Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Perspectives and reflections on the writing and publishing life. Mark Leslie Lefebvre, a writer, bookseller, digital publishing advocate, professional speaker, and publishing consultant explores inclusive and collaborative opportunities for writers and book publishing professionals via interviews, discussions, and reflections about the industry. (Mark's personal website is www.markleslie.ca)

EP 473 - Creativity and Devotionals for Caregivers Who Don't Need Another Inspirational Slogan with Donn King 05/08/2026

EP 473 - Creativity and Devotionals for Caregivers Who Don't Need Another Inspirational Slogan with Donn King Mark interviews Donn King about his new book ANCHORED FOR THE STORM, about caregiving, and about creativity. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episode, a personal update, 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 . In the interview, Mark and Donn talk about: The difference between goals and missions How Donn has always been a writer of some sort and how that will always be the thing that stays even when he cuts other things back Writer's Block versus when the well runs dry Understanding how not being true to yourself can be something that leads to depression Thinking of yourself not as a speaker or a writer, but an expert in a particular field and which you can share those things through speaking and writing The recent passing away of Donn's severely disabled daughter Hanna and the 24-hour required care she had needed Donn's preferred 2 to 3 hours of uninterrupted time for writing . . . and how being unable to do that suggested to him that he could NOT write. And how that all changed when he found ways to get writing done in much smaller chunks, like 5 minute slots How there are currently roughly 50 million unpaid caregivers in the US today and yet how they can feel so alone Re-examining what it means to creative even for those who are writers or artists Being able to serve your person by taking care of yourself How when you are a caregiver you are in constant crisis without any indication that it will ever end How Donn has been grieving as a parent for over numerous decades Donn's book of devotionals for caregivers who don't need another inspirational slogan, ANCHORED FOR THE STORM The question of "why do bad things happen to good people" and how it relates to the concept of a dog watching a human rushing about in their daily life without being able to comprehend what the human is doing and why the human is doing it The generic and stereotypical things people can say when addressing someone else's loss The value of not feeling alone and how that can help people drawing strength from one another The Andy Weir novel PROJECT HAIL MARY and the recent movie adaptation The Warren Buffett story about the idea of giving up things you really want to do in order to achieve the most important things that you want to do Being aware of how Donn lost his "best-earning years" Mark's recent "Publishing Wide But Shallow" talk Donn knowing how to do a proper book launch, but not having the capability of getting those things done Advice Donn would offer to others who are in a care-giving situation What to say when you're not sure what to say And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the value in connecting (even when that interview either wasn't recorded or wasn't "used" for anything other than a personal connection with someone else, on the incredible power writers have to ensure someone else out there doesn't feel alone, and the importance of being honest when you're not sure what to say to someone in a delicate situation. Links of Interest: Donn King's Website (Substack) Pint and Portal Podcast: (YouTube) (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Donn King is an author and speaker who has spent years helping writers and speakers connect with audiences in authentic ways. Donn’s books and podcast, The Alignment Show, explore how to live in courageous alignment with your values. He blends a warm, slightly playful style while still grounding his work in credibility. His goal is to prove that words, when used with honesty, heart, and craft, can shift lives. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/41218150

EP 472 - Going All In On Substack with Orna Ross 04/30/2026

EP 472 - Going All In On Substack with Orna Ross Mark interviews Orna Ross, an award-winning novelist, poet, creative catalyst, and founder of the Alliance of Independent Authors about her recent move towards focusing all her social media energy on Substack. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episode, a personal update, 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 . In the interview, Mark and Orna talk about: That one time in London at a Kobo device launch event when Mark and Orna were hanging out together Orna's background as a writer, a poet, and a freelance journalist Her experience in both self-publishing and traditional publishing The origin of wanting to create something to help support authors who were self-publishing, and the 2012 launch of ALLI (Alliance of Independent Authors) at London Book Fair The connection one of Orna's multi-book writing projects has to do with Irish poet W.B. Yeats Orna's experience with deciding to go "all in" with Substack One of the best things about Substack, which is how "everything" can be there (blog, socials, "patrons," serialization of a novel, poetry, self-development for creativists) How on Substack you can segment what goes out to different people Orna's recommendation for authors considering not doing it the way she did it, but instead picking a single lane and staying in it The main mistake Orna sees a lot of authors making on Substack How Substack is completely different than everyplace else on social media The difference between notes and posts on Substack The visibility of analytics of what's working, who is interacting with what, etc Advice Orna would give to writers related to "meaning and purpose" as well as understanding our value And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the idea of simplicity in execution, creating things that are "unmistakeable human" and how Orna describes herself as a "Creative Catalyst." Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Orna Ross is an award-winning novelist, poet, creative catalyst, and founder 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 and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/41082070

EP 471 - Fear in Storytelling with Becca Puglisi 04/24/2026

EP 471 - Fear in Storytelling with Becca Puglisi Mark interviews Becca Puglisi about the new book THE FEAR THESAURUS which she co-authored with Angelea Ackerman. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the 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. In their interview, Mark and Becca talk about: The Descriptive Thesaurus series and how The Fear Thesaurus is book 11 in this series How Becca and Angela are trying something new this year with their latest release - selling it direct before making it available on all the various retail channels The fear that came in the process of putting this book together How there's not a lot out there about character fears The human needs that become impacted because of past trauma, and what a person fears and tries to avoid The way so many of these experiences connect directly to a character's fear and ultimately their character development in your writing Looking at healthy/normal responses versus trauma inspired or unhealth/abnormal responses How fears can cross over from something normal and unremarkable to another thing that becomes an overblown reaction The way this book is a great accompanying text to the Emotional Would Thesaurus Looking at how fear plays into story A bit of a background behind the series and the first book: The Emotion Thesaurus The common element of "show, don't tell" that runs through all of their books The authors' hope is that the entries in the book gives them ideas that they can take, modify and apply to the specifics of their characters How their previous book The Emotion Amplifier ties in beautifully to this book A character's greatest fear versus an everyday fear The way that fear is a great way to mobilize the reader's connection to the story The breakdown of fears and the way the book is laid out Selling this book directly on their Shopify store on April 15, 2026 before launching it to all the other retailers a month later The Fear Hub available at their website when they order the book off their direct store The overall website of Writers Helping Writers and the great 20+ years of resources that reside there, including free resources and downloads and handouts Combining one's gifts with the things one is passionate about The origin story of how Becca and Angela first met and decided to collaborate on The Emotion Thesaurus Advice Becca would share with beginning writers based on her more than twenty years as a writer and almost twenty years of helping other writers After the interview Mark reflects on several different things related to his conversation with Becca. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and best-selling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and other resources for writers. Her books have sold over 1.4 million copies and are available in multiple languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online resource for authors that's home to the Character Builder and Storyteller's Roadmap tools. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/41004855

