Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark talks with Elizabeth Ann West about her writing and using AI tools such as Sudowrite for intriguing new types of collaborations. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. During their conversation Mark and Elizabeth talk about: Elizabeth's start in indie publishing back in the "early days" of self-publishing The Jane Austin Fan Fiction that Elizabeth writes for a living The panic in the writing community with the dropping of chatGPT (GPT = Generative Pre-trained Transformer) What Public Domain content is and a look at the grey area of AI generated content and copyright Changes to Public Domain and copyright law related to Disney and Mickey Mouse How Public Domain is really important to culture Some of the areas where AI has already been integrated into the tools we use as writers and just in general AI as a robotic co-writer that you can lean on as an author Sudowrite and how it's based on a UNIX command called "Super Do" and not "pseudo" making you the super user How as the human in this equation, you are the "creative director" still responsible for all of the final writing, the research, the voice, etc How prompts work within Sudowrite and the way authors can be very specific with them The importance of authors being unique and creative when creating their prompts How the AI works within the context of the most recent segment of the document an author is working within The idea that's in development of performing something like a "fine tune" A bit of the tech about how "tokens" work within the technology Playing within "Open AI Playground" How much time a tool like Sudowrite can help writers with outlining and summarizing a chapter Simulating readers reacting to a piece of writing The process of interviewing an AI character The cost structure for using Sudowrite How Elizabeth has written and released three books since Nov 2021 with the assistance of AI The re-write function in Sudowrite that performs a "show, don't tell" on a sentence Feeling like a writer with super-powers by having access to these types of tools How Elizabeth teachers her online classes for learning how to collaborate with AI The $99 fee that gives people access to all of Elizabeth's "Learning AI" classes and recorded live sessions past, present, and future Elizabeth's thoughts for writers who are nervous, anxious, or worried about the disruption that AI will bring to writing And more... After the interview, Mark reflects on a few things Elizabeth said. He then shares his own recent experiment with creating a book description using chatGBT. Links of Interest: Elizabeth Ann West's Website Elizabeth's Courses & Coaching Intro to Collaborate With AI Tools - Outlining, Prose, & Editing (Affiliate Link) 1:1 AI Consultation with Elizabeth Ann West (Affiliate Link) AI COMMUNITY #WANTK (Affiliate Link) Elizabeth's Short Walk-Thru with Mark of Sudowrite YouTube Interview/Walk-Thru about AI / Sudowrite with Joe Solari Elizabeth's 20BooksVegas Presentation - "Selling Mr. Darcy" EP 265 - Elizabeth Ann West and Randall Wood from Scribecount EP283 - Doing LSB with Amy S. Peele Sanderson Takes on Audible Apple Digital Narration Be a guest on the Stark Reflections Podcast Superstars Writing Seminars (Save $100 with code: STARKSSWS2023 Findaway Voices Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles A Jane-of-all-trades, mistress to none! Elizabeth Ann West is the author of 12 novels and 11 novellas, 22 of which are story variations of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Her books have won reader conference awards and hit the Historical Bestseller lists on Amazon, Kobo, and the iBooks stores multiple times. A lover of all things geeky, Elizabeth codes websites, dabbles in graphic design, and is always looking for new technology to learn and master. She teaches authors at conferences like 20Booksto50KVegas, RWA Nationals, on topics of technology and business in the digital publishing world. 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

Mark has a chat with Amy S. Peele, an Amazon best-selling and award-winning author. They discuss her medical mystery series, her healthcare background, comedy, laughing yoga, and so much more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a question from recent a episodes, an update regarding looking for guests (especially newer writers) for the podcast, and a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Amy talk about: Having been an RN since 1974 and the life-long friends she has maintained her entire life Leveraging the "two best friends" theme in her mystery series as the two main protagonists Spending thirty-five years in organ transplants Deciding to kill people she didn't like in real life as fictional characters in her novels Writing the three murder mysteries after she retired in 2014 because she still had "transplants" that she needed to get out of her system The next book she is working on, a romantic comedy Amy's training with Second City Player's Workshop in Chicago because of her need to have some levity outside her day job work How Amy got started with where and how to publish her first mystery novel and how she found her agent The importance of relationships in the publishing world Why Amy values local independent bookstores, including her local bookstore, Book Passage The process of getting her books made into audio Self-care for writers and why it's important Laughter yoga and hand yoga How, especially lately, we've been in fight or flight mode and the fact that people are not breathing L.S.B. (Laughter, Stretch, and Breath) Why deep breathing and laughter is so valuable Advice Amy would offer to beginning writers And more... After the interview Mark shares a reflection. He then welcomes new patrons Lizbeth Meredith, Stephanie Tallent, and Angela Grit Landau and thanks all patrons. Links of Interest: Amy S. Peele's website Amy's Hand Yoga Video Be a guest on the Stark Reflections Podcast Superstars Writing Seminars (Save $100 with code: STARKSSWS2023 Findaway