Mark interviews Tony Binns, an award-winning stand-up comedian and screenwriter whose feature #ROXY was nominated for 3 Canadian screen awards, 3 Canadian Comedy Awards, and took home Best Feature at the Ampia awards as well as Best Feature for Teens at the Kidscreen awards. Tony is also the man behind the parody profile on Facebook called Definitely The Real Alex Lifeson where he pretends to be a guy pretending to be the real guitarist from Rush.

Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, which includes a few engagements he'll be speaking at in person and virtually:

• IN PERSON: (Brantford, ON) Brantford Public Library (April 2, 2025 from 6 PM to 7:30 PM) – Inside the Writer’s Mind: Mark Leslie Lefebvre on Ghosts and Paranormal Storytelling
• VIRTUAL: (Online) The BookFest (April 6, 1:30 PM Eastern). Keynote: Writer, The World Needs You: Why Your Writing Is More Important Than Ever
• IN PERSON: (Los Angeles, CA) Writers of the Future. Week of mentoring winning writers and Gala Dinner/Evening celebrating this year's winners on April 10, 2025

Mark then shares a word about this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by Toronto Indie Author Conference, taking place April 26 & 27, 2025 in Toronto, ON. The schedule appears below

Learn more about Toronto Indie Author Conference 2025 here.

 

In their chat, Mark and Tony talk about:

• How Tony is a multi-faceted nerd who used to tape episodes of SCTV so he could play them back and memorize them
• Being big into Monty Python and, of course, Rush
• Always thinking that he was going to be an actor and his love of Shakespeare, but always getting the comedic parts
• Being a good actor but not being so good at auditioning because he freezes when put in a pressure situation
• Founding a comedy sketch troop called Obscene But Not Heard which was partially inspired by his love for Kids In The Hall
• Evolving into doing stand-up despite being a shy person
• Deciding to leave stand-up comedy around the time that Covid hit
• The movie XROXY (a modern tale based on Cyrano de Bergerac) that Tony wrote after he pitched it to some producers he had done some other work for
• Having a strength for dialogue but a weakness when it comes to plot
• Being brought in to help punch up an episodic YouTube series that was a campy horror flick and make it funnier (TRUCKSTOP BLOODSUCKERS)
• Tony's most recent script entitled SAVING MR. CHRISTMAS and how it evolved into a completely different movie than the one that he originally pitched
• The "we love this, change everything" thing that happens with movies
• Tony's WAITING FOR WAITING FOR GODOT which is a show about two women waiting for a production of the play Waiting For Godot which never happens, and how that play was inspired by the way that days could blur together for people, particularly as we get older and "become that guy"
• Being a Rush fan since he first heard "Spirit of Radio"
• How Tony was inspired to create a fake Alex Lifeson account on Facebook after he's seen a fake Geddy Lee account
• The relation between ADHD and being "all in" on something -- like Rush, Monty Python and Rush for Tony
• How, during Covid Tony did a one-man reading of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Doing a Canadian overdub of Dragonball Z
• Adapting a pilot from a Canadian novel called The Smeltdog Man by Frank Macdonald and leveraging the "Deadpool" style of breaking the fourth wall
• Advice that Tony would give to the young nerdy Mark and Tony
• How Tony used to write sketches even though he didn't have an outlet for them
• The Dungeons & Dragons podcast that Tony is a part of called The +2 Rodcast
• And more . . . 

 

After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that came up in the discussion.

 

Links of Interest:

• Tony's Definitely The Real Alex Lifeson Facebook Profile
• Tony on Twitter/X
• Tony Binns on IMDB
  • #ROXY
  • Truckstop Bloodsuckers
  • Fugget About It
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• EP 353 - Tao Wong on The Toronto Indie Author Conference
• Alex Lifeson's Speech on Behalf of Rush at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction
• Mark's YouTube channel
• 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
• 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

 

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 virtual beer with Kevin J. Anderson while they talk through various aspects about writing and publishing. This episode is from a live chat that was hosted on the evening of Sunday March 16, 2025.

This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place in early Feb 2026 in Colorado Springs, CO and where Mark will be a guest speaker.

Use code: STARK100 to get $100 off your registration.