EP 470 - Building Your Author Brand with Isabelle Knight 04/16/2026

EP 470 - Building Your Author Brand with Isabelle Knight Mark interviews former publicist to the stars Isabelle Knight who is the founder of Build Your Author Brand, an online consultancy helping fiction and non-fiction authors to grow your readership, raise your profile and give your books the best chance of success. Prior to the interview Mark shares that he is on the road at the Writers and Illustrators of the Future annual workshops and gala as one of the writer judges and is using his digital voice clone from ElevenLabs to record the introduction and closing reflection. He also shares a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. During the interview Mark and Isabelle talk about: Isabelle's background as a publicist for film, TV, and books Recognizing how there's a real knack of knowledge for creating an effective brand/profile Teaching authors the basics of that branding without using the terms PR or publicity The idea of creating foundations of how an author can be able to pitch their books to an audience How talking about marketing can quickly fill authors with a sense of terror The importance of wanting to know, before helping an author, what makes them tick How the author's story is what tells us who they author is and ultimately "why do we care?" about your book(s) Finding the themes that can tie books together rather than what makes them different when an author has written more than one book The challenge of wanting, too much, to share the details from a book, the plot, the tropes, etc versus sharing higher level themes and patterns The misconception that PR and Publicity is only for celebrities or people who are comfortable being in the spotlight A misperception that authors have about how to provide content for social media How Isabelle doesn't work like a traditional publicist The course that Isabelle runs with a cohort about three times a year And more... After the interview Mark shares a few reflections about the conversation. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Former publicist to the stars, including titans of industry JK Rowling and the BBC, Isabelle Knight is the founder of Build Your Author Brand, an online consultancy helping fiction and non-fiction authors to grow your readership, raise your profile and give your books the best chance of success. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/40901555

EP 469 - Small-Town Canadian Superheroes with Matthew del Papa and Andy Taylor 04/09/2026

EP 469 - Small-Town Canadian Superheroes with Matthew del Papa and Andy Taylor Mark interviews Matthew del Papa and Andy Taylor, editors of SUPERCANUCKS: An Anthology of Small Town Canadian Superheroes. Prior to the interview Mark shares a brief personal update and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. During the interview Mark, Matthew, and Andy talk about: Andy and Mat's writing background and how they got into editing an anthology like Super Canucks How editing is a new experience for Andy The consist "what if?" that has been a part of Andy's writing for most of his life Matthew's background and the various genres he has written What the appeal of writing fantasy and non-science-filled fiction is for Mat The origin story of the Supercanucks anthology and how it relates to the "brain drain" to larger cities How far the call-out for stories for this anthology went The submissions and the whittling-down process Having six stories set in Northern Ontario, but needing to ensure the stories were from across the country The locales across Canada that made the cut for this anthology The process of reading and selecting and editing the stories Deciding who was going to edit which story and work with which authors The uniqueness for some of the contributors with being able to use Canadian pop culture references and spelling The sudden need for an aspect of the "Elbows Up!" motif into the anthology Mat's learnings when it came to working with a traditional publisher rather than the previous self-publishing experience he'd had before Some of the things they experienced editing this anthology that they hadn't expected Advice Matthew and Andy would offer to writers who are interested in submitting to an anthology After the interview Mark shares a few reflections about the value of understanding the process that editors use when selecting stories for an anthology, an admission of a goof-up he made in a recent submission, and his own experience with "brain drain" and "Elbows Up!" Links of Interest: EP 298 - EP 224 - EP 439 - (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Matthew D. Del Papa spent every Tuesday of his youth crisscrossing his hometown of Capreol in search of newly arrived comic books. He wore superhero-themed Underoos to a truly worrying age and still has his Batman (and Robin) lunchbox, backpack, and wrist-watch. A graduate of Laurentian University, Matthew is a writer, editor, and self-publisher, and has released ten titles to some modest local acclaim. He joined the Sudbury Writers’ Guild in 2009 and his writing has appeared in Spooky Sudbury, Nothing Without Us Too, Mighty, and Sudbury Superstack: A Changing Skyline. His collection of humorous essays titled Jerry Lewis Told Me I Was Going to Die, was released in 2023 through Latitude 46 Publishing. Andy W. Taylor has been a reader and writer of speculative fiction from an early age thanks in no small part to his mother’s frequent trips to the public library with her kids. Andy is a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada, past president and member of the Sudbury Writers’ Guild, a graduate of the Viable Paradise writing workshop and Playwright’s Junction workshop, and a member of CODEX. Originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Andy currently resides in Sudbury, Ontario with his family. His fiction has appeared in Nature: Futures, Polar Borealis, On Spec, FictionVale and on the streets of Sudbury. Visit him at www.SooGuy.com or on BlueSky at @sooguy68.bsky.social 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/40780720

EP 468 - Identity and Not Being Who You Thought You Were with Marie Lynne Desrochers 04/02/2026

