Mark Leslie Lefebvre's Blog, page 30

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing EP 154 – Memories of and Reflections on T S Paul

This week the indie author community felt the loss of author T S Paul.

[image error]

In this episode, Mark shares a few reflections on Scott as well as some highlight clips from an interview video that he recorded as well as Scott’s appearance back in episode 13 of this podcast.

Links of Interest:

T S Paul’s BlogT S Paul’s Facebook PageT S Paul InstagramT S Paul’s Fergus The Unicorn’s Facebook PageT S Paul’s Fergus The Unicorn on TwitterEpisode 13 – Going your own way with T S PaulMark’s Feed The Obsession KickstarterYouTube Chat with T S PaulMark’s Canadian Werewolf SeriesThis Time Around (Book 0)A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1)Stowe Away (Book 1.5)Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2)Findaway VoicesBooks2ReadDraft2DigitalWide for the Win Submission FormPatreon for Stark Reflections

T S Paul is the author of Science Fiction, Space Opera, Military, Cookbooks, and Paranormal Fiction.

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 153 – Thanks for the Inspiration: Ron Roberts

In this solo “thanks for the inspiration” episode, Mark reflects on how Ron Roberts from Levack, Ontario was an important mentor who inspired him in his reading and his writing life.

[image error]Middle and Right photo © Greg Roberts

A thank you to Ronald Roberts, librarian, teacher, mentor.

Links of Interest:

Tomes of TerrorLevack, Ontario (Onaping Falls)Rush: Grace Under PressureMark’s Feed The Obsession KickstarterMark’s Canadian Werewolf SeriesThis Time Around (Book 0)A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1)Stowe Away (Book 1.5)Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2)Findaway VoicesBooks2ReadDraft2DigitalWide for the Win Submission FormPatreon for Stark Reflections

Thanks for the Inspiration is a type of show that appears from time to time in the regular schedule for this podcast.

As writers, we often absorb elements from the world, the places, and the people around us. We observe, we ask questions, we speculative, we listen, we watch, we feel, and we write so much of that down which gets re-integrated, like some sort of sausage creation, into the stories and words and worlds we share with our readers.

Thanks for the Inspiration episodes are an attempt to acknowledge and say thanks to the people, places, and things that have helped to either feed the muse, or perhaps just to feed the very soul and makeup of the writer behind that writing.

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 151 – Wellness, Well Played with Jennifer Buchanan

In this episode Mark interviews Jennifer Buchanan, President and founder of JB Music Therapy about the role music has played in her life, as well as the life-altering moment that inspired the creation of her company which uses music to help others.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, including who the winners are of Michael Arterberry’s book from Episode 147, as well as a word from this episode’s sponsor, Findaway Voices.

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

In his personal update, Mark shares:

Info about a couple of episodes he shared for patrons of the show (a reflections on other podcasts where he shares a clip from and talks about Episode 190 of The Writer’s Well with Rachael Herron and J. Thorn (both have been guests on previous episodes of this podcast)An update on the progress made from his recent booklaunch, with the push on the free “first book” in series and the slowly growing sales of the next two books in his Canadian Werewolf series.How Amazon screwed up the great track record for the downloads of the price-matched free first in series titleHaving had success in getting more than 7000 words written in the past week (after a previous extended dry spell of writing) – this writing is for Lover’s Moon, another title in the Canadian Werewolf series.An update on the Obsessions Kickstarter that has reached 153% of its funding goal and is almost halfway to the first stretch goal.

During their conversation, Mark and Jennifer discuss:

Jennifer’s introduction to music and which instrument she prefers as the most beautiful instrumentThe experience of hearing the same song via different singers and the uniqueness of the emotional resonance in the listenerThe underlying biological impact music can have on usThe human to human connection that music can bringUnderstanding that there is some music out there that is specific to you, and might not resonate the same way with othersThe backstory of Jennifer’s music therapy business and how it ties back in to a life-altering moment with her grandfatherHow, when she was a child, Jennifer was the kind of kid who loved doing special projectsThe age range of Jennifer’s clients and the kinds of therapies that are popular with clientsAn annual music festival a friend of Jennifer’s runs called Farmstock, and how it had to change significantly due to the Covid-19 pandemicJennifer’s advice about the creation of a life playlistWellness Incorporated, Jennifer’s most recent book and how it became a bridge between being a music therapist and having to be an entrepreneurGetting an MBA a couple of decades after starting her businessAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on the way music can bring people together and find strong bonds of commonality. He also reflects on the concept of a biographical playlist, and suggests writers might consider the theme music that might play when a character walks into a scene as an interesting exercise for writers.

Links of Interest:

Jennifer Buchanan’s WebsiteJennifer’s BooksWellness IncorporatedTune InJennifer’s Social MediaFacebookTwitterLinkedInYouTubeInstagramJB Music TherapyJB Music Social Media:FacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagramEpisode 150 -Anatomy of a Book LaunchEpisode 149 – Killing it on Kickstarter with Russell NoheltyEpisode 147 – Master Encourager Michael ArterberryMark’s Feed The Obsession KickstarterMark’s Canadian Werewolf SeriesThis Time Around (Book 0)A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1)Stowe Away (Book 1.5)Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2)Findaway VoicesBooks2ReadDraft2DigitalWide for the Win Submission FormPatreon for Stark Reflections



[image error]

Jennifer Buchanan is an award-winning author and clinician.

Described as inspirational, engaging, and thought-provoking, Jennifer’s keynotes provide practical strategies, grounded in global research and case studies, that help foster improved well-being within ourselves, our workplaces, and throughout our community.

Jennifer’s company JB Music Therapy has been instrumental in the implementation of hundreds of music therapy programs throughout Canada for almost 30 years and has been thrice nominated for the Community Impact Award by the Chamber of Commerce.  Jennifer is the recipient of the two most prestigious Canadian music therapy lifetime service awards: the Franni Award and the Norma Sharpe Award.

She has served as the President for the Canadian Association of Music Therapists for 5 years and has been an invited keynote speaker at national and international conventions speaking on music therapy and health entrepreneurship to a wide variety of education, healthcare, government, small business, and corporate audiences.

As an author of two award-winning books – ‘Tune In‘ and ‘Wellness Incorporated‘ she has appeared as a guest on numerous news and current affairs programs including Fox News Health, NBC, CBS, CBC Radio, CBC Television, CTV, Global TV, and has been featured in publications such as The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Chatelaine Magazine and Canadian Living (read articles and view videos here)

In addition to her Music Therapy education Jennifer has her Executive MBA specializing in social entrepreneurship from the University of Fredricton.

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

Below is an automated transcription of the interview segment of this episode.

(The transcription has not been human-verified)

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Hey, Jennifer. Thank you so much for hanging out with me here today.

Jennifer Buchanan: Thanks for having me Mark.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: So I am so excited to get into what you do and the way that you help people. But first, I think I want to go back to music in your life and why, and how music became important to you.

Jennifer Buchanan: Yeah, I was one of the lucky kids who had a lot of music during public school, starting very, very young, like.

We had band starting in grade five. And that’s when I would pick up my first clarinet. I was learning guitar by the time I was in grade eight. So I had a lot of opportunity, um, to sing and to engage with that. And. It’s what really motivated me to go to school every morning and motivated me throughout the day.

For sure. And so I’m a big proponent.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Well, I’m curious, because you talked about the clarinet and then by grade eight, you were learning the guitar. Um, do you have a favorite? Are there, I imagine there may be others in your life, or I S I’ve seen video of you playing the guitar. So I know that you’re still doing that.

Jennifer Buchanan: Yeah. You know, the core, I think I’m a singer. I think singing has been something, um, I gravitate to, regardless of what else I use, but it’s nice now being a music therapist, which I. Can tell you more about how I got there, but now being a music therapist, having a variety of instruments in your life became quite handy.

So it’s good.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: So the voice obviously is a beautiful instrument, right? Because it can do all these things. So what is it about voice? Um, is it the meaning of the, of the lyrics? Is it the sound. That can come on. What is it about singing?

Jennifer Buchanan: That is a good question. Um, yeah, I think it has a lot to do with quality for me.

Um, There are, because, I mean, maybe you’ve had this experience too to where someone can say sing the same song. Right. But your emotional response to it can be so different just based on the tone and the quality. I would say that’s me that it comes down to that own. And I, uh, I think that’s also what led me again into, um, the work that I do and what I pay attention to and others is, is working hard to create the actual quality of music that people will respond to the most emotionally to help them get through a difficult time.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I’m really excited to talk about music therapy, but we’re, we’re hitting on that emotional resonance, that music with people. Where does that come from? How does, what is that?

Jennifer Buchanan: Right. And, and we’ve definitely been feeling it through COVID right now, where people have just naturally gravitated to using music, to Sue them and to comfort them.

Um, you know, there are biological reasons why this happens where music has this incredible capacity to. Um, hit our reward centers of the brain and, and to release hormones in our body that will help us feel better. And, and we definitely can get the fields from, from what music can do. Um, but it does seem like there’s more.

Doesn’t it, I mean, biology’s really important, but there seems to be this, this deeper connection into, um, what some of us might call the, the foundation of our lives, the roots of our lives. And, um, and, and so for me, it’s about the connection. That can be made between human to human person, to person. Um, that’s another reason why this covert thing has been a little difficult because now we’re communicating virtually so much more, including our musical sharing and, uh, and it’s worked and we’re making it work, but there is something about being there in the music together with somebody else.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Oh, yeah. I mean, I love what you said about that. Because as a writer, I always think about the fundamental reason why people write is storytelling is it’s really to connect to people. And that is what music does. Right. And music beautifully can connect multiple people. Cause usually reading is a one on one sort of personal experience, but music can be communal.

It can be one-on-one. It definitely is. I think there was something else that you said or wrote once that really, really made me reflect. And, and it was that everyone has a different relationship with the same, same piece of music, not two different singers, but the exact same piece of music, they can get something different out of that.

There’s some power and magic in that. Isn’t there?

Jennifer Buchanan: There is. And, and, and so you can sometimes hear that someone may have such a strong connection to a piece music and you go don’t, you just love it. Don’t you just love that song, but they might not have that same relationship to it. Um, so it can also feel a bit let down because you want to be able to share it in the same way, your experiencing it and why.

Right. But that’s where I think we have to understand that there’s some music out there that is specific for you. That’s your gift. That’s what you are going to be able to have in your life. And, and you may not be able to share it in quite the same way.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Excellent. So let’s get to your superhero origin story of where JB music therapy business came from.

Jennifer Buchanan: Well, I, you know, I never get sick of TA or tired of telling this story because, um, my granddad was the most miserable man. Um, you. Could meet. He was, um, very classic. He didn’t love us kids hanging around too much. He always sent us to the basement and, uh, He unfortunately, um, had a second major stroke that sent him into to what we would classify now as longterm care at the time it was called extended care and it was right off of the hospital.

It looked like the hospital, there was nursing care, but there wasn’t a lot of other quality of life, um, experiences that you could have. And, and, uh, So, so needless to say the environment didn’t make him any happier than what he was previous. And he struggled. He was not able to walk. He was no longer able to talk.

He was quite a very strong man prior, and, and now he was completely dependent on others, particularly my granny and granny. Um, was one of the most special people in my life, um, as a mentor, as, as a woman leader and, and, uh, she was an incredible caregiver. She would show up at seven and o’clock in the morning to be with granddad.

And, and she would leave late at night. She would always bring home cooked meals. She’d bring in his favorite quilt. And so it shouldn’t have surprised any of us when she said, uh, Jen, would you bring, um, would you learn your grandfather’s favorite song and come in and play it for him? And, uh, I thought it was an odd request, although I was doing music.

