Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest Spotlight: General Submission Winner Cynthia Swanson Reads Her Winning Story, “A Possibility Nonetheless”

Rock Is Lit
Written By Christy Hallberg
 

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Congratulations to the winner of the second Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest in the General Submission category, Cynthia Swanson! Listen to Cynthia read her winning story, “A Possibility Nonetheless,” in this episode.

Cynthia Swanson is a novelist, short story writer, and editor. Her novels are standalone psychological suspense, and all of them address the lives of women. Her first novel, The Bookseller, was a New York Times bestseller and is slated to be a movie produced by Julia Roberts. Her second novel, The Glass Forest, was a USA Today bestseller. Her third novel, Anyone But Her, won the 2025 Colorado Book Award in the Mystery/Thriller category and is about a woman named Alex, a Denver record store owner in the 1970s who is shot and killed during a robbery at her store. The novel is told through the viewpoint of Alex’s daughter, Suzanne, who is clairvoyant and to whom Alex appears as a ghost, urging Suzanne to investigate suspicious circumstances around Alex’s death. Anyone But Her features plenty of sixties and seventies music, so if that’s your jam, check it out. All of Cynthia’s novels are available in print, ebook, and audiobook. A fourth novel is in-progress.

 

MUSIC IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:

  • Rock is Lit theme music

  • Sixties 60’s music (free to use)

  • “The Water is Wide” by Pete Seeger

  • “Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds

  • “There But For Fortune” by Joan Baez

  • Sixties 60’s music (free to use)

  • Rock is Lit theme music

 

LINKS:

Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Goodpods: https://goodpods.com/podcasts/rock-is-lit-212451

Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rock-is-lit/id1642987350

Cynthia Swanson’s website: https://cynthiaswansonauthor.com/

Cynthia Swanson on Bluesky: @cynswanauthor.bsky.social

Cynthia Swanson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiaswansonauthor/

Cynthia Swanson on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaSwanson/

Cynthia Swanson on Instagram: @cynswanauthor

Cynthia Swanson on Substack: https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/

Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast

Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg

Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg

Christy Hallberg

Christy Alexander Hallberg is the author of the award-winning novel ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ and host of Rock is Lit, the first and only podcast devoted to rock novels.

https://www.christyalexanderhallberg.com/
Next

Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest Spotlight: Undergraduate Student Submissions Winner Mavis Wolff Reads Her Winning Story, “Yes, Please”