Tales From the Battered Mind, Episode 1: Face Cards, Discerning Tastes, and Candle
By Sara King
Rated 5 out of 5 based on 17 customer ratings
Free
- Series: Tales From the Battered Mind
- Narration: Jeff Hays
- Music: Jeff Hays
- Length: 1 hour and 56 minutes
Overall:
Rated 5 out of 5 based on 17 customer ratings
Performance:
Rated 5 out of 5 based on 17 customer ratings
FX:
Rated 5 out of 5 based on 17 customer ratings
Plot:
Rated 5 out of 5 based on 17 customer ratings
Tales From the Battered Mind, Episode 1: Face Cards, Discerning Tastes, and Candle

Synopsis
This is our first collaboration with bestselling fantasy author, Sara King.
“The Candle”
A last-minute gift becomes a lifetimes-long nightmare.
“Discerning Tastes”
What expecting mother wouldn’t want magic, whatever the cost?
“Face Cards”
A trio of friends vacationing in the deep woods discover why people have been disappearing in that area for centuries…
© 2021 Sara King ℗ 2021 Soundbooth Theater
Details
- Release Date: 10/31/2021
- Imprint: Soundbooth Theater
- Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Supernatural
Additional Credits
- Proofing: Dalton Lynne
- Editing and Mastering: Mike Smith
Awesome stories with a twist
You think you know where the story is going, but then there’s a twist. Great short stories. Jeff Hayes does a great job with the voices. Even the female voices… makes you wonder about Jeff. :-)
Amazing! this collection was so much fun! I really hope we get more like this!
Scratches the Anthology Itch!
I'm just getting started with SBT, and the first entry in this series was my first exposure to this author, but so far this really hits the mark. I love getting absorbed into longer-form audiobooks and productions, but sometimes these shorter, equally-well-produced anthology series with stories that are just a little bit smaller in scope and self-contained can be incredibly satisfying!
Good and chilling
Jeff did a great job narrating these short stories! I completely forgot it was a guy when a woman was speaking. Sara as always knows how to write whether it be sci-fi or horror. I had read Disconcerning Taste years ago, but having it done audio was amazing and maybe a bit more creepy. Great job!!
Hmm 🤔 maybe you should do these again.
Overall thoughts 💭 I’m quite fond of suspenseful short stories. I love how it leaves the interpretation up to the reader for what happens next or just the outcome of it all. People being fated into fucked up situations and having real life reactions is great. I for one am a reader or listener who will see the piece for what it is and not be upset it was not the way I wanted. I want the author to sway me into their world of thinking. —Review— Face Cards 🃏 Well we knew this was not going to end well. One way or another. Abusive boyfriend forcing his way into a girls retreat. And the girlfriend only spends time with the abusive boyfriend getting upset at her friend for calling it like it is. Quite interesting to have a cabin vacation to discover some tarot cards that don’t quite seem right. Erie part is the cars resemble yourself or your friend…! Should you question it? Should you leave it alone? Bitch you should of fucking questioned that shit. And got the hell out of there but you know I’m glad you and your boyfriend died. And damn you for killing the remotely smart one just when I thought she was safe. You crushed my soul a little with that. Sigh… bitter ending. I wished she drove away after killing her friend for all the bullshit she put her through but hell it seemed like a purgatory in a way. Discerning Tastes 👅 Tragic tale of a girl who has lost her entire family in such a short time and lives her life full of struggles. Such is life. Now pregnant she is so desperate to ask her rich aunt who didn’t want her as a child for help. It is tough to ask for help in situations of dire need. With no quick solution if any to help you get back on your feet. Asking your auntie for money and she decides to 25k at some fucking coffee shop. She’s got to be crazy.. or is she? What shop has a gift card for 25k?!?! What shop has that type of expensive ass coffee..??? Well the answer is a shop not meant for the kind hearted. Crazy twist to be given a magical coffee that isn’t coffee but magical creatures that your brewing into a stew that can turn your luck upside down in all the right ways. Hell I guess you only live once…It’s great ride till you stop and now you have withdrawals. But these withdrawals come with a bitch of a backlash. Do you dare to sip this forbidden nectar? Once you stop your world will unravel. It looks like she has a backbone to continue to glorious fortune her aunt gave her. But eventually it will end just as her father stopped and caused the tradegy of their lives. History always repeats itself. Candle 🕯 Typical man not as caring or concerned when it comes to the woman. Yeah I fucking said it. Women can be so thoughtful and go out of their way to get their loved one a wonderful gift and in return she gets a thoughtless gift with promises of I’ll Make it up To you… hogwash. Tasked to get your lady a bday gift and you get her a funky candle from a shady ass street merchant. We’re you that desperate to be cheap and to just say well I got you something you should be happy. It’s the thought that counts. No buddy… all signs pointed to gtfo and you didn’t listen. You sealed your fate. When you decided to drive home with said candle and felt a very eerie presence my guy would have told me to get rid of it and follow through. You were being to naive there was clearly something not right. After finding the “remains” of your wife you just gave up on being decent lol lying about your wife disturbance and killing your whore of a mother 🤣 you have no fucks at the end and it was just too late at that point. I like to think that the candle is still whole and unmelted even from those extreme heats for those 6 days. The torch shall be passed on to the next victim…. Will it be….you ?
Man.....
These stories are messed up. Lol