Voices Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Amy S. Peele was born and raised in the Chicago area. Having graduated from South Chicago School of Nursing (SCCH) in 1974, Amy discovered her passion for organ donation and transplantation when she started as a transplant coordinator at the University of Chicago in 1976. She enjoyed a 35-year career in Transplantation retiring from University of California San Francisco in 2014. As President of the North American Transplant Coordinators Organization (NATCO), she was a guest on the Phil Donahue talk show as well as national and local radio stations, discussing the National Organ Transplant Act, which was passed in 1984. Amy has a love for comedy and improv and graduated from Second City Players Workshop in 1985 in Chicago. She has also studied Improv at BATS (Bay Area Theatre Sports) in San Francisco. Amy's sense of humor comes through in all her writing. Amy met her architect husband, Mark Schatz, through his mother who was her student at a transplant coordinator course. They were married in 1987 and have two children. Gracie is a butcher, fishmonger, and chef living in Eugene Oregon. Bennett works in the digital sound industry in San Francisco, enjoys building bikes, and playing music. Amy now lives in Marin County where she has been writing creatively since 1988. With CUT, Amy infuses her passion for transplantation into her murder mysteries and brings a fresh, knowledgeable, and humorous new voice into the world of mystery novels. 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

In this solo episode Mark reflections on a couple of topics: AI in creativity and writing to market with passion. Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a brief personal update, comments from recent episodes and patreon, and a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Links of Interest: EP 280 - The Jozie Planner with Jo-Ann Carson and J.C. McKenzie EP 86 of the Fantastic Comic Fan Podcast (with guest Mark Leslie) EP 453 of Sell More Books Show Superstars Writing Seminars (Save $100 with code: STARKSSWS2023 Findaway Voices Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this extra, slightly shorter episode sponsored by the patrons of the Stark Reflections Podcast, Mark reflects on an episode of David Richman's Stop Making Yourself Miserable podcast where he discusses the power of crowds. David's Podcast, Stop Making Yourself Miserable is a series of short (usually 15 minute) episodes where David shares an insight and reflects on what we can learn from it, or how we can grow. Links of Interest: David Richman's Website David Richman's Podcast (Stop Making Yourself Miserable) Episode 54 Findaway Voices Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews J.C. McKenzie and Jo-Ann Carson, a mother and daughter team of Vancouver Island authors who share a strong desire to organize their hectic writing lives and have created the JoZie Planner for Authors by Authors. Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a brief personal update, comments from recent episodes and patreon, and a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark, J.C. and Jo-Ann talk about: How J.C. was indoctinated into the writing world via her mother, Jo-Ann being a creative person and writer Returning to Canada from New Zealand and how a combination of reading a lot and some vivid dreams led to the first book she wrote Looking at the first two books she wrote which she considers were a "hot mess" SHIFT HAPPENS, J.C.'s third book, and first published book, and the other 6 books that were published by The Wild Rose Press Jo-Ann's initiation into the world of writing, how she didn't start taking writing seriously until she retired, and the long-term view she has taken for her writing career How storytelling has always been important to Jo-Ann her entire life. J.C. writing locations that she doesn't often see represented, as well as the way she likes to drift back to urban fantasy with her writing Jo-Ann also enjoying writing about witches and vampires, and having a good time injecting more humor into her fiction Despite writing in similar genres, and critiquing one anothers' work, the fact they have not collaborated on any fiction projects yet The JoZie 2023 Planner, and how the name was created from a combination of their two names About the planner itself, and the binding (spiral bound) which allows it to lay flat Where this idea came from and why they feel this planner is important to writers and a writer's needs Their desire for more feedback to continue to improve the planner for 2024 The option of hole-punching the pages from the binder each year and keeping previous year pages in a binder The current floral pattern of the planner, and their interest in looking at different styles for future years Tips for writers who have never actually used a planner before And more... After the interview, Mark shares a couple of reflections, Mark welcomes new patrons and reminds them of their chance to indicate their interest in winning one of four copies of the 2023 JoZie Planner for Authors. Links of Interest: J.C. McKenzie Website Blog Facebook Twitter Goodreads Amazon Newsletter BookTok Jo-Ann Carson Website BookBub Facebook Goodreads Amazon Pinterest JoZie Planner (Vervante) JoZie Planner (Amazon CA) JoZie Planner (Amazon US) Episode 253 - Survival, Resilience, Grace, and Persistence with Lizbeth Meredith Findaway Voices Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles J.C. McKenzie and Jo-Ann Carson are a mother and daughter team of Vancouver Island authors who share a strong desire to organize their hectic writing lives. Some would call it an obsession. Together they've created the JoZie Planner for Authors by Authors. J.C. McKenzie is a book loving, gumboot-wearing, unapologetic science geek. She predominantly writes urban fantasy and post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasy with strong romantic elements. When she's not spinning tales, she's in the classroom sharing her passion for science and mathematics while secretly warping the young impressionable minds of our future to carry out her evil plans for world domination. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. Jo-Ann Carson is an award-winning Fantasy author of 31 books who loves the magic of storytelling. She places unique characters, in fast-paced plots, to tell tales about love, friendship, and family. Recently a critic likened one of her main characters to, "… Stephanie Plum with magic."Jo-Ann's last four series are the Dial Witch trilogy, Perfect Brew trilogy, Ghost & Abby Mysteries, and Gambling Ghosts novellas. Buy links for all her books can be found on her website. A firm believer in the magic of our everyday lives, Jo-Ann loves watching sunrises, walking beaches near her home in the Pacific Northwest and reading by a crackling wood fire. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews Michael La Ronn, the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. During their conversation, Mark and Michael talk about: How long it has been since Mark and Michael saw one another Michael getting back on the travel circuit and being one of the guest speakers for Superstars Writing Seminars in Feb 2023 How Michael got extremely ill in 2012 with an extreme case of food poisoning combined with a hospital infection he acquired, and how that laid him up for a full month Taking the time to realize, while he was stuck in the hospital how he'd been working in a dead-end job and not being the writer he wanted to be Having a beautiful vision of being a successful published writer, and the feeling of happiness that came from that Learning about self-publishing from the Alliance of Independent Authors and The Creative Penn The more than 80 books Michael has written while working full-time, raising a family, and going to law school at night The "secret weapons" that Michael relies on for his writing goals Writing using Scrivener on the MAC and the Scrivener app on his iPhone as well as using dictation Getting writing done using dictation while walking the dog Being a pantser (or "discovery writer") Michael's writer manifesto The different pseudonyms Michael uses for fiction VS his books for writers Michael's role as ALLI's outreach manager The two estate planning books Michael has. One for writers and the other for a writer's heirs Loving his day job and not wanting to give it up despite how successful and prolific his writing career has been The enjoyment of challenging himself And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the prioritizing of finding every available small moment for getting just a few extra words in and how that all adds up. He also considers Michael's thoughts on "balance." Links of Interest: Michael's Author Website Author Level Up Findaway Voices Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Michael La Ronn is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings. You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews Danielle Kaplan about her new book I Married a Thrill-Seeker. Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. During their conversation, Mark and Danielle talk about: Danielle's background before she decided to write her new book The irony of doing a thesis in brain-injury, with most of them involving motorcycle accidents How Danielle, who was considered a moderate who "followed the rules" first met her "wild and crazy" husband Steve back in university Moving to Toronto, Canada to start her life with him and continuing her career in the medical field Having written for medical publications prior to this first book Steve's life as an adventure rider on his Harley Davidson motorcycle when on a trip in the Yukon Keeping all her correspondence and personal journals during the tragic events following her husband's accident Showing the original manuscript to a good friend who is a script/screen-play writer who asked her if this was going to be a personal document for her family, or for public consumption and how that question changed everything The dramatic lows and highs that Steve went through since the accident The various audiences that the book is likely to appeal to Where Danielle found support through this entire journey Working with Rebecca at re:books on the release of the book in Nov 2022 And more... After the interview Mark reflects on how Danielle was able to use all the details she recorded and stored, not because she was going to write a book about it, but for other reasons. Links of Interest: Danielle's Book on Amazon EP 267 - Why Publishing Needs a Makeover with Rebecca Eckler Findaway Voices Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Danielle Kaplan is a speech-language pathologist and movement specialist. She grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa and holds a master's degree in Speech Pathology. She and her husband Steve emigrated to Canada, where she spent twenty years working in acute teaching hospitals, in Neurology, Neurosurgery, and spinal injury. Danielle gained a certification in Pilates and then went on to train further in movement while achieving her Personal Training certification (CanfitPro), Ballet Barre for fitness training and then received her Rehab Exercise Specialization Certification. The mother of two, she lives with her husband Steve and their two fur babies in Toronto, Ontario. I Married A Thrill-Seeker is her first book. 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

