Solitaire Stories by Andy Hoover

A quiet and observant young reporter on the death-defying daredevil beat is dispatched to cover the retirement of one of the all-time greats of the trade. She's not alone in this journalistic pursuit, and must outwit a better-positioned rival in order to secure the relevant scoop for herself. And then there's the mercurial daredevil himself, who has one final, highly dangerous stunt up his filigreed and rhinestone-studded sleeve... will all his guests survive the big BBQ celebrating his retirement? Turns out it's a legitimate question!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 6/5/26. In this one, a lady scheduled to testify against a dangerous mobster has been granted witness protection and been secreted away to an unusual mansion in the desert to hide out until her presence is needed in court. Unfortunately, the bad guys have discovered her whereabouts, and they are closing in fast. Will her hunky federal bodyguard and his small security detail be enough to protect her, or was this large and isolated house perhaps a fatally foolish pick for a quote-unquote "safe" house? Find out here! (The title is kind of a spoiler, I guess.)

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 5/27/26. In this one, an aspiring rodeo clown follows her dream, develops a bit of a crush, and then suffers a career-altering workplace injury. Not necessarily as downer a story as this synopsis would suggest, but not a purely feel-good affair either, despite a slightly above-average allotment of jokes (several of them dumb.) Probably best viewed as a sweet (but rough-edged and somewhat ambiguous) coming-of-age story. Enjoy!

This is a bit of an experimental one; I wanted to see how the Solitaire Stories system works when applied to a single "climactic" fight scene. In this one, a character known as the "Young Duke" squares off against his childhood friend, who is now a notorious (but perhaps heroically justified) "Outlaw". Who will emerge victorious from their rooftop clash?

Be forewarned that this one has a somewhat (semi-comic) gore moment (of the sort one might expect in a closely-described life-or-death swordfight). It also has some grammatical confusion -- I kept switching between past and present tenses -- which, for a certain subset of listeners, might gross them out even more.

On the whole, I'm not sure I'd call this "successful"... but I like the idea of applying the Solitaire Stories technique to more narrow purposes (scenes vs. stories,) and this was a fun (for me) attempt to do so. Enjoy!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 5/21/26. In this one, a young man recently hired by a lumber transport company tries to get in good with his bosses, a father-son team from whom he learns a great deal in a short time. Unfortunately, his sense of loyalty and morality is strained by a bone-headed scheme, and he soon finds himself an accomplice to a stupid sort of crime. Will his beloved, departed grandmother's advice see him safely through this crisis with his honor intact? Or is it all too late already?

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 5/14/26. In this one, an ambitious corporate lady commits to an idea-generating solo retreat in the wild and mysterious Banjothorn Swamps. So as to get a good feel for the region, she (or her company) engage with Angler Bros. Swamp Tours, LLC. Due to circumstances (i.e., the cards,) she ends up with the "wrong" brother... but he ends up being the right brother (in a way.) Enjoy!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 5/7/26. Per my notes, the synopsis is as follows: "A former collegiate tennis player who went on to professional glory but has since retired returns to his alma mater for the unveiling of his commemorative bronze bust. He hates the wretched thing, the way its eyes look, and the resulting emotions confuse and upset him, and drive him towards making some changes in his life." Mostly comedic, though it can be argued it has a bit of a downer ending (I think it's pretty ambiguous, though.) Enjoy!

A first-person account of a fictional baseball team's terrible fictional August and miraculous fictional September. I ended up doing this one (semi-intentionally) as a bit more of a monologue than usual. I have a bit of a cold on top of that, so this one might sound a bit "off." I think it's an interesting one, though... it's somewhat ramshackle in structure and has a lot of digressions but perhaps you're into that sort of thing, in which case I salute you. Enjoy!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 5/1/26. In this one, a bookish earling (like a princeling, but for earls) feels pressured to excel on a hunting weekend at the beautiful but dangerous estate of his father's political frenemy, Baron Elgin. The young nobleman performs surprisingly well in multiple ways, but there may be plots brewing in the shadows, and a certain sorrow building on his heart.

This is the story I wrote on 4/28/26. From my notes, the synopsis is as follows: "Once upon a time (in like the 90's) two counselors fell in love at the (once) iconic and beloved sleep-away summer camp known as Camp Longfox. Now, decades later, their daughter arrives to see if she might be able to restore the mostly-abandoned camp to its former glory." This is sort of a love story, and includes an abrupt time jump... hopefully fans of one or both concepts will enjoy. So, enjoy!