Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Heather Campbell co-founder and publisher at Latitude 46 Publishing, and owner of a brand-new indie bookstore in Sudbury, Ontario. Prior to the main content, Mark shares some recent comments, a personal update, and shares a word about 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 Heather talk about: Heather's long love of reading and books, and her engagement in the Sudbury, Ontario writing community Deciding to start Latitude 46 when Scrivener Press decided to close shop How Heather got into learning about publishing, distribution, and self-publishing twelve years ago by helping a friend out with her book Celebrating Latitude 46's 7th anniversary on March 22, 2022 How often a regional/local publisher has to start off doing it part time and with funding support from arts councils, etc The average number of submissions rec'd versus books published The way that Heather, as a publisher, seeks to have a collaborative relationship with her writers Advice for authors looking to submit to Latitude 46 The mandate to publish authors either from or with strong ties to Northern Ontario and mid-Northern Ontario Heather's decision to open up a downtown independently operated bookstore as part of a 4 month opportunity by the city called "Zero Vacancy" to help revitalize the downtown core Some of the other artisan and local artist merchandise carried in the store An imprint from Latitude 46 that Heather uses when the title doesn't have a literary bend to it Authors who have come in to sign books and the store as well as forthcoming planned author visits Heather's thought that writers could benefit from going and working in a bookstore, even briefly, to understand what that experience is like The question of "is this publishable" that publishers often ask when a manuscript is presented Toni Morrison's long term "teamwork" based relationship with her editor After the interview Mark reflects on the importance of understanding a publishers vision and mandate as well as the idea of how writers can benefit from in person bookstore experience. Links of Interest: Latitude 46 Publishing Facebook Page Instagram Twitter EP 189 - From Stage to Page Then Back to Stage with Rod Carley EP 223 - Love, Only Better with Paulette Stout The Canadian Mounted Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 Heather Campbell has spent over 25 years in communications and freelance writing, specializing in issues relevant to Northern Ontario communities. A graduate of York University (BA Sociology '92), she has combined her education, experience and 'need to initiate' by starting a local chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada and the Wordstock Sudbury Literary Festival. Joining forces with another local writer to start a new publishing house for the North is a natural extension of how she can contribute to creating a thriving literary scene in Northern Ontario. 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 episode Mark interviews author Paulette Stout about her new novel Love, Only Better. Prior to the main content, Mark shares a recent comment, a personal update, thanks new patron Jo-Ann Carson, and shares a word and update about 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 Paulette talk about: Why Paulette chose to fictionalize the taboo subject matter of the novel How this novel can help some women realize that they're not alone in this experience Taking a really difficult topic and making it a beach read The importance of approaching a deeply personal and emotionally difficult topic with humor The process of deciding to write this novel Reaching out to agents with queries for this book Learning about indie publishing and how it suited this book with what many publishers saw as a taboo topic Scribbling at the alter of Joanna Penn Writing a prequel as an author newsletter giveaway Getting a BookBub Feature New Release on her first time asking for one Using NetGalley and getting more than 300 downloads for the book while it was up for preorder How initially positioning the book as romance rather than women's fiction resulted in a few mis-matches on reader expectations Deciding to change a great cover for a different great cover based on those reader expectations Paulette's desire to "up" the level of intimacy within women's fiction Sales so far of the book in print and eBook Segmenting her list into two groups: people who open and people who don't open her newsletters Working on Book 2 for NaNoWriMo 2021 so she can get it to editors in December for a spring 2022 release Advice Paulette would offer to beginning writers or writers who want to write a book about a more taboo topic And more... After the conversation Mark reflects on the business decision Paulette made to re-do her covers (see below) and also on how (and why) authors are so hard on and so down on themselves. Links of Interest: Paulette Stout's Website Facebook Author Page Twitter Instagram PR By The Book Findaway Voices Books A Million Announcement EP 154 - Reflections on T S Paul The Canadian Mounted Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 Paula Stout is the fearless author of Love, Only Better, a contemporary novel and bedroom rallying cry for women everywhere. Born in Manhattan, Paulette is the gold-star wordsmith and owner of her content marketing agency, Media Goddess Inc., where she crafts content for her list of global clients. Prior to MGI, Paulette led content and design teams at several tech companies, and one educational publisher where her elimination of the Oxford comma caused a near riot. Paulette's prior career as a media buyer/planner in New York earned her three industry awards, including a MediaWeek All-Star. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Communications from Cornell University and her MBA in Marketing from the Lubin School of Business, Pace University. You can usually find Paulette rearranging words into pleasing patterns while wearing grammar t-shirts. 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 author Brittany Fichter about writing happily ever after endings, clean romance, and taking the time to care for her readers. Prior to the main content, Mark shares a personal update, thanks new patron James S. Aaron, and shares a word about 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 Brittany talk about: Writing clean, sweet, and wholesome romance Living and writing with OCD, Tourettes and free-floating anxiety The Writing Gals Podcast and their outline of the various levels of heat in romance fiction How the outline for Brittany's last book was 50,000 words The way that clean romances can still deal with heavy concepts and deep emotions Writing fairy tales that are full fantasy, much like the darkness to light moment in The Lord of the Rings Brittany's childhood love of fairy tales and her desire to what to know the characters beyond the tropes Stephen King's writing prompt to write a story you'll never share with anyone, and how Brittany used that to write a story inspired by Beauty and The Beast that she published in 2015 Revising covers, and the fact her first book (Beyond Beauty) has gone through four covers already Getting writing done with young children Making YouTube music playlists for every book that she writes as a way of triggering her brain that it's time to write The push that leads a lot of writers to writer burnout The Happy Planner brand Writing and publishing a chapter a week on her blog to keep her readers happy while they're waiting for the next book Why Brittany has a "Fun and Games" section on her website and why she avoids political discussion in her reader groups and author page How her writing is all about light overcoming dark The way that 2020 had us on social media and on our phones a lot, instead of being with and understanding others Advice Brittany would give to new writers And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the importance of attending to the needs of your readers. Links of Interest: Brittany Fichter's Website Facebook Author Page Facebook Reader Group Instagram Writing Gals: What Makes Clean Romance Clean 20BooksVegas Website 2021 Video Playlist of 162 Videos (YouTube) Killing it on Kobo Wide for the Win Apple Books Panel Findaway Voices The Canadian Mounted You Play with Your Balls a Lot (Lipsync) The 2021 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 Brittany Fichter lives with her Prince Charming, little fairy, and little prince in a decently clean castle in whatever kingdom the United States Air Force has most recently placed them. 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 shares three short audio excerpts from the November 2021 20BooksVegas conference. 20Books Vegas 2021 is by far the biggest and best of the 20Books shows (there have been ten so far). It is the biggest show in the world focused on self-publishing although there is something for every author, traditional or indie. The 20Books mentality is that everyone deserves a chance to succeed if they take the knowledge and experience and apply it to their author business. With up to 20 authors making seven figures a year and hundreds making a full-time living, there will be something for everyone. Be warned, no one is going to carry you and make you an overnight sensation. You have to do that for yourself by applying what over 100 guest speakers have to offer. Are you ready to excel, reap the rewards of your good work? Then take control of your author career. Prior to the main content, Mark shares recent comments, a personal update, thanks new patron Michael Howell and shares a word about 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. The three clips (each approximately 10 minutes) are: Mal Cooper - Finding and Keeping Fans https://youtu.be/qlqdlrgGXCQ (Full video) Caroline Peckham - Starting and Growing Your TikTok Platform https://youtu.be/dBiIPaeYUmk (Full video) Kevin McLaughlin - The Five Pillars of Indie Publishing https://youtu.be/yFXZAoi02sk (Full video) Links of Interest: 20BooksVegas Website 2021 Video Playlist of 144 Videos (YouTube) Findaway Voices Findaway Voices Blog - Spotify EP 218 - John Gaspard on Business, Magic, and Writing The 2021 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 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 Vikrant Shaurya, CEO and Founder of Bestsellingbook.com. Prior to the interview, Mark shares an extremely brief personal update with crappy audio from a Vegas hotel room and a word about 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 Vikrant talk about: The story of how Vikrant got started in writing Spending more time in the college library than in classe Starting a company, making a number of mistakes, and being left with no money and being forced to shut down the business Discovering self-publishing and working hard to write and go through the publishing process Creating a "done for you" publishing company to help entrepreneurs and speakers Who