Mark Leslie Lefebvre's Blog, page 3

Episode 415 – April Showers Bring May Reflections

In this solo episode Mark shares a personal update and some reflections about writing, publishing, and some marketing ideas.

This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report.

Links of Interest:

Mark’s BookFest KeynoteOne Book, One Community: Haldimand Public Library: Haunted Hamilton by Mark LeslieManuscript Report (Mark’s affiliate link)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark’s YouTube channelMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe 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 CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

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 414 – Thanks for the Inspiration Nancy Kilpatrick

In this episode Mark reflects on friend, mentor, and fellow author Nancy Kilpatrick.

Nancy Kilpatrick (May 6, 1946 – March 31, 2025) was a Canadian author who wrote stories in the genres of dark fantasy, horror, mystery, erotic horror, and gothic subculture and was perhaps best known for her vampire novels and stories.

Nancy and I in Sept 2010 at the HWA booth at Word on the Street in Toronto, ON holding a copy of the anthology CAMPUS CHILLS. Photo by Sephera Giron

Links of Interest:

Nancy Kilpatrick’s Wikipedia PageNancy Kilpatrick’s WebpageYouTube Playlist of Nancy’s readings and Q&A sessions (2020 to 2024)Manuscript Report (Mark’s affiliate link)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark’s YouTube channelMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe 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 CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

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 413 – Coming Home to Your Found Family with Aaron Fors

In this interview Mark interviews author, actor, and narrator Aaron Fors about numerous aspects of his creative life.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode’s sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report.

During their interview Mark and Aaron talk about:

Recently hanging out at Superstars Writing SeminarsAaron’s creative life as an author, an actor, and a voice talent/narratorHow Aaron started acting when he was eight years old, and his supportive father who took a “sure, let’s do this” approach when Aaron’s older siblings talked about wanting to get into actingAaron’s first scene doing a dark-themed dramatic monologue and how he fell in love with actingThe list Aaron created at the age of 5 which included being a famous actor, a rock star, President of the United States, and a basketball starBeing a voracious reader from an early age, with his favorite authors being Stephen King, William Shakespeare and Isaac AsimovLatching on to “found family” style stories from science-fiction disguised as “bad ass robot movies”Wanting to be a part of sharing stories that help remind people who feel alone or outcast that there’s a place for themBeing a guest star on a lot of cop, doctor, and lawyer shows on TV and having to have read hundreds of scripts – and how that has played a role in studying storyGetting into writing books because of his sister C L Fors and her husband Jason Crawford suggesting itHow writing stories and novels felt a lot like “coming home”The natural symbiotic relationship between performers of story and creators of storySome of the fundamental storytelling aspects that translate well from screenplays to narrative fiction, such as the “camera’s focus” on the relevant details in a sceneHow having a healthy relationship with rejection as an actor has been helpful to Aaron in his role as a writerHaving 17 auditions in person in a single day driving from 6 AM until midnight to get to the various offices and studiosThe concept of when you are doing an audition you’re actually performing in front of an audience that’s right there in the room (even if that audience is one or two or just a few people) – and that you’re actually getting to do your job – you got to entertainAaron’s story “Best Foot Forward” which appeared in the anthology Weird Wilderness edited by Lisa MangumThe first two full length novel manuscripts that Aaron has writtenAaron’s work doing voice-over performances in various different categoriesHow the industry for doing voice-over and narrator roles changed during the pandemic which allowed for a lot more work-from-home-studio opportunitiesThe way that the narrator themselves add a layer of artistry to the manuscript they are readingThe fact that Aaron is a dialectologist who studied in Masterclasses with Robert EastonAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark makes an offer to his patrons for getting a chance to work with Aaron and also reflects on three different things that Aaron mentioned.

Links of Interest:

Aaron Fors WebsiteEP 411 – Small Acts of Kindness in Every Little Thing with Janice LandryDraft2Digital Self Publishing Insiders (May 1, 2025) – Creating Your Community of Superfans with Rachel Rener (YouTube)Manuscript Report (Mark’s affiliate link)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark’s YouTube channelMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe 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 CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Aaron Fors is a passionate actor, dialectologist, writer, and all around performer. He is a weaver of stories, with threads of magic, science, wonder, and love. He is a collector of information, skills, and wisdom. He also crafts with his hands, leather-working and woodworking. His two cats and wife (honorary third cat) love him very much, and are spoiled by his cooking. 

He does all the things. Want a thing done? He can probably do it.

You can find Aaron online at www.aaronfors.com

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 412 – Books, Bookstores, and Community

In this solo episode, Mark talks about the importance of indie bookstores to the local community and what he is doing as an author to help support/promote indie bookstores on April 26, 2025, Independent Bookstore Day.

This episode is sponsored by Draft2Digital.

