Mark Leslie Lefebvre's Blog, page 16

Episode 293 – The Capacity to Unlearn and Relearn with Diane Devenyi

In this episode Mark interviews Diane Devenyi, a former tax lawyer who shifted her focus to education reform, and her new book Dear Genius, Harness the Hidden Power in your ABCs.

Prior to the main segment, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, invites listeners to submit reflections for forthcoming episode 300 welcomes new patrons and shares a few words about this episode’s sponsor.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

During their chat, Mark and Diane talk about:

Diane’s start in a non-creative realm, with the belief she was going to be a tax lawyerPublicly announcing at an educational meeting that she was there to re-vamp education on the planet back in 1999Universal design: AKA “Learning for everyone”How the current education system was built to support an earlier century of humans — ie, creating workers rather than thinkersThe Alvin Toffler Quote: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”Working on ways to shift things when it comes to educationHow easy it is to resolve some issues when you know what underlying element you’re looking forThe way Diane’s book “Dear Genius” helpsHow to make Diane’s method work in larger sized classroom settings, including doing it with 80 campers at one time in a summer camp settingGoing to get her Masters of Education and how that led to having to put the summer camp on holdThe concept of having families experience this together in an immersive settingPart of the process of actually learning/relearning the letters of the alphabet using clayDeciding to take on partner dancing later in life and how that completely changed her lifeA Grade 4 experience that taught Diane that they don’t want to know what her best is, but they wanted her to be the best at what they wanted her to doWhy, even if a person uses a typewriter and never hand-writes letters, how going back to the foundation of properly printing letters can make a significant differenceFrom your hand, through your heart, and into your headGaining a sense of resilience from unlearning and relearning somethingThe March 2023 2-Day Boot Camps Diane is running onlineWhen your curiosity in life gets a kickstartAnd more…

After the episode Mark reflects on the importance of unlearning and relearning regardless of your age or how much you believe you might already have learned, and how he is planning on doing that to continue to grow as a writer and a person.

Links of Interest:

The Learning Force (Diane’s website)7 Figures Podcast – How to Successfully Sell Wide (beyond Amazon) with Mark Lefebvre (YouTube)The Creative Penn – Global Wide Self-Publishing with Mark Leslie Lefebvre (YouTube)BookBub Blog – 10 Tips for Growing a Wide Global AudienceFindaway VoicesSubmit YOUR reflections for Episode 300Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Diane Devenyi, LLB, MEd, is a former tax lawyer who shifted her focus to education reform when she became deeply troubled by learning struggles she observed in her children’s classrooms. This has become her life-long passion. With more than 20 years in the field, she is sharing her observations about literacy and learning in a “Dear Genius” series of books, with “Harness the Hidden Power in Your ABCs!” being the first. Her hope is that children and adults everywhere can finally find relief and the freedom to soar in their own zone of genius.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 

Episode 292 – Learning by Doing and Baptism by Pyromancy with Oskar Söderberg

Mark interviews Oskar Söderberg, a thirty-five year old husband, father of two, and full-time IT employee about his writing life and the process leading up to publishing his debut novel, The Broken Pyromancer, coming in March 2023.

Prior to the main segment, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, and a few words about this episode’s sponsor.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

During their chat, Mark and Oskar talk about:

Oksar’s long-held perspective of how cool writers were, with the romanticized images he always hadWriting and self-publishing a book back in 2017, which did not work out well, and which he ended up taking downHis main takeaway from that experienceHis first novel, which is with an editor as the interview was being conducted and is coming out in 2023What the Sweden Amazon site is likeHow Kindle Unlimited is not available in SwedenWhat platforms are not available to authors in SwedenThe different genre Oskar is writing in for this new bookTeaching himself programming in order to build a game for IOS and Android that is like a “choose your own adventure” interactive horror adventure (Gray Sojourn: Wandering Souls)Learning more about the world of self-publishing from listening to a number of podcasts (especially The 6 Figure Author Podcast)The expected/planned release date of the new novel, entitled The Broken PyromancerWhy Oskar decided to publish his books wide, and his understanding that the process can take a lot of timeA look at the similarities and differences of advice for an author from Sweden versus an author in the USHow eBooks aren’t really a thing for readers in SwedenOksar being the only person he knows who owns an eBook readerThe popularity of audiobook apps and platforms like StorytelOskar’s learning about the reader magnet process and how it helped him go through the process and learning all the pieces of it, including testing the watersThe proliferation of rookie mistakes that are so easy to find, despite all the great content, information, and resources for writers

After the interview, Mark reflects on a few things Oskar mentioned and thanks Patrons of the podcast.

Links of Interest:

Oskar’s WebsiteNovella: Eldspark Academy6 Figure Authors PodcastEP 291 – The Importance of a Hero Who Looks Like You with Alicia MccallaBookBub Blog – 10 Tips for Growing a Wide Global AudienceFindaway VoicesBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Working full time in IT, Oksar Söderberg is a 35 year old father of two tiny terrorizing girls trying to squeeze enough time in to become an author by any means necessary’s. He is a reader, writer, and lover of fantasy (and some horror), with debut novel, The Broken Pyromancer, coming early 2023. Stay tuned!

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 

Episode 291 – The Importance of A Hero Who Looks Like You With Alicia McCalla

Mark interviews writer, narrator, and creative Alicia McCalla about her work creating thrilling stories of courage, bravery and strength featuring kick-ass Black women leads in SciFi, Fantasy & Romance.

Prior to the main segment, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, thanks new Patrons, shares a personal update, and a few words about this episode’s sponsor.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

During their chat, Mark and Alicia talk about:

How Alicia is two different versions of a superwoman and the way her brand is quite powerfulCourage, bravery, and strengthThe strong women in Alicia’s life, and her legacySharing badass, strong, and powerful black women who use their spunkiness, brains, and abilitiesRecognizing the power of a black Star Trek captainDressing up in cosplay as a Starfleet captain when going to get a Covid booster shotHow ground-breaking Nichelle Nichols’ role in the original Star Trek was, and what happened when she wanted to quitThe importance of having a superhero who looks like you, and Alicia’s husband’s experience with wanting to go to school for Halloween as Spider-Man, but being told by another child he couldn’t be Spider-Man because he was blackHow the Civil Rights Movement could really be understood as a Women’s movementSome of the differences between White Feminism and the approach to feminism taken by Black womenThe difference between Feminism and Female EmpowermentThe Miles Morales Into the Spiderverse movieThe toxicity and racism that exists within science-fiction fandomAlicia’s experience sitting on a panel at Dragon Con with a white male participant who claimed they didn’t “see” the differences between white and black people and that “race” doesn’t matterCrying unabashedly when seeing the Black Futurism in the movie Black PantherThe experience of Alicia and her husband giving away their Black Panther and Wonder Woman watches to children in GhanaHow selling direct can be both empowering and terrifyingThe exclusive audio available only via Alicia’s website for those dedicated fans who really want itHaving an international audience of readers all over the world and how the public library of South Africa is a place that many readers seem to be consumed her booksNot being able to finish a book project because of a character who was deeply based on her grandfather who Alicia lostNarrating under the pen name Alicia Speaks

After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of understanding how something that seems normal or just “fits” for one person, might not be experienced in the same way for another. Case in point: Both Mark and Alicia’s husband dressed up as Spider-Man when they were children, but Mark wasn’t told that he couldn’t because of the color of his skin.

Links of Interest:

Alicia McCalla’s WebsiteThe Publishing Blues Brothers (YouTube)Weird Al’s Song “One More Minute” (YouTube)Findaway VoicesBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Alicia McCalla is a creative entrepreneur who writes, narrates and creates merchandise for readers and customers who love thrilling stories of courage, bravery and strength featuring badass, spunky and smart Black women main characters. If you are a Blerd or Nerd who loves talking about strong Black women and female empowerment in  SciFi, Fantasy, Romance and sometimes Horror then join in on Alicia’s blog discussions or follow her on social media.