Vikrant's ideal client is and the detailed customized process of ensuring their book is written using their insights/knowledge/experience in their unique voice The packages and costs of making the book a bestseller on Amazon The process of the angel writers who work closely with clients Going through the book chapter by chapter with the client with unlimited revisions Potential opportunities for writers to work for Bestselling Book as angel writers And more... After the interview, Mark reflects on the various needs and pathways for different types of writers and where a service like Bestsellingbook.com might fit in to that. Links of Interest: BestsellingBook.com Findaway Voices 20BooksVegas SelfPubCon 2021: The Writing Craft Conference (ALLI) - The Craft of Writing Short Books The 2021 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 Vikrant Shaurya is the CEO & Founder of BestsellingBook.com, #1 Bestselling Author, sought-after Book Launch Manager, and an internationally recognized Digital Publishing Expert. He has helped thousands of entrepreneurs and first-time authors actualize their dreams by joining them in their self-publishing journeys through his courses, coaching, and done-for-you services. 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 Chris Racknor about his Shawn Ronin mystery series, about science fiction and about his experiences in both traditional and indie publishing. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation Mark and Chris talk about: The report card snapshot from the first grade indicating Chris had an affinity for writing The serialized blog stories on Chris's blog early on in the advent of digital reading The 2004 goal Chris set related to writing a novel, and how that came to pass in 2020 Heading into the science discipline and wondering if it was for the science or for making the science-fiction more believable How Chris's mother, concerned that he was reading too many comic books, handed him a copy of a Robert B. Parker novel How science-fiction is about asking questions, while mysteries are about searching for answers Chris's experience of working with a publisher and coming to realize the sub-par work they had done on his novel The podcasts that Chris regularly listens to related to the business of self-publishing Preparing and launching the first three books in his mystery series via the indie route A bit of a background on the series and the main character Some of the personal situations from Chris's own life that have factored into the novels Strategies for launching three books at once, such as immediately making the first book in that series free Advice that Chris would give to his younger self And more... After the interview Mark reflects on Chris's determination to not give up despite the challenges he faced with his first book, but instead, to take a different approach. He also talks about the importance of asking and how you miss 100% of the shots you never take. Links of Interest: Chris Racknor's Website Findaway Voices Universal Book Links Now Include Print (Announcement) Haunted Hospitals The Relaxed Author SelfPubCon 2021: The Writing Craft Conference (ALLI) - The Craft of Writing Short Books The 2021 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 Chris Racknor has a Ph.D. in physics and lives in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. He has been an astronomy teacher, physicist, motorcycle owner, competitive strongman, varsity rugby player, and stay-at-home dad. He is a family man, Data Scientist, sci-fi nerd, professional kilt-wearing tree thrower, Transformers toy collector, and sumo wrestling aficionado with plenty more stories to tell. 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 John Gaspard about his mystery novels, his decision to move from traditional publishing to indie publishing, and other behind the scenes business decisions about his life in writing. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a brief personal update and a word about 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 John talk about: John's journey to traditional publishing and the process of getting his rights back and checking out indie publishing Working with an agent Some of the research John has done to find a publisher What a "right of first refusal" clause in a contract is Offering his publisher money to get out of the contract he was in The writing John was doing as full time work that was NOT writing novels Writing a mystery in novel form compared to writing it for the screen John's early introduction to film making that led to film-making projects through high school The two $30K feature films John worked on in the late 80s The combo book/behind-the-curtains podcast John has created and the plan behind wanting to launch it And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the business decision and investment John made in himself. Links of Interest: Eli Marks Website Eli Marks Podcast John's Books Film Books All of John's Books Findaway Voices Universal Book Links Now Include Print (Announcement) Haunted Hospitals The Relaxed Author SelfPubCon 2021: The Writing Craft Conference (ALLI) - The Craft of Writing Short Books The 2021 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 John Gaspard is the author of the Eli Marks mystery series as well as four other stand-alone novels, "The Greyhound of the Baskervilles," "A Christmas Carl," "The Sword & Mr. Stone," and "The Ripperologists." He also writes the Como Lake Players mystery series, under the pen name Bobbie Raymond. In real life, John's not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less – that's no small trick. He's also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they've made more than the films. John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several dogs, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies. 