Yeah. We had never done that before. It’s not, we weren’t the family that sat around and sang together. This was brand new for us. And the following Friday I went in, I took my guitar. I had a granny put a chair right in front of granddad. Um, I don’t think he looked too pleased. I think I felt really uncomfortable.

Granny didn’t care. She put her hand on my shoulder and she said, go ahead, dear. And I started singing the song and, um, We felt a shift almost immediately. Uh, the screaming lady that we always heard down the hall, her scream started turn turning into song as she came into the room and sat beside me. And then we have the, uh, wondering guy who would wander around.

Granny had to pull up another chair. We were crowded. In this room and granddad started to cry and something shifted. And so did my Friday nights. And, uh, until I would go into a music, the music therapy program, uh, Capilano university in North Vancouver, my Friday nights would be right there. In the extended care hospital with some of my favorite people who taught me so much

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Oh my God, that’s beautiful. I, uh, I love how that started to bring people together from, and they’re there, they’re all doing different things or maybe stuck in patterns, whatever it was, but the music kind of broke them out of that and into something really beautiful. Wow. That’s a, before I get on to asking sort of the next step, I, I am curious, what was the song?

Jennifer Buchanan: What was it? Cliffs of Dover was the song by veer Lynn, although we’ve done a lot of others. Another one of my, um, grandfather’s favorite when I rush eyes are smiling was one of his absolute favorites as well. And so there were several that we learned he connected to, and that’s essentially what I have learned.

From, from a lot of people, lots of people not only are connecting to the quality of sound that we were talking about or a certain melody. Like you said, some people that really connect to the lyrics in this case, it seemed to be just that. The essence of the whole thing. Um, you know, the coming together of different people going through really difficult challenges, you know, um, I look back now and after meeting so many people who have had strokes and, and just, and at such a fast light transition, um, to have anything that, uh, reminds you that, that.

You are still complete and whole and important and loved. Um, I feel that’s ultimately what a music moment like that can do.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Wonderful. Wonderful. Okay. And so you had that experience that you, you saw the power of that you obviously kept, kept, you know, feeding that well and drinking from that. Well, because I think it’s a, it’s a two way street.

Jennifer Buchanan: Right. Everybody gets something.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Hmm. Then how did that transition into your entrepreneurial life?

Jennifer Buchanan: Right? Um, I, I feel so when I was a kid Mark, I was like kid who just loved doing special projects. You know, the teacher would say, okay, we’re doing, you know, a big project group project, and those are my favorite things.

And, um, I believe what happened. This is when I graduated from the music therapy program, there were no jobs. So if I was ultimately going to pursue this profession, I was the hundred and 33rd music therapist in Canada. So it was really early on. So if I was going to pursue this profession, um, I was going to have to go out and look, be entrepreneurial about it and start a private practice.

Just like other physiotherapists that or massage therapists have private practice. That’s what I ultimately was going to ask, have to do. And, um, And as I did that, I realized how much I loved it, but I, so don’t love to work alone. I love to work with people. So that’s where the hiring, um, started and creating jobs for other music therapists started, um, We are a team of 20.

Um, we serve many, many organizations now we’re doing a lot of virtual work with those organizations and working that out. Um, and it’s been, uh, It’s been, I thought I was probably going to be in it for five years. And here we are, 29 years as of two weeks from now, 29 years. Crazy.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah, I was going to say, but you’re 29, aren’t you?.

Jennifer Buchanan: Absolutely.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: So I’m curious, uh, what kinds of, um, what kinds of therapies are popular with your different clients? I imagine it’s, it’s pretty diverse.

Jennifer Buchanan: Yeah, absolutely. So, so our youngest client is two months old and our eldest is around 104. Uh, we not only work in long term care, although that continues to be very, very close to my heart.

And you can imagine right now, It’s incredibly important. We figure out how to make this work. Um, but we also work a lot with kids on, with development. We work with, um, kids that might be struggling with feeling connected to their world. Um, perhaps they have a diagnosis of something that’s, um, they’re wanting to, uh, To identify, to strengthen to, um, to, to feel good.

What about, so they can continue doing their life the way they want to do their life. Um, we work with youth, we work with those who are incarcerated. We work in end of life care and palliative care. Um, so of course, a lot of in the realm of mental health right now. So there is, um, I would say that we’re specialists when it comes to music therapy, but we’re generalists when it comes to the populations we’re serving.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: So you, I mean, again, it’s very adaptive and the needs of each client.

Jennifer Buchanan: Yeah.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Wow. Two months old, I guess. Yeah, I guess because I I’d heard somebody say when they were talking about the value of. Oral storytelling is that the very first sounds we’ve ever heard where our mother’s voice very consistently for a long, long time.

And so I think that auditory thing is probably one of our. First developed senses, wouldn’t it be?

Jennifer Buchanan: Absolutely. And, and here we, and it’s also the last one to go, which is also very interesting. So our auditory, um, environment, therefore, is something for us to really consider from while we’re in utero, all the way to end of life.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Wow. Now you said something earlier that really struck a chord with me. And I was thinking about that communal nature of music, bringing people together. And I was thinking about one of the things I love to do when I travel is go to a bar and listen to some local musician I’ve never heard before, and they can be doing a cover song.

You know, Billy. Joel’s a piano man. You know, it’s the classic that everyone knows or their own unique music. It doesn’t matter. Often, often the commonality of a song we all know is it is quicker.

Jennifer Buchanan: Right, right.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Beautiful. That seems to happen. I end up, I have so many CDs because I’m so enthralled with the experience of that community where there’s that performer and everyone there is just.

All connected in different ways, because

Jennifer Buchanan: I have a particular story from somewhere you’ve been, that was particularly,

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I wish I did, but I’d be, we’d be going for hours. I think I’m one of the last times I remember experiencing that was in Portland and I was there for a haunted. Uh, my, my girlfriend, Liz and I were there for haunted.

Um, it was a haunted place, so we thought, Oh, we’re going to stay overnight, this haunted place. Cause we were writing a book about haunted ours, and for a reason, they brew their own beer, but they’ve got 13 rooms upstairs. And so there’s a saloon, the salon downstairs and, and there was like, Oh, and, and even better, there’s two local musicians.

Cause we both love indie music. And so we went there. And, uh, El robotize was one of the music. I mean the name of the other one, and they both weren’t even from Portland, they were from. Traveling elsewhere.

And, and it was great because you know, the first musicians on be like, Oh my God, this is awesome.

And then the next one came on and like, Oh my God, this is awesome. And the night is better and better and better. We, we. We felt the spirit, uh, in a, in a magical way. Um, and I still listen to their music and I’ve got the CDs and I, and I buy the rest of their music, Google play and stuff, so we can listen to it at home.

But I guess the reason I’m saying that is you had mentioned, you know, COVID and therapy in person compared to. Uh, being distant because it’s a, it’s a real community based thing.

How, how do we, how do we get that now that we maintain our distance and there’s a global magnetic.

Jennifer Buchanan: Yeah, it’s, it’s been interesting for sure.

You know, and yet, um, so I have a friend who puts on something annually called Farm Stock every year. So she has a farm out in Ontario and they put on farm stock and people travel for miles in order to go and, and really enjoy. Live making a live music making and the fire and the whole camping experience together.

And this year, of course, that wasn’t able to happen for people. And so she put it virtual and, you know, everyone was feeling as it’s gonna work, you know? Um, but you went from home to home and people performed live from their home and showed their environments and created this connection in a new way.

Was it the same? No, it was different. But did you, you get some of the same fields? Yeah, I did. I definitely had a few tears coming down my face. I didn’t realize how much I needed that connection myself. So, so, you know, we, we don’t do it the same. We do it different, but the same reasons. And I think we can continue doing that.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Oh, that’s beautiful. Uh, Liz and I went to see July Talk – they’re, an indie Canadian band. And, uh, and it was at a drive in, and it was a really unique experience where you couldn’t cheer because we were facing the screen at the very back, but everyone would honk their horns really, really, really cool actually, because they were on stage, but you were watching them on the big screen.

Um, but it was, and again, I thought it felt. It’s not as fun as, as a, as a concert, but it completely different experience. Cause it brought us childhood too. Right. And remembering what it was like, Oh yeah, we should have brought lawn chairs because the cars are parked far enough away that we could sit in front of the car.

Jennifer Buchanan: Great.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Cause everyone else’s speakers were so loud. You could hear it.

Jennifer Buchanan: great.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: So that that’s how, and then therapy one-on-one therapy now, obviously for, for, um, for seniors, because they’re high at risk, you have to be very, very careful about not bringing, uh, introducing, uh, infection. How do you work with seniors now?

Is it virtual that have the home setup, the ability to be there in, in, in a, like on a screen?

Jennifer Buchanan: It’s been a real mix. Um, The, the sad part of this story is there’s many places we’re not back at yet. Um, so virtual or otherwise, and the reason we’re not back virtually, um, is primarily because you do need to have the human resource on the other side and people are busy.

Like actually just finding the time in order to, to make a program like this happen, um, is. Is why we have not been able to come. So that’s been very difficult for everybody. Um, and then, yes, there’s this hybrid of virtual. With maybe even a mix of live, like since we’re in this, some are, we are able to go and sit outside and do some programming outside, um, as well as doing some virtual work, either one to one or small groups with a large screen.

In front of everybody. Um, but you can imagine that, you know, when we’re working with people that maybe can’t see it so well, or maybe can’t hear as well as they once did. Um, this can be particularly challenging. So again, it’s specific people that are able to adapt to this environment and not in the same way as when we can actually.

Be there with them. We’re still trying to work it out. We are back in some places we’ve got full PPE on. We are only going to one place a day. So that would be, um, part of what we’re doing there. Um, but it we’re going to have to continue working this part out.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah. And I imagine if things continue to change and evolve as, as you move forward.

So there are probably ways that people can, um, use music to relieve stress and, uh, and other experiences. I think I read on your blog, uh, the importance of playlists and how they may be an upfront investment, but they’re actually a benefit. And I know, I know writers have playlists that they run. I’m wondering if you have any advice on, on playlists and how people can use that either for your meditation or.

Jennifer Buchanan: Absolutely. So it there’s some of my favorite things to do with the general public, um, working on team building. I love working with teams on this actually, because it’s a great way to connect and have fun. Um, amongst a group of people, um, we often hear about people. Beat belonging to book clubs, but we don’t hear a lot about it as often music clubs.

And I really do think that could be a thing and we could make it a thing. So playlists, one of the things I go through is about five different ways that you can put together a purposeful playlist. Um, Of course, there’s always the other ways where you could go on a new streaming service and you can download John reser feelings that you’re looking for, but this is different, right?

This is about, um, Going to your specific music, uh, the, the personal soundtrack of your life that you have had. So one of the first playlists I do suggest best we all start with and it will take time. It will, um, be something that we can do over time. And that is just identifying your. Complete personal soundtrack.

You might start from before you went in school, what sort of music and sounds were in your life? What was it, your perhaps your home environment, introducing you to, um, perhaps you had a jewelry box that had a particular tune that you will never feel. I forget. I know I used to have those golden books that you would turn the page and you could hear the chime as they turn the page.

Cause there was a cassette that went along with it. So those are so, and it could also be telecom the vision. I mean, you can think back to, um, Fred Rogers and you can hear all of them the sounds and um, Oh, what was the one? Um, with the flute, um, Friendly giant. Right? Like you can hear all those sounds of our preschool lives.

So you start there, you talk about that. You share that you feel it, what it was like. Cause it was a part of you. Um, you then move through into your school lives from elementary. And what did that look like and what experiences were presented? Um, you go into junior high and then all of a sudden you go, Oh my gosh, all of a sudden music showed up and you had so much music in your life, in junior high.

And then you went on to high school and you started becoming very much more particular about what you were going to listen to. And then you went off. VIN to your young adulthood. And some of us like me when I had my children, all of a sudden it went to what my children were listening to and I sort of forgot about myself.

