Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Angela Yuriko Smith, a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author, editor, educator, and publisher.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, welcomes a new patron, and offers a word about this episode's sponsors.

This episode is sponsored in part by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report.

In their conversation, Mark and Angela talk about:

• The origin of the term "The Halloween People" for the HWA StokerCon conference
• Creating a huge "save the whales" message using rocks
• How a quote from a comic book first got Angela into writing
• Angela's start in writing doing articles and non-fiction and newspaper writing
• The situation that led to Angela taking over Space & Time magazine
• How important it is to put positivity into the world
• Winning a Bram Stoker Award for her "accidental" poetry
• Angela's first experience with critiques from a writing group
• Helping a woman publish her husbands poetry and what an honor it was for Angela
• Not really having an idea of what she's doing most of the time
• How Space & Time works for submissions for writers and their search for flash fiction
• The way that the Substack ties back into the printed magazine
• The story behind Authortunities
• The value of community
• Advise Angela has for other writers

After the interview Mark reflects on the power of community, the power of words, and the power that fear of judgement can hold over us.

Links of Interest:

• Angela's Main Website: Authortunitiespress.com
• The Expat Life Article (Randy Green)
• A Book in Hand (Main Weblink with Kickstarter link on it - for late pledges)
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
• Stark Reflections articles on Substack
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• 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
• Stark Realities Book
• 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
  • Only Monsters in the Building
  • Once Bitten (Novella)
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises

Angela Yuriko Smith is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author, editor, educator, and publisher. She leads Space & Time and is the founder of Authortunities, a creative ecosystem helping writers create meaningful work, build sustainable creative lives, and shape the worlds they want to inhabit. She believes the world is a work in progress. Writers are here to shape what comes next.

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 shares a couple of recent articles that share perspectives of the logistics related to "spine marketing" and "thumbnail marketing."

This episode is sponsored in part by...

Mark's forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND. Click here to get to the Kickstarter listing and be notified when the Kickstarter for the book goes live in mid September 2026.

This episode is also sponsored in part by:

An affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report.

Links of Interest:

• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
• Stark Reflections articles on Substack
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• 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
• Stark Realities Book
• 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
  • Only Monsters in the Building
  • Once Bitten (Novella)
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises

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 Misti Hurst, a racer, a writer, a coach, and a mom. She is the author of LIFE IN THE FAST LANE: Discovering the Art of Cornering which is part manual, part memoir and compiles her decades of experience as a rider, a racer, and a coach.

Prior to the main content Mark shares recent comments, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsors.

This episode is sponsored in part by...

Mark's forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND. Click here to get to the Kickstarter listing and be notified when the Kickstarter for the book goes live in mid September 2026.

In the interview Mark and Misti talk about:

• Recently celebrating a milestone birthday and looking at what she wanted to do next
• The column Misti wrote for in Motorcycle Mojo Magazine called "Life in the Fast Lane"
• Repurposing those articles into a book project to help fulfill a long-time dream she'd had
• How the content of Misti's articles are a bit of a "memoir meets technique"
• The two distinct moments where Misti totally fell in love with riding and racing motorcycles
• How motorcycle racing on a track is far safer because you're not dealing with the unpredictable behavior of other types of vehicles and motorists
• Some of the signals that motorcyclists offer one another when they pass on a highway
• The comradery and shared connection that motorcyclists have with one another
• Life lessons that can be derived from a passion for motorcycles and racing
• How Misti is going to focus on slightly different topics in the ongoing series of books
• The chapter in Misti's book called "Oh, Great! I Got The Girl Coach" that addresses stereotypes and sexism
• Breaking stereotypes related to motorcycle culture
• The freedom and exposure to the environment that can be experienced when driving on a motorcycle
• How when racing on her motorcycle is the only time when Misti's mind is calm because you HAVE to be focused
• The value of leveraging the very techniques of learning a track when traveling to foreign and differently laid out track environments
• The concept of "at least they were doing what they loved" and the power of that sentiment
• And more...

After the interview Mark shares a few reflections from elements of the conversation.