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 conversation with Sarah Kades and Adrienne Kerr about how their relationship as a writing and editing team, about Sarah's recent release, Kiss Me in the Rain and about their pathways into the writing and publishing world. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word about this episode's sponsor: Stark Publishing and his books for writers. In their conversation, Mark, Sarah, and Adrienne talk about: How Sarah got into writing and how Adrienne got into editing The first book that Adrienne edited and the intriguing story behind it Sarah's first experience with a nurturing editor and how that led to a positive experience ensuring she stuck with writing The importance of having a solid connection and relationship with an editor who understands your goals How Adrienne and Sarah first met and the huge faux pas Sarah made trying to connect with Adrienne The airport pickup story and how Sarah and Adrienne bonded in the car on the way to the conference hotel The way the two helped one another at mutually critical junctures in their lives A bit about the novel Kiss Me in the Rain and the elements Sarah likes to include in her novels How the setting in Kiss Me in the Rain is a character in the novel Earning your right to criticize as an editor Sarah's writer voice and confidence growing stronger by working with Adrienne Keeping in mind a book in a series as a stand-alone story for readers of that book as well as the readers of the entire series And more... After the conversation Mark reflects on the importance of a solid writer/editor relationship as well as the value of being specific when offering both positive and negative feedback. Sarah's Website Adrienne's Website Kiss Me in the Rain Mark's Books for Writers Findaway Voices SelfPubCon 2021: The Writing Craft Conference (ALLI) - The Craft of Writing Short Books The 2021 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 Sarah Kades writes action adventure thrillers with strong environmental themes as Sarah Kades and socially responsible narrative nonfiction as Sarah Graham. She is passionate about culture, landscapes, knowledge accessibility, the arts and Momma Earth. She loves writing books that remind us of the natural nature within each of us, a re-wilding to our true, authentic, best awesome self! She has studied in the United States, Canada and Scotland, and for the last twenty years her day job has been as an archaeologist and Indigenous Knowledge studies and engagement facilitator. In 2020, she received her first literary arts grant and was a two-time Energy Futures Lab Banff Summit storyteller. When she is not writing you can find her running, bumping into her next adventure or trying to figure out where in the garden to put the makeshift wood fired pizza oven. Adienne Kerr has more than twenty years of experience in book publishing, with expertise in retail, sales, acquisitions, and editing. As Senior Editor at Penguin Random House Canada from 2009 to 2015, she acquired and edited thirty national bestsellers and in 2011, The Canadian Booksellers Association named her Editor of the Year. ​Since 2016 as a freelance editor Adrienne has worked with publishers, literary agents, and private clients. She speak at events such as the Surrey International Writers' Festival, Calgary's When Words Collide, and the Ontario Writers' Conference and lectures on publishing topics at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. 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 Matty Dalrymple about her new book THE INDY AUTHOR'S GUIDE TO PODCASTING FOR AUTHORS. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation Mark and Matty talk about: Matty's celebration of the 100th episode of her podcast and the ongoing celebratory series of 7 episodes featuring Orna Ross The workshop that Matty and Mark collaborated on for the 2021 Alliance of Independent Authors Self Publishing Conference talking about the craft of writing short fiction The drabble writing assignment that Matty and Mark offer as part of their workshop. (A drabble is a short story that is exactly 100 words) Matty's new book The Indy Author's Guide to Podcasting for Authors that includes podcasting itself as well as being a good podcast guest The downloadable Captain's Log resource that Matty has made available Matty turns the table and asked Mark why he started the Stark Reflections Podcast Matty's thoughts on whether or not a podcast is going to help an author sell books, as well as her own experience as both a podcast host and a podcast guest The concept of how a podcast guest might be temporarily bringing their own fans as listeners to someone else's podcast Leveraging a podcast as a way to connect with people that you're interested in connecting with and learning from Some of the technology, software, and assets required to record, produce, and distribute a podcast The amount of time that it takes Matty per week for her podcast Struggling with transcription and using Descript for that How the transcript for a podcast episode serves a particular portion of the audience