So my personal soundtrack reminds me that there’s about a, a five or six year gap where I wasn’t adding in music for myself. So that gives me some information and then it goes on and on and on as, as throughout, um, How we age. So that’s probably the best one to start with. And it sounds like simple, but we don’t spend necessarily a lot of time with it and actually journal it down and write it down and write our experiences.

Um, it is something that we can connect to and then maybe start that music club. So again, it becomes a sharing moment.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Oh, wow. That’s uh, I can’t wait to, I can’t wait to tell you. I wanted to talk as well about your latest book wellness incorporated, because as I understand that this is a book that actually applies or helps other professionals apply your learnings.

Can you tell us about when did it come out?

Jennifer Buchanan: Yeah, so it came out a year ago, actually a year ago, January. Um, and. It was, um, yeah. Yeah, it was, uh, uh, uh, sort of like the real bridge between, um, being a music therapist, but definitely having to be entrepreneurial and start a business around that and realizing that.

The language that we used around our business was different than other businesses that the lens in which we looked at was definitely from a health and wellness perspective of our clients, but also of our business. You know, what, what truly is a healthy business. What’s a well business and it was so much beyond looking at just profit and.

As I went on, I, I decided to, um, complete, uh, an MBA 20 years after I started my business with a focus on social entrepreneurship, which was the closest I could find to health entrepreneurship. And even as I was doing that, I learned a lot, but I realized that being in this health and wellness industry, Uh, providing direct service to other humans was uniquely different.

So wellness incorporated, um, came out of that and I felt it was a book that was needed for many other people like me. I dedicated it to my 21 year old self when I started this business. And, uh, and it’s the book that I wish I would have had, especially in that first decade. It’s the nine steps to a values driven.

And sustainable business. So you can keep going on for these three decades. And I look forward to, uh, continuing to do this for the rest of my life. So I plan to also reread my book.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Fantastic. And I can see value for so many different entrepreneurs. Uh, and, and, and that, because it comes back down to the fundamentals, let’s say the, um, the, the, the beat of the, of their song.

Jennifer Buchanan: Exactly. Right.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: So inspiring. Thank you for, for sharing so many insights with me now, one last question, and then I’m going to get to that to then closer. But I guess I was thinking about the difference between, cause you’ve done it three you’ve you’ve created music. You’ve created a business and you’ve created a book.

Are there parallels in those paths?

Jennifer Buchanan: Yeah. You know, that’s such a good question too. I thought about there’s something about just art, creating art and, um, Definitely around music and around music therapy. There’s a real art to that and a real art to engagement in businesses. The same. It feels like making art to me, I’m writing a book, certainly again, that creative spirit, an essence of art continues to co come around and, and, and play.

There’s play in all of it. You know, we don’t talk about play in business a lot. Um, if it wasn’t fun, I don’t think I’d still be doing it.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah. And you already, um, uh, as you already pointed out the question, cause it was a, what would you tell your 21 year old self or younger self? Just like, I wish she had this book slowly.

So you already answered that question beautifully, Jennifer, please let my listeners know where they can learn and find out more about you online.

Jennifer Buchanan: Thanks. And thanks for having me today, Mark. This was a really, I really enjoyed our discussion a lot today. Um, so I can be reached anywhere around the social media land.

So whether you’re on Twitter or LinkedIn, whether you’re on Facebook or Instagram. So I’m, I’m very much there either under Jennifer Buchanan, but also my company, JB music therapy. Right. Uh, you can also, um, connect with me through my books. If you’re interested in learning more about music therapy, that’s the book tune in, and if you’re in health and wellness sector or any entrepreneur, who’s very people centric.

You will be interested in Wellness, Inc.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Awesome. Well, Jennifer, thank you for what you do and helping, uh, enrich other people’s lives. And thanks for hanging out with me today.

Jennifer Buchanan: Thank you.

Episode 150 – Anatomy of a Book Launch

In this episode, Mark shares the details of a recent book launch, including the series re-branding, the promotion efforts taken in the metadata, the third party promotion sites used, and also shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of the results.

Prior to his personal update and the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes and a word from this episode’s sponsor, Findaway Voices.

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

In his personal update, Mark shares details about the Kickstarter that he launched on August 25, 2020 called Feed the Obsession, as well as the advice he took from Russell Nohelty (Episode 149’s guest), and what advice he didn’t employ. Mark’s Kickstarter funded in less than 48 hours, and he is now working on the stretch goals.

In his anatomy of a book launch, AKA anatomy of a series re-launch, Mark shares information in the following areas:

A Brief history of the stories/books in the “Canadian Werewolf” seriesWhy he went with the re-branding and new covers



[image error]



The actual launch – and multi-product approach he took to release all titles in eBook, Trade Paperback, Hardcover, and Audiobook



[image error]The new covers with the re-branding.



The Launch related promotions he purchased (including sites like Freebooksy, Fussy Librarian, and others)Goals and disclaimers about his expectations for the promo and short-term VS long-term



[image error]Results from day one of promos – Freebooksy



Results so far (1 week and 2 days in)



[image error]Misc screen shots of various results of promo on THIS TIME AROUND



Other promotional activities such as a virtual book launch, sending out press releases, and one-sheets to libraries





THIS TIME AROUND (Teaser Video Trailer)

Links of Interest:

Episode 149 – Killing it on Kickstarter with Russell NoheltyMark’s Feed The Obsession KickstarterSpace 1975 Kickstarter (Robert Jeschonek)Mark’s Virtual Book Launch for Stowe Away (YouTube)Video Trailer for Stowe Away (YouTube)This Time Around: A Canadian Werewolf Story – Teaser (YouTube)Mark’s Canadian Werewolf SeriesThis Time Around (Book 0)A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1)Stowe Away (Book 1.5)Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2)927 Rock Sudbury – This Werewolf is a Super HeroSudbury Star: Author reflects on how Sudbury shaped his latest bookFindaway VoicesWide for the Win Submission FormPatreon for Stark Reflections

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 148 – A.I. Voice Double Conversation with Joanna Penn

In this special bonus/additional episode, released between regular weekly episodes of the podcast, Mark has a conversation with Joanna Penn about emerging digital A.I. technologies and what it means for writers.

The initial conversation is using the words that Mark and Joanna would share in conversation, but the voice was generated using their respective Voice Doubles from Descript OverDub.

After the AI Voice Double conversation, the real Mark and Joanna share their thoughts and reflections on the conversation, the process behind creating the computer-generated conversation and what it all means for the publishing and writing communities.

[image error]

Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She’s a podcaster and an award-winning creative entrepreneur. Her site, TheCreativePenn.com has been voted in the Top 100 sites for writers by Writer’s Digest.

Links of Interest:

The Creative PennEpisode 002 – Living the Healthy Writer’s Life with Joanna PennEpisode 103 – 15 Takeaways from the WMG Publishing Master ClassThe Creative Penn Podcast – Episode 482 – How to Get Your Book Into Libraries and Bookstores with Mark Leslie LefebvreDescriptPatreon for Stark Reflections

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

Below is an Automated Transcription (Has not been human-edited/verified).

VD Mark: hello, Reflectives. Welcome to episode 148 of the stark reflections on writing and publishing podcast. This is your host, Mark. Leslie LaFave.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: No, no, no, no. That, that was not your host. This is your host, Mark. Leslie LaFave. What you just heard was my voice double from descript overdub. This is a very special episode.

As I said earlier, this is an episode in which Joanna Penn and I get to have a conversation about AI voice, but we do it in our voice doubles from descript audio. No, Joe and I have had beta accounts with descript overdub for quite a while now. And we’ve been able to experiment with it and have a lot of fun with it.

It is now available for anyone to use. You can use descript overdub. You can train your voice and it’s quite a bit easier now than it was in the earlier days. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to train your voice and what Joe and I thought we would do to sort of celebrate this and, and to discuss it because we’re both fascinated by what this means, what these emerging technologies means, what, what, what the AI and all of the tools, what that could mean.

Both the pros and the cons for the creative. And writing communities. And so Joe and I decided to have a conversation about it, and that’s what you’re going to hear. So without further ado, let’s get into the conversation of Joe and I are at least our voice doubles having this conversation. And then after the voice, double fake computer, Joe and computer Mark.

Conversation, which is actually our words, just to computer using our voices or in trying to integrate our conversation, Joe and I actually have a real conversation where we reflect on that. Now this is a special, because this is a period, obviously in the stark reflections podcast for episode 148, and it will be also appearing simultaneously in the creative Penn podcast.

Joe’s. Long running superstar podcast in episode 500 and X w wherever it happens to be, uh, falling, but that’s a, we’ll probably be releasing the episodes pretty much close to one another with, um, obviously the same AI AI, as well as the same conversation. But then of course we have our own intros and outros and all that fun stuff.

But anyways, without further ado, here’s voice double Mark and voice double Joanna Penn.

[BUMPER MUSIC]

VD Joanna: Hi, Mark.

VD Mark: Hey Joe, how are you doing?

VD Joanna:  I’m good. So how’s lockdown where you are. How are things in Canada?

VD Mark:  Lockdown has actually allowed me to discover new types of creativity in myself, where I seem to have prevented myself from writing prose, but I rediscovered the joy of doing parody videos and experimenting with different forms of creativity.

So I have the energy inside me to tell story. To want to share and amuse and entertain. And I redirected it into a different output that satisfied that part of my soul that needs to write. And now I’m back writing again, but while I was struggling, it was really good to have that outlet.

VD Joanna: I also struggled at the beginning and I did a flurry of business activities.

I made a couple of online courses, including one on turning what you know, into an online course. Which was, you know, useful and also very matter. Yes, very meta and also made some money. So that was really good because the first instinct is the survival instinct, which is, I just need to make some more money in order to survive this, whatever this is.

And then there’s that period of, okay, this isn’t just over quickly and the zombie apocalypse has not arrived. And now I need to finish that novel. I did manage to change up my creative routine and to finish map of the impossible, but we are talking about artificial intelligence today because we are both enthusiasts, but there are clearly positives and challenges.

What do you think are some of the positive things that AI could bring to?

VD Mark: I think it could help us with some of the processes that may be redundant. Or take too much time. If we can leverage those tools for the things that will help us in free us up to do the more human creative stuff. That can be a really good thing.

We can get more done. We can create more. We can produce more.

VD Joanna: Yes. I agree that it’s going to help us. And I think AI as a tool is what we need to focus on in the same way that we do research with the internet. We use Scrivener to write. We use vellum for formatting. We use the internet and all the wonderful tools like drafted digital and lots of other wonderful companies who help us blush without these tools.

We would not be able to reach people with our books. Think about it, similar to the internet. If we wind the clock back to the internet of 1986 or even 1995, we didn’t know then what it was going to turn into now, the internet is this wonderful, amazing, incredible place that we all spend a lot of time on and use to create.

And learn and entertain ourselves. And it’s also the cesspool of humanity, so we can use it either way.

VD Mark: Also, when the ebook came out, there was a lot of fear in the book industry about the ebook killing the print book, but it didn’t, it only added to the possibilities of what a book could be. It expanded it and like vinyl, the print book is still doing well and also expanding in new formats.

So I think that if we approach artificial intelligence with the same optimism, And yet with a bit of caution, we can use it as a tool that benefits us in the long run. I want to be part of the disruption, not be the disrupted

VD Joanna:  Good slogan. You should put that on a tee shirt. I think being part of the disruption is a really good way to look at it.

And also. Putting a positive spin on creativity. Creativity often involves some form of destruction and we may have to destroy some of our own practices in order to move into the new way of doing things. I think one of the biggest shakeups we need is a copyright law, so that machine learning can incorporate modern bodies of creative work and still reward the creator.

