Episode 60: The Mathematician’s Wake

Cyrus, Vicod, and Gmork return to Green Bridge to assist in solving Rolly’s murder. Cyrus catches up with old friends, and discovers a few new ones following him around. Cyrus and Vicod toast the dead; The Bright Path Podcast belly-flops into an entirely new genre of absurdity.

Artwork Roundup: The Bright Path Full-Page Illustrations

These full page illustrations appear throughout The Bright Path, in addition to the regular chapter heading artwork. They are all by Aveliya Design, a fabulous freelance illustrator I work with regularly.

  • King Simon at the village meeting
  • The Greater Snorl
  • Merrily sings for Lady Triggle
  • The council of Chase Hoggrower’s barn
  • The charge of the washer-women
  • The rooftop duel
  • A vigorous legal argument
  • Howe’s charge
  • The chanedlier
  • A future

Episode 59: Dungeon Crawling

Did you know that Part 1 of The Bright Path is now available as a stand-alone paperback, complete with new cover art and the briefest of forewords? You did not? Dear friend, let me enlighten you.

Cyrus Stoat, Tenured Professor of Applied History at Triad University, leads an advanced practicum in dungeon crawling. Freddie Greensmith finds something in the dark. Cyrus meets an old friend with sad news.

Bonus Episode #2: How Do You Make Funny?

In Bonus Episode #2 of The Bright Path Podcast, I welcome special guest Seth Brown for a conversation on storytelling, humor, navigating our fraught social landscape as a humorist, and the process of creative collaboration. Seth is a veteran humor writer and speaker, so if you’re at all interested in the creative process, I do hope you’ll enjoy what he has to share. A new chapter of The Gods We Made will enter your podcatcher next week!

Episode 57: A Man Named Stool

In another “branch” of Jonathan’s life, he and Boris have traveled far south into Carelon, following Jonathan’s failed proposal to Merrily. Boris tells a ghost story. They meet a man named Stool, who shares a tale of his life as an Ecclesia priest in Uelland. Boris sets Jonathan on a new course, and so does Mr. Stool.

If you are enjoying The Bright Path Podcast, why not become a patron? Fabulous rewards, and especially the satisfaction of being an absolutely top-shelf human being, can be yours for the teensy price of $1/month. Or you can enjoy The Bright Path in three easy-to-hold novels (or e-books) for just $9.99 each ($1.99/e-book).

Preposterous Prologue

IT BEGINS! Ladies and Gentlemen: the Prologue to The Gods We Made, book two of “Preposterous History.” Two years after the events of The Bright Path, Gog the Hammer finds himself facing down a new enemy–and big guns suddenly seem not quite so big. Jonathan Miller arrives in Devi Valley with Simon and Devi, determined to find something in Vault Three–but comes away empty handed. Cyrus and Veridia have a baby together, but not much else; Merrily is irritatingly competent; and Rufus Snugg decides to fight absurdity with absurdity.

Part 1 of 2:

Part 2 of 2:

Episode 55: Solo and Duet

Special guest Rob Seitelman joins Yours Truly to wrestle and chortle over the different challenges of solo creation and collaboration. We’ll share some war stories from our theater careers and bat the ball back and forth on which is ‘better’–creating alone or creating together? Also, thirty seconds of the funniest and filthiest Star Wars parody you will hear all year.

Bonus: Join The Bright Path as a patron, and get a signed copy of the single-book editions of The Bright Path with brand new cover art!

Episode 54: Follow the Bright Path; Ghost Stories

Jonathan and Merrily live the consequences of one moment of choice. Cyrus Stoat wakes up in a strange bed, and Hobb finds a remedy to two of his most irritating problems. Sir Richard signs off, ending his tale with a guest writer. Grygory, too, meets a most unexpected ending. King Simon is exposed. Ghost stories are told, and seen, and lived.

Part 1 of 2:

Part 2 of 2:

Ladies and gentlemen, this reading of THE BRIGHT PATH is now complete. Thank you, thank you, thank you — you lovely people, who have come along for this ride. This has been a journey I will never forget, and one that has given even me some surprises. For one thing, I plan to incorporate much more music into the second and third parts of this series–and the illustrations will continue, if I can afford to continue production. I hope you’ll become a patron of The Bright Path to support further artwork and music in the podcast as well.

I will also never forget the last year of reading with you because it’s written down in a book. If you like giant door-stoppers, then the full edition of The Bright Path is just right for you. But if you’d like a little more limber edition, stay tuned (and join the mailing list <—– ) for a three-part edition of The Bright Path, comfortably sized for reading in a hammock. Here’s a quick preview of the first book, QUANTA OF NONSENSE:

And finally, beautiful people, here is the complete choral number that appears in part 2.

Episode 53: The Meaning of Life

The meaning of life is also available in attractive paperback or convenient e-book form.

Queen Anne finds herself forced to confront her parliament, and her adversary, alone. Beatrice Snugg tells us all we need to know about the meaning of life. Feat. “Expulsion” from Paradise Lost, sung by Victoria Dicce, with MaryAnn Ivan on keys. And a shout-out to Rob Seitelman, my long time collaborator on all things Miltonian.

Bonus! “All is Lost” from Paradise Lost: The Musical, feat. Victoria Dicce.