EP 468 - Identity and Not Being Who You Thought You Were with Marie Lynne Desrochers Mark interviews Marie Lynne Desrochers about her new memoir SHAKEN AWAKE: A Memoir on Identity and Connection. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by , taking place in Toronto, ON in April 2026. In the interview, Mark and Marie Lynne talk about: Marie's background in the corporate world marketing and how that ties in to storytelling The startling event of receiving a message via Facebook from a man who introduced himself as Marie's father and how that lead to this memoir The moment when you start wondering who you thought you've been your whole life Marie's book SHAKEN AWAKE: A MEMOIR ON IDENTITY AND CONNECTION which is being released in English first in March 2026, and then will be released in French in June (both written by Marie who is bilingual) How the table of contents for the book seemed to emerge dynamically near the beginning of the project The exploration of identity and the various different identities that each individual wears The value of sitting in different seats during the experience of writing a memoir like this How the cover and the title for this book came to be The way when you first become aware of something you see it everywhere The ritual and importance of the kintsugi bowl from Japanese culture The fear that still sits with Marie in the process of releasing this story to the world When editors have conflicting views/perspectives on a book and how that can mean it's going to be a really good book - and the importance that not everyone is going to like it, or even believe it Supernatural guidance that Marie received that helped answer the question of why she was writing this book Deciding not to try to go to a publisher, but going to Author Nation instead to connect with people and learn how to get the book out there herself The triple crown of being a successful author that includes needing to have mentors, to know what you're doing, and to have an accountability buddy Advice Marie would offer to a writer beginning on their journey The confidence about trusting emergence Doing a book launch at a local gallery and the power of that collaboration The distinctly different title for the French version of the book And more... After the interview Mark reflects on a number of things that came up during the interview. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Marie Lynne Desrochers is a Montreal-based author, speaker, director and former banking executive whose 30-year career spanned marketing, entrepreneurship, and advising global leaders. She now explores truth, identity, and connection through narrative nonfiction. Her memoir, Shaken Awake: A Memoir on Identity and Connection (March 19, 2026), weaves a powerful family discovery with a deeper reflection on how unexpected truths reshape who we are—and how we love. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/40717085

EP 467 - Strategies for ADHD Writers with Nicole Bross 03/26/2026

EP 467 - Strategies for ADHD Writers with Nicole Bross In this episode Mark interviews author, editor, and certified book coach Nicole Bross about her co-authored book A NOVEL APPROACH: STRATEGIES FOR ADHD WRITERS. 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 , taking place in Toronto, ON in April 2026. In the interview, Mark and Nicole talk about: Nicole's background always being interested in writing, along with a love of mysteries such as Nancy Drew and others Taking journalism in high school and also at Mount Royal Her first novel being published in 2019 and how it was near the same time she was first diagnosed with ADHD Published a few articles that lead to her co-author reaching out and suggesting the idea of collaborating on that book The collaboration being done mostly online (Nicole in Alberta, and Kirsten in Vienna) and how they divided the work up while writing into the same Google Doc simultaneously The "every Friday" accountability connections they did along the way The three year period between coming up with the idea to the book being released (in the fall of 2025) The most important message of the book to writers How the combination of being a bright kid with undiagnosed ADHD meant it mostly went un-noticed The book A NOVEL APPROACH: STRATEGIES FOR ADHD WRITERS by Nicole Bross and Kristen Donaghey The manual typewriter collection that Nicole has (which includes about 20 of them) Advice Nicole would offer to writers with ADHD Where an outline can actually prove to be helpful by offering a goal they're reaching toward as well as manageable chunks of achievement Nicole's novel PAST PRESENCE which is a supernatural mystery novel The different timelines Nicole has experienced with traditional publishing and self-publishing And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the importance of asking and the commitment to move forward however slowly. Links of Interest: Nicole's Website for Authors: (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/40637710

EP 466 - Publishing Wide But Shallow 03/19/2026

EP 465 - Rambling Reflections From Before The Road 03/12/2026

EP 464 - The Big Stories of a Memorable Memoir with Roz Morris 03/06/2026

EP 464 - The Big Stories of a Memorable Memoir with Roz Morris Mark interviews novelist, memoirist, and professional story whisperer Roz Morris about her writing life and her pivot into writing memoirs alongside her fiction. Prior to the interview Mark shares a brief personal update a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In the interview Mark and Roz talk about: How Roz and Mark first met at the London Book Fair in 2012 What Roz writes and the types of stories that she loves and is fascinated with Roz's journey which includes experience working in a publishing company and meeting and marrying another writer The red leather-bound VISITORS book that Roz was given and she used for notes when she went on holiday, and how her husband convinced her to put those into a book Roz's new book TURN RIGHT AT THE RAINBOW: A Diary of Househunting, Happenstance, Home The concept of a house that holds within its structure and walls all the people and stories that took place within it and how that ties in to the story of Roz and her husband's search for a new home How it's very hard to remember how you saw something for the first time The way Roz decides what stories are going to make it into a particular memoir How museums out of season can be great because of the passion that you can witness in the employees The next memoir that Roz is currently "collecting" in the background How in a novel Roz can inhabit a lot of people in different ways Advice Roz would have moving from memoir to fiction and vice versa After the interview Mark reflects on a few things Roz mentioned as well as something her advice reminded him of. He also rambles a bit longer than normal. Links of Interest: Roz's latest book: in the Smashwords READ AN EBOOK WEEK sale Article: Article: (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Roz Morris is a novelist, memoirist, and professional story whisperer. She’s the author of acclaimed literary novels with BIG emotional canvases, and memoirs that find meaning in unadventures. She's also a developmental editor and writing coach and has helped shape books that have sold more than four million copies—some of those from behind the scenes as a ghostwriter. She’s also the creator of the Nail Your Novel series for writers and the blog of the same name. She's judged literary prizes including the Amazon Kindle Storyteller Award and Vine Leaves Press New Voices competition, and has taught masterclasses for The Guardian in London and Jane Friedman’s online academy. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/40343670

EP 463 - How to Bring Your Book Alive at an Author Event with Julie Hiner 02/27/2026