I think that’s probably one of the biggest issues right now. In order to incorporate all the different voices in the world, we’re going to need to train the big data algorithms on much more, very data. But again, we need authors to be rewarded. I would like to see an overhaul of copyright law for an era of artificial intelligence, so that we get some kind of micropayment for the use of training data, because GPT three is not plagiarizing.

This is the huge shift I think because if GPT three is not plagiarizing. And we’ve seen a lot of examples of plagiarism in the author community. We’re going to see a lot more books being produced by these AI content farms. Where our work is used for training and it’s not plagiarized. That’s why copyright law needs to be overhauled.

Do you think the publishing industry is ready for that?

VD Mark:  No. The publishing industry is not they’re playing ostrich and are continuing to, even during this pandemic, they haven’t even fully embraced print on demand properly for distribution. I think blockchain and those technologies are going to be a critical component of ensuring that copyright can be protected in the future.

VD Joanna: One of the other positives is that many authors don’t enjoy the marketing side. And I have found in particular with Amazon ads where the author brand is very clear, the auto ads work and make money. Once they’ve optimized themselves. In that way, we are already using artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to advertise.

That is hopefully a sign of what is to come around discoverability, which is one of the perennial issues for authors. I would also like to see a more intelligent artificial intelligence that can discern the emotional resonance of a book and recommend other books that offer a similar, emotional experience. We are missing that right now.

VD Mark: I agree. And I am really disappointed because it was almost 10 years ago when I saw the first iteration of companies like booklet and books, like the bestseller code. I’m disappointed that we haven’t yet been able to leverage those tools. Because rather than an Amazon marketing ad where you’re manually contriving stuff, manually manipulating things that may not be reality, there should go to the heart of how that book makes you feel that could potentially reduce the gamification and the BS that we have to deal with now where some books are well marketed, but are not that good and books that are fantastic, maybe undiscovered.

VD Joanna: To wrap this up, if people want to surf this change rather than get drowned in it. What is your number one recommendation for authors?

VD Mark: Step back and look at artificial intelligence with your business hat on rather than with your emotional writer, hat, our emotional writer, hats can really mess us up and prevent us from understanding and embracing the technology.

What do you think?

VD Joanna: I come back to the importance of Kevin Kelly’s 1000 true fans. If the market is going to get more and more and more fragmented, we need to be okay with living in the long tail and writing what we love and selling books. And exciting readers in the little area that we write in double down on being human.

We can’t beat the machine, but we can work with the machine to create something more exciting for our collective feature.

VD Mark: That was beautiful.

[BUMPER MUSIC]

Joanna Penn:  Mark. We did our recording.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah, that was, um, it was interesting to see.

Joanna Penn: So yeah, so honestly, like what did you think of your voice?

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: So I think my voice still sounds a little stilted and awkward.

And your sounds really well done. It’s almost as if, you know, you did way better training and I’m not sure. What that was because the training was the same. Right. Um, did you do the full 40 minutes?

Joanna Penn: 30 minutes. Okay. So let’s explain to everyone listening. So basically we are both, uh, we both have descript.com, which is basically you can, you can download the software and then they have a, an overdub tutorial, which is, you essentially have to read the Wizard of Oz.

Right. Um, the, the story, and it tells you, you know, you’ve recorded five minutes, 10 minutes.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Wait. You got The Wizard of Oz?

Joanna Penn: Yes. What did you get?

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I got this classic, like, um, you know, 1800s snowman story about this snowman that, uh, this little snow girl that’s these kids built and it’s from Quebec. Like it was like an old classic Canadian story. Uh, and, and, and I had to read the whole story and it was fascinating cause I’d never heard it before. I have no idea who wrote it. It’s obviously public domain.

Joanna Penn: Well, okay. So that’s interesting. So we both got different stories and I actually found the wizard of Oz, uh, slightly difficult, because as you say, it’s definitely all the language and it’s not very good story.

And there wasn’t actually much. Dialogue. And so when I was reading it, it’s funny say that my voice sounds better. I thought my voice was very good. I thought the most stilted bit was okay. Greetings, but the longer sections we’re very, we’re actually pretty good in some parts. I was like, worried. That actually sounds just like me because it’s my words as well.

But in doing the training, I. I probably overreacted. So maybe that’s what you did wrong.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I very much, yeah, I did. I did. Cause there were voices and I did the little boy’s voice in the little girl’s voice in the mom’s voice, in the dad’s voice.

Joanna Penn: Okay. Okay. No, you did too much then. Cause it’s still meant to be your voice.

So I didn’t do special voices. I didn’t. Yeah. Put my voice up a pitch or down a pitch. I just read it, but with feeling so I think maybe you should redo your data and don’t do little girls and guys voices,

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Just because you don’t like my little boy voice. It’s like, that sounds more like Mickey mouse, but Disney’s going to come after us.

Joanna Penn: That’s the thing we, uh, it’s training your voice. As Mark, not your, not your ability to do different voices.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah. No, I didn’t. I just changed the inflection a little bit and raised it a tiny bit. So, but yeah, you’re right. That probably messed it up.

Joanna Penn: Well, it might’ve done, but equally. I mean, I, this is just to be clear to people.

This was the third iteration for both of us, right? Yeah. Yeah. But the difference was that the last we were in the beta section before, and they kind of did it, especially for us and used our voices in training sessions. And now it’s open to everyone. So, and you know, if you get the script, I think you can even get it free for 15 day, 14 days or whatever it is, and you can try it out.

And then if you want to keep using the voice and it can only be your voice, it’s like it just to be clear, we both in sections and then you edited it together. Yeah. So, you know, it’s not like I got your voice and made up your words and put it with mine. Like that’s not possible yet, but just in overall, did you get Liz to listen to it or has anyone else heard yours heard it yet?

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I was telling her about it last night at dinner, but I haven’t shared it yet. I think some of the things that I thought were weird was when I, um, when you were saying something and I jokingly said very meta. I couldn’t figure out, because again, you, sometimes you have to AI, for example, you had to spell it out so that the computer would read it properly like LaFave.

Uh, I didn’t use it there, but in previous iterations I’ve had to spell it so that it sounds differently, which is what it would come out. Like most people. Um, so that, that was, uh, that was interesting. But the, the previous times I was actually having a conversation with Liz when she was in the other room and I was typing it in and overdub was responding to her and she thought she was talking to me.

Joanna Penn: Wow. Okay. And, well, I got Jonathan to listen to our conversation and he was like, yeah, that was really weird. And cause he’s, he’s met you and spoken to you and heard you on podcasts and things. So he knows your voice and I eat, I think it’s quite stunning. Like I think it’s probably, I would say with my voice, it, it’s probably 80% now. What do you think you’re working with?

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. You’re at 80%. Maybe I’m at 70. Hmm. It’s interesting though.

Joanna Penn: I definitely, I think as I listened a bit longer, like if you listened to the whole thing and you settle into it, it’s, uh, you kind of get over, uh, Jonathan said, Oh, it’s like, there was a bad connection on Skype.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Exactly. And we’re all used to that right now. Yeah, exactly.

Joanna Penn: So I wonder if, uh, anyway, I guess the point is that we did that, and you mentioned a few words there. Um, the, the trick on the AI thing is, cause I normally just write it. Capital A capital I is that they were meant to be dots between a, so a dot I dot or period, or full stop, whatever you’d say in your country.

Um, and then a couple of things, I still can’t get it to say creative. So I normally say hello, creatives.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah. And that’s what I was wondering why you altered that because when we, so we, we recorded our own conversation.

Joanna Penn: Right.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: And then you transcribed it. Or had a system transcribe it, and then we tweaked it a little bit because there were some awkward things that we had said.

Um, and then, and then you fed your lines into, into descript and I did the same thing. And then, and then I patched them together like that. That was the overall process.

Joanna Penn: Yeah, exactly. And as you say, I had to, it won’t say it says creativity, but it doesn’t say creatives. It says creatives and I could not.

And it says. Hello creatives. And I’m like, yeah, this is a big thing that I say I can’t use that. So I changed it. Yeah. Authors and, um, I’ve sent it to Descript. Yeah. So this is a bug I picked this bug up before that it can say creativity but not creative. So really interesting. And then also it wouldn’t say mass markets, it kept going Moss.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah. Is it because I’m looking at the script? Cause I was following the script while I was listening to the voices to make sure I could patch it together. Then as I was following, when I went Oh, there that she tweaked that obviously there was a problem with that.

Joanna Penn:  but isn’t that interesting because if we think about this sort of moving it forward into the future, we’ve talked, both of us have talked about writing for audio and writing for a narrator.

And what we were doing there is tweaking our language. For an AI narrator, so that it, and also what I ended up doing. I don’t know if you, I put, um, uh, more punctuation in, so I might have done a dash for a longer breath or a space to kind of separate the text more. So there was a longer pause. Did you do that?

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah, I did a little bit of that because I would first, what I love about it is you, you copy and paste or type it in, and then it tells you how many minutes it’s gonna take to do it. And it doesn’t really take that long. And then I listened to it and then I adjusted, right? You’re all going to tweak this.

I’m going to put a pause here or I’m going to change the spelling. So C cause even with the, uh, the very meta, I tried about six different ways. Yeah. And I think I spelled Metta differently. And then I put an exclamation point. Then I tried it with a question Mark. Cause, cause the intonation of my voice just didn’t yeah.

I was almost tempted to do my real voice in there. Sneak it in.

Joanna Penn:  No that’s cheating.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre:  I think I changed it to met dash a. I did met a or something like that.

Joanna Penn:  Ah, there we go. But this is, this is what’s interesting, right? Because I have rewritten my own, uh, writing for my own narration. And this felt like, Oh, I’m adjusting the way I see things in order to fit the voice stubble and the little quirks of it, which is.

Again, really, really interesting. And in fact, when you work with a professional moderator, so I’ve worked with American narrators and I’ve had to adjust in inverted commerce, their pronunciation. So that is not exactly a, an unusual thing. It’s just that we did it with this voice devil. Yeah. And, and, and it’s funny when you, when, when I think about voice and I think about altering the way.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: You ask for things or, right. So when you think about, when you’re communicating with Alexa or Google, right, you, you can’t just say it in normal. Human talk, you have to begin with, Hey X, I don’t want to trigger it my system. And, um, you know, tell me my day or, or play this or whatever. Right. So we’re already adjusting in, in other ways with how we interact with AI.

Joanna Penn: Yeah, and I think it’s, this is also interesting cause both of you and I have talked about what we’re excited about because even in our, even in our AI discussion previously about how we’re exciting about maybe doing audio dramas, and we’ve just given an example of putting two voices together in a conversation.

Yeah. And we’ve created something that it’s definitely not, you know, audio book ready or voice, you know, audio drama ready, but it’s still interesting. So what, what do you think, uh, in terms of a voice market and this kind of thing being much more mainstream? What, what should we, what, what date should we put our, put our fingers in on like, say this is, this will happen.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I’m thinking by 2021, uh, only because you and I have seen this technologies sky rocket in the past couple of years, right? From the very first iteration to where we are now is phenomenal.

Joanna Penn: Just to be clear. We’re recording this in the middle of August, 2020. So you reckon within six to 12 months, the 12 months, I think we’ll probably be there.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Which, which also, you know, I’m, I’m optimistic about that, but I’m also concerned because you know, I, you and I obviously want to be. And on the ground floor and checking it out early days. Cause you know, I’ve been fascinated for years with this, but we want to make sure that there’s some control, right.

Joanna Penn: That it’s not, um, it’s not pure chaos. Yeah, absolutely. Isn’t it? Yeah, it is. And both of us have a, you know, we have a chance to put these voices out in the wider sense, and we’re not neither of us going to at this point in time. Um, I definitely feel like I want to control my voice given how good it is already.