Alicia began writing and self-publishing professionally in 2012. In the beginning, she wrote part-time while she worked full-time as a School Media Specialist. Tragedy struck and her only child, an officer in the US Navy was lost at sea. This single event changed everything. With the overwhelming intensity of her grief brain, she had to re-learn how to live fully while honoring her son’s legacy (he was one of her largest supporters and champions. He even produced a theme song for her work). She often takes the time to acknowledge her grief journey in her blog posts.

Now, Alicia is a full-time writer, audiobook narrator & merchandiser sharing stories and products of courageous, brave and strong Black women warriors.  She enjoys writing kick-ass sistas with skills, swords & superpowers. Alicia is Black Girl Nerd and regularly Cosplays strong female superheroes, warriors and maybe even a fairy. Because of her love of fan merchandise and desire to see Black women represented in SciFi and Fantasy Merchandise, she launched her shop  Alicia McCalla’s Emporium featuring superheroines, vigilantes, huntresses and much more. 

Alicia’s influences include Octavia Butler, LA Banks, Faith Hunter, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Patricia Briggs.

She is an activist in the movement towards diversifying Science fiction and Fantasy (#diversityinSFF). She created the first “State of Black Science Fiction 2012” blog tour, is an active member in the State of Black Science Fiction FaceBook group and has a Pinterest account where she actively curates topics related to Black Warrior Women, Black Science Fiction, Fantasy and more.

Alicia writes for adults with her brand of Black superheroes, dark fantasy, Urban Fantasy, paranormal, and horror.  She is a former Women Marine-Reservist and a decorated war veteran. Alicia is a native Detroiter who currently resides in metro Atlanta with her loving husband and many nieces and nephews. Sign-up  on http://www.aliciamccalla.com for free reads, updates, sneak peeks, and merchandise coupons.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 

Episode 290 – Thanks for the Inspiration Jim Turcott

In this solo episode, Mark reflects on how continues to be inspired by teacher, mentor, and friend Jim Turcott.

Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a word about this episode’s sponsor.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

Findaway VoicesBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 

Episode 289 – Accountable Author Journey with Malcolm Coon – Part 1

Mark interviews Malcolm Coon about his plans for overcoming the “back-burner” state of his writing projects, why he doesn’t plan on giving up should his writing income ever get to “that” level, his goal of completing a short story every month this year, and more.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update inside of the word about this episode’s sponsor segment.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

In their conversation, Mark and Malcolm talk about:

Malcolm’s full time work in tech while simultaneously having wanted to write since 1997A falling out Malcolm had with a partner in his tech business and how that led to working on a tech thriller that he worked on, but abandoned after about a monthHis long-time love of reading fantasy, which led to deciding to write fantasyGetting serious about his writing in about 2011, discovering various writing podcasts, and realizing that this was something he could doHow the writing would regularly go on hold because of the fluctuations of the work-lifeChanging his tact a little and deciding to write a short story every month in order to create a story collection that would act like a prelude to the unfinished trilogy he’d been working onThe challenge of being an entrepreneur in tech while also balancing being an authorpreneurThe strategy of doing the writing first thing early in the morning for about thirty minutes BEFORE opening the email browser, which usually leads to getting sucked into work for the entire dayAttempting to do a little bit, no matter how small, every day, because once he misses a day it’s easy to miss a second dayHow the process of just trying to cram a large word count out with inserted notes about research to do for later insertion can often lead to a section of bad writing with additional work to do on itThe way his current writing are based upon a world that Malcolm and his brother created when they were teenagers playing Dungeons & DragonsThe parable storybook Malcolm created called The Greatest Writer in the World (in the style of “The Greatest Salesman in the World) that he published to Amazon, but then took down after a year upon realizing he hadn’t invested the proper time in polishing and editing itMalcolm’s goal of ultimately wanting to make a living of his writing, but to never give up the entrepreneurial tech business work that he lovesBecoming less concerned with words per minute than with creating qualityHow Malcolm has found it far more difficult to manage himself in the writing roadmap plan compared to the way he very effectively manages developers for his entrepreneurial workThe idea of that breakthrough moment of what it will take to get over that hurdle of getting the books done and publishedThe importance of figuring out what works for us as writers, which is always going to be uniqueHow the 25 words a day goal can be like a “just one more potato chip” methodologyMalcolm’s overall plan for getting this writing project back on trackMark’s threat of holding Malcolm accountable for his stated goals by having him return to the podcast to share an update

