Libsyn Directory

EP 411 - Small Acts of Kindness in Every Little Thing With Janice Landry

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Release Date: 04/18/2025

EP 423 - Dear Writer: The World Needs Your Writing Now More Than Ever

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode Mark expresses his frustration, anger, and anxiety over what's happening in the world right now, and reminds himself, and listeners, about the power of writing and why the world NEEDS you and your writing now more than ever before. Link to video of Mark's Keynote for The BookFest Spring 2025. "Writer, the World Needs You: Why Your Writing Is More Important Than Ever." Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin...

EP 422 - Writing, Humor, and Teaching with Patrick MacPhee

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Patrick MacPhee, teacher and Writers of the Future award-winning author about his love of reading, writing, and helping to inspire students. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Patrick talk about: Patrick's experience reading Fellowship of the Rings when he was rather young and how it impacted him in a profound...

EP 421 - Some Publishing Pitfalls

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode Mark shares some audio excerpts from his book PUBLISHING PITFALLS FOR AUTHORS. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By

EP 420 - Artist and Author Collaboration with JJ McFaull

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark interviews Jacob from the JJ McFaull is collaboration children's book Where Pumpkins Go After Halloween. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the new book The Podcast Guest Playbook co-authored by Mark and Matty Dalrymple. Check out the book here: In the interview, Mark and Jacob talk about: Mark and Jacob talk about: How even as a kid, Jacob was making up stories Getting involved in the book industry in 2024 after initially trying to get his children's book published The...

EP 419 - Seeing The Beauty with Artist, Photographer, Graphic Designer, and Music Aficionado Stephan Gaydos

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark has a conversation with his life-long best buddy Steve Gaydos about art, beauty, photography, music, and so much more in a conversation recorded on their recent Canadian East Coast road trip. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By

EP 418 - Giving Away A Million Copies of Your Book With DC Gomez

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark interviews D.C. Gomez about her plan to give away a million copies of her best-selling and award-winning novel Death's Intern. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and D.C. talk about: DC being one of those kids who was into storytelling since as far back as she can remember Having a passion and background for video and screenplays The way everything changed for DC back during 9/11...

EP 417 - Embracing Your Passion for Creativity with Artist and Author C L Fors

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark interviews author and artist C L Fors about her recent award win with Writers of the Future and her life in writing and illustration. Prior to the interview, 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 . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Cherrie talk about: Cherrie's recent win as an illustrator for Writers and Illustrators of the Future for Volume 41 of the annual anthology Entering the contest...

EP 416 - The Irony of a Woefully Inadequate Imposter Syndrome

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

That pervasive feeling of self-doubt and insecurity you believe you are not deserving of your achievements and fear being exposed as a fraud known as imposter syndrome is especially common among writers and other creatives who often grapple with the vulnerability inherent in sharing their work with the world. But perhaps your imposter syndrome is actually a positive sign about your progression as a writer. That's the topic of this solo episode in which Mark reflects upon that. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own...

EP 415 - April Showers Bring May Reflections

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode Mark shares a personal update and some reflections about writing, publishing, and some marketing ideas. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By

EP 414 - Thanks for the Inspiration Nancy Kilpatrick

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark reflects on friend, mentor, and fellow author Nancy Kilpatrick. Nancy Kilpatrick (May 6, 1946 – March 31, 2025) was a Canadian author who wrote stories in the genres of , , , , and and was perhaps best known for her vampire novels and stories. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By

More Episodes

Mark has a conversation with award winning writer and veteran journalist Janice Landryabout her seventh book, Every Little Thing: How Small Acts of Kindness Make a Big Impact, her 2023 diagnosis of Lyme disease which was part of the inspiration for this book, Janice's life as a writer, how having lived adjacent to the ocean in Canada's East Coast has impacted her creative spirit, and so much more.

Prior to the interview Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes and reads a word about two Canadian conferences taking place at the end of April 2026: Toronto Indie Author Conference and GritLIT. (You can use code gritLITfriends at checkout to save 25% off the cost of registration).

Mark and Janice talk about:

Being of the generation that spent their entire summer days outside and not-connected to anything except friends and the world around them
The old school-style desk Janice had when she was young and starting to write which was shoved up against a window that looked out on the ocean
Telling herself fictional stories to amuse herself when she was young
The ocean being one of the single biggest factors on Janice's creative life
The importance of Janice's 2022 book EYE OF THE OCEAN
Why it's priceless that we create and share Canadian stories
How so much of what we do is about all of the people who help us in our achievements and why it's one of the core messages in Janice's latest book
The dramatically debilitating side-effects of Lyme disease
Why small acts of kindness and sharing uplifting and positive stories is so important
The tiny thing (a tick) that ended up inspiring Janice to write the book EVERY LITTLE THING
Importance messages of hope and that you're not alone, which come from the book
A very special note that a teacher gave to Janice when she was 10 years old, and why she carried it around for fifty years
Advice Janice would offer to beginning writers
And more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on three different things that came up in the discussion.

Links of Interest:

Janice Landry has won four national awards for her writing and work. In March 2025,
Halifax West MP Lena Metlege Diab presented Janice with the King Charles III
Coronation Medal from the Government of Canada for her body of work, books, and
longtime mental health advocacy.

Janice is a veteran journalist and proud Haligonian. In May 2025, she released her
seventh book, Every Little Thing – how small acts of kindness make a big impact,
following her 2023 Lyme disease diagnosis. Janice has since fully recovered and wrote
this “small book with big messages” to thank society’s many and varied helpers,
including some of her own. Janice’s longtime publisher is Nova Scotia’s Pottersfield
Press. Her last two books, Eye of the Ocean and Silver Linings, were both bestsellers.

Janice’s biggest inspiration is her family, husband, Rob, and daughter, Laura. Through
her writing, she also honours her late parents, Baz and Theresa. Janice began writing
longform non-fiction to tell the gripping story of her firefighter father’s national Medal of
Bravery for his part in the near-death rescue of an infant from a harrowing 1978 Halifax
house fire.

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

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