And the fact that I think it does sound like me. I’m actually going to record something and send it to my mum and say, mum, This is, this is not me speaking. And, uh, you know, I want her to be aware and this, this I think is the reason you and I also get into this is because if we don’t engage with the technology and deny its existence and just say, Oh, that won’t affect us.

Right. Wait effect authors. Right. It’s fine. Then this rise of deep fakes of which it is. Incredible at this point already, you know, people have to be aware that this stuff can be faked. And I feel like, you know, older people particularly, but let’s face it. We’re older people.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Me more than you, of course.

Joanna Penn: Yeah. I think young, you know, younger – your son probably totally understands about deep fakes and understands that these things can happen, but it may be, you know, the teachers that lizard school or, you know, some of the. Authors we meet who were like, no way. I’ll never be good enough. But I think as you say, I’m probably more going to say 18 months and I don’t normally say longer period, but I I’m picking 20, 22, um, for when this becomes more mainstream and that maybe we have voice markets.

Maybe we have more actual AI narration of. Uh, more stuff. I mean, obviously that’s available now, but I think it will be, but it will become much more common.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah. And I mean, I plan on experimenting with this. I mean, I did a, I self narrated, The 7 P’s of Publishing Success because it’s relatively short.

It’s only about 14,000 words. And then I had a, Jim Kukral’s company do Brian British male voice for 99 cents. And I’m thinking, well, why don’t I do a fake Mark for 99 cents as well? So you can have the cheap, fake voices for. A good price or you pay the full 6.99 if you want my book.

Um, but here’s, here’s something that fascinates me, cause I’m sure you’ve thought of this as well because of fiction writing is I’m thinking, Okay, using my fake voice, how could someone really get me in trouble? Right by, by having a recording of me saying something that’s completely not my character or incriminates me about something, right? Like it could be a personal matter where, you know, I leave a message. It’s my voice, leaving a message on Liz’s cell phone and saying, Hey, I just slept with a hooker or whatever the thing is, or I’m leaving you or whatever, though, likely to really mess up someone’s life.

Joanna Penn: Yeah. Or someone leaves my voice on your phone saying thanks for last night, Mark.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Both Jonathan and Liz get a hold of this and go, wait, what the heck? Wait, what?

Joanna Penn: And we’re like, yeah, we live on the opposite sides of the ocean.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah. Fortunately we’re now all separated.

Joanna Penn: This is what I mean by the deep fake and the need to be aware.

Of it. Um, because obviously this has happened in the, you know, in the porn community that lots of actresses, and I’m sure actors have also been, you know, put in these situations where they weren’t doing those things. And they’ve been faked on video and we’ve seen the fake videos and now we, you know, we can do these fake voices, but it’s not just famous people anymore.

It’s people like us. So. We want people to be aware. I think that’s the thing with AI. Isn’t it? It’s this double edged sword of like the internet. It can be amazing or it can be terrible and we need to be aware of both.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah. For, for sure. So again, I think we’re both cautiously optimistic.

Joanna Penn:  Yes. And, and what it comes down to you as, you know, the AI voice said, is that a trusted brand, hopefully you and I have a clear enough brand amongst our, the people who know us online, that if I heard a recording of you saying something that I thought that’s not Mark, that’s not, as in, that’s not what Mark would say.

Right. Rather that’s Mark’s voice, but that’s not what you would say. Then. I hope that as a friend, I would contact you and say, Hey, just to let you just checking a bit, like, people email me all the time and say, Oh, Hey, I’ve seen your book on one of these pirate sites. And I’m like, okay, great. And sometimes I do a take down sometimes like, just ignore it.

But in the same way, I hope that people would. Email us and say, Oh, Hey, I heard your voice on this. Um, adverts saying this particular software is the best thing ever, and I should buy it. Just checking.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre:  Do you mean that, is that you or fake Facebook profiles? For example, where I have somebody reach out, who’s already a friend and go, um, I like to play with them and ask them something that’s wrong so that they respond in the positive.

And I know for sure it’s not them. Cause, um, but it’s that kind of thing.

Joanna Penn: Right.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Then you check with your friend and say, Hey. Check your account, something might’ve been hacked because they’re using your picture and your likeness to pretend to be you, right. It’s just, it’s that courtesy we have with our friends and the people that we’ve known and trust.

Joanna Penn: Yes, exactly. So I think, again, the message for everyone listening is be aware of what’s happening and use these things as a, in a positive way. And also, as we’ve talked about. It’s some kind of licensing and copyright, and that’s how the blockchain speeds up a bit. And that, you know, that we get things in place that can at least protect this new wild West.

Cause it is, it’s like the wild West right now, and there’s not enough protection around this stuff. So yeah. Yeah. I mean, we live in interesting tires. Do we not here’s me.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre:  Here’s what I’m thinking next level. Right? So the AI of the voice, but then the AI of the, of the voice of a writer, which I know you’ve talked about a lot on your podcast is, um, imagine that there’s enough of our voices as.

As personalities and the things we’ve said on our podcast and in public speaking. And then they use our fake voices and a fake generation of a, of a completely fake conversation between us. And to see if it would actually say the things we, we would say, it’s like, well, that kind of sounds like what Joanne would say.

And it sounds like Joanna, do you know what I mean? Like the double layer? Well, that’s basically what we’ve done.

Joanna Penn:  We, we, we recorded ourselves chatting and then. We got the AI to say that. So the words do you resonate with all people? Yeah. With our brand,

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: but what I’m saying is imagine that the whole conversation was as if Mark and Joe talked about this.

They say like, just like it generates speech based on the JF Penn for fiction, right. In the style of that. That’s what I was wondering. That kind of thing.

Joanna Penn: I absolutely think that with GPT three, for example, which you know, has come out in recent weeks, that is definitely going to be possible, which is why this all certainly seems quite real and far more far more real than it has done, even for me.

And, you know, I’ve been thinking about this for years. Yeah. And I, I do think that the pandemic is accelerating these technologies and incredible rates, and that’s why we have to be aware. So I, anything else we want to say to people again, hold your hands up and kind of balance the good and the bad. Let’s try and meet the good, the bigger, bigger pot.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: That’s right, because with great power comes great responsibility. I can’t remember who said that, but …

Joanna Penn: Haven’t you got a t-shirt with that on it or something?

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I’m wearing a Spiderman t-shirt as we’re recording this

Joanna Penn: You love Spider-Man.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I do.

Joanna Penn: Okay, Mark. Well, thank you so much for this. This has been fun.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: It has been. Thank you, Jo.

Episode 147 – Getting Motivated with Master Encourager Michael Arterberry

Mark interviews Michael Arterberry, Master Encourager, and Dynamic Motivational Speaker.

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

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

In their conversation, Mark and Michael talk about:

Where Michael’s title as “Master Encourager” came from, via a story about a farmer and a donkeyHow this story relates to Michael’s childhood experience in both his home and neighborhoodThe value of shaking the dirtThe way that Michael re-adapted the original donkey story he had heard, added new elements/concepts to it, and made it his ownGetting into sports and being gifted as a lead athlete (from the age of 8 until high school graduation)How coaches became parental figures and role models, and his team-mates became his brothers and sistersMichael’s gift of being able to feel the pain of others by tuning into the rhythm of a roomThe importance of story to Michael in speaking engagements, workshops and social gatheringsHelping people manage difficulties, particularly during Covid-19How, since the pandemic, Michael has been a guest on more than 75 podcastsHow Covid-19 is not a punishment, but perhaps a gift, and a time for pause and self-reflectionThe experience of Winning the Characters Unite AwardMichael’s experience of speaking to kids in local schoolsHow, despite being an Alpha personality, Michael has found himself in particular situations where he doesn’t have a voice because of the side-effect of being perceived as an “angry black man”Why Michael went with 250 days (rather than 365) for his book and how it came from inspirational and motivation things he’d shared for free daily on his Facebook pageAdvice that Michael would offer his younger self

After the interview, Mark reflects on Michael’s use of the “donkey” parable and the effectiveness such a story can have on getting an important message across.

He then shares how listeners can win a copy of Michael’s book Be Encouraged: 250 Days of Motivation and Encouragement.

[image error]

Links of Interest:

Michael’s WebsiteShake The Dirt ExperienceWide for the Win (Pre-Order)Wide for the Win Submission FormEpisode 146 – Finding Yourself in Our Song with Meaghan SmithMark’s Canadian Werewolf SeriesThis Time Around (Book 0)A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1)Stowe Away (Book 1.5)Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2)The 2020 Aurora AwardsFindaway VoicesFindaway Voices: Authors Direct AnnoucementPatreon for Stark Reflections

[image error]

As a teenager, Michael Arterberry was fortunate to receive guidance from positive adult role models who helped him overcome adversities and set high expectations for his future. Grateful for the role these mentors played in his own development, Michael decided to dedicate his professional life to helping people navigate the difficulties of life and launch their future into motion. For more than 25 years, he has been helping teens and adults to use what they have gone through as a catalyst for success rather than an obstacle for failure.

Michael received the 2010 USA Network’s Characters Unite Award for exceptional commitment to combating prejudice and discrimination. He is also the recipient of the 2014 100 Men of Color Award for leadership in education, government, mentorship, entrepreneurial success and community service.

In 2008, Michael founded Youth Voices Center, Inc. a non-profit with the mission of helping young people to become active, productive members of society by overcoming their obstacles, their history, stereotypes and even their own self-image and limiting beliefs.

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

Below is an automated transcription of the interview segment of this episode.

(The transcription has not been human-verified)

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Hey, Michael, thank you so much for hanging out with me here today.

Michael Arterberry: Yeah. Yeah, I’m excited. I’m excited. I, you know, with COVID at any time, you can have interaction with people, you know, you almost break walls down. So, you know, to be able to talk to another individual, I have a busted at the gut you’re in trouble.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Well, let’s go and we’re going, and we’re going to be talking about some really cool stuff. We’re not going to be talking about hair care style, even though we have a lot in common when it comes to grooming and male grooming.

Michael Arterberry: Yeah, definitely.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: But I want to ask, because this is part of your branding and I’m fascinated by it is you’re known as a master encourager.

What is a master encourager?

Michael Arterberry: So check this out. What we’re going to do is you and I talked about another topic I’m going to, we’re going to kind of dive into, so I’m going to tell you a story. That will hit my master coverage, her point, but then segue into our next subject. All right, perfect. So here we go.

Here we go. It’s about a farmer and a donkey Mark. All right now, stay with me. All right. Cause I’m going somewhere with this. Now this donkey is one of his favorite farm animals because once he finishes working with the donkey on the farm, he brings the donkey back to his house and he allows kids to play, wash him and ride him.

So he’s like a worker, but at the same time he gets the benefits of coming home. Uh, right. So. He brings them home. The kids play with them. Didn’t he, when he finishes and he sends them back out to the farm. So one night he brings them home. They come out, they play with them. He leases them back out to the farm.

But during the night he wanders and falls into an empty water Wells. So he, of course he can’t get out. He’s making donkey noises. The farmer comes out the next morning whistles form. He doesn’t show that. Now he’s searching around the farm to try to find he fought highly hears them making noise at the bottom of the empty.

Well, he walks over. He decides he wants to take them, get them out. So he gets six of his friends. They come over to the weld and they decide that they’re going to pull them out with some rope. So all six of them get rope and they start to lasso to donkey. They throw to rope, they miss, they throw the rope.

They missed, they finally dropped by his hind legs. He steps into the rope, they shimmy it up his body and they starting to pull. They pulled the docu moves. They pull the documents, they pull the documents now halfway up to well, they realized that the dock is too heavy. Should they lower them back to the bottom of the Wellmark and now the farmer has to make a grim decision now, see, he can’t feed them food at the bottom of the well, because that wouldn’t make any sense.