After the interview, Mark reflects on false starts in writing, the importance of reasonable goals, and adapting the advice offered into one’s own unique circumstances and preferences.

Links of Interest:

The Writing Show Podcast (Apple) – “Getting Published with Mark Leslie” SeriesEpisode 1Episode 2Episode 3Episode 4Episode 5Episode 6Episode 7Episode 8Episode 9Episode 10Episode 11Superstars Writing Seminars (Save $100 with code: STARKSSWS2023Findaway VoicesBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Malcolm Coon is an author who works in tech full time as an entrepreneur. He doesn’t yet have a website, and Malcolm will be returning to future episodes.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 

EP 289 – Accountable Author Journey with Malcolm Coon – Part 1

Mark interviews Malcolm Coon about his plans for overcoming the “back-burner” state of his writing projects, why he doesn’t plan on giving up should his writing income ever get to “that” level, his goal of completing a short story every month this year, and more.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update inside of the word about this episode’s sponsor segment.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

In their conversation, Mark and Malcolm talk about:

Malcolm’s full time work in tech while simultaneously having wanted to write since 1997A falling out Malcolm had with a partner in his tech business and how that led to working on a tech thriller that he worked on, but abandoned after about a monthHis long-time love of reading fantasy, which led to deciding to write fantasyGetting serious about his writing in about 2011, discovering various writing podcasts, and realizing that this was something he could doHow the writing would regularly go on hold because of the fluctuations of the work-lifeChanging his tact a little and deciding to write a short story every month in order to create a story collection that would act like a prelude to the unfinished trilogy he’d been working onThe challenge of being an entrepreneur in tech while also balancing being an authorpreneurThe strategy of doing the writing first thing early in the morning for about thirty minutes BEFORE opening the email browser, which usually leads to getting sucked into work for the entire dayAttempting to do a little bit, no matter how small, every day, because once he misses a day it’s easy to miss a second dayHow the process of just trying to cram a large word count out with inserted notes about research to do for later insertion can often lead to a section of bad writing with additional work to do on itThe way his current writing are based upon a world that Malcolm and his brother created when they were teenagers playing Dungeons & DragonsThe parable storybook Malcolm created called The Greatest Writer in the World (in the style of “The Greatest Salesman in the World) that he published to Amazon, but then took down after a year upon realizing he hadn’t invested the proper time in polishing and editing itMalcolm’s goal of ultimately wanting to make a living of his writing, but to never give up the entrepreneurial tech business work that he lovesBecoming less concerned with words per minute than with creating qualityHow Malcolm has found it far more difficult to manage himself in the writing roadmap plan compared to the way he very effectively manages developers for his entrepreneurial workThe idea of that breakthrough moment of what it will take to get over that hurdle of getting the books done and publishedThe importance of figuring out what works for us as writers, which is always going to be uniqueHow the 25 words a day goal can be like a “just one more potato chip” methodologyMalcolm’s overall plan for getting this writing project back on trackMark’s threat of holding Malcolm accountable for his stated goals by having him return to the podcast to share an update

After the interview, Mark reflects on false starts in writing, the importance of reasonable goals, and adapting the advice offered into one’s own unique circumstances and preferences.

