Author Archives: Editor

‘Persepolis’ Author Marjane Satrapi Appeals for Iran Help

by Editor

Marjane Satrapi is the author of the magnificent graphic novel, Persepolis.  She also co-directed the movie adaptation of the book.  Her story is about being a young girl growing into womanhood in Iran.  She is now appealing for help from the United Nations to protect the people in Iran who are protesting against a brutal totalitarian religious regime for freedom.  Here is her note:

Dear Friends

To all who believe in freedom and democracy
Please sign this petition to the United Nations to stop the violence,
arrests and torture in Iran.
The situation is really really bad.

Please forward it to whoever you know
Best and lots of love
Marjane Satrapi

Animation: Pushkin

by Editor

Pushkin is a stop-motion animation by Trevor Hardy for his Fool Hardy Films studio.  The film is full of very easy-going humor that starts as soon as the old woman first opens her mouth to ask if anyone has seen her missing cat.  I think the way the character talks is just hilarious.  This little studio is a one-man outfit that is producing totally marvelous work.

I found this via the fantastic no fat clips!!!

Isis

by Editor

Listen to this.  Why the mask?  Well, a performer is never who you think he is.  He is who he thinks he is.

Via the very interesting site, Daily Dose Of Dylan

Podcast Novel: A Princess of Mars (Chapter 9)

by Editor

DOWNLOAD MP3 AUDIO

A Princess of Mars

This is the first John Carter of Mars novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author of the Tarzan books. It was his first novel, published in 1917 and it’s a work of rip-roaring science fiction that has inspired many of the great writers in the genre.

Chapter 9: John Carter learns to understand the Martian tongue.  He listens to an interesting conversation among Sola and some other female Martians about the beautiful prisoner.

You’ll find regular podcasts of all the chapters over the next couple of months. Subscribe to our feed.

Duration: 00:08:39
Read by Alessandro Cima

All audio stories are Copyright © Candlelight Stories, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Podcast Novel: A Princess of Mars (Chapter 8)

by Editor

DOWNLOAD MP3 AUDIO

A Princess of Mars

This is the first John Carter of Mars novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author of the Tarzan books. It was his first novel, published in 1917 and it’s a work of rip-roaring science fiction that has inspired many of the great writers in the genre.

Chapter 8: John Carter finds himself in the middle of a raging battle between his captors on the ground and enormous Martian airships.  Then he becomes enthralled by an unusual prisoner.

You’ll find regular podcasts of all the chapters over the next couple of months. Subscribe to our feed.

Duration: 00:12:49
Read by Alessandro Cima

All audio stories are Copyright © Candlelight Stories, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Podcast Novel: Pirate Jack (Chapter 5)

by Editor

DOWNLOAD MP3 AUDIO

This book contains pirate battles, violence and death. Please use your judgment before playing for very young children.

Here’s a free podcast of our fantastic pirate adventure novel written for young readers. It’s got hidden scrolls, time travel, ships, battles, navigation, gold, islands, jungles and helicopters in it.

You can purchase the high-quality paperback from Amazon for $11.95 or just $1.99 for a Kindle e-book version.

You can purchase the paperback from Barnes & Noble (Price: $11.95)

You can also get it on Scribd.com as a download for just $1.99

Description:
Young Jack Spencer sees his father’s boat-building business destroyed by a powerful land developer. Then Jack unearths three ancient scrolls that propel him on a dangerous adventure through time in search of a pirate treasure.

When Jack finds himself aboard the pirate ship Revenge with Captain Jameson’s crew, he enters a life or death world of ship battles, jungle islands, prison escapes, gold, and treachery.

Set during the golden age of Caribbean piracy, Pirate Jack combines rollicking adventure with the moving story of a boy’s love for his father and a courageous effort to save a way of life.

You’ll find regular podcasts of all the chapters over the next couple of months. Subscribe to our feed.

This book is read by the author.

All audio stories are Copyright © Candlelight Stories, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Podcast Novel: Pirate Jack (Chapter 4)

by Editor

DOWNLOAD MP3 AUDIO

This book contains pirate battles, violence and death. Please use your judgment before playing for very young children.

Here’s a free podcast of our fantastic pirate adventure novel written for young readers. It’s got hidden scrolls, time travel, ships, battles, navigation, gold, islands, jungles and helicopters in it.

You can purchase the high-quality paperback from Amazon for $11.95 or just $1.99 for a Kindle e-book version.

Or you can purchase the paperback from Barnes & Noble (Price: $11.95)

Description:
Young Jack Spencer sees his father’s boat-building business destroyed by a powerful land developer. Then Jack unearths three ancient scrolls that propel him on a dangerous adventure through time in search of a pirate treasure.

When Jack finds himself aboard the pirate ship Revenge with Captain Jameson’s crew, he enters a life or death world of ship battles, jungle islands, prison escapes, gold, and treachery.

Set during the golden age of Caribbean piracy, Pirate Jack combines rollicking adventure with the moving story of a boy’s love for his father and a courageous effort to save a way of life.