He really doesn’t feel like he can starve them. Because like I said, he’s more like a pet. One of his hot headed friends was like, Hey, just shoot me. I can’t do that. So one of his more reasonable friends whispered in his ear and said, listen, you don’t want to kids to fall into the well, so we’re going to have to sacrifice a donkey.

We’re going to cover him with dirt. Get kids will be safe. Donkey is going to be gone. And a farmer said he could deal with that. So they all get shovels and they start shoveling dirt. Every time that dirt hit the donkey, he was screaming. They would cause the farmer, some distress, you got dirt scream, dirt scream, dirt screen.

Then all of a sudden the scream stop. When the screams stopped, they gave them donkey a moment of silence, but then they went back to work more dirt, more dirt, more dirt. The next thing who knows you’re seated. Donkey’s right here. They shovel fast. The next thing you know, walk, you see half his body, they shovel facet.

And next thing you know, that donkey walks right out of the weld that he filament. Now, check this out, Mark. I’m going to tell you what I told you. The story. I’m the donkey. I’m the donkey and the dirt that I’ve had endured in my, to endure my life as this buddy, I grew up in a home with a raging alcoholic dad.

Now, when I say raging, I’m talking about my man raised from the time I was born until the time he died when I was 16. So, I mean, imagine growing up, I could get caught up playing in the streets, playing baseball, but every day of my life, before I was coming home, some of them would tap me on the shoulder and say, Hey buddy, don’t to get too happy because you got to go home and you got to deal with that on top of it.

Living in a home with a raging alcoholic father. I grew up in poverty now. I didn’t have to be that way. Both my parents worked full time. My dad was a bus driver. My mom was a housekeeper. His money went to drinking. My mother raised four kids. What a housekeeping salad. So, bro, we didn’t have much money on top of not having much money, disfunction.

I mean the head of your households and alcoholic. He’s pumping that to my three siblings a month. My oldest siblings are trying to lead me, but they can only lead me as well as they’re being led by a father. So there’s a lot of dysfunction in my home. Not in my neighborhood. It would be nice if you had a few civil linings dad, but everybody’s home was identical to mine.

So you had drug addiction, you had crime new at gangs. And so it wasn’t really a pleasant environment, but you ask me why I’m the master plan coverage. What motivates me to motivate other people is MOC. I was able to go through those wounds and no scars, and I was able to prevail. And that’s what my foundation of why I want to help other people where my energy and my passion is embedded in the fact that I got out, bro.

I broke the cycle.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I love that. And, and that naturally, because you know, I was going to ask you about shaking the dirt. Obviously, obviously they were throwing it on him, but he would shake in the dirt and that’s, that’s what you’ve done.

Michael Arterberry: Yes, right. That’s right. You know, I, um, you know, it’s funny, the story I saw, uh, on, on, on Facebook, it was a donkey at the bottom of the, well, and then there was a whole story.

Now, it wasn’t nothing like what I just told you, but I, I made it mine, you know, but my life is, is, is, is, and, and, you know, what’s crazy is. When I say, I break the cycle, I still have dirt today. So it’s not like the dirt stops coming. Yeah, you got it. You have to still keep shaking it. But, um, you know, I teach that to people and I use different concepts to teach them how to shake the dirt.

Because bottom line, you don’t shake your dirt, the shake, the dirt will suffocate and take you out. Mark, just like it would have did the doc. So,

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: how did you, so you’re, you’re at the bottom of this? Well, obviously you’re, you know, uh, in, in, in, in a, an oppressed life, as a child, right. An alcoholic father, and just knowing at the end of each day, what you’re going to have to face what you’re going to have to deal with.

What was it that actually inspired you or motivated you? I mean, did you, you didn’t seem to have role models or did you have role models from somewhere in the community? How did, how did you learn how to shake the dirt?

Michael Arterberry: Check this out. Two things, not, not two things there, more than two things, but two paths.

I’m going to tell you the first path, the first first path is, I mean, it was miraculous how I was able to figure this out is that I created my own traditional family. Now I was gifted yet. Check it out. I was gifted to be an elite athlete. My mom got me into sports because counseling for an African American family just say it happen.

So she says I’m going to get him into sports so that I can occupies time. And at the age of eight, I started playing baseball, basketball, football, well, the soccer

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: With all of those sports?

Michael Arterberry: All, all those sports. And I would rotate them by seasons. And I played them from the age of eight until I graduated high school.

Just to fast forward a little bit. I could have gone to college for all four Mark. Really? When I picked, yeah, all four could have went to school, but I picked football because it was my favorite. Now I don’t want to get away from the story. Now I tell you that because what I did is my coach became the parental figures.

Okay. They became my role models. So I would get my guidance from my coaches, my teammates, what become my brothers and sisters, like a traditional family. The accolades that I would get from being good in the sport would be what you would get. If you came home to a normal home that was functional. So as I’m living in the dysfunction, I’m maneuvering through it.

But I’m not feeling it because I’m getting all of that stuff from the outside, but this is the secret sauce. The secret sauce is this in my presentations, I show a picture of my house and do it. It had boards on it. If you saw my house, it looked condemned. Now I’m telling you this because in a winter times, my mom used to heat water in big COSI Turkey basin pants, just to heat my apartment.

We didn’t even have a boiler. No I’m telling you this, because one night when I was 10 years old, I fell asleep, crying, and I’ve made a bet to like, uh, to myself. And I said that if I ever had my own kids, my kids would never have to live like this Mark don’t, you know, whenever life got really tough. My unborn children became the catalyst to my success, bro.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Wow. I love that. So, so it’s obvious then I was going to ask you why you’ve dedicated your professional life to, to encouraging and motivating others and lifting other people up. It’s it’s it seems obvious as to why you’ve done that. Because again, like, like those unborn children that inspired you, you probably saw that there were other people in that situation who maybe didn’t have the encouragement of a coach.

Or, or, or weren’t able to find that internal passion, uh, to, to get through this, is that, is that what motivates you to help?

Michael Arterberry: Yeah. And you know, what, what happens? And I don’t want to get pigeonholed to thinking, I only relate to people that had lives similar to my right. Cause some people, you know, they, they become that, but I have a gift of feeling pain.

Well, you put me in a room, I call it, keeping the rhythm. So what you gotta do is sticky. You’re tapping, right? And you tap your foot to a rhythm and you find the rhythm and you tap it. I quiet my inner self. I’m very spiritual. And what I’m able to do is I’m able to get to the rhythm of the room. Okay. When people are off rhythm, dude, it’s like it just illuminates.

And so I’m able to get around other people. And that’s why I do workshops. Um, even, you know, it happens, it’s a little freaky, but when I’m at a podium, I get it. I’ll get it. I won’t know who it is in the audience, but I’ll get something that’ll slip to me. That’s not all my paper and I’ll just drift it out to the audience because I’ve just got, you know, when you come from something like that, man, you know, there’s, there’s just something about it that creates this being that, um, you know, um, you know, it’s not supernatural, but that’s, I was under there from, from resilience.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Oh, wow. Wow. So I want to go back to you used a music analogy and previous you, you shared a, a parable, like basically a story, the donkey story, which obviously you had adapted for your own purposes based on something you had heard, how important. Is that the stories that you tell is it as a motivational speaker in your books, any of those, how important are those stories?

Michael Arterberry: Okay. Some bro, I am, you know, the master storyteller, like you get me out of Barb barbecue. And my wife gets mad because by the end of the barbecue, this is a circle around me, dude. And I’m talking about when you live a life that I live. I got them. I got them, man. And they’re not made up. It’s not like I go to a book.

I mean, you know, to the point, which is a low scary, is that the stories that my home life, even my family life we’d get together like Easter or Christmas. Now, my dad was, he wasn’t abusive to his kids, so he physically did beat us verbally. He was very harsh when he physically beat my mom. So as a man child, it was hard to see that.

And not only did he physically beat her, some of the crap that he put us through in the house was lifetime movie type stuff. So there’s times where we’re having a meal and we start going through stories and do we got to stop? We’ll stop my siblings and I, and my mother, and look at each other and say, Whoa, did we really live that?

Because he did some really, I mean, some off the wall stuff. So when you say stories and what I do when I, when I run a workshop, I have activities, but I always have a story to debrief in the activity to make it real for participants so that they can touch it.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Right. Well, I mean, they can visualize, right.

They can if, um, and maybe they can, I guess maybe the other thing too, is. Uh, you have had a particular experience in someone else’s had another experience, but through the story, you can kind of come together and see that, see the commonalities

Michael Arterberry: Probably. Right, right. Yeah. Definitely. Definitely. Difficulties

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: helping people manage difficulties.

Now we’re living in interesting times for lack of a better phrase where there’s a lot of challenges out there. And I’m not just talking about, um, sociopolitical challenges. I’m not talking about economic challenges. I’m talking about, about a global pandemic that is affecting people’s health. Affecting relationships affecting work ability to, I mean, people’s access to, to services and other people, you know, we joked about we’re so happy to see one another and chat.

Um, how has that changed for you in terms of the people that are reaching out for help and, and, and, and what sort of, sort of advice that you have for people who are struggling with the difficulties of like a COVID-19 world that we’re in.

Michael Arterberry: So, so let me start by saying that, um, the craziest thing, not crazy, again, not, you know, spiritual that I am, but we don’t have to get into that.

Um, right before COVID I went to a conference about branding your business. Okay. And the, and the guy that brought me to the conference, he found my stuff online. He says, do you understand how much stuff you give away for free? No, I’m not. You know, I’m, I’m just, you see who I am. So I, I, I’m not about making money.

I just want to help people, but he saw my stuff. He said, come on down. I mean, he gave me like a great price on a conference, but what he drove home at the conference is that you have to be known globally. So when I left, it was in LA. When I left LA podcasts was the first thing on my list. And I started just blast and just sending emails.

And since the start of COVID, I’ve been on over 75 podcasts, 75, 75. And, and what’s beautiful about it. It’s the platforms. So some people, I sent it to them. I’ve got a few emails where they were mad at me. Like you didn’t listen to my podcast. I could do to say that it was connected, bro. I was sending it to anyone that I felt could grab something from my message and bring it to the audience.

So I say that to you because I’ve been on, um, blended family. I’ve been on, um, a guy that trains dogs. I mean, people that can see some work in my message, they pull me off because like you said, this is a time where anybody can benefit from it. So, you know, my time is, and then, then all my work was face to face.

So now that I’m in COVID, I’ve created a, um, a virtual course doing the podcast. Um, my programs are in schools, so I’ve now had to create a rule way to be able to speak to students, do to compete shooter. I mean, so it’s made me. Um, you know, I was dynamic before now. I’m super dynamic after COVID, you know what I’m saying?

So business-wise, it expanded my mind to a level that’s beyond, but check this out. This is the advice that I have for your listeners and for people in COVID. Let me tell you something. Everything in life happens for a reason and what COVID is for the world. It’s self reflection time, Mark. You know what I’m saying?

Like, like sometimes when people get too busy, sometimes a sickness has to stop them to be able to look over their life and see it from what it really is. So for me, and yeah, what I tell the world is stop taking this as a punishment. This saying, this is not a punishment. You know, I’ve read a book called the dream giver.

By Bruce Wilkinson. And it talked about how we’re all boys, what a dream to be something in life. But we ended up getting bullied out of becoming that because people say you can’t make enough money. You really can’t be successful. And we abandoned it and we go off and we create these professions that make money, but they don’t make us happy.

What I’m telling the world is listen Colvin for some people, you may not go back to your job and job may be gone. Do you know what this time is about is to get in touch and see that little cop that, that, that fireman, you know what I’m saying? That architect, you know what, go back and get him go back and get him.

Don’t live a life of just collecting money, go back. You know, I laugh when I leave one of my gigs and they hand me a check. I’m laughing my butt off. Cause you know what, they don’t know, but I would have did it for free. I would’ve, I would have came in if I could feed my family, bro. You know what I’m saying?

If I have to legitimately put gas in my car, feed my family. I would never collect checks. So they give me the money. I get my car and I’m laughing my butt off because they have no idea. I enjoy myself and I would have come there and did the venue free of charge.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: That spoke directly to my heart.

Exactly. And I, and I know it will speak to my audience in a really powerful way, because I think that’s why. Writers, storytellers, creators. Those that, that’s why they do it. They would do it anyways, but it’s nice to make a living off of it too. Yeah.

Michael Arterberry: Yeah. Oh yeah, it definitely is. And I’m a poor businessman because of that.

That’s why my wife is my balance she’s business. Cause if I didn’t have her forget about it, I would probably be on the streets. So, you know, every, so often she tugs my chain and she says, listen, we, you know, we got the lights, the no, you know what I’m saying? So, you know, we’re able to balance each other.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: So I’m going to ask a, I want to talk about, uh, your new book, uh, as well, but before we get there, there’s an award you won in 2010. Uh, can you tell us a little bit about

Michael Arterberry: that characters unite? Um, it was, it was, it was on television. It was one of those things where, you know, you say, you know what, I’m going to drop my hat in the bucket.

Um, and I sure did man, and I, and I won it because the work that I do, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s, what’s going on in society now. With, uh, black lives matter and, and systemic racism. Um, the work that I do, I’ve been doing it. And so I was doing it then when I got the award. But even when this stuff came about, I’m already in the trenches.

So you’ve got a vision when I go into a high school. I asked for, um, I got a program that I do, um, it’s called power of peace. I have my own nonprofit, but I go in and if your principal asked for a cross section of students, so I want 30 students that make up your entire building and I run them through a two day experience interactive.

Um, And, and, and so they come in the room, I have the jock have the white student, the black student. And through this experience, I want them to be able to self reflect. But at the same time, I want them to be, be able to build unity with people they don’t normally build community with. And what I’m able to do through this experience is allow these young people to come in a room, see everybody as a face.

But at the it’s, the experience realized that all those faces are actually people, you know what I’m saying? And so, you know, that’s, that’s part of my, my thought process. Um, but, uh, wow. I forgot. What was the question you asked me? Cause I got up. I I, I get, I get passionate. Yeah.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I’ve gotten sidetracked too.

What was the question I asked? I think the question was about the award

Michael Arterberry: when you, right. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You go, there you go. There you go. So, so tell him about the students. You know, the award was the fact that that’s what I do, you know,

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: it was based on your work with the students that you’ve gone in.

Is it high schools? Is it elementary school?

Michael Arterberry: No, I, I do a middle school and high schools, but what I, what, I’ve what I’ve done over the last couple years. Is I’ve realized that the younger that you can get to them the better off it is. So I’ve, I’ve created an elementary school. Well, that’s good. That’s good.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: I think I was going to ask you a little bit about, I mean, what’s been going on the last couple months, um, black lives matter movement. I mean, there’s been some positive movement. There’s been some negative movement. There’s been all kinds of stuff. And when I think back to my own son, Who is 16 now. And I remember the  born prejudice.

We’re not born with biases against other people, other cultures, other belief systems. We learn those. And I remember at it sustained for such a long time that. He treated everyone equally, uh, you know, males, females, different races, different, different religions. Well, I mean, he wasn’t a, in a Catholic school, but there were still, you know, he was interacting and, and, and I, and I wonder what I mean.

So working with a younger child children before they develop these really hateful, you know, misunderstandings about one another. Isn’t that a really valuable way to, to, to get in there before they become, I mean, corrupted by hate and prejudice.

Michael Arterberry: Yeah, it is. But, you know, can I tell you something, bro? Ah, man, I hate talking about the, the, the, the.

What’s going on in the community. Can I, I mean, as a 52 year old, man, I’m going to, I’m going to give it up to your audience, bro. Um, it’s been hurtful man. Cause you know what? I drank the Koolaid. I’m 52 years old. I drank the Koolaid Mark. I realized during this time that. I was quiet in my voice. I’m a big dude.

I’m, I’m an alpha, but I realized that there were environments, bro, that I was trained, that you don’t say anything that even if you see it, you could see something happening. I could, I could be in a school and watch a school. Actually treat a black student different than a white student know that it’s happening and be fearful, not fearful, not say anything.

Be angry. Be angry. You know what I’m saying? And leave angry and maybe call someone on the phone and tell them, but not saying anything

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: now, is that a, is that because you’re a black man and, and that you’ve been prevented from doing that or you’re preventing yourself, if would I be able to say something?

Michael Arterberry: Oh, but see you, you would, and see you, you would say it and you wouldn’t have a problem, you know, when you, when you’re, when you’re to not get too deep in it being an African American man, And a big at that. I have to find a file balance because see, if you be, if you come off too aggressive, you get labeled an angry black man, no matter what the subject is, one I’m fired up about it.

I can’t really shoot from where I’m feeling, because then the whole room looks at me and says, Oh my gosh, he’s angry. And so I don’t want to give them the opportunity to call me angry. So you have to, you have to find this, this, this balance, you know, but I’ll tell you this. And then we, we got to get off it, but you know, this is crazy mom.

I saw an article on, on Facebook and it was, uh, uh, AP history teacher was going against people that were standing on Confederacy. So he was trying to dispel everything that they felt was valuable in it. And he did it line by line. And, and he, he destroyed it. He dismantled everything that they believed in, but you know, what part got me marked is that he was table two at each subject.

He could line up a black history person. So he’s talking about, what’s taught in the schools, right? A black history person that did something at the same era. And then I started thinking about what was taught to me in school. I was never taught about a black person that was an innovator and a vendor, a successful.

And then people are upset about black on black crime. These young black boys and girls were never taught to be Kings Queen’s Mark. They would never know taught that why they shooting and killing, killing each other in their communities because they don’t know anything better. And so, you know, getting this stuff now, it’s just, it’s it’s revolutionary.

I will teach differently once I get back out after COVID, but it’s an entire podcast on its own.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I’m saying?

Michael Arterberry: Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: No, I, I appreciate, uh, I appreciate, uh, going there and chatting. Uh, I wanted to, um, I wanted to get your perspective. I thought that would be valuable.

So thank you. My apologies for steering us off. Yeah. But I want to get to, uh, you know, so that people, obviously people can book you as a, as a speaker, as a consultant, as a coach, as a motivator. Um, but they can also access your, your brilliance and your, your geniusness through books as well. So let’s, let’s talk about the, is it the 365?

Michael Arterberry: 250

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Take a day off once in a while. Right?

Michael Arterberry: You know what? I did check this out, bro. What I did was is I didn’t want to make it three 65 and put dates because whenever I bought a devotional, if I, if it was April 9th and I missed a day, I wouldn’t read it.

I didn’t want people to feel like, Oh man, I’ve missed yesterday. So I can’t read today. So I said, okay, that makes it out. But this is what motivated me to write my book. Now I would, in my book, it’s a page. Read it. You get motivated for the day. But I would put it on my Facebook page. So I would have my quiet time, write something to the world, put it on my Facebook page and then that’s how I would do it.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: And how you originally wrote those?

Michael Arterberry:  Again, giving stuff away, giving it away. Now, check this out. The story gets better. A woman was dying of cancer. And she said, Michael, I would love to be able to get all your stuff in one place, bro. I went back in, I started pulling them off, picking out my favorites. I put it in the book. I dedicated it to her and she is the reason why my book is now published.

And now for people to read it.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Oh, my God. That is, that is fantastic. Um, well, what I’m going to do for the episode that this airs in, and I’ll, I’ll, I’ll give the full details at the end of this interview is I’m going to give my listeners a chance to win a copy of the book in the format of their choice, whether they want the printed copy or the ebook copy, and we’ll figure out the best way to get that to them.

Michael Arterberry: I have audio as well.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Audio too, better yet. And I’ll be able to figure out a way to purchase the, uh, audio to, to, to give the it’ll be from a random draw, probably from comments, which I’ll, I’ll explain after the interview. So, cause I think that can maybe help some other people out there too.

Michael Arterberry: Yeah. Yeah. Listen, this is, I’ve got one better for them. If they go to shake the dirt experience.com Mark, they can get a free copy.  

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Oh, even better.

Michael Arterberry: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Shape the dote experience.com and they can get a free copy. Of the book. So we’ll put that in the show notes for them and they can go there and get a free copy.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Or if they want a chance to end maybe a print copy or a audio book version, then they’ll have that opportunity as well. Why not give them choices and opportunities. Cool. So, Michael, thank you. It was so great chatting with you. I want sort of one last question, but before we

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: get to the last question I would do want to, uh, well, actually the, the last question is this.

Knowing where you are today and all the things that you’ve overcome to get where you are to inspire, motivate, and empower other people. What’s something that you would have told young, Michael, who was down in that hole. What’s one thing that you would go back in time to tell him

Michael Arterberry: That there’s no rush with living life.

You know what I’ve realized. And fortunately, I had some thoughts of it is the fact that cherish your moments rather than trying to swallow up the entire day in life in general. Life is about moments. Now that I’m older. You know what I’m saying? If I’m in a moment that’s real sweet, bro. I stop. I cut. Just stop, man.

You know, I drive, um, I have, uh, a motorcycle with the two wheel can am Spyder. So no, and, and, you know, you just get on a roll man and you’re just cruising and I’ll just hit that, that, that place of peace man. And for that moment, because I’ve trained myself, I’m like, yo, how beautiful is this? I’m looking down at the pavement and I’m watching the street pass by as I drive.

And I believe that we have two Chevys moments, man, Jarvis moments, you know what I’m saying? Because we don’t know.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Awesome. That’s great advice for young Michael, and it’s great advice for all of us. So thank you. So the last question is where can people find out more about you online?

Michael Arterberry: Okay. So they can go to MichaelArterberry dot com.

That’s my public speaking platform. You know, motivational speaking, they can go to youth voices sent to.org. That’s the nonprofit. If they want to go there they go. There, there’s a video there. Check it out. You can see me in action. Um, they can follow me on all my social media, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram.

We’ll put that in the show notes. Um, I’m the type of guy like to interact with my followers. So, you know, once you follow me, come on in, you know, you send me a comment, a question, I answer them. Um, and I do have a Facebook group called be encouraged, which is the same as the title of my book. Awesome.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre: Michael, thank you so much for hanging out with me.

Michael Arterberry: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Episode 145 – Robert J. Sawyer on Leveraging Your IP & Hybrid Publishing

In this episode Mark interviews international bestselling and award winning science-fiction author Robert J. Sawyer about his latest novel release and the multiple ways he has split his IP (Intellectual Property) to optimize his income as a writer.

Long-time listeners might remember Rob from Episode 4 (January 26, 2018) of the podcast, which focused on author branding.

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

[image error]

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

This is the video Mark mentions during the Findaway Voices sponsorship.

During their conversation, Mark and Rob talk about:

Rob’s history as a writer, including his first short story published in 1980 and first novel published in 1990The 3-way split rights on Rob’s previous novel, Quantum Night (2 Publishers, and Rob self-publishing)What Rob learned from dipping his toe into indie publishing Quantum Night four years ago, and how he applied those learnings to the publication of The Oppenheimer AlternativeThe story about the title of his previous novel: Quantum Night VS The Zombie PhilosopherThe timing of Rob’s latest novel with the 75th Anniversary of The Manhattan Project and the first use of Nuclear weapons in warThe decisions Rob made for the print rights of his latest novel related to wanting solid bookstore distributionThe split rights selling of the rights of Rob’s novel, in print, to two different publishers in Canada and the United States



[image error]



Rob’s control of the eBook rights, audiobook rights, film & TV rightsThe fact that Rob is still waiting on the “advance” payment from his Canadian publisher for a book that was released almost two months agoRob’s negotiation with his US publisher regarding the book’s advance – and how that back and forth negotiation resulted in a situation where Rob maintained his eBook rights in lieu of an advanceHow it took two months of sales of the eBook (that Rob holds the rights to) in order to earn more than what the advance on the book would have beenThe direct involvement on the design of the book’s cover, both for the edition Rob is publishing as well as the one published by his Canadian publisherThe research involved in writing his latest novel, which included purchasing over 100 different books about the people behind The Manhattan ProjectHow The Manhattan Project was the most secret project that humanity had taken on at that point in history and how it was almost the most recorded project – meaning there was plenty of recorded dialogue transcripts that Rob was able to use to write realistic dialogue (both word-for-word actual dialogue – about 20% of it was verbatim from transcripts – as well as for creating authentic dialogue of the scenes that Rob invented/imagined)The debate and origin of the terms sci-fi VS SF as short for Science FictionHow Rob likes to think of The Oppenheimer Alternative not as an alternative history novel, but as a Secret History Novel, and how the story is based on a string of events, evidence, and speculation about something else actually happening that hadn’t been revealed or uncovered during that time periodThe importance of how writing this novel had to be a huge challenge that Rob looked forward to tacklingThe selling of the audiobook rights to Recorded BooksThe changes that happened in the lead up and launch of this book (and the planned book tour) due to Covid-19Rob’s use of Patreon for his most dedicated/passionate fansA new exclusive audio project that Rob is currently negotiating related to a radio drama style project (which brings him back to his roots as a former radio person)

After the podcast Mark reflects on Rob’s recognition of the power that he holds as the IP creator, and the many inventive ways he has split his rights.

Links of Interest:

Robert J. Sawyer’s WebsiteTwitterFacebookWide for the Win (Pre-Order)Wide for the Win Submission FormEpisode 4 – Optimizing Your Author Brand with Robert J. SawyerEpisode 144 – 10 Tips for Winning with Wide PublishingEpisode 143 – Unstoppable Goals with HB LyneMark’s Canadian Werewolf SeriesThis Time Around (Book 0)A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1)Stowe Away (Book 1.5)Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2)Bakka Phoenix BooksWords Worth BooksBibliofic DesignsFindaway VoicesPatreon for Stark Reflections

Robert J. Sawyer — called “the dean of Canadian science fiction” by The Ottawa Citizen and “just about the best science-fiction writer out there these days” by The Denver Rocky Mountain News — is one of only eight writers in history (and the only Canadian) to win all three of the science-fiction field’s top honors for best novel of the year. Rob — who holds honorary doctorates from the University of Winnipeg and Laurentian University — has taught writing at the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, Humber College, and The Banff Centre.

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 144 – 10 Tips for Winning with Wide Publishing

Are you looking for ways to stop being dependent upon Amazon for your author earnings income?Are you hoping to expand and grow your sales on multiple platforms in global territories?Do you need strategies to help you get started NOW in terms of creating a successful “publish wide” author plan?Would you like to increase and optimize your sales on Apple Books, Kobo, Nook, Google Play and more?

Then this episode which features a reading of an article by Erin Wright called “Top 10 Tips to Going Wide.”

Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes and a word from this episode’s sponsor.

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

In his personal update, Mark shares the progress he has made on the “Canadian Werewolf” series, including a cover rebranding, a pre-order for mid August, and another pre-order for Feb 2021.

[image error]

He also shares the fact he has started work on a book called WIDE FOR THE WIN which will also be published in early 2021.

[image error]WIDE FOR THE WIN – Forthcoming Title

The tips shared are:

Stop jumping and out of KUStop giving away Amazon gift cards of Kindle eReadersStop advertising in paid newsletters that only include AmazonStop linking to just AmazonStop buying your books on AmazonStop cross-promoting with other authors who are KU exclusiveStop targeting KU authors in your adsStop spending money on AMS adsStop having an ARC team that only reviews on AmazonStop trying to learn from authors who are KU exclusive

After sharing the article, Mark reflects on the basic strategy that Erin employs across all of the tips.

Links of Interest:

Erin Wright’s WebsiteTop 10 Tips to Going Wide – Erin’s Article on Hidden GemsWide for the Win Facebook GroupEpisode 143 – Unstoppable Goals with HB LyneMark’s Canadian Werewolf SeriesThis Time Around (Book 0)A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1)Stowe Away (Book 1.5)Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2)Wide for the Win Submission FormFindaway VoicesPatreon for Stark Reflections

USA Today Bestselling author Erin Wright has worked every job under the sun, including library director, barista, teacher, website designer, and ranch hand helping brand cattle, before settling into the career she’s always dreamed about: Author. She still loves coffee, doesn’t love the smell of cow flesh burning, and has embarked on the adventure of a lifetime, traveling the country full-time in an RV. (No one has died yet in the confined 250-square-foot space – which she considers a real win – but let’s be real, next week isn’t looking so good…) Find her updates on ErinWright.net, where you can sign up for her newsletter along with the requisite pictures of Jasmine the Writing Cat, her kitty cat muse and snuggle buddy extraordinaire.

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 143 – Unstoppable Goals with HB Lyne

In this episode Mark interviews urban fantasy author and podcaster HB Lyne about her fiction, her forthcoming title GOAL SETTING FOR WRITERS, and more.

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

This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices.

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

In the interview Holly and Mark talk about:

When and how Holly got into writing in the first place – writing since she could hold a penMaking up stories that her young friend would illustrateWriting screenplays and theatre when when was a teenager, and going off to University with a goal to write and direct moviesWriting her first book and how she wanted to share it straight away, and didn’t want to wait and go through all the hoops, bells, and whistles of traditional publishingHolly’s first series, with four books, and why had to plan on rebranding, despite having had paid for beautiful covers for the first set, as well as brilliantly conceived titlesThe rebranding of the series name, the titles, and the covers and what Holly’s plan is (rapid release of the three books, then the new fourth book in the fall of 2020)Holly’s first non-fiction book, Goal Setting for Writers, which is coming on July 31, 2020The mind-set shift required to move from writing fiction to non-fictionHow Holly does all of her planning doing the bullet journal systemHow, when we write by hand, we retain much more than when we are typingThe challenge of imposter syndromeThe Unstoppable Authors Podcast that Holly co-hosts with Angeline TrevenaAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark shares a reflection on Holly’s rebranding as well as his own recent decision to rebrand a series in the same genre.

He also shares a chance for listeners to win a copy of Holly’s book on goal setting for writers by leaving a comment on this episode by EOD July 31, 2020.

[image error]

Patrons are also automatically entered for their own chance to win another copy of the book.

Links of Interest:

HB Lyne’s WebsiteHB Lyne InstagramHB Lyne FacebookUnstoppable Authors PodcastEpisode 142 – Strategies for Launching a Book During a Pandemic with Suzy VadoriEpisode 139 – Dreaming, Singing, and Moving People with Ashley JoanisseFindaway VoicesBlog on Mastering AudioPatreon for Stark Reflections

[image error]

H.B. Lyne lives in Yorkshire, UK, with her husband, two children and cat. When not juggling family commitments, she writes dark urban fantasy novels, purging her imagination of its demons. Inspired by the King of Horror himself, Holly aspires to be at least half as prolific and successful and promises to limit herself to only one tome of The Stand-like proportions in her career. Holly is a proud geek, podcaster and bullet journal enthusiast with a knack for organization and getting stuff done.

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 142 – Strategies for Launching a Book During a Pandemic with Suzy Vadori

In this episode mark interviews Suzy Vadori about the massive in person book launches she has done for the first two books in her The Fountain trilogy and the way she had to pivot away from the original plans of a major launch for book three, Wall of Wishes, due to the global pandemic.

[image error]Mark and Suzy from the live interview

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word about this episode’s sponsor, reads some recent comments on the podcast, and offers a bit of a personal update, including a bit of an adventure on a road trip that he took with his son (which they made the best of, despite a bit of an unexpected end to the trip)

[image error]Mark & Alexander doing their “Breaking Bald” impression



[image error]Mark & Alexander’s ode to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices.

[image error]

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

Mark also shares that the podcast has surpassed 50,000 downloads, has been downloaded in over 100 countries, and he thanks listeners for helping him achieve those stats.

[image error]Early July 2020 Stark Reflections Downloads map

In their interview, Mark and Suzy talk about:

The giant Wall of Wishes backdrop Suzy and her kids created for the special at home video launch sessions she was doingThe Fountain trilogy and where Suzy’s new book “Wall of Wishes” fits into itThe “ride” of publishing the trilogy starting with “The Fountain” in 2015 – and how that eventually led to writing full timeHow, with the first two books in the trilogy, Suzy sold far more print books than eBooks, despite her small press publisher not having full proper bookstore distribution warehousing and channelsThe way that kids read more print books than digital books
– Selling thousands of copies of her print books by doing multiple in person events throughout the yearTwo two tours every year sponsored by the Alberta Book SocietyThe talks Suzy does at the schools, which aren’t just about her books, but about the possibilities that exists in multiple careers for curious studentsEarning a speakers fee as a fiction author – and the importance of not speaking for freeThe special things that Suzy has done for in person book launch events, such as the party for over 300 people at a local brewery (with a free beer offer for guests), and the giant prop fountain that she toured bookstores withHitting the bestseller list from a major launch event because the book sales were done through a local indie bookstore (that reports into the local newspapers bestseller list, which also rolls into the national newspaper bestseller lists)Partnering with local bookstore Owls Nest for a virtual book launch that was being broadcast live from the vacant bookstore (featuring Suzy and bookstore manager Stacey Kondla) in a physically distancing-safe mannerWhy Suzy started filling the fountain with lollypops after discovering a couple of issues with waterThe pennies Suzy has collected to allow people to make a wish in the fountain – an excellent ice-breaker (at least pre-Covid)How Suzy took over the reins for book three in this trilogy from her publisher without ruining the existing solid relationship she had with themThe challenge of what was going to happen with a book launch originally planned for April 2020 – and then the global pandemic hit, throwing all those plans into a tail spinEarning the rank of Aurora Awards finalist for the first two books in the series, and winning the Bronze Medallion from Reader’s Favourite for Best Young Adult Romance (which came with an actual medal that Suzy wore all over the place, and also brings it to school events)The listing of custom programs Suzy offers for author talks which appear on her website (include link)The value of tenacity and the ability to pivotThe importance of playing to your strengthsAnd more . . .





Original video from the interview

After the interview, Mark reflects on two of the things Suzy mentioned:

“If you’re entertaining as an author, then presumably your books are also entertaining”“Play to your strengths…”

Links of Interest:

Suzy Vadori’s Website
Social MediaFacebookTwitterInstagramVideo of this InterviewOwl’s Nest BooksWild Rose BreweryEpisode 91 – Book Lover Stacey Kondla on Becoming a Literary AgentEpisode 139 – Dreaming, Singing, and Moving People with Ashley Joanisse
Ashley’s YouTubeChannelHey BartenderAmerican DreamBlue Wave – American Resistance SongEpisode 140 – Writing Your Memoir with Rachael HerronMark’s Tavern (A Cheers Parody)Findaway VoicesPatreon for Stark Reflections

Suzy is a Book Coach, Editor, Public Speaker and the Calgary Bestselling Author of The Fountain Series (The Fountain, The West Woods, Wall of Wishes). This fantastical Young Adult Series has received two Aurora Nominations for Best Young Adult Novel, as well as Five Stars and a bronze medallion from Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.

Suzy lives in Calgary, Canada with her husband and three children and is an involved member in the writing community. She is a Program Manager for Calgary’s When Words Collide (WWC), teaches writing at Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society, and is a touring member of the Young Alberta Book Society. Suzy is also the founder of WriteIt! creative writing programs in schools.

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