Links of Interest:

• Misti Hurst's Website
• Episode 489 - The Balanced Approach to the Writer's Life with Ann Charles
• Substack Article: Word by Word, Pound by Pound: Measuring success in the long-run rather than in your "lesser" moments
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
• Stark Reflections articles on Substack
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• 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
• Stark Realities Book
• 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
  • Only Monsters in the Building
  • Once Bitten (Novella)
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises

Misti Hurst's mission is to lead by example as a racer, coach, writer, and mom—blending skill, vulnerability, and grit to help others grow on two wheels and in life. She is a former AMA Pro 600 Supersport and FX Racer, a certified Level III California Superbike School Coach Worldwide, and a columnist for Motorcycle Mojo and Adventure Bike Rider magazines. She has also worked as a freelance writer, pr/media specialist, mountain bike instructor, and, her toughest role yet, a mom of two incredible kids. She is passionate about helping riders become the best versions of their riding selves. Writing her stories started as a way to stay connected to the sport and community she loves — even when mom duties kept her from spending weekends racing or riding.

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 and entrepreneur Avery Crumrine about her business helping authors get their books into the world and her book INTENTION INTO ACTION.

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

This episode is sponsored in part by...

Mark's forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND. Click here to get to the Kickstarter listing and be notified when the Kickstarter for the book goes live in mid September 2026.

In the interview Mark and Avery talk about:

• Growing up around entrepreneurs and how that's long been a big part of Avery's life
• The award Avery got at the age of 11 for hosting her own entrepreneur fair
• Avery's first business called Crafty Girls, started at the age of 10
• Getting into writing around fifth grade
• The origin of this book derived from a road trip and a stage talk Avery had done
• The importance of looking at AFTER the first step, and after the initial motivation fades
• The logistics of how Avery mapped out an outline and wrote the book
• The formats that the book INTENTION INTO ACTION is available in
• Three things that result in people getting stuck
• Where Avery actually got a little bit slowed down in her own experience publishing her book
• The company that Avery now runs to help people write and publish their book in 45 days
• How unnecessary it is for most non-fiction books to be extra long, filled with fluff, and bloated
• What parts of the process of publishing Avery hadn't been expecting
• Avery's decision to go with a basic and stark cover without any distracting elements to it
• The concept that momentum is built through participation
• The benefit of simplifying in order to get a project complete
• How folks are always placing other people in a box based on factors like their age
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on a few discussion points from the conversation.

Links of Interest:

• Avery's Website
  • Avery's Become An Author Site
  • Avery's Business: Asterah
• Episode 489 - The Balanced Approach to the Writer's Life with Ann Charles
• Substack Article: Word by Word, Pound by Pound: Measuring success in the long-run rather than in your "lesser" moments
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
• Stark Reflections articles on Substack
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• 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
• Stark Realities Book
• 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
  • Only Monsters in the Building
  • Once Bitten (Novella)
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises

Avery Brenna Crumrine is a writer, speaker, and student based in San Diego, California. She is currently studying finance and has been involved in entrepreneurship and nonprofit work from a young age.

Avery grew up around people who build things, which shaped how she thinks about responsibility, follow-through, and action. Her work has included organizing entrepreneur fairs, contributing to charity auctions that raised over six figures, editing and producing media, and speaking at events on rejection, confidence, and showing up before you feel ready.

Intention Into Action is her first book. It reflects how she approaches life and work: learning by doing, staying engaged when momentum fades, and choosing movement over waiting. She wrote this book in the middle of it. While still learning, building, and choosing to move.

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, artist, and editor LCW Allingham of Speculation Publications.

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

This episode is sponsored in part by...

Mark's forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND. Click here to get to the Kickstarter listing and be notified when the Kickstarter for the book goes live in mid September 2026.