Check out the full day of PRINT BOOKS FOR INDIE AUTHORS videos here.

After discussing the importance of bookstores, and how he is supporting indie bookstores this year for Independent Bookstore Day, Mark shares the audio from a recent keynote he delivered at The BookFest Spring 2025, and then reads an essay from T. Thorn Coyle on the importance rehumanizing each other.

Links of Interest:

Canadian Indie BookstoresCanadian Independent Bookstore DayIndiebound: Independent Bookstore Day (US)Bookshop.orgMark’s Form for Readers Supporting Indie BookstoresT. Thorn Coyle links:Essay: Rehumanizing each otherPodcast: Magic, Creativity, and LifeEssay on Community Prosperity, Community HealthThe BookFest 2025Video with Mark’s Keynote (Video is for full day)Draft2Digital PRINT BOOKS FOR INDIE AUTHORSBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark’s YouTube channelMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe 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 CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

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 411 – Small Acts of Kindness in Every Little Thing With Janice Landry

Mark has a conversation with award winning writer and veteran journalist Janice Landryabout her seventh book, Every Little Thing: How Small Acts of Kindness Make a Big Impact, her 2023 diagnosis of Lyme disease which was part of the inspiration for this book, Janice’s life as a writer, how having lived adjacent to the ocean in Canada’s East Coast has impacted her creative spirit, and so much more.

Prior to the interview Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes and reads a word about two Canadian conferences taking place at the end of April 2026: Toronto Indie Author Conference and GritLIT. (You can use code gritLITfriends at checkout to save 25% off the cost of registration).

Mark and Janice talk about:

Being of the generation that spent their entire summer days outside and not-connected to anything except friends and the world around themThe old school-style desk Janice had when she was young and starting to write which was shoved up against a window that looked out on the oceanTelling herself fictional stories to amuse herself when she was youngThe ocean being one of the single biggest factors on Janice’s creative lifeThe importance of Janice’s 2022 book EYE OF THE OCEANWhy it’s priceless that we create and share Canadian storiesHow so much of what we do is about all of the people who help us in our achievements and why it’s one of the core messages in Janice’s latest bookThe dramatically debilitating side-effects of Lyme diseaseWhy small acts of kindness and sharing uplifting and positive stories is so importantThe tiny thing (a tick) that ended up inspiring Janice to write the book EVERY LITTLE THINGImportance messages of hope and that you’re not alone, which come from the bookA very special note that a teacher gave to Janice when she was 10 years old, and why she carried it around for fifty yearsAdvice Janice would offer to beginning writersAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on three different things that came up in the discussion.

Links of Interest:

Janice Landry WebsitePottersfield PressGritLIT Special 25% Discount Registration LinkDraft2Digital PRINT BOOKS FOR INDIE AUTHORSBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark’s YouTube channelMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe 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 CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Janice Landry has won four national awards for her writing and work. In March 2025,
Halifax West MP Lena Metlege Diab presented Janice with the King Charles III
Coronation Medal from the Government of Canada for her body of work, books, and
longtime mental health advocacy.

Janice is a veteran journalist and proud Haligonian. In May 2025, she released her
seventh book, Every Little Thing – how small acts of kindness make a big impact,
following her 2023 Lyme disease diagnosis. Janice has since fully recovered and wrote
this “small book with big messages” to thank society’s many and varied helpers,
including some of her own. Janice’s longtime publisher is Nova Scotia’s Pottersfield
Press. Her last two books, Eye of the Ocean and Silver Linings, were both bestsellers.

Janice’s biggest inspiration is her family, husband, Rob, and daughter, Laura. Through
her writing, she also honours her late parents, Baz and Theresa. Janice began writing
longform non-fiction to tell the gripping story of her firefighter father’s national Medal of
Bravery for his part in the near-death rescue of an infant from a harrowing 1978 Halifax
house fire.

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 410 – Writer Reflections at Lucifers Pizza with Robert J. Sawyer and Kevin J. Anderson

On Wednesday April 9, 2025, Mark had a pizza lunch at Lucifers Pizza on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. It was a place recommended by friend of the podcast Nikki Guerlain.

In addition to agreeing that this was fantastic pizza (with wonderful staff), Mark, Kevin, and Rob had a conversation about Writers of the Future, and various aspects about the business of writing and publishing.

Links of Interest:

Robert J. Sawyer’s WebsiteKevin J. Anderson’s WebsiteWriters of the Future WebsiteLucifers Pizza WebsiteBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsEP 353 – Tao Wong on The Toronto Indie Author ConferenceAlex Lifeson’s Speech on Behalf of Rush at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame InductionMark’s YouTube channelMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe 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 CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

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 409 – Show, Don’t Tell With Suzy Vadori

Mark interviews Suzy Vadori, Calgary Bestselling author of The Fountain Series, the founder of the Inspired Writing Community, a Resident Writing Coach for Writers Helping Writers, and the host of the Show, Don’t Tell Writing Podcast.