Use of feature affiliates, Patreon and "Buy me a Coffee" for The Indy Author podcast And more... After the interview, Mark reflects on consistency in author branding, intrinsic motivation, and thinking long term. Links of Interest: Matty's Websites: The Indy Author Episode 098 - Redefining Indy Success through Short Fiction with Ran Walker Matty Dalrymple Findaway Voices SelfPubCon 2021: The Writing Craft Conference (ALLI) - The Craft of Writing Short Books The 2021 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, and speaks on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She is the host of THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST and the author of THE INDY AUTHOR'S GUIDE TO PODCASTING FOR AUTHORS. She is also the co-author, along with Mark Leslie Lefebvre, of TAKING THE SHORT TACK: CREATING INCOME AND CONNECTING WITH READERS USING SHORT FICTION. Matty is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. You can connect with The Indy Author via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. ​ Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, SNAKES AND LADDERS, and THE IRON RING; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels THE SENSE OF DEATH, THE SENSE OF RECKONING, THE FALCON AND THE OWL, and ​A FURNACE FOR YOUR FOE; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including CLOSE THESE EYES and WRITE IN WATER. Matty is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Brandywine Valley Writers Group. You can connect with Matty via Facebook and Twitter. ​Matty lives with her husband and three dogs in Chester County, Pennsylvania. 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 Patricio X. Maya, who writes in both English and Spanish. They talk about his writing, his essays, his first novel, Reggaetón Cruise, which has been called "a techno-beat The Great Gatsby" about cultural exile, multiculturalism, and so much more. Prior to the main content, Mark shares a personal update, thanks Patreon supporters and shares 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. - What drew Patricia to writing in the first place, and those early teenage poems written in Spanish Being inspired by Columbian writer Gabriel García Márquez Patricio's move to the United States when he was 13 and his introduction to the English world Writing prose in English and poetry in Spanish Patricios's first book, a collection of essays and philosophies The theme of cultural exile in Patricio's second book Cherished early memories and defining half of his life from the age of 13 The origin of the poem "80 Miles Per Hour" The stylized American circus that's a part of Patricio's novel The Reggaetón Cruise and how it explores the contemporary moment of American culture where horror and entertainment marry and fuse Patricio's publishing partnership with Grady Miller Books that allows mutual growth together The media manager that Patricio works with for promotional appearances Thoughts about multiculturalism and super-multiculturalism in the US, Canada, the UK and other places What is the cost of becoming cosmopolitan? And more... After the interview Mark reflects on a few things the conversation made him think about. Links of Interest: The Reggaetón Cruise Findaway Voices Announcing Marketplace Self-Publishing Insiders Chat with Will Dages (YouTube) The 2nd Annual Online Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers Conference (Oct 16, 2021) Business Bootcamp for Authors - Paths to Publication: Alternatives to Traditional Publishing (Panel) - (Oct 19, 2021) SelfPubCon: The Writing Craft Conference (ALLI) - The Craft of Writing Short Books The 2021 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 Patricio X. Maya was born in Quito, Ecuador, and moved to California at age 12. He writes in English and Spanish. His first book, Walking Around with Fante and Bukowski, is made up of 21 essays grouped into sections about art, politics, and autobiography. His second book, 80 MPH, is a collection of eighty powerful poems written in Spanish. His first novel, Reggaetón Cruise, has been called "a techno-beat The Great Gatsby." Some of the novel's themes are globalization, viral fame, and hyper-reality. The narrative plot is complex and the characters from all over the world. Though the novel touches upon immigration, terrorism, exile, and murder, parts of it are humorous, while others have been called thought-provoking, and even unnerving. Too Much Sweetie, his second novel, is about René, a young Ecuadoran artist trapped between a moneyed upbringing and his current down-and-out North American reality. René's tense world view collapses when he falls for Meaw-Meaw, an ambitious Thai masseuse who loves him for all that he wants to leave behind. Too Much Sweetie, that strangest of things -a sensual novel of ideas- is set to be published later this year under the Hollywood publisher Grady Miller Books, which has also published the writer's previous books. Along Miller, Maya has gathered the collected poems of Aldo Tambellini for publication. He has also acted as editor-in-chief of 80 MPH Anthology, which showcases the work of various Hispanic and American writers. Maya holds an M.A. in Arts Journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and a B.A. in English from CSULA. He has been a Visiting Scholar at the CalArts' Aesthetics and Politics program and a poetry lecturer at the Los Angeles Public Library Summer Lecture Series. 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