Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

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

In this episode Mark talks to Matty Dalrymple about her recent experience serializing a never-before-published new novel on Substack.

Prior to the main content, Mark welcomes new patrons, shares comments from recent episodes, 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 the interview, Mark and Matty talk about:

• How long Matty has been a writer, a podcaster, and a consultant to indie authors
• The 52 days Matty has been experimenting with serialization of her latest novel
• Why Matty enjoys Substack despite being frustrated and exhausted with most social media platforms
• Leveraging Substack to get some early reader feedback on a novel
• How once Matty starts to use a tool she likes to maximize its use as much as possible
• The way Matty is serializing the novel and the way she introduced/set it up before it started
• One of the pitches of people having access to see behind-the-scenes a little of writing a novel and offering feedback to the author before official publication
• Releasing the book in chunks every single day
• Asking specific questions for certain chapters of things Matty was interested in getting feedback on
• The challenge of managing the logistics for subscribers in the way Matty preferred
• What Matty has planned for a week of posts that come after the last chapter (including the title reveal allowing people to offer their feedback on that (and then the cover reveal)
• How Matty plans on continuing to use Substack as a way of releasing over novels
• The additional perks that subscribers to the book on Substack would receive in addition to the serialized novel
• And more . . .

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

Links of Interest:

• Matty Dalrymple's Website
• The Indy Author Website
• Matty on Substack
  • The Indy Author
  • From Expertise to Authority
  • At Sea (Serialized Novel)
• EP 443 - Strategies for Short Fiction with Angelque Fawns and Matty Dalrymple
• EP 440 - Behind the Scenes of the Podcast Guest Playbook with Matty Dalrymple
• EP 216 - Podcasting for Authors with Matty Dalrymple
• EP 382 - From Page to Platform: How to Succeed as an Author Speaker with Matty Dalrymple and M.L. Ronn
• EP 482 - Outlining for Novelists Who Don't Outline with Paul Austin Ardoin
• EP 116 - Taking the Short Tack with Matty Dalrymple
• Substack Article: How To Build More Revenue With a Tiny Audience (Monica Leonelle)
• Substack Article: Lessons From That Furry Friend Underfoot (Mark's article about his dog Indie)
• Substack Article: 'Cause the Scammers Gonna Scam, Scam, Scam (Mark's article about predators & scammers)
• 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

Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels and Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. ​Matty also podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author, and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors

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 Jessica Sorentino, an author brand strategist with more than a decade of experience helping writers and thought leaders connect with their audiences in meaningful, lasting ways.

Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, 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 the interview, Mark and Jessica talk about:

• What an author's brand is and how to determine what that brand is
• A technique of visualizing a coffee/lunch date with a dream reader/follower and writing down what you spoke about
• Stripping back the sales and marketing and finding that common ground
• The importance of authors having a handy in and having control of marketing their books even when a book is published by a major publisher
• Work done with Macmillan on their first business-to-consumer product
• How authors can sometimes feel being "dumped" by their publisher after the initial launch period
• That it's not really the buzz that makes for solid sales, but it's passionate readers
• How much of "comps" (ie "comp authors" and "comp titles") are a part of author branding
• The comradery of authors lifting one another up
• Jessica's "Turning Pages" private consulting for authors and the triangle of the author/book/reader connection
• Pulling out themes from a book that can help build out that conversation
• The value of an author brand during the query/the pitch process to an agent, editor, or publisher
• How the publishing industry is really about businesses making a bet on what they're investing in
• Jessica's "Open Book" Substack and how authors can get access to it for free
• The relationship between platform, brand, and marketing
• The book club podcast that Jessica co-hosts called "Third Glass"
• The question of how a book is a want not a need, so how do you make a reader want your book
• A reminder of the number of times a person needs to see something before it really sticks, which is 12
• If you only show up when you have something to promote instead of showing up regularly
• Prioritizing engagement and conversations versus followers and likes
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on a number of things Jessica mentioned.

Links of Interest:

• Jessica's Website
• Open Book (Substack)
• Third Glass Podcast (Spotify)
• EP 482 - Outlining for Novelists Who Don't Outline with Paul Austin Ardoin
• EP 481 - Becoming a Creative Luminary with Laura Holley
• EP 309 - From Zero to Four Figures with Paul Austin Ardoin
• 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

Jessica Sorentino is an author brand strategist with more than a decade of experience helping writers and thought leaders connect with their audiences in meaningful, lasting ways. She has worked with top publishing houses, including Simon & Schuster and Macmillan Publishers, where she developed deep expertise in positioning authors for commercial success and authentic reader engagement.

Jessica is the voice behind Open Book: Where Storytelling Meets Strategy on Substack and co-host of the Third Glass: Reading Between the Wines podcast, where she explores the intersection of storytelling, publishing, and personal brand. Her insights have also been featured on many industry podcasts.

A sought-after speaker and respected industry voice, Jessica has repeatedly moderated at the Digital Marketing World Forum. She speaks on the importance of personal branding for authors, sharing best practices for using content and storytelling to build engaged communities as well as strategies for maintaining sustainable content creation.