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

This episode is sponsored by the Show, Don’t Tell Writing Podcast with Suzy Vadori. In this weekly show, Suzy brings you writing techniques, best practices, motivation, inspirational stories from real live authors out there making it in the world, and actionable advice that can help you turn that book you’re writing into the bestseller you know deep down that it can be.

During their interview, Mark and Suzy talk about:

The last time Suzy was on the podcast in an episode talking about doing a book launch in collaboration with her local bookstoreA little bit about who Suzy is and what she is passionate aboutSuzy’s background that includes having a Commerce Bachelors Degree and being a Chief Operating Officer for a startupSuzy’s main superpower, which is to take enormous amounts of information, feed them into her brain, and then to determine a path forwardApplying skills that come from outside writing into the writing worldThe Suzy Vadori umbrella and how that came aboutThe areas that Suzy is most passionate about helping writers with: the actual writingThe myth that writing talent is all your need to be successfulThe free newsletter Suzy sends out to writers and some of the content that’s contained within itSome of the tools Suzy uses to evaluate a writer’s manuscriptSuzy’s “Show Don’t Tell” PodcastThe book that Suzy is currently working on which aligns with the branding for her podcastAdvice that Suzy would offer to beginning writersAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on something Suzy said about bringing in skills and experience from outside the writing world.

Links of Interest:

Suzy Vadori’s WebsiteShow, Don’t Tell Writing PodcastEP 142 – Strategies For Launching a Book During a Pandemic with Suzy VadoriBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsEP 353 – Tao Wong on The Toronto Indie Author ConferenceAlex Lifeson’s Speech on Behalf of Rush at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame InductionMark’s YouTube channelMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe 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 CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Suzy Vadori is Calgary Bestselling Author of The Fountain Series (The Fountain, The West Woods, Wall of Wishes). This fantastical series has received three Aurora Nominations for Best Young Adult Novel. She is represented by Naomi Davis of Bookends Literary Agency.

Suzy is the founder of the Inspired Writing Community, a Resident Writing Coach for Writers Helping Writers, a touring member of the Young Alberta Book Society (YABS) and a Program Manager for When Words Collide (WWC), a festival for readers and writers.

Suzy specializes in breaking down complex writing concepts for newer writers into manageable steps, to get the book idea exploding in their minds onto the page in a way that will make readers take notice. She works with both fiction and nonfiction writers, in Memoir, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance, Middle Grade, and of course, Young Adult. Suzy is an Advanced Certified Book Coach from Jennie Nash’s Author Accelerator.

Suzy speaks to youth and adult audiences across Western Canada about how writing can unlock doors and help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be.

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 408 – Definitely A Chat With Definitely The Real Alex Lifeson (AKA Tony Binns)

Mark interviews Tony Binns, an award-winning stand-up comedian and screenwriter whose feature #ROXY was nominated for 3 Canadian screen awards, 3 Canadian Comedy Awards, and took home Best Feature at the Ampia awards as well as Best Feature for Teens at the Kidscreen awards. Tony is also the man behind the parody profile on Facebook called Definitely The Real Alex Lifeson where he pretends to be a guy pretending to be the real guitarist from Rush.

Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, which includes a few engagements he’ll be speaking at in person and virtually:

IN PERSON: (Brantford, ON) Brantford Public Library (April 2, 2025 from 6 PM to 7:30 PM) –  Inside the Writer’s Mind: Mark Leslie Lefebvre on Ghosts and Paranormal Storytelling VIRTUAL: (Online) The BookFest (April 6, 1:30 PM Eastern). Keynote: Writer, The World Needs You: Why Your Writing Is More Important Than EverIN PERSON: (Los Angeles, CA) Writers of the Future. Week of mentoring winning writers and Gala Dinner/Evening celebrating this year’s winners on April 10, 2025

Mark then shares a word about this episode’s sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by Toronto Indie Author Conference, taking place April 26 & 27, 2025 in Toronto, ON. The schedule appears below

Learn more about Toronto Indie Author Conference 2025 here.

