{"product_id":"caller-9-george-feola-9798317418922","title":"Caller 9: The Bartered Broadcast: Trade? Whats that?","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCALLER 9: THE BARTERED BROADCAST\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eA novel by George L. Feola\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWelcome to Tremonton, Utah. Population: eccentric. Currency: negotiable. Economy: powered by coupon books, livestock, and the sheer willpower of a station mascot with better grooming than the on-air talent.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the far end of a half-abandoned strip mall sits \u003cb\u003eKTRM-FM\u003c\/b\u003e, a radio station so committed to chaos, its transmitter has its own mood swings and name-\u003cb\u003eBertha\u003c\/b\u003e. This is where our reluctant hero, \u003cb\u003eJerry Prince\u003c\/b\u003e, 23 years old and already emotionally weathered like a thrift-store recliner, finds himself. After fleeing the soul-numbing world of corporate broadcasting, Jerry hoped for a fresh start in small-town radio. What he got instead was a barter economy, a haunted coffee maker, and a German Shepherd named \u003cb\u003eKitten\u003c\/b\u003e who refuses to follow orders but will accept bribes in cheese cubes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this \u003cb\u003esatirical send-up of broadcasting gone sideways\u003c\/b\u003e, Jerry is introduced to a station that operates entirely on \u003ci\u003ecreative economics\u003c\/i\u003e. Forget payroll. At KTRM, you earn your keep in soap, pies, used record collections, and the occasional jar of pickles. Got a vintage lawn flamingo? Boom-30 seconds of ad time. Know a guy who fixes tractors and sings baritone? Great, you're booked for Tuesday's live remote.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe staff of KTRM includes: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJesse Smith\u003c\/b\u003e, a trade-obsessed General Manager with a Rolodex that includes alpaca sanctuaries and candle-makers named Moonbeam.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBob Hillard\u003c\/b\u003e, the station's Chief Engineer and duct-tape wizard, who treats Bertha like an ex he can't quite quit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd of course, \u003cb\u003eKitten\u003c\/b\u003e, the radio station's overly expressive dog who doubles as a greeter, security, unpaid intern, and accidental programming director.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Jerry learns to navigate live reads for goat cheese, potluck diplomacy, and contests sponsored by bowling alleys and suspicious hot tubs, he begins to wonder if this oddball operation might just have more heart than anywhere else he's worked. That is, if he can survive the on-air disasters, aggressive listeners, and the time \u003cb\u003eKitten\u003c\/b\u003e accidentally broadcast farm reports from 1977 during drive time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThings go further off the rails when: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eJerry's show becomes a regional hit thanks to a listener who trades pickled eggs for a daily shoutout, \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eA barter deal involving VHS tapes, three crates of zucchini, and an inflatable bouncy castle sparks a power struggle, \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd the mayor offers Jerry honorary citizenship-if he'll emcee the local Goat Pageant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs chaos reigns, the station becomes something of a community hub, proving that even if your business model is based on baked goods and mild delusion, you can still make a difference. \u003ci\u003eCaller 9: The Bartered Broadcast\u003c\/i\u003e is a comedy of errors, a love letter to independent media, and a satirical romp through small-town absurdity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book includes: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA side plot involving used toasters as prizes.\u003cbr\u003eAn accidental naked dunk tank incident.\u003cbr\u003eThe world's only radio-hosted corn maze hotline.\u003cbr\u003eListener call-ins that double as free therapy.\u003cbr\u003eEnough barter deals to start a parallel economy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWill Jerry bring order to KTRM?\u003cbr\u003eWill the barter system finally collapse under the weight of unpaid advertising?\u003cbr\u003eWill Kitten host her own overnight show called \u003ci\u003e\"Bone to Pick with America\"\u003c\/i\u003e?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo grab a coupon, slap on some headphones, and prepare to enter a world where nothing makes sense and everything smells vaguely like lavender soap and corn dogs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause \u003ci\u003eCaller 9\u003c\/i\u003e isn't just a radio contest.\u003cbr\u003eIt's survival of the weirdest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e George Feola\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798317418922\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/10\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 56\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.19lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.12d","brand":"George Feola","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48851213582591,"sku":"9798317418922","price":6.85,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/caller-9-george-feola-9798317418922","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}