Links of Interest:

The Writing Show Podcast (Apple) – “Getting Published with Mark Leslie” SeriesEpisode 1Episode 2Episode 3Episode 4Episode 5Episode 6Episode 7Episode 8Episode 9Episode 10Episode 11Superstars Writing Seminars (Save $100 with code: STARKSSWS2023Findaway VoicesBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Malcolm Coon is an author who works in tech full time as an entrepreneur. He doesn’t yet have a website, and Malcolm will be returning to future episodes.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 

Episode 288 – Edo van Belkom on Re-Adapting and Re-Inventing Your Writer Self

Mark interviews Canadian author Edo van Belkom about his life in writing, and the January 2023 the Paramount+ TV series adaptation of his Silver Birch Award-Winning Novel WOLF PACK by Jeff Davis and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a brief personal update, welcomes new Patron Dharma Kelleher, and a word about this episode’s sponsor.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

In their conversation, Mark and Edo talk about:

An old picture of the two of them at a “Sci-Fi Saturday” multi-author event from the late 90s where Mark was one of the managers (Attendees were David Shtogryn, Edo van Belkom, Carolyn Clink, Robert J. Sawyer, Douglas Smith, Andrew Weiner, Mark Leslie, Sally Tomasevic, Marcel Gagne)“Sci-Fi Satuday” – (Chapters, Ancaster, ON). 1998? Left to Right: David Shtogryn, Edo van Belkom, Carolyn Clink, Robert J, Sawyer, Douglas Smith, Andrew Weiner, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Sally Tomasevic, Marcel GagneCAMPUS CHILLS launch (McMaster University – Hamilton, ON) 2009 – Left to Right: Kelly Armstrong, Kimberly Foottit, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Sephera Giron, Michael Kelly, Edo van BelkomEdo’s journey as a writer, beginning with his first published short story being published in an annual “Year’s Best” anthologyWriting about six or seven novels before his first one sold, and writing books that weren’t published until more than twenty-five years laterWorking on gaming-tie-in related novelsLanding his agent after having a short story appear in one of Jeff Gelb’s “Hot Blood” anthologiesFollowing his wife’s advice to write a YA novel, which became the award-winning novel Wolf Pack and how that book was sold over a telephone pitch/proposalHaving a couple of his mass market paperback novels (Scream Queen and Blood Road) be optioned for filmsSome of the silly things that writers hear when speaking to non-writers at parties such as “why don’t you write a bestseller?”What being nominated for the Silver Birch Award did for that bookWinning the Silverbirch AwardGoing from selling 10,000 copies of the first book in the series to only about 1,000 or so copies of the 2nd and 3rd books in that seriesHow the greatest part of winning the Silver Biirch Award was the live event at a small stadium in downtown Toronto, OntarioWinning the Bram Stoker Award for a short story (“Rat Food”) that he co-authored with David NickleWhat it was like co-authoring a story well before the days of the internetEdo’s short story collection Death Drives a Semi and how, when looking for places to market it, he found a trucker magazine that he ended up writing a series of stories in for fifteen yearsThe “Mark Dalton: Owner, Operator” series of storiesConverting a one-day workshop for truckers about fuel efficient driving practices into a novelDetails and experiences related to the ice roads in Canada’s Northwest Territories. (Ice roads are seasonal winter roads built over frozen bodies of water. The ice roads in Canada are about 400 KM (250 miles) long and are built over 64 frozen lakesThe story behind how Wolf Pack got turned into a new Paramount+ television seriesWhat it was like seeing a teaser trailer for “Wolf Pack” after a year of hearing nothing about the option deal that had been signedHow the book “Wolf Pack” got into the hands of Jeff DavisWhat it was like to be in Los Angeles for the premiere of the series, including walking the red carpet

Edo and his wife Roberta at the Hollywood Premier of WOLF PACK (Jan 2023)Seeing his name in the show’s opening credits “Based on the novels by Edo van Belkom”Some of what’s planned for the home-town showing of the first episode in the series in Brampton, OntarioWhy, if he can help it, Edo plans on not doing any more soul-crushing in store book signings any longerAnd more…Video of just the interview segment

After the interview, Mark reflects on three different things.