In their chat, Mark and Tony talk about:

How Tony is a multi-faceted nerd who used to tape episodes of SCTV so he could play them back and memorize themBeing big into Monty Python and, of course, RushAlways thinking that he was going to be an actor and his love of Shakespeare, but always getting the comedic partsBeing a good actor but not being so good at auditioning because he freezes when put in a pressure situationFounding a comedy sketch troop called Obscene But Not Heard which was partially inspired by his love for Kids In The HallEvolving into doing stand-up despite being a shy personDeciding to leave stand-up comedy around the time that Covid hitThe movie #ROXY (a modern tale based on Cyrano de Bergerac) that Tony wrote after he pitched it to some producers he had done some other work forHaving a strength for dialogue but a weakness when it comes to plotBeing brought in to help punch up an episodic YouTube series that was a campy horror flick and make it funnier (TRUCKSTOP BLOODSUCKERS)Tony’s most recent script entitled SAVING MR. CHRISTMAS and how it evolved into a completely different movie than the one that he originally pitchedThe “we love this, change everything” thing that happens with moviesTony’s WAITING FOR WAITING FOR GODOT which is a show about two women waiting for a production of the play Waiting For Godot which never happens, and how that play was inspired by the way that days could blur together for people, particularly as we get older and “become that guy”Being a Rush fan since he first heard “Spirit of Radio”How Tony was inspired to create a fake Alex Lifeson account on Facebook after he’s seen a fake Geddy Lee accountThe relation between ADHD and being “all in” on something — like Rush, Monty Python and Rush for TonyHow, during Covid Tony did a one-man reading of Monty Python and the Holy GrailDoing a Canadian overdub of Dragonball ZAdapting a pilot from a Canadian novel called The Smeltdog Man by Frank Macdonald and leveraging the “Deadpool” style of breaking the fourth wallAdvice that Tony would give to the young nerdy Mark and TonyHow Tony used to write sketches even though he didn’t have an outlet for themThe Dungeons & Dragons podcast that Tony is a part of called The +2 RodcastAnd more . . . 

After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that came up in the discussion.

Links of Interest:

Tony’s Definitely The Real Alex Lifeson Facebook ProfileTony on Twitter/X#ROXYTruckstop BloodsuckersFugget About ItBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsEP 353 – Tao Wong on The Toronto Indie Author ConferenceAlex Lifeson’s Speech on Behalf of Rush at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame InductionMark’s YouTube channelMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe 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 CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

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 407 – An Evening With A Drink And A Friend with Kevin J. Anderson

Mark has a virtual beer with Kevin J. Anderson while they talk through various aspects about writing and publishing. This episode is from a live chat that was hosted on the evening of Sunday March 16, 2025.

This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place in early Feb 2026 in Colorado Springs, CO and where Mark will be a guest speaker.

Use code: STARK100 to get $100 off your registration.

In their chat Mark and Kevin talk about:

The loss of author and poet Danny Peart, Neil Peart’s brother and how the first story Kevin and Neil wrote together named the main character after Neil’s brotherMark and Kevin’s Rush and beer connectionKevin’s “music starter kit” to his grand-kidsThe significance of the Rush album Grace Under Pressure to both Kevin and MarkHow the Columbia Music Record Club is what led to Kevin discovering Rush (because he was looking for sci-fi style album covers and Rush’s 2112 jumped out at him)The back-story to Kevin’s Terra Incognita novelsWriting a novel that was a tie-in to a Rush albumHow Kevin has been able to leverage Kickstarter to produce products that no New York publisher would likely ever get behindThe way a tribute song “No Words” about Neil Peart led to a new friendship and collaboration with KevinThe music behind the Terra Incognita trilogyKevin’s Kickstarter for Terra Incognita funding in 14 minutes, but the ultimate goal of earning back the high investment he has already put into itThe number of novels that Kevin has writtenBenefits of being able to order books directly from the author versus going through the multiple layers of traditional publishingSuperstars Writing Seminars, the conference that Kevin, his wife Rebecca, Dave Farland, Eric Flint, and Brandon Sanderson started more than 15 years agoThe Masters of Creative Writing with a focus on Publishing that Kevin teaches at Western Colorado UniversityThe annual anthology that this program publishes thanks to sponsorship from Draft2DigitalThe latest musical collaboration Kevin recently announcedKevin coming to Toronto’s Massey Hall for RushFest on August 1, 2025What books Kevin and Mark are currently working onFavorite advice for running a Kickstarter and the real costs of shipping and handlingKevin’s love of hiking and dictating when he writesAnd more . . .Video of the original livestream chat from Sunday March 16, 2025

Links of Interest:

Kevin J Anderson’s WebsiteWordFire PressKevin’s Terra Incognita KickstarterWestern Colorado University Publishing MastersSuperstars Writing SeminarsBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsMark’s YouTube channelMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe 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 CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

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 406 – How Authors Can Engage With Their Library

In this solo episode Mark shares an excerpt from his forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND: Strategies for Optimizing Print Book Sales via Signings and Other In Person Events.

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

Learn more about Toronto Indie Author Conference 2025 here.

The content for this episode is an excerpt from the work in progress: A BOOK IN HAND.

Links of Interest:

Notification for when A BOOK IN HAND becomes availableBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsMark’s YouTube channelMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe 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 CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

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