You’ll find regular podcasts of all the chapters over the next couple of months. Subscribe to our feed.

This book is read by the author.

All audio stories are Copyright © Candlelight Stories, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Podcast Novel: Pirate Jack (Chapter 3)

by Editor

DOWNLOAD MP3 AUDIO

This book contains pirate battles, violence and death. Please use your judgment before playing for very young children.

Here’s a free podcast of our fantastic pirate adventure novel written for young readers. It’s got hidden scrolls, time travel, ships, battles, navigation, gold, islands, jungles and helicopters in it.

You can purchase the high-quality paperback from Amazon for $11.95 or just $1.99 for a Kindle e-book version.

Or you can purchase the paperback from Barnes & Noble (Price: $11.95)

Description:
Young Jack Spencer sees his father’s boat-building business destroyed by a powerful land developer. Then Jack unearths three ancient scrolls that propel him on a dangerous adventure through time in search of a pirate treasure.

When Jack finds himself aboard the pirate ship Revenge with Captain Jameson’s crew, he enters a life or death world of ship battles, jungle islands, prison escapes, gold, and treachery.

Set during the golden age of Caribbean piracy, Pirate Jack combines rollicking adventure with the moving story of a boy’s love for his father and a courageous effort to save a way of life.

You’ll find regular podcasts of all the chapters over the next couple of months. Subscribe to our feed.

This book is read by the author.

All audio stories are Copyright © Candlelight Stories, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Iran’s Religious Leaders Murder Young Woman On-Camera

by Editor

In an act that has probably sealed their doom, the Islamic religious government of Iran brutally murdered a young woman by shooting her in the heart as she stood next to her father at a protest march. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran has threatened the protesters with violence and death.  This weekend he delivered on his promise when one of his thugs murdered a woman in front of cell phone cameras.  These cameras have enabled the world to watch the brutal horror that comes from a religious government.  The girl is Neda Soltan, a 26-year-old philosophy student.  She does not know it, but the blood that runs from her in the video is probably going to drown Iran’s government in relatively short order.

Continue reading …

Pixar Grant’s a Girl’s Dying Wish

by Editor | 2 Comments

PixarUpDisney’s Pixar Animation Studio received a message from a friend of the family of ten-year-old Colby Curtin who was dying of cancer.  The message told Pixar that the girl wanted to stay alive long enough to see Up.  She was too sick to risk being moved to a movie theater and a DVD was the only possible option.  It seems that Pixar management dispatched an employee to the girl’s home with a DVD, a poster and some toys based on the movie.  The girl was able to enjoy the screening even though she could not open her eyes.  As the movie played, her mother described the images on screen.  The girl passed away several hours later with her family at her side.

This is sad story, but it’s a great thing Pixar did and it was a wonderful wish for a little girl to have.  Very nice.  I’m sure this simple act by a few people at a big company made a sick little girl very happy in her last hours.  Well done, Pixar.

Animation: Sarumomo

by Editor

Japanese artist Takumi K. made this animation that’s based on ideas from his daughter.  It’s a moving story that has been featured on YouTube.

I found this via Cold Hard Flash.

Grimms’ Fairy Tales: The Fisherman and His Wife

by Editor | 3 Comments

There was once on a time a Fisherman who lived with his wife in a miserable hovel close by the sea, and every day he went out fishing. And once as he was sitting with his rod, looking at the clear water, his line suddenly went down, far down below, and when he drew it up again he brought out a large Flounder. Then the Flounder said to him, “Hark, you Fisherman, I pray you, let me live, I am no Flounder really, but an enchanted prince. What good will it do you to kill me? I should not be good to eat, put me in the water again, and let me go.” “Come,” said the Fisherman, “there is no need for so many words about it — a fish that can talk I should certainly let go, anyhow,” with that he put him back again into the clear water, and the Flounder went to the bottom, leaving a long streak of blood behind him. Then the Fisherman got up and went home to his wife in the hovel.

Continue reading …

Grimms’ Fairy Tales: Straw, Coal and Bean

by Editor

In a village dwelt a poor old woman, who had gathered together a dish of beans and wanted to cook them. So she made a fire on her hearth, and that it might burn the quicker, she lighted it with a handful of straw. When she was emptying the beans into the pan, one dropped without her observing it, and lay on the ground beside a straw, and soon afterwards a burning coal from the fire leapt down to the two. Then the straw began and said, “Dear friends, from whence do you come here?” The coal replied, “I fortunately sprang out of the fire, and if I had not escaped by main force, my death would have been certain, — I should have been burnt to ashes.” The bean said, “I too have escaped with a whole skin, but if the old woman had got me into the pan, I should have been made into broth without any mercy, like my comrades.” “And would a better fate have fallen to my lot?” said the straw. “The old woman has destroyed all my brethren in fire and smoke; she seized sixty of them at once, and took their lives. I luckily slipped through her fingers.”

Continue reading …