SAM Magazine

E50 - Stella Harvey, Creative Director Whistler Writer’s Festival, Author

Stella Harvey is a multi-published author, the Creative Director behind the Whistler Writers Festival, and a mentor in the Writer's Studio at SFU. She has a wealth of insight and writing experience, and she is not afraid to take risks. Born in Cairo, and having lived in Rome and Calgary, she now calls Whistler home. This beautiful mountainside location is where she found her writing community and where her writing career took off. A simple advertisement in the local paper started a writing group which bloomed into the Whistler Writers Festival. We had a great discussion about writing, taking chances, Canadian poet and novelist Andreas Schroeder staying in her home, and Ernest Hemingway's connection to Canada. And, Happy 50th episode JCVArtStudio from the Dressing Room.

E49 - Penni Jones, Suicide Souls

Penni Jones’s website is titled, Scapegoats and Sacred Cows, and under that title is written This is my existential crises, get your own. She has a sharp, refreshing voice. Penni is also an editor, screenwriter & t-shirt wearer. Her novels are Suicide Souls, Kricket and On the Bricks. Penni and I talked about writing, imaginations and how in her dedication she writes about the grief following suicide. As we talked about Suicide Souls, we agreed that her novel has many layers, it's part thriller, part mystery and has humour. As much as this is a work of fiction, Penni respectfully writes about the topic of suicide. We have a good conversation including her inspiration behind some of her scenes. Would you believe the Detroit airport? And ghosts. Scapegoats and Sacred Cows – This is my existential crisis. Get your own.

E48 - Kemeasha Brown, It’s Ok To