Links of Interest:

Edo van Belkom (At Jabberwocky Literary Agency)Edo on TwitterEdo on FacebookEdo on TikTokWolf Pack on Paramount+Wolf Pack TV Series – IMDBWolf Pack TV Series – WikipediaBe a guest on the Stark Reflections PodcastSuperstars Writing Seminars (Save $100 with code: STARKSSWS2023Findaway VoicesBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Edo van Belkom, a former reporter on the sports and police beats for newspapers in and around Toronto, arrived on the horror scene in 1990. His first short story sale, Baseball Memories, was selected for the prestigious Year’s Best Horror Stories edited by Karl Edward Wagner. The story was also nominated for Canada’s prestigious Aurora Award and appeared side-by-side with work by authors such as Mordecai Richler and W. P. Kinsella in The Grand Slam Book of Canadian Baseball Writing.

Van Belkom hasn’t looked back since. Some 150 short stories have sold to a variety of top magazines and anthologies in the sf, fantasy, horror and mystery genres. He has twice won the Aurora Award, taken home the Bram Stoker Award and his YA novel WOLF PACK won Ontario’s prestigious Silver Birch Award.

In January 2023, that same 2004 novel and the other three books in the series was adapted into an American supernatural teen drama on Paramount+ starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and produced by Jeff Davis, known for creating the drama series Criminal Minds and the TV series “Teen Wolf.”

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 

Episode 287 – Vulnerability in Writing, Performance Art, and Tarot Readings with Liz Worth

Mark interviews Liz Worth, a professional tarot reader, a poet and author.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word about this episode’s sponsor.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

In their chat, Mark and Liz talk about:

The many things that Liz “slings”Satisfying that craving Liz and her husband have to be surrounded by “vintage things” via owning an antique shopThe importance of helping take something inherited off someone’s hands in a meaningful way and to someone that will find use in itHow Tarot, the occult, and writing have always been a part of Liz’s life, and her mother’s influence in this areaGrowing up going to psychic fairs, learning astrology and card readingBeing draw to punk and goth culture in the 90s in high schoolMaking her own goth zine (Last Breath Escapes), photocopying it, and making it available through a local record storeDoing something similar for her poetryHow zines were a precursor to the niche market ability of eBook digital publishing nowadaysThe first book projects Liz worked onHow “Punk” is an entire ecosystem of creativity and not just a style of music and dressLiz’s work not only doing Tarot readings but teaching others how to do a Tarot readingThe things Liz would do during her performance poetry that she would never do in other professional aspects of her lifeHow, logically, Tarot is a thing that shouldn’t workThe vulnerability and expectations that a person has going into a Tarot readingHow you’re always going out on a limb when you’re interpreting and giving a Tarot readingLooking for narratives and story in the images and how do things make senseSome of the intangible things about Tarot that are difficult to explainThings that Hollywood, Television, and writers often get wrong about Tarot readingsThe importance of running with something in a creative way rather than feeling like everything had to be so “tamped down”Liz’s latest vampire novel, The Mouth is a CovenAnd more…

After the interview, Mark reflects on that importance of letting one’s creative license work its magic.