Based in Connecticut with her partner and dog, Jessica spends her mornings reading, her weekends baking and gardening, and her workdays helping authors build story-driven brands that connect them with the readers who will love their work most.

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 Paul Austin Ardoin about his new book OUTLINING FOR NOVELISTS WHO DON'T OUTLINE.

Prior to the interview Mark shares a person update and a word from this episode's sponsors.

This episode is sponsored by Author Nation, being held in Las Vegas Nov 13 through 14, 2026

Learn more about Author Nation and register at AuthorNation.live.

In the interview Mark and Paul talk about:

• Paul's previous non-fiction book for writers FROM ZERO TO FOUR FIGURES
• Mark's offer of gifting 3 copies of FROM ZERO TO FOUR FIGURES by buying them from Paul and/or a local bookshop for listeners based on a random selection of comments for this episode
• Paul's new book OUTLINING FOR NOVELISTS WHO DON'T OUTLINE
• How Paul wrote his first four mystery novels without using an outline
• The method Paul used to adapt strategies from outlining processes that a pantser could leverage within their own writing without having to sacrifice their strengths as a "discovery writer"
• How the book doesn't talk down to pansters/discovery writers, but embraces and understands that perspective
• Discovering that all of his different novels that he pants were all exactly 27 chapters
• What a time-loop mystery is, the comparison to movies like Groundhog Day and Paul's example with his novel A TIME FOR MURDER
• The mini flashlights that can help when a writer is "writing into the dark"
• Keeping the enjoyable element of discovery writing while having a plot concept to fall back upon
• Advice Paul would like more authors to know
• How Paul's love for Milwaukee really comes through in his books
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that came up in the conversation and reminds listeners of the opportunity to win a free copy of Paul's previous book.

Links of Interest:

• Paul Austin Ardoin (Website)
• Paul's Book: Outlining for Novelists Who Don't Outline
• Paul's Book: A Time for Murder
• EP 309 - From Zero to Four Figures with Paul Austin Ardoin
• 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

Paul Austin Ardoin is the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Fenway Stevenson Mysteries, The Woodhead & Becker Mysteries, and the author guides From Zero to Four Figures and Outlining for Novelists Who Don't Outline. A California native, Paul holds a B.A. in creative writing from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Phoenix. He lives in the Milwaukee area, where he enjoyed Milwaukee's surprisingly excellent symphony orchestra and unsurprisingly excellent fried cheese curds.

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 Laura Holley, a Utah-based voice actor and speculative fiction writer whose passion for storytelling began with her first stage performance at seven years old.

Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, 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 the interview, Mark and Laura talk about:

• Laura getting into theatre in the second grade and the first role that she played
• The power of playing a villain really well and how fun it is to play (in both acting and voice acting) the antagonist
• Transitioning into the role of voice actor
• The early decision between two roles Laura held in high regard: Hollywood actress and stay-at-home mom
• Recognizing that she could get involved in voice acting from home
• Paying for a voice acting program early on during the pandemic
• The term "creative catalyst" that Orna Ross mentioned in Episode and Laura's term "creative luminary"
• Different techniques that can be used when performing audiobooks and voice acting
• How acting can inform one's writing
• And more...

Links of Interest:

• Laura Holley's Website
• Episode 472 - Going All In On Substack with Orna Ross
• Episode 479 - The Keyboard is My Favorite Fidget Toy with Premee Mohamed
• Episode 480 - Rambling Reflections From the Road: Returning From Camping & Vitamin N
• Substack Reflection: The Trees and I, The Rooted, yet Restless Writer
• Substack Reflection: The Long & Winding Road Back To A Typewriter
• The Creative Penn Podcast - June 22, 2026 Episode (Mark as guest): Creative Satisfaction, In Person Print Book Sales, And Author Mindset with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
• 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
• 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

Laura Holley is a Utah-based voice actor and speculative fiction writer. Her passion for storytelling began with her first stage performance at seven years old. Trained by vocal coaches Jessica Straus and Glad Klassen and writing mentor Wulf Moon, she brings depth and richness to every story with her voice or her pen. When not creating new worlds in her private studio, she's often in her home's hidden game room—plotting to conquer 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

In this episode Mark shares a solo reflection recording pm his return from a couple of nights spent camping on the shores of Lake Huron at Point Farms Provincial Park.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update (which includes a segment from Joanna Penn's latest episode of The Creative Penn Podcast) and a word from this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by Author Nation, being held in Las Vegas Nov 13 through 14, 2026

Learn more about Author Nation and register at AuthorNation.live.

In his reflection Mark considers the idea of the value of nature/simplicity when recharging. He asks how writers recharge? And do they take enough time to pause to celebrate what they've accomplished?

Links of Interest:

• The Creative Penn Podcast - June 22, 2026 Episode (Mark as guest): Creative Satisfaction, In Person Print Book Sales, And Author Mindset with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
• 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
• 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