Mark interviews Sheena Cundy, the author of the Witch Lit series of novels that include The Madness and the Magic and Bonkers and Broomsticks.

Prior to the personal update, Mark shares a word from the episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices - specifically about the promotional opportunities available through Voices Plus as well as the fact that Findaway is opening their Authors Direct beta up even wider.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 talks about:

• The 12 hour delay in publishing of this episode due to meetings, taxes and Avengers: Endgame
• No spoilers, just how much Mark enjoyed the new Avengers movie (and brief reflections on previous spoilers from The Empire Strikes Back and The Crying Game)
• Visiting Cleveland for Rock Apocalypse event run by The Career Author Podcast folks J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon

In their interview, Mark and Sheena talk about:

• The origin of Sheena's treehouse and the different creative tasks she does in the treehouse
• Sheena's interest in promoting other creative people via her Treehouse TV YouTube video
• The band, Morrigan's Path, that Sheena has played in for five years
• Her origin getting into the band with her husband as a lyrisist and vocalist based on her poetry
• The "single release" strategy that the band has engaged in as a lead-in to the release of their third album
• How, even though they get paid to perform gigs, the band and the music has always been for the love of it
• Sheena's Witch Lit series (about a crazy witch having a mid-life crisis) which includes The Madness and the Magic and Bonkers and Broomsticks
• The initial serialization of Sheena's first book on a pagan blog after writing it during NaNoWriMo
• The role of Mark Dawson's Self-Publishing 101 course in helping Sheena evolve from traditional and into indie publishing
• How Sheena divides up her time and schedule with her various creative activities
• The DIY approach she has taken with her publishing tasks and schedule
• The timing of the release of Book 2 (Bonkers and Broomsticks) on May 1st with Beltane ("May Day") a Gaelic pagan seasonal festival
• Sheena's forthcoming visit to 20Books50K Edinburgh and her fascination with the ethos of that group
• How you can become like a sponge when you're thirsty for learning
• The importance of being with people who are already doing what you want to do
• The value of networking and connecting with people in the flesh as well as on a 1:1 basis
• Focusing on your target audience and readers
• How Witch Lit is defined as being Chick Lit with Witches
• The creativity that all of us have and the importance of trusting that it will find its own expression in its own format

After the interview, Mark reflects on what Sheena said about the importance of having good feedback and encouragement in your creative endeavors which helps provide the confidence to keep moving forward and to keep writing and to keep practicing.

Mark shares one of his own experiences of a fantastic high school English teacher, Gary Furhman, whose comment on a short story he wrote in Grade 11 had a profound and lasting impact on him.

Links of Interest

• Sheena Cundy's Website
  • Music: https://morriganspath.bandcamp.com/ Morrigan's Path
  • Video: TreehouseTV (YouTube)
  • The Witch Lit Facebook Group
  • The Witch Lit YouTube Show
  • Promo Video for lastest Morrigan's Path Album
• Findaway Voices
  • Blog post about Authors Direct
• CNET Article on when to take a pee break during Avengers: Endgame
• Public Lending Right (PLR) Program
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • United Kingdom
• StoryBundle "The Write Stuff" Bundle (limited time offer)
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Stark Reflections Survey

Sheena Cundy is a witch, wife, mother, and musician. She teaches the Tarot, spiritual development and horse riding, and sings and writes songs for her pagan band - Morrigans Path. She is also the author of a non-fiction book The Magic of Nature Oracle and the Witch Lit series of novels that include The Madness and the Magic and Bonkers and Broomsticks. Sheena says that she wrote this debut novel to keep out of prison, a straitjacket and the divorce courts while battling with dodgy hormones during a mid-life crisis.

The 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