In their chat Mark and Kevin talk about:

• The loss of author and poet Danny Peart, Neil Peart's brother and how the first story Kevin and Neil wrote together named the main character after Neil's brother
• Mark and Kevin's Rush and beer connection
• Kevin's "music starter kit" to his grand-kids
• The significance of the Rush album Grace Under Pressure to both Kevin and Mark
• How the Columbia Music Record Club is what led to Kevin discovering Rush (because he was looking for sci-fi style album covers and Rush's 2112 jumped out at him)
• The back-story to Kevin's Terra Incognita novels
• Writing a novel that was a tie-in to a Rush album
• How Kevin has been able to leverage Kickstarter to produce products that no New York publisher would likely ever get behind
• The way a tribute song "No Words" about Neil Peart led to a new friendship and collaboration with Kevin
• The music behind the Terra Incognita trilogy
• Kevin's Kickstarter for Terra Incognita funding in 14 minutes, but the ultimate goal of earning back the high investment he has already put into it
• The number of novels that Kevin has written
• Benefits of being able to order books directly from the author versus going through the multiple layers of traditional publishing
• Superstars Writing Seminars, the conference that Kevin, his wife Rebecca, Dave Farland, Eric Flint, and Brandon Sanderson started more than 15 years ago
• The Masters of Creative Writing with a focus on Publishing that Kevin teaches at Western Colorado University
• The annual anthology that this program publishes thanks to sponsorship from Draft2Digital
• The latest musical collaboration Kevin recently announced
• Kevin coming to Toronto's Massey Hall for RushFest on August 1, 2025
• What books Kevin and Mark are currently working on
• Favorite advice for running a Kickstarter and the real costs of shipping and handling
• Kevin's love of hiking and dictating when he writes
• And more . . .

 

Links of Interest:

• Kevin J Anderson's Website
  • WordFire Press
  • Kevin's Terra Incognita Kickstarter
  • Western Colorado University Publishing Masters
• Superstars Writing Seminars
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• Mark's YouTube channel
• 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
• 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

 

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 an excerpt from his forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND: Strategies for Optimizing Print Book Sales via Signings and Other In Person Events.

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

Learn more about Toronto Indie Author Conference 2025 here.

The content for this episode is an excerpt from the work in progress: A BOOK IN HAND.

Links of Interest:

• Notification for when A BOOK IN HAND becomes available
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• Mark's YouTube channel
• 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
• 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

 

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 an excerpt from his forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND: Strategies for Optimizing Print Book Sales via Signings and Other In Person Events.

This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place in early Feb 2026 in Colorado Springs, CO.

Use code: STARK100 to get $100 off your registration.

Links of Interest:

• Notification for when A BOOK IN HAND becomes available
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• Mark's YouTube channel
• 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
• 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

 

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 special additional solo episode, Mark reflects on the term "Elbows up!" and recent events in Canada/US relations and the tariffs being needlessly opposed based on completely fabricated issues. He also discusses the disease of division that is so prominent today, and shares a clip of Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau from a press conference held on March 4, 2025.

 

Links of Interest:

• Buy Me a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• Mark's YouTube channel
• 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
• 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

 

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 writer, actor and poet, Richard Marsh, the genius behind YIPPEE KI YAY the one-man poetry stage parody of Die Hard.

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

This episode is sponsored by the Show, Don't Tell Writing Podcast with Suzy Vadori. In this weekly show, Suzy brings you writing techniques, best practices, motivation, inspirational stories from real live authors out there making it in the world, and actionable advice that can help you turn that book you’re writing into the bestseller you know deep down that it can be.

Mark also mentions a free podcast event he'll be on with Suzie on March 7th called NAVIGATING TODAY'S PUBLISHING.

