what you think. And please pardon the cat hair all over the furniture–we are still sorting out where everything goes. If you are viewing this site with Internet Explorer, it may not be behaving very well. We’re are working to fix that as soon as we can.