EP 463 - How to Bring Your Book Alive at an Author Event with Julie Hiner Mark interviews author Julie Hiner about creating an unforgettable book event for a book launch. Prior to the interview Mark shares a brief personal update a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In the interview Mark and Julie talk about: Julie's branding as being strongly tied to the 80s and music even though she fought it at first The first book Julie published about road biking (JUST A GIRL ON A BIKE) which was the story of how she overcame a lot of fears and anxiety and the donations she makes with sales of that book The 21 switch-backs on the road biking in France that became the 21 steps in Julie's book The value of learning so much about self-publishing when Julie attender her first When Words Collide conference Julie's ongoing obsession with true crime, serial killers, and 80s metal Interacting with and interviewing Homicide Detective Dave Sweet Julie's books in the Detective Mahoney series that started with the book FINAL TRACK The original venue Julie used for her first book and the newer one she has partnered with The special VIP pre-order packages Julie makes available The way the collaboration with the musicians work, including Julie creating lyrics for the bands to adapt into songs How horror is a really safe place to explore extremely dark things Studies that show that aggressive music can help calm the brain The creepiest serial killer that came up in the research Julie did Some of the things authors should consider when looking at their branding After the interview Mark shares about an event Julie has coming up in April 2026, and then talks about the importance of pulling out atmospheric elements from the book/story/characters/setting as well as the idea of writing with authenticity and passion. Links of Interest: S (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Julie Hiner spent her childhood lost in the pages of books. The only thing that took precedence was her Walkman. She is still an 80s rocker. On a break from her career as a computer scientist, she published an inspirational book about facing fears by cycling up mountains. Julie now writes horror/suspense infused with heavy metal. She has published a serial killer series, three horror novellas, co-curated an anthology, and had short stories published. She recently had a deep-sea horror novella published by Torrid Waters of Crystal Lake Publishing. You can find her at KillersAndDemons.com serving up metal and murder. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/40248360

EP 462 - Daryn Brito on Showing Up With Love, Compassion, and Empathy 02/20/2026

EP 462 - Daryn Brito on Showing Up With Love, Compassion, and Empathy Mark interviews Daryn Brito, an advocate, writer, and researcher dedicated to supporting those who have faced trauma and adversity about her work and her new book THE BECOMING: UNREPEATABLE MIRACLE, WHO ARE YOU? Prior to the interview Mark shares a brief personal update a word from this episode's sponsor, and a trigger warning for listeners. This episode is sponsored by , taking place in Toronto, ON in April 2026. In the interview, Mark and Daryn about: Mark first meeting Daryn in a class at the Waterloo Regional Police Citizen's Academy How Daryn's main goal when doing speaking engagements is to start in a way to humilify herself first to help demonstrate her humanity and put the audience at ease The importance of taking her academic study and leveraging it in a way that the average person can understand it How Daryn is currently doing two simultaneous Masters programs in preparation for her Phd The specific therapy models that Daryn is focusing on in her study The undergrad study Daryn did showing that only 3% of people who were in foster care attempt post-secondary education - this is usually due to lack of support How, growing up, school was the one area where Daryn had a sense of control, and how she focused hard in that realm Regularly being told that her heart is too big for her own good Daryn's early childhood experiences, starting with her mother's experience while pregnant with Daryn The first time of having to go to court and testify as a victim of sexual assault at the age of twelve Being a primary caregiver to younger siblings and struggling with a strong/high empathy Deciding she had finally had enough of living in a situation filled with IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) Getting involved in helping to train police officers in better understanding trauma related to IPV Initially mistrusting the police, particularly due to the environment she grew up in How the investigating detective in Daryn's case was one of the most compassionate human being Daryn had ever met in her life The deciding factor in making the police report not being about Daryn getting hurt again, but her feeling responsible for the possibility of other people getting hurt How if it weren't for Daryn's heart for others, she wouldn't be here today Doing a lot of speaking for police at the academy for those being trained in IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) The journals Daryn had always kept which helped provide the fruit for the creation of her book THE BECOMING The importance of breaking down the walls we put up, knowing that it's safe to open your heart to the world again The various groups who have purchased Daryn's group in order to help other people Choosing a release date for her book as her ex-abuser's parole hearing day as a way to make that day brighter What Daryn would say to someone who is or has faced adversity or trauma The incredible "basic needs" special housing program/project that Daryn is looking at The value of showing up with love and compassion After the interview Mark reflects on the concepts of compassion and empathy and the importance of recognizing multiple viewpoints and environments unique to different people. Links of Interest: (Team Landing Page) (Canadian Mental Health Association) (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Daryn Brito is an advocate, writer, and researcher dedicated to supporting those who have faced trauma and adversity. Through her work, she empowers individuals and strives for systemic change. What makes Daryn’s journey so remarkable, is how she turns her lived experiences into transformative wisdom. So through her compelling public talks, her insightful research and her book The Becoming: unrepeatable miracle, who are you? Daryn challenges us to question who we are beneath all the labels, and invites us to step into our most authentic, fullest selves 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/40175520

EP 461 - The Power of Stories to Instill Empathy, Resilience, Joy, and Hope with Ka-Yee Essoe 02/13/2026

