• EP 457 - A Show That Makes You Smile with The Patrick Scott Patterson Project
    Jan 25 2026
    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 Manuscript Report. 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 podcastingBeing inspired by the dreams that his parents had but which they pushed off to the sideThe pro wrestling experience that he did for 10 yearsThe importance of deciding to tryScott's reasoning behind the Patrick Scott Patterson ProjectHow at the end of the day we're all human beings - some folks have just reached for their dreamsInterviewing notable celebrities on Scott's podcastDoing the interviews well in advance and having a good 10 episodes in the can alreadyThe two year plan that Scott has created for the podcastThe positivity in Scott's podcast and what he is doingAll the stressful things Scott was going through around the time of the pandemicHow Drew Barrymore's new talk show was exactly what Sconeeded to get through those hard daysThe way that Drew Barrymore makes Scott smile - period!How something Barrymore said in one of those episodes really struck with ScottThe 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 lifeHow Scott feels better himself when he's being kind to someoneMeeting 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 podcastAdvice Scott would offer to writers who haven't yet put their work out into the worldHow Scott first got on Collector's Call because of a fluffy news story from 5 years earlierGary 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: Patrick Scott Patterson's Website YouTube Channel CBC - Cost of Living - How Scholastic Book Fairs Became Tight With Canadian SchoolsMini Trailer for LOVER'S MOON (Romantic Comedy)Full Audio of LOVER'S MOON Read by the Authors (YouTube)Patreon Post (Free for anyone to read): I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again!Substack article: Eight Years, 452 Episodes, And One Important LessonManuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover's MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingOnce Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas VacationI Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises 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 www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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    1 Std. und 22 Min.
  • EP 456 - The Published Novelist Saves Schrödinger's Cat!
    Jan 23 2026
    In this solo episode, Mark reads a new article entitled: The Published Novelist Saves Schrödinger's Cat! How to Improve the Odds Before You Open the Box—OR—What Writers Can Control While Their Book's Fate Remains Uncertain Links of Interest: Substack Article LinkThe Dialogue DoctorManuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover's MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingOnce Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas VacationI 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
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    24 Min.
  • EP 455 - Kobo Insights with Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life
    Jan 16 2026
    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 Manuscript Report. 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 KoboKobo's distinct identity as a platform that is exclusively dedicated to READINGHow Kobo is the 2nd largest seller of eReading devices in the worldKobo releasing 1 to 2 devices a year and the importance of a distraction-free reading experienceThe Kobo Clara Colour and the Kobo Libra Colour devicesThe 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 booksBeing able to add different colours to your highlights when making notes on your KoboTara's advice for readers who've not yet attempted a "digital reading diet"The "forever reading" option that now exists within the Kobo reading experienceThe self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life and how it's designed to making the publishing process as painless as possibleWhat listeners can expect to hear on the Kobo Writing Life PodcastKobo Writing Life's "worst-kept secret" of the marketing tab/toolA little bit about how Kobo Plus works for authorsThe 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 serviceThe importance for authors of always thinking about Kobo in a global senseThe value that comes with being in front of the most engaged readersAnd 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: KoboKobo Writing Life KWL BlogKWL Podcast Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover's MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingOnce Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas VacationI Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises 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 www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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    56 Min.
  • EP 454 - Finding Surprising Success Publishing Kids' Books with Darcy Pattison
    Jan 9 2026
    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 bookThe 70 books Darcy has written in the past 13 yearsThe number of different illustrators Darcy has worked with over the yearsThe Moments in Science picture books Darcy has written with along with the specific illustrator who has worked on a dozen of those titles with herThe books for authors Darcy is releasing in January 2026 that collect details about the current state of publishing for children's booksThe challenge of doing layout for a children's picture bookThe importance of an author being clear on their own definition of successHow children's book authors can find the right illustrator and/or designerHow Darcy fulfills orders online for her booksGetting her books into education distributors (Follett, etc - Follett can order their books through Ingram)The EPIC app and how Darcy earns money from itThe 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 booksFiction VS Non-FictionThe importance/difference of being good at illustration versus being good at text (or even layout)The challenge of scaling up things like school visitsThe benefit of finding places that will sell a kids' book in bulkAnd 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: Indie Kids Books Mims House Books Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover's MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas VacationI 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
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    49 Min.
  • EP 453 - Celebrating Eight Years, 452 Episodes and One Simple Truth
    Jan 5 2026
    Mark reflects on the anniversary of the first episode of this podcast, which took place on Jan 5, 2018. Links of Interest: EP 001 - New Year, New ReflectionsSubstack Article: Eight Years, 452 Episodes, and One Simple TruthManuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover's MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas VacationI 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
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    21 Min.
  • EP 452 - Accounting for Murphy's Law when Setting Realistic Goals
    Jan 2 2026
    In this solo episode Mark outlines a dozen tips to consider when setting realistic goals. Links of Interest: EP 451 - Tales from the Backburnder: A Pair of Messages to ReadersDraft2Digital Self Publishing Insiders - Jan 1, 2026 Episode (YouTube)Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover's MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas VacationI 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
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    45 Min.
  • EP 451 - Messages to Readers
    Dec 26 2025
    In this solo episode Mark shares a couple of recent messages to readers in the hopes that it inspired other authors with ideas of the types of things that their readers might find interesting. The two examples are: 1) Mark's introduction to his recent collection of stupid dad jokes (and how that can tie to the use of making the local community the "hero" or "focus" 2) Mark's recent author newsletter with a gift for readers and the story that updates recent changes to an ongoing series he's writing Links of Interest: Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover's MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas VacationI 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
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    34 Min.
  • EP 450 - The Life of a Mercenary Writer with Jarrett Mazza
    Dec 19 2025
    Mark interviews Jarrett Mazza about his action/thriller novels and his mercenary-style approach to writing. 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 Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Jarrett talk about: Jarrett's origins and how he got into writingStarting off writing comic books and short storiesHow Jarrett considers himself a "mercenary" writerJarrett's love of fiction within the action genreGetting in contact with action/thriller writers that Jarrett enjoyedBeing published by Rough Edges Press and the changes Jarrett rode when they got bought by another publisherWriting every day even if there's nothing to write aboutJarrett's early AM morning writing routine before the work day beginsThe Doormen series and what it's about (Roadhouse meets John Wick)Jarrett's interest in tackling and creating elevated action narrativesRoadhouse 1989 VS Roadhouse 2024Advice Jarrett would give writersWhat Jarrett is working on nowAnd more... After the interview Mark reflects on Jarrett's dedication and commitment to writing, and also some of the advice that he shared. Links of Interest: Jarrett Mazza's WebsiteEP 449 - The Myth of "Upload Your Book And They Will Come"EP 448 - When Your Writing Gets Rejected "A Gazillion" TimesManuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover's MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas VacationI 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
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    55 Min.