Links of Interest:

Liz Worth’s Author WebsiteLiz on InstagramLiz’s BooksLiz Worth’s Tarot WebsiteEpisodes with Jeff Elkins, The Dialogue DoctorBe a guest on the Stark Reflections PodcastSuperstars Writing Seminars (Save $100 with code: STARKSSWS2023Findaway VoicesBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Liz Worth is the author of eight books. Her newest novel is called The Mouth is a Coven, published through Manta Press. She has been nominated twice for the ReLit Award for Poetry, and her writing has also appeared in FLARE Magazine, Chatelaine, and the Globe and Mail. She works as a professional tarot reader by day.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 

Episode 286 – Investment, Compromise, and Evolution with Juliette N. Banks

Mark interviews Juliette N. Banks, a bestselling, wide author who writes steamy contemporary and paranormal page-turning romances.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares recent comments, welcomes new patron Dharma Kelleher, and shares a personal update and a word about this episode’s sponsor.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

In their conversation, Mark and Juliette talk about:

Juliette always believing that some day she would be a published author, but it was something she never chasedJuliette’s marketing background at a book she wrote in 2012 that was published by Random House in 2013The significant and tight Covid related lock-downs in New ZealandJuliette’s adaptation to reading a lot of eBooks during the pandemicThe incredibly expensive cost of print books in New ZealandWriting an archangel series and a vampire seriesLaunching her books and reader magnet in Jan and March of 2021Working a full time job squeezed into 4 work days per week while writing all these novelsThe roughly 200 people Juliette was sharing her works with for free before she even published her first book (and how they’ve maintained their loyalty as readers to this day)Launching a new contemporary billionaire romance series at the beginning of 2022The parallel between the vampire characters and the billionaire charactersTraining herself to think very American in terms of her largest readership baseCalculating the value of going to book signings, particular in the cost of flying from New Zealand to somewhere in the USThe process Juliette works on with editing and publishingHaving had five BookBubs in 2022The steady stream of releases and the stress that comes from that, particularly when illness like Covid occurs to throw a monkey wrench into itWhere Juliette has been focusing in her initial goal to get to the 5 figures she needed in order to quit her corporate jobSpending time on learning what she has to do to make her books “BookBub Worthy”Why she doesn’t separate “indie” and “traditional” – you’re competing in a store with suppliers of all sizesThe pricing strategy that Juliette usesHow only 10 of her books are creating income right now. The other 10 are things like reader magnetsThe way Juliette plans and maps out her writing businessThe importance of knowing what your skills and abilities and weaknesses areThe value of professional coaches and taking some action upon those meetings/sessionsAnd more…

After the interview, Mark reflects on the investment Juliette made by engaging for a long period and in detail with a group of 200 readers.

Links of Interest:

Juliette N. Banks WebsiteBookBub Article: How I Maximized my First BookBub DealEP 285 – Written Word Media’s Top 10 Publishing Trends for 2023EP 284 – Collaborations in AI with Elizabeth Ann WestWalk Thru of Sudowrite with Elizabeth Ann West (Patreon)EP 280 – J.C. McKenzie & Jo-Ann Carson on the 2023 Jozie Planner for AuthorsBe a guest on the Stark Reflections PodcastSuperstars Writing Seminars (Save $100 with code: STARKSSWS2023Findaway VoicesBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Juliette N. Banks is a bestselling, wide author who writes steamy contemporary and paranormal page-turning romances with alpha heroes who fall for sassy heroines and a healthy dose of action and suspense.

Juliette has a vast background in consumer marketing and previously published with Random House. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with Tilly, her Maine Coon kitty, and is now a full-time author.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 

Episode 285 – Written Word Media’s Top 10 Publishing Trends for 2023

To kick off the new year, Mark shares a Jan 3, 2023 article from the Written Word Media blog on the Top 10 Publishing Trends for 2023.

Prior to the interview, Mark share a personal update and a word about this episode’s sponsor.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

Links of Interest:

Written Word Media: Top 10 Publishing Trends for 2023Join Written Word Media as an AuthorBe a guest on the Stark Reflections PodcastSuperstars Writing Seminars (Save $100 with code: STARKSSWS2023Findaway VoicesBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0