EP 461 - The Power of Stories to Instill Empathy, Resilience, Joy, and Hope with Ka-Yee Essoe In this episode Mark interviews Ka-Yee Essoe about the power of stories to instil empathy, resilience, joy, and hope, based on her experiences in the academic world, in research, in teaching, and in writing an epic fantasy novel. Prior to the interview Mark shares a brief personal update and word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by , taking place in Toronto, ON in April 2026. In the interview, Mark and Ka-Yee talk about: Mark and Ka-Yee's connection to Joshua EssoeKa-Yee's background with two different careers in academia Studying how to help people learn therapeutic techniques better Starting her creative writing journey in 2021 How this story (that became the first of a trilogy she is writing) started to unfold in her head as dialogue 128,000 words of the first draft coming out in about 2 months of writing Ka-Yee's move into an academic teaching role, which is something she's always wanted to do One of the classes that Ka-Yee co-teaches for writers HEXACO - the six-dimension personality test Some of the opposite-character writing exercises that derive from this test Debunking Myers-Briggs because it's not as science-based Ka-Yee's desire to help writers to write who has some sort of disability Helping students understand what therapy looks like and how to depict that relationship Techniques on how to learn memory enhancement How to evaluate routines and your process as a writer The problem with getting into a habit of doing things a certain way and missing out on how to make it better Ka-Yee not realizing she had ADHD until she was an adult The side-effect of suffering from long Covid The concept of deliberate rest Applying the scientific principle to writing an epic fantasy novel How people tend to have two different careers in their life The Kickstarter that Ka-Yee is running for her new book SHAZZWICK OF LAND VOL1: Time Becomes Relevant Aaron Fors as the talented narrator for the audiobook version What Ka-Yee's book is about How she sees the world differently now that she has written this novel After the interview Mark shares a few reflections inspired by the interview. Notes from Ka-Yee as mentioned in the interview: Guidance I provided students to create their own weekly evaluation on their writing process Before you begin, I encourage you to take stalk of your current process. What's your goal, what's your why, what works/doesn't, how often do you write, what resources do you need -- not what you WANT it to be, but what it is now. Then create a survey using the guideline below. Answer the questions now as your baseline, then check in every week (ideally on the same day), revise the questions as you go. There is no wrong way to do this. These can be any format as you see fit, or a combination of. You can make the questions open-ended, some form of rating scales (e.g., rate from 0 to 10, or 1 = Completely Disagree to 5 = Complete Agree), multiple choice, or fill in the blanks. Just don't get too attached, you should be adjusting these as your process evolves or as life encroaches. Ask yourself 6-10 (ish) questions 1-3 questions on what you did in the past week: e.g., did you change/stick with your process? did try something new? how did it go? were you able to stick to it? 2-3 questions on how "productive" or "successful" you are--but remember, every one's measure of success is different. E.g., how much did you write? how good were the writing? how brave were you in sharing your work with others? how zen you were about taking feedback. 2-3 questions on how you are flourishing vs languishing: e.g., do I have mental space to do OTHER things I love? Did I spend time with people who matter to me? Did I feel my life has purpose, joy, satisfaction, and meaning? Last question: ask yourself something that gets to the "why" of your creative endeavour. WHY did you write this week? Did you remember to keep your eyes on that which drives you and keeps you up at night when you forget it. That which makes your writing something that you must do. (okay, then the last last question: do I need to revise these questions for next week?) The most important thing is: again, update these questions as you go. This needs to be a living document, otherwise you aren't giving yourself room to grow and learn. Links of Interest: The Novel: (by Drs. Lee and Ashton (2009, 2018)) HEXACO is a 6-factor personality test that measures personality across six dimensions: Honesty-humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness. There's also a bonus trait, Altruism, that pools from subscales within the 6 larger traits. (by Goldberg (1992)) The Big Five is probably the most widely used personality test in psychology. It measures personality across five dimensions, often forming the acronym of OCEAN or CANEO: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Episode 137 - Episode 260 - (Team Landing Page) (Canadian Mental Health Association) (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Ka-Yee Essoe, Ph.D. (Psychology, UCLA; Psychiatry Postdoc, Johns Hopkins Medicine) is an assistant professor at a small, public university at rural Maine. As a cognitive neuroscientist specialising in learning enhancement, she understands the power of stories to instil empathy, resilience, joy, and hope. She began writing novels to do just that. As an East Asian immigrant who enjoys many intercultural friendships, rich cultural diversity permeates the worlds and conflicts she crafts in her epic fantasy novels with integral love-story threads. Drawing on her personal experience and 10+ years mentoring others to navigate anxiety, disabilities, abuse, discrimination, trauma, and grief, her stories follow characters facing these struggles to encourage readers through their journeys and growth. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/40099450

EP 460 - Rambling Reflections From The Road: You Are Loved 02/07/2026

EP 459 - Creating Experiences in Art and Story with Tanya Hales 01/30/2026

EP 459 - Creating Experiences in Art and Story with Tanya Hales In this episode Mark interviews author and artist Tanya Hales. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In the interview Mark and Tanya talk about: When Tanya and Mark first met: at Superstars Writing Seminars The sketch that Tanya made of Mark at SSWS when he was speaking there Identifying herself as equal parts author and illustrator The value of CREATING EXPERIENCES with people How long Tanya has been creating art and how her mother was instrumental in getting her into art The "nature-based" element and love of animals that are recurring in Tanya's art Writing novels in spiral-ring notebooks by the time of Fifth Grade The first time Tanya put her art out into the world at the age of sixteen Handy and helpful resources available to Tanya in her high school The "Doodle Dudes" that Tanya had created back then Doing a lot more digital art lately for logistical parental reasons How one of Tanya's skills is being able to adapt to new things relatively easily Being in different modes, such as writing, editing, art Various Kickstarter projects Tanya has done and is currently doing The Animal Magica Coloring Books Tanya has created Why Tanya thinks that it's evitable that she creates the way she does The first full-length novel in the Animal Magica universe The first cozy fantasy novel that Tanya recently released After the interview Mark reflections on passion and creating experiences. Links of Interest: Tanya's Substack Article: "" (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) When Tanya Hales was a baby, she enjoyed books by chewing them to pieces before eventually moving on to the higher art of reading. Tanya splits her time between her work as a writer, an illustrator, and a mother, all of which she loves intensely. She now lives in Utah with her husband and four children, illustrating coloring books, writing YA fantasy, making cute stickers, and daydreaming constantly about imaginary worlds. Tanya is the creator of YA epic fantasy as well as the Animal Magica fantasy coloring book series, books made in collaboration with dozens of other authors who contributed beautiful short stores to pair with the art. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/39941140

EP 458 - Push For Better 01/28/2026

EP 457 - A Show That Makes You Smile with The Patrick Scott Patterson Project 01/25/2026

