Showing results by narrator "Brian Pederson" in Literature & Fiction

This collection of seventeen interconnected stories follows Ryan as he searches for meaning in life, across various borders, both international and emotional.

Lying in a French hospital recovering from wounds, WWII Sergeant David Jordan drifts in and out of a morphine haze between surgeries to relive his unending war experience.

In The End of The World, a sci-fi survival novella by Peter Dingus, the Earth has been destroyed, and humanity's last hope lies on Mars. This thrilling post-apocalyptic story follows Major General Liam, stationed on Mars-Geo, as he navigates the isolation, devastation, and immense pressure of leading the last survivors of the human race.

The challenge ahead for Ryan Jordan is to rise above the tragic memories that still haunt him. He sets out on a long uphill climb of Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro with a group camping their way through East Africa. It will be three days and nights up into ever-thinning air and cold, forcing himself to go slow to acclimate and ensure success.

A wounded veteran seeks solace high in the Sierras, building a stone cabin alongside a stream in a peaceful meadow to escape the horrors and experiences of his war. He is saddened by the sudden departure of his nurse from the town below who cared for him during his recovery. The work, the stream, the wildlife keep him mostly sane but his depression surfaces as the dark days of winter set in. This lyrical tale was inspired by Lon Chaney’s stone cabin high in the Sierra above Big Pine, California, facing the stream among the trees and meadows of Cienega Mirth.

Ryan Jordan is about to embark on a journey into the past. He is in Aswan, Egypt with a friend, preparing to sail down the Nile on a small felucca. He is captivated by the ancient river even as its currents dredge up painful memories, memories of events that will ultimately propel him on a journey of adventure on the African continent while anchoring him to a past tragedy.

Young Ryan Jordan is exploring an old abandoned mining town with his father and sister on horseback. The empty wooden shacks, an old church, a cold wind rustling the sagebrush give the kids the creeps. On top of that, Ryan teases his sister about ghosts while holding in his own fear. After they ride through the Boot Hill graveyard, with its forgotten graves, they settle in to their camper for the evening where Ryan must come to grips with his fear.

Ryan Jordan invites a friend down to Guaymas, Mexico for a beach camping trip, to sail on his Hobie catamaran and snorkel in the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez. He hopes to get to know her better, more than just a friend, now that both are out of college and single. There are a few awkward moments leading up to Stephanie revealing a secret from her recent past. Then, flashes of light — a possible storm — interrupt the moment.

Ryan Jordan and his friend are drinking wine in a cafe in Pamplona, Spain, discussing their plans for running with the bulls during the San Fermín festival. Ryan wants to scout out the route beforehand while his friend wants to jump right into the action. They separate and plan to meet in the streets in the morning. When the cannon blasts, signaling the release of the bulls, Ryan finds himself in the streets among the crowd caught up in the frenzy of the run. His friend is nowhere in sight.

Teya, a wheelchair-bound Sprex Intelligence operative is tracking the elusive accomplices of the 1996 Al-Khobar bombing. For her, it is personal. Jonathan and Laura Andrews, university professors are making wine at home, a hobby which is illegal. Corazón, the beloved Filipina au pair of the Andrews family, helps with the wine making process. Jonathan enters his wine in a world contest, masterminding a secret route to deliver samples of his wine to Europe.

A discrepancy is found today between the printed U.S. Constitution and the handwritten parchment that the Founders actually signed. The original in the National Archives includes an expiration date, which has already passed. So the Constitution—the entire premise of the American government—is terminated. What do we do now? Are we still a country? Do the laws still apply? What do we do when the president exploits the crisis to declare himself president for life?