In the interview, Mark and Richard talk about:

• How, ever since Richard started poetry, he ended up using it to tell the types of stories that one wouldn't normally think could be told via poems
• The poetry rom-com stage show Richard worked on with a good friend
• How the procrastination project of writing a Die Hard play told in poetry became a priority when Richard wasn't interested in the play he'd been intending to roll out that had a heavy themes of grief and loss. The Die Hard play was fun and silly and funny and warm, and was more of what the world could use at the time
• How focusing on a few elements of what would make Richard himself laugh was a great place to start
• The themes in the play of how love and life change through parenthood
• The importance to Richard of not just retelling or parodying Die Hard, but to do so much more
• How the personal story that Richard weaved into his Die Hard stage show ties in quite nicely to the relationship between John and Holly
• Art impacting us differently through various stages in our life
• The first time that Richard ever performed the play, which was an active reading in the middle of a crowded bar
• The initial public performance of the stage show at The Omnibus theatre in London in March of 2022
• Taking the show on the road beyond the UK by touring the US during Christmas 2023
• Additionally touring in Australia and Canada
• A little bit about the play Richard DIRTY GREAT LOVE STORY that Richard co-wrote and performed with Katie Bonna was created and launched
• How the people who go to poetry events are some of the most loveable weirdos in the world
• The various plays that Richard has published
• Working with producer James Seabright to produce Yippee Ki-Yay
• The numerous complex elements of staging Yippee Ki-Yay, including movement and physicality, puppet show aspects, props, finger guns, and more - and the importance of the collaborators that helped with this
• The two-hander stage show WINGMAN which is a type of romantic comedy between a father and son, which has been optioned for both US and UK television
• The numerous things Richard has written that ultimately end up as an "elaborate PDF" on his PC
• The moment when Stephen E. de Sousa co-writer of Die Hard, went to see Richard's play at the London Action Festival
• The musical Richard is working on which is based on the movie SON OF RAMBOW
• And more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that came up in the conversation.

 

Links of Interest:

• Richard Marsh's Website
• Yippee Ki Yay: The Parody Stage Show
  • Richard's social media handle: @speckywiththegoodhair
    • Richard on Instagram
• James Seabright / Producer
• EP 398 - Multiple Outlets for Storytelling with Denise Baden
• EP 402 - The Visible Author Marketing Method with Laurie Cooper
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• Mark's YouTube channel
• 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
• 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

 

Richard Marsh is a writer (film, TV, theatre, to-do lists). Actor (stage, radio, social events). CEO of the MCU (Marsh Connected Universe). He will rhyme for money (write poems on commission). You can find him online at: https://www.richmarsh.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 Laurie Cooper, an award-winning speaker, and an author coach and marketing expert, who helps fiction authors go from struggling, feeling invisible and not knowing what to do next, to finding and connecting with their ideal readers.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word about this episode's sponsor.

Learn more about Toronto Indie Author Conference 2025 here.

In their conversation, Mark and Laurie talk about:

• The round-about way that Laurie got into the role of becoming a marketing coach for authors
• Starting off as a virtual assistant, then moving on to more marketing-related and coaching for authors
• It being 11 years since Laurie started working with authors
• Some of the ways the marketing landscape and promotion strategies have changed over the years
• Laurie's "The Visible Author Method" that authors can enroll in, but only after a discovery call with Laurie and an invitation
• The idea that coaches need coaches and therapists need therapists
• The most important aspect of what writers want, which is ways to connect with their readers, and having their books read
• How "Niching Down and Branding" is at the core of everything Laurie offers to authors
• How positioning, or establishing a positioning statement is one of the most taxing endeavors for an author
• The way that working with a coach can help an author with being able to see themselves and their writing in a new light/different way is important
• The tiny roadblocks that can stop us from moving forward, and the importance of getting over them
• The concept of personalized repeatable systems
• Navigating the road map of best practices, and the importance of trial and error and measurable metrics
• Some of the differences related to marketing for traditionally published authors versus self-published authors
• An example of working with a traditionally published author that took some extra effort but worked nicely in the end
• Some resources that Laurie recommends
• The three questions that you should always be answering for your readers   1) What can they expect   2) Why should they care? (What makes it special)   3) What they can/should do next
• The importance of the idea of "my brand equals my promise to my readers"
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on how the the same process/procedure might work differently for different authors, as well as the importance of being able to pivot when unexpected elements clash with your plans and goals.