EP 457 - A Show That Makes You Smile with The Patrick Scott Patterson Project Mark interviews Scott from The Patrick Scott Patterson Project Podcast. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In the interview Mark and Scott talk about: How Scott got into the current numerous roles that he is participating in today, including podcasting Being inspired by the dreams that his parents had but which they pushed off to the side The pro wrestling experience that he did for 10 years The importance of deciding to try Scott's reasoning behind the Patrick Scott Patterson Project How at the end of the day we're all human beings - some folks have just reached for their dreams Interviewing notable celebrities on Scott's podcast Doing the interviews well in advance and having a good 10 episodes in the can already The two year plan that Scott has created for the podcast The positivity in Scott's podcast and what he is doing All the stressful things Scott was going through around the time of the pandemic How Drew Barrymore's new talk show was exactly what Sco needed to get through those hard days The way that Drew Barrymore makes Scott smile - period! How something Barrymore said in one of those episodes really struck with Scott The incredible power of doing/saying even the smallest nice thing such as "have a nice day" which can make a huge difference in someone else's life How Scott feels better himself when he's being kind to someone Meeting Drew Barrymore on her 50th Birthday episode taping after more than 42 years of first seeing her with his mom when he was 7 and they went to see E.T. Some of the favorite moments on Scott's podcast Advice Scott would offer to writers who haven't yet put their work out into the world How Scott first got on Collector's Call because of a fluffy news story from 5 years earlier Gary K Wolf's story about how many times his book "Who Wacked Roger Rabbit" was repeatedly rejected over the years. He never gave up, and it's, incidentally his most well-known book. The movie adaptation would never have happened After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that Scott said about positivity, creating "comfort food" moments, and the importance of having things out there and how it can lead to opportunities. Links of Interest: CBC - Cost of Living - (Romantic Comedy) Patreon Post (Free for anyone to read): Substack article: (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Patrick Scott Patterson is a Texas-based pop culture personality, video game historian, and podcaster. Over the decades, he's moved from professional wrestling rings to television cameras, working with G4tv to produce the first-ever live arcade world record broadcast. He has appeared in documentaries like Nintendo Quest and on MeTV's Collector's Call. He's spoken at San Diego Comic-Con and SXSW, and runs Hyperspace Arcade Repair out of Denton, Texas, where he keeps vintage arcade machines alive for collectors. In 2025, Scott launched The Patrick Scott Patterson Project, a podcast about chasing goals and following unexpected paths—inspired by finally meeting his lifelong celebrity crush, Drew Barrymore, which taught him that the dreams we pursue have a way of opening doors we never anticipated. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/39872020

EP 456 - The Published Novelist Saves Schrödinger’s Cat! 01/23/2026

EP 455 - Kobo Insights with Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life 01/16/2026

EP 455 - Kobo Insights with Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life Mark interviews Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life about Kobo, Kobo Plus, and the self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life (KWL). Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Tara talk about: Tara's background and how she got into the reading/writing world and Kobo Kobo's distinct identity as a platform that is exclusively dedicated to READING How Kobo is the 2nd largest seller of eReading devices in the world Kobo releasing 1 to 2 devices a year and the importance of a distraction-free reading experience The Kobo Clara Colour and the Kobo Libra Colour devices The option of connecting your Google Drive and OverDrive (AKA Libby) library account to a Kobo device for seamless reading of your personal content and library books Being able to add different colours to your highlights when making notes on your Kobo Tara's advice for readers who've not yet attempted a "digital reading diet" The "forever reading" option that now exists within the Kobo reading experience The self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life and how it's designed to making the publishing process as painless as possible What listeners can expect to hear on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast Kobo Writing Life's "worst-kept secret" of the marketing tab/tool A little bit about how Kobo Plus works for authors The growth in revenue of Kobo Plus around the world in the past few years (it's now available in 28 countries) Partnering with a publisher in Portugal to create a subscription service The importance for authors of always thinking about Kobo in a global sense The value that comes with being in front of the most engaged readers And more... After the interview Mark reflects on numerous things about Kobo that authors should consider when thinking about marketing their books (as well as the amazing people who work there) Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Tara Cremin is the Director of Kobo Writing Life (KWL), Kobo's self-publishing platform. Combining her love for books with a decade of indie publishing expertise, she champions independent authors. Tara is focused on making KWL the most intuitive, author-friendly platform, helping authors reach readers globally. Leading a team of book enthusiasts, she also hosts live events featuring authors and industry experts, sparking engaging conversations and is a regular voice on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/39760855

EP 454 - Finding Surprising Success Publishing Kids' Books with Darcy Pattison 01/09/2026

EP 454 - Finding Surprising Success Publishing Kids' Books with Darcy Pattison Mark interviews award-winning author Darcy Pattison about publishing childrens' books. In their conversation, Mark and Darcy talk about: Darcy's background on getting into being an author of children's book The 70 books Darcy has written in the past 13 years The number of different illustrators Darcy has worked with over the years The Moments in Science picture books Darcy has written with along with the specific illustrator who has worked on a dozen of those titles with her The books for authors Darcy is releasing in January 2026 that collect details about the current state of publishing for children's books The challenge of doing layout for a children's picture book The importance of an author being clear on their own definition of success How children's book authors can find the right illustrator and/or designer How Darcy fulfills orders online for her books Getting her books into education distributors (Follett, etc - Follett can order their books through Ingram) The EPIC app and how Darcy earns money from it The various reviews Darcy gets, including paid Kirkus reviews (which are important) Who you are writing for versus who you are selling to when it comes to kids books Fiction VS Non-Fiction The importance/difference of being good at illustration versus being good at text (or even layout) The challenge of scaling up things like school visits The benefit of finding places that will sell a kids' book in bulk And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the unique element of the two audiences for childrens' books, as well as the efficient business mind-set Darcy adopted in her approach to how to grow a more scaleable author business. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/39668545

