In an innovative and exciting collaboration, Simon & Schuster Audio and Play.it will share, in its entirety, a stream of Stephen King’s forthcoming audiobook short story “Drunken Fireworks” for listeners nationwide.

CBS radio stations across the country will broadcast the special event on July 2.  Play.it is an on-demand audio platform recently launched by CBS radio and CBS Local Digital Media.

“Great stories are often better when told out loud,” said King. “This event is a cool way for more people to discover just how fun listening to my stories can be.”

Simon & Schuster Audio’s standalone publication of Stephen King’s never-before-released short story will be read by beloved Maine humorist Tim Sample. “Drunken Fireworks” will be released exclusively as an audiobook on CD, available for download, on June 30.

King hand-picked Sample to voice this compelling short tale about a salt-of-the earth Maine native and a friendly annual summer fireworks rivalry that gradually spirals out of control. Sample, known for his Maine accent and pride, is a former CBS News “Sunday Morning” correspondent who produced the popular “Postcards from Maine” segments for over a decade. With his unique brand of storytelling, he is perfectly cast in “Drunken Fireworks.”

“I’m excited and thrilled to be working with Tim Sample again,” said King. “This is going to be one wild ride.”

In addition, Simon & Schuster Audio will launch a pre-publication sweepstakes featuring “Drunken Fireworks” in June, which will include a travel voucher for a trip to see the annual July 4 fireworks show in New York, a complete collection of Stephen King’s Simon & Schuster Audio recordings, plus additional prizes. The sweepstakes will reach millions of fans through the Simon & Schuster, CBS, and Stephen King sites and social media accounts.

“Getting a call from Stephen King, especially when he’s totally pumped about some new project, is a bit like hopping a crosstown bus only to find yourself suddenly speeding along on a high-speed bullet train. The man is simply a force of nature,” said Sample.

“This time around Steve’s ‘bullet train’ turns out to be a story called “Drunken Fireworks,” and while it’s not the first Stephen King story I’ve had the privilege of narrating, it’s certainly the funniest. Stephen King? Funny? You heard right, chummy!”

“Drunken Fireworks” will be published as one of the short stories in Stephen King’s collection “The Bazaar of Bad Dreams,” coming from Simon & Schuster Audio and Scribner in November 2015.