In the interview Mark and LC talk about:

• How LC has always believed that she was born a writer based on the creative endeavours her family were constantly involved in pursuing
• Being encouraged, when very young, to find ways to express herself
• Her first "books" written when she was 3 and 6 years old
• An amazing fifth grade teacher she had and a special assignment that kicked off her non-stop writing
• Writing her first real full-length novel when she was 17 years old
• How, because of undiagnosed ADHD, once the "training wheels" of school fell off, it took her a while to find her writing groove
• The way finding writing workshops helped her hone her craft and develop her writing
• Finding out how to edit and get works out into the world was part of the larger struggle
• How rejection can be one of the hardest things for a writer
• Going to journalism school as the entire industry was transitioning and even disappearing
• Also being an artist and a musician
• The importance of finding the right kind of workshop
• The origin of Speculation Publications
• Some of the books and projects this publisher has done
• Attracting new authors and under-represented and marginalized voices in publishing
• Enjoying the process of creating and editing and publishing an anthology
• The way the press incorporates a joint vision from the editors
• How the press is now doing novellas and how they take submissions
• LC's new novella, Muse and how it helped her work through the grief of losing her mother
• The 2026 Hardcover version release of Muse that has a new cover and illustrations
• Making the decision to both traditionally publish and self publish
• How LC met her agent and navigating publishing with an agent
• Advise LC would offer to other writers
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on a few things LC talked about in their conversation.

Links of Interest:

• LCW Allingham's website
• Speculation Publications website
• EP 457 - A Show That Makes You Smile with The Patrick Scott Patterson Project
• EP 489 - The Balanced Approach to a Writer's Life with Ann Charles
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
• Stark Reflections articles on Substack
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• 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
• Stark Realities Book
• 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
  • Only Monsters in the Building
  • Once Bitten (Novella)
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises

LCW Allingham is an award-winning author, artist, and editor. Her publications include her novel, LADY, and novella MUSE, as well as short fiction. She is the co-founder and executive editor of the indie press, Speculation Publications, a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Horror Writers Association. She resides near Philadelphia with her family, her animals, and her ever growing art collection.

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 USA Today Bestselling author Ann Charles.

Prior to the main content, Mark provides a personal update, welcomes a new patron, and shares a word about this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report.

In their conversation, Mark and Ann talk about:

• How Ann got into writing in the first place (as a way to stop complaining about the way some stories ended and writing her own stories)
• The first experience submitting her writing and the value of not giving up
• Getting an agent about the time she was shopping around book five
• The first "Deadwood" book which combined western, horror, mystery, supernatural, and romance and how it went up the chains until marketing finally shot it down because they didn't think it would have a big enough audience
• The "stuff" that happened to Ann in the middle of this powerful author career
• How the 4 to 5 month process of writing a book has now gone to a 6 to 9 month process
• Finding the balance in her 50s
• Sammy the Skeleton, Ann's mascot companion who hangs out in her office with her
• Moving from Push Marketing to Pull Marketing
• Losing the person who loved to tell stories by becoming a "content creator"
• The two tools/platforms she uses for that pull-marketing (Patreon and YouTube)
• What Ann learned about storytelling from taking photographs
• How Ann re-reads the entire existing series before she starts to write the next one
• The way Ann co-authors books with her husband
• Advice Ann would offer to writers either trying to get into it or trying to get back into it
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on three different things that Ann mentioned in their conversation.

Links of Interest:

• Ann Charles Website
• Ann Charles - YouTube
• Ann Charles - Patreon
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
• Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• 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
• Stark Realities Book
• 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
  • Only Monsters in the Building
  • Once Bitten (Novella)
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises

Ann Charles is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes hilarious, sometimes hair-raising, award-winning books overflowing with humor, mystery, adventure, romance, supernatural elements, and whatever else sounds like a great time on the page. Ann has a B.A. in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Washington. When she isn't escaping into story worlds, she is arm wrestling her kids, planning road trips alongside her husband, and arguing with her sassy cats.

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 shares anexcerpt from his recent book STARK REALITIES: Stacked-up Lessons Every Writer Needs To Know About The Business of Writing and Publishing.

Learn more about this book at markleslie.ca/starkrealities

Links of Interest:

• Stark Realities Book
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
• Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• 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
  • Only Monsters in the Building
  • Once Bitten (Novella)
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises

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 chats with his partner Liz Anderson after the livestream broadcast of the 2026 Aurora Awards which they co-hosted. They have this reflective dicussion on a back-yard deck in front of a gas table fire.

Prior to the main content, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word from this episode's sponsors.

This episode is sponsored, in part, by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report.