EP 453 - Celebrating Eight Years, 452 Episodes and One Simple Truth 01/05/2026

EP 452 - Accounting for Murphy's Law when Setting Realistic Goals 01/02/2026

EP 451 - Messages to Readers 12/26/2025

EP 450 - The Life of a Mercenary Writer with Jarrett Mazza 12/19/2025

EP 449 - The Myth of "Upload Your Book And They Will Come" 12/15/2025

EP 448 - When Your Writing Gets Rejected A Gazillion Times 12/12/2025

EP 447 - The Future of Hybrid Publishing with J.D. Barker 12/05/2025

EP 447 - The Future of Hybrid Publishing with J.D. Barker Mark interviews J.D. Barker about his writing and publishing journey and his many collaborations over the years, including with James Patterson, and the unique publishing and distribution collaboration with Simon & Schuster that combines the best of the self-publishing and the traditional publishing worlds. 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 MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and J.D. talk about: How JD was always interested in writing including a little business endeavor he had when he was youngBeing told by his mother that writing is a fantastic hobby, but you have to get a "real job" - and following her advice The main day job he had, which he hated, and coming home at night to write How the first two decades he'd been writing he did ghost writing and did book-doctor sort of work Having written six different books that hit the New York Times bestseller list but had other people's names on the cover JD's wife coming up with a plan to get him to writing for himself How putting his feet to the coals was what JD really needed What it was like writing on his own The value that JD recognizes in the 20 years of writing other peoples' books Having Asperger's which often involves mimicking other people (which JD could do on paper, continuing to write in another person's voice) How ghostwriting for celebrities/NYT Bestselling authors can be very lucrative What it was like co-authoring with James Patterson Being the only guy who has ever gotten James Patterson to "pants" a novel, but how Patterson convinced him to outline, which he now does for certain projects What a typical work-day looks like for JD Making a change in terms of what time of day JD does interviews Working with a virtual assistant and the various PR agencies JD works with Switching over to paying for PR a la carte rather than a monthly retainer Selling more than half a million copies of his first self-published book, which caught the attention of agents That "taste" of being an indie author which mean a loss of freedom Creating his own unique path within publishing that's a blend of self-publishing and traditional publishing models The imprint JD has with Simon & Schuster - Hampton Creek Press How JD has done a number of recent co-authored titles under his imprint by paying the co-authors up front in a work-for-hire manner, which removes the complexity of paying royalties The way JD can pay it forward by helping the mentor the co-authors that he is working on Why JD gave away a skid of hardcover books at Reader Nation in Vegas Advice JD has about authors who are constantly "chasing each other" The unique marketing JD created for his book SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS that involved an overnight stay in a real haunted house What James Patterson did to get his book ALONG CAME A SPIDER onto the New York Times bestseller list And more... After the interview Mark reflects on a few of the things from the conversation that have inspired him in different ways. Links of Interest: EP 445 - (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) J.D. Barker (Jonathan Dylan Barker) is an international bestselling American author whose work has been broadly described as suspense thrillers, often incorporating elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/39299680

EP 446 - Exercising Multiple Creative Outlets with Artist, Author, and Musician Meaghan Smith 11/28/2025

EP 446 - Exercising Multiple Creative Outlets with Artist, Author, and Musician Meaghan Smith Mark interviews Meaghan Smith about the new children's book IT SNOWED that she wrote and illustrated, which was inspired by her popular holiday song of the same name. This Juno-Award winning singer-songwriter shares her many creative passions for music, writing, and art. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Meaghan talk about: The origin of Meaghan's song "It Snowed" and how quickly it came together once the inspiration struck her on wanting a seasonal holiday song for people who might not celebrate Christmas One of Meaghan's favorite things about the snow How this song has gone on to become one of her most popular songs and now it's a picture book Studying animation at Sheridan College and the ongoing art that Meaghan has been creating all of her life The voice recording for an animation project in a studio in college that led to others recognizing her singing voice and an eventual career as a musician Meghan's experience in "if you just show up" and try something, things can have a way of working out Painting in the hotel rooms and green rooms while traveling as a musician as a way to alleviate her anxiety The additional stationery line that Meghan has which includes greeting cards How the manager of Woozles bookstore in Halifax asked Meaghan if she ever considered writing a book Getting better at accepting things without needing them to be perfect The "grumpy little cat" who is present throughout Meaghan's IT SNOWED book How snow can be such an interesting substance and the way Meaghan wanted to capture all the magic of it in her book How the book follows the lyrics of Meaghan's song, but also goes through the entire day for the kids in the story The way snow can make us all feel like kids again Meghan's current bread-and-butter writing custom songs for people The Christmas concert Meaghan is doing Dec 19th and 20th in Halifax The second book Meaghan is working on for Nimbus based on a song she wrote for her baby when he was still inside her body How Meaghan divides up her work day and the various creative forms of expression that she exercises And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on Meaghan's multiple creative outlets and the various ways that authors, artists, poets, musicians can give a gift to the world born from their inspiration and passion. Links of Interest: (Website) (Picture Book) Meaghan Smith: The Holiday Show (2025 - Halifax, NS) (Fri Dec 19, 2025) (Sat Dec 20, 2025) "" - An example of an OUR SONG written and performed by Meaghan Smith and Jason Mingo inspired by Liz Anderson (Halifax, NS) EP 146 - (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Meaghan Smith is a JUNO Award-winning musician, visual artist, and storyteller whose creative life bridges the worlds of music and fine art. Born in London, Ontario—known as The Forest City—Meaghan grew up drawing and exploring the woods and fields near her home. Her love of art led her to study classical animation at Sheridan College, later working as a storyboard artist before shifting her focus to music. That leap brought her to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she now lives with her husBand, producer and songwriter Jason Mingo, and their two sons. Over the past 20 years, Meaghan has built a multifaceted creative career. As a musician signed to Warner Brothers Records, she toured internationally, sharing stages with artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Tracy Chapman, Ron Sexsmith, and k.d. lang. Her debut album The Cricket’s Orchestra earned her the 2011 JUNO Award for Best New Artist, multiple East Coast Music Awards, and a Polaris Prize nomination. Her song Mirror, from her sophomore album Have a Heart, was a semifinalist in the International Songwriting Competition. Today, Meaghan continues to release collections of music characterized by her sweetly smoky vocals and vintage pop sensibility. Her songs have appeared widely across film and television—on platforms ranging from Netflix to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Through her company Our Song, she and Jason write and produce custom songs for individuals and special occasions, helping others tell their stories through music. While her music career flourished, Meaghan also found her way back to visual art. On tour, she began painting tiny oil portraits of the forest animals she missed from home—foxes in fedoras, bears in flower crowns, fish in monocles—each one nestled in a miniature vintage frame she found in antique shops along the way. What began as a creative escape in hotel rooms and green rooms evolved into her acclaimed Miniature Art Show, with over 500 original paintings sold worldwide and exhibits in galleries such as Galerie d’Art Charlevoix in Quebec. Using oils on heavyweight paper, Meaghan’s paintings capture the personality and soul of her subjects with vivid detail and a playful sense of nostalgia. Her art celebrates the small wonders of the natural world and invites viewers to see beauty in the quiet, whimsical corners of life. In addition to her paintings, Meaghan owns and operates M. Kind Papersmith, a small stationery studio based out of her home in Halifax. The line focuses on locally printed, hand-folded greeting cards designed to help people stay in touch and spread a little kindness through the mail. Each card reflects her signature warmth and attention to detail, combining her love of illustration with her belief that connection matters. Meaghan recently signed a publishing deal with Nimbus Publishing, the renowned East Coast publisher, for her holiday hit It Snowed. Having created the illustrations herself in coloured pencil, she now proudly adds published author and illustrator to her creative credits. Though she has illustrated works for other authors, It Snowed marks the first book she has both written and illustrated from her own material. Alongside her art and music, Meaghan leads Creativity Through Songwriting Workshops, coaching others to unlock their creative potential through the songwriting process. Now based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Meaghan continues to paint, write, and make music—working to incorporate creativity, family, and an ever-evolving artistic life that celebrates imagination in all its forms. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/39197880