 

Links of Interest:

• Laurie Cooper's Pub-Craft
  • Laurie's Printer-Friendly Book Launch Checklist
  • Laurie's Pub-Craft Resources
  • Book a free consult with Laurie
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• Mark's YouTube channel
• 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
• 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

 

Award-winning speaker, Laurie Cooper, launched her online business, Pub-Craft: Marketing for Books and Brands, in October 2013. She helps fiction authors go from struggling, feeling invisible and not knowing what to do next, to finding and connecting with their ideal readers. In her first year of business, Laurie went from 1 to over 200 clients and helped 100+ authors hit the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Lists. While she works as a marketing coach with authors from around the world, Laurie calls Ottawa, Canada her home. Learn more about Laurie and her course,The Visible Author Method. Connect at www.Pub-Craft.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 reflects on the power and importance of Superstars Writing Seminars and why it's one of the most important annual in person sessions he attends and participates in.

He also reflects on the rule of "no politics/no religion" in writing groups focused on supporting one another and helping to learn and grow, a new way he now sees this, and his desire for continuing to create bridges rather than divides without compromosing his morality.

 

Links of Interest:

• Superstars Writing Seminars
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• Mark's YouTube channel
• 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
• 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

 

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 special 400th Episode, Mark shares comments from the Stark Reflections Community.

This episode's sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by ScribeCount (affiliate link). Spend less time logging in to multiple platforms and crunching numbers, and more time writing and marketing your books thanks to ScribeCount’s handy all-in-one interface.

This episode includes comments from:

• Matty Dalrymple
• Zachary Kai
• Birgit Constant
• Stanley B. Trice
• Donn King
• Beth Biss
• Matthew del Papa
• Guylaine
• Kathy Mac
• Justin Trudeau

Links of Interest:

• Superstars Writing Seminars
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• Mark's YouTube channel
• 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
• 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

 

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 Deborah Kevin, the visionary founder and chief inspiration officer at Highlander Press, about her new book SHELF LIFE: A Field Guide to Long-Term Author Success.

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

This episode is sponsored by the Show, Don't Tell Writing Podcast with Suzy Vadori. In this weekly show, Suzy brings you writing techniques, best practices, motivation, inspirational stories from real live authors out there making it in the world, and actionable advice that can help you turn that book you’re writing into the bestseller you know deep down that it can be.

During the interview Mark and Deborah talk about:

• How Deborah describes herself as one of the most curious people you'll ever meet
• First learning about the Camino de Santiago in 2013, and then later walking the pilgrimage in chunks
• Learning to read when she was four years old, and Deborah's first library card at the age of five
• Writing her first "novelette" when she was eleven years old, and then later adapting that initial story into a novel that she used to get into Stanford
• The giant wall calendar that Deborah uses for planning out the year using different colored sticky notes
• Launching Highlander Press, and the story behind the initial name Deborah wanted to use to denote  the idea of a mission
• The 51 books that Highlander Press has released (as of November 2024 when the interview was conducted)
• Shifting the structure of the way we talk about running a business from less masculine energy and more feminine energy
• Deborah's new book: SHELF LIFE: A Field Guide to Long-Term Author Success and the origin of writing it
• How promotion and marketing can be simple and easy and to properly serve readers
• Suggestions for authors on pre and post publication promotions
• The importance of ensuring that "fun" is a part of the work you do when showing off your creative works and life
• How showing up as ourselves authentically is one of the best things an author can do
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on the idea of dividing big tasks into chunks, the importance of not self-rejecting, and being one's authentic self.

Links of Interest:

• Highlander Press Books
• Deborah Kevin on LinkedIn
• EP 142- Strategies for Launching a Book During a Pandemic with Suzy Vadori
• EP 398 - Multiple Outlets for Your Writing with Denise Baden
• EP 397 - In It For the Creativity and Connection with Ron Vitale
• EP 396 - Waubgeshig Rice on Community, Publishing, and the Creative Journey
• Form for Listener Reflections for Episode 400
• Superstars Writing Seminars
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• Mark's YouTube channel
• 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
• 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

 

Deborah Kevin, the visionary founder and chief inspiration officer at Highlander Press, ignites change-makers to share their stories of healing and truth. Having steered hundreds of authors to literary success, she's a beacon for impactful writing. Deborah also hosts the STORYTELLHER podcast, amplifying women's voices one riveting episode at a time. When she's not shaping the future of publishing, she's globetrotting from the historic trails of Camino de Santiago to the comforts of home in Maryland with her soulmate, Rob, their adventurous sons, and a mischievous puppy, Fergus.

 

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