Because the entire episode is a reflection, Mark doesn't share a reflection here.

But he DOES share a bit of a written reflection in this week's Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Substack: Storytelling With Building Bookshelves, Work, and Living Space.

Links of Interest:

• Episode 429 - A Post-Mortem on Hosting the 2025 Aurora Awards with Liz May Anderson
• Episode 301 - Procrastinating Partners: Collaborating with Liz May Anderson
• The CSFFA Aurora Awards
• The Aurora Awards hosting by Mark and Liz
  • 2026 Aurora Awards (Full Broadcast)
  • 2026 Aurora Awards Opening Schtick/Cold Open
  • 2022 Aurora Awards Opening Schtick/Cold Open
  • 2023 Aurora Awards Opening Schtick/Cold Open
  • 2024 Aurora Awards Opening Schtick/Cold Open
  • 2025 Aurora Awards Opening Schtick/Cold Open
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
• Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)
• Stark Realities Book
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• The Relaxed Author
  • Buy eBook Direct
  • Buy Audiobook Direct
• Publishing Pitfalls for Authors
• Wide for the Win
• Ghost Stories of the Great Lakes
• 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
  • Only Monsters in the Building
  • Once Bitten (Novella)
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises

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 interviews Canadian author Melissa Heathers.

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

This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report.

In their conversation, Mark and Melissa talk about:

• Melissa's first book (Dear Ego, Dear Heart), which was published Dec 24, 2024 as a Christmas gift to herself
• The questions that came next, including "What do I do to make this book visible?"
• Being told in high school by a teacher that Melissa had a talent for writing
• The transcendence that came as the results of the side-effects from a horrible car accident
• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and how it inspired Melissa to write poetry that explores the inner duality
• Seeing the world metaphorically
• Some of the strategies that Melissa had to employ
• What Book Crawl is and how it first started
• The initial name Melissa had for this show
• What Melissa's show is like, and how it's different than a podcast
• A mistake Melissa made leveraging AI to generate images for a kids' book
• The artist/designer that Melissa ended up using for the final project
• The visibility summit that Melissa was participating in during the summer of 2026
• Advice Melissa would offer to other authors
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on the importance of teachers in recognizing the talents and skills of students, and the impact a small gesture can have on someone's creative life.

Links of Interest:

• Melissa's website
• The Book Crawl
• The 2026 Aurora Awards (livestream Sunday Aug 9, 2026 at 5 PM Eastern)
  • 2022 Aurora Awards Opening Schtick/Cold Open
  • 2023 Aurora Awards Opening Schtick/Cold Open
  • 2024 Aurora Awards Opening Schtick/Cold Open
  • 2025 Aurora Awards Opening Schtick/Cold Open
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
• Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)
• Stark Realities Book
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• The Relaxed Author
  • Buy eBook Direct
  • Buy Audiobook Direct
• Publishing Pitfalls for Authors
• Wide for the Win
• Ghost Stories of the Great Lakes
• 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
  • Only Monsters in the Building
  • Once Bitten (Novella)
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises

Melissa Heathers is the author of Dear Ego, Dear Heart, a heartfelt collection that explores the inner conversation between the ego and the heart. Through poetry and reflection, her writing speaks to healing, self-love, emotional truth, and the courage it takes to come home to yourself.

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 reads Chapter 5 (The Beautiful Mess: On Failure, Mistakes, and the Gift of Getting It Wrong) from his book STARK REALITIES: Stacked-up Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know About the Business of Writing and Publishing.

Prior to the main content, Mark welcomes new patrons, and shares a word about this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report.

Links of Interest:

• Stark Realities Book
  • BUY DIRECT Link (Use code STARKDIRECT at checkout to save $4.00. Patrons, check the post on Patreon.com/starkreflections for the post dated June 12, 2026 for your special 67% off coupon)
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
• Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)
• Stark Realities Book
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• The Relaxed Author
  • Buy eBook Direct
  • Buy Audiobook Direct
• Publishing Pitfalls for Authors
• Wide for the Win
• Ghost Stories of the Great Lakes
• 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
  • Only Monsters in the Building
  • Once Bitten (Novella)
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises

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