EP 445 - Overcoming The Self-Sabotage from Buried Trauma with Andrea Torrey Balsara 11/21/2025

EP 445 - Overcoming The Self-Sabotage from Buried Trauma with Andrea Torrey Balsara In this episode Mark interviews Andrea Torrey Balsara about her writing, her passion in inspiring joy through storytelling and energy healing, trauma, creativity and much more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. is available now in hardcover, mass market sized paperback, and audiobook. In the interview Mark and Andrea talk about: The very serious and troubling trauma Andrea had been living with for most of her life without realizing it and how it prevented her from trying to focus and work on The sabotage that kept creeping up from her subconscious Being told the importance of writing her own stories, which led to taking some writing classes How writing became a way for Andrea to express things that she was not otherwise able to express and the way it led her into a space where she could become fully creative When the memory of the terrible trauma came back to Andrea and struggling with wondering if it really truly happened How it's almost easiest to allow yourself to go crazy than to think that you "were evil" or just making this all up Not avoiding the darkness in her Young Adult books The love that Andrea has for the teenage girl that she was How hard it is for a person hurting and going through such trauma just taking that next step Finding herself within the character of a story of hope and finding the light in the darkness Recognizing that yes, horrible things happen in this world, but many gifts are also given to help get through it The "heroes journey" of making one's life satisfying saying "this is not where my story ends" Andrea's novel THE GREAT AND THE SMALL and how it explores what it takes to enable the rise of dictatorship via very small personal compromises that a person can make along the way The value in looking for the light, looking for the hope, and the importance of people being the change in Andrea's novel Believing in the capacity and the necessity to unite, and that the search for truth is a human right and responsibility that lies within each of us The "10 Steps to Inner Peace" that helped Andrea through the darkness (and which is available for anyone to read via a download on her website How evil itself isn't a thing, it's the absence of love The way that we can be that "leaven" in the bread The studies that have shown that sending love to a plant can help it thrive (and vice-versa when sending negative energy) And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on a few elements of the Andrea's message that resonated with him. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Andrea Torrey Balsara is an award-winning children's and young adult author/illustrator, as well as an energy medicine practitioner and mental wellness and creativity coach. Her passion is to inspire joy through storytelling and energy healing, helping people-of-all-ages to walk “the Hero’s Journey” in real life. She writes and illustrates for young children under her full name, Andrea Torrey Balsara, and for young adults under A.T. Balsara. Andrea is also a painter, an avid amateur explorer of quantum physics, and a keen environmentalist. She advocates for the humane treatment of animals and regularly volunteers at a donkey sanctuary where she uses energy medicine to help previously neglected and abused animals regain their health and vitality. 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/39130685

EP 444 - Book Marketing Made Easy with Manuscript Report 11/14/2025

EP 444 - Book Marketing Made Easy with Manuscript Report Mark interviews Florin Bulgarov, co-founder of Manuscript Report. 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 MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Florin talk about: Florin's background with a PhD in A.I. and how he ended up evolving into creating the toolset of Manuscript Report How Manuscript Report was initially created as an assessment tool for publishers when going through their slush piles What assets Manuscript Report offers for authors to use in their marketing strategy approaches The additional assets from the reports including the visual pie-chart of the genre split/breakdown as well as the themes and the tropes associated from the manuscript The social media posts, blog posts, and book bible assets that authors can request in a higher level report The fact that Manuscript Report does not store the manuscript and does not train any AI on their manuscript. Within 30 days all traces of the author's manuscript is deleted from their servers How the system is optimized to run for one book at a time and the 1 million word limit on manuscripts run into Manuscript Report The "Narrative Crossroads" suggestions that an author might be able to use in a quick pitch/log line for the book An author who did A/B testing with her own written ads and the Manuscript Report ads and was able to reduce her cost by half and increase her sales by 60% An example of a report using Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray How Manuscript Report is a Swiss Army Knife for marketing And more... Links of Interest: (with visual walk-thru) EP 443 - EP 442 - EP 441 - EP 438 - EP 437 - EP 429 - Draft2Digital Self-Publishing Insiders: (YouTube) (Mark's affiliate link) (AI Voice Generation - 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 /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/39035415

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

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