Mark has a chat with several authors from the ASK THE AUTHORS 2022 book edited by Kaye Booth. Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Links of Interest: The Writers Career Toolkit StoryBundle Writer Beware Findaway Voices Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews Diann Floyd Boehm, an award-winning author of children's books who writes stories to inspire readers to be kind, like themselves, and Embrace Imagination! Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a personal update, recent comments and a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. During their conversation, Mark and Diann talk about: How Diane started off as a teacher - from 4 year olds all the way up to 8th grade Becoming one of the self-taught tech-knowledgable teachers in the system early on, falling in love with computers, and realizing how much she could help students Enjoying and preferring writing long-hand despite being comfortable with and adept at using a computer The process of developing and writing children's books and the parallel inspiration for both children and adults that can exist within them The beauty of what can happen when people open their minds, expand their horizons and learn and work together The power of stories in sharing ideas and preventing people from putting up walls The hybrid publisher (OC Publishing) that Diane uses Diane's new book CHARLIE AND THE TIRE SWING Recognizing that we're all storytellers, even if we've never written anything, and exercises Diane likes to share to help people realize this The online story garden that Diane created on YouTube, creating safe, clean-cut and wholesome stories for families What Diann wish she'd known when she first started out Diann's publicist, Mickey Mikkelson of The Creative Edge And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the innate creativity we all have, and then talks in detail about the idea of "hybrid" publishing companies, and his default suspicion about them. He then goes to explain why OC Publishing is a legitimate business with very transparent and clear business practices and why a company like that which is honest and demonstrates integrity might be a good fit for some authors. Links of Interest: Diann Floyd Boehm's Website Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest Diann's Story Garden OC Publishing Writer Beware Findaway Voices Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Diann Floyd Boehm is an award-winning international author of children's books and has published a young adult historical fiction. In addition, Diann writes books to inspire readers to be kind, like themselves, and Embrace Imagination! You can find all her books on Amazon. Diann's Story Garden YouTube Channel lets children hear different children's authors read their stories. Diann continues to be involved in various humanitarian projects with multiple organizations. Diann was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to the parents of George M. Floyd and Mabel Adella Harris Floyd. She moved to Texas at about 18 months and her two brothers. Over time the Floyd family grew, and Diann had five brothers, Chris, Danny, Mike, Larry, and Bryan. Diann is a wife and mother of three grown children and one grandson. She has traveled extensively to many parts of the world and has lived in the Philippines and Dubai. She and her husband now reside in Austin, Texas. 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

Mark interviews Samantha M. Bailey, the author of WOMAN ON THE EDGE, a USA TODAY and #1 national bestseller, and WATCH OUT FOR HER, an instant #1 national bestseller about her twenty-year writing journey. Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. During their conversation, Mark and Samantha talk about: How long Mark and Samantha have known one another and how long it has been since they've chatted, and Samantha's previous guest spot on this podcast Samantha's latest thriller WATCH OUT FOR HER and the 13 weeks it spent on the Globe and Mail bestseller list in Canada The book's presence on numerous indie and chain bookstores as well as non-bookstore locations across Canada including Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, and Costco, where it was a buyer's pick How everyone in the retail space was so good to Samantha The twenty years Samantha worked at writing before this huge wave of success Her previous book (Woman on the Edge) being released just prior to the pandemic starting Samantha's rock star agent, Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency and how Samantha found her twenty years earlier Nita Prose, author of The Maid, a New York Times bestseller, who is the editor of both Samantha's novels Getting her first rejection for a story that she wrote and submitted to a publisher at the age of ten Being able to wallpaper her house with the amount of rejections she has received for her books over the years Why Samantha never gave up after collecting enough rejection slips to wallpaper her entire neighborhood The common "yellow raincoat" motif that appears on both of her books despite them being stand-alone novels completely unrelated by anything except the genre and the author Why Samantha loves the concept of an unreliable narrator How, when reading a thriller, Samantha never trusts anyone at all, ever The two performers who read the audiobook version of WATCH OUT FOR HER Being a very visual person, particularly as a reader What Samantha tries to do with every book she writes, and a little bit about the book she is working on now Advice Samantha would have given to her younger self The various genres and types of book she has loved reading and writing over the years Taking all the risks in writing while taking very few risks in life And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the concept of unreliable narrators and the idea of letting fear hold you back. Links of Interest: Samantha M. Bailey Website Woman on the Edge Watch out for Her EP 107 - Samantha M. Bailey, Woman on the Edge Sarah Sampino Interview (via Draft2Digital) The Bent Agency (Sam's Agent Jenny Bent) Findaway Voices Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Samantha M. Bailey is the author of WOMAN ON THE EDGE, a USA TODAY and #1 national bestseller; her second novel, WATCH OUT FOR HER, was an instant #1 national bestseller. Her books have sold in eleven countries to date. Samantha is a journalist and freelance editor; her writing has appeared in NOW MAGAZINE, THE VILLAGE POST, THE THRILL BEGINS, and THE CRIME HUB, among other publications. She lives in Toronto, where she can usually be found tapping away at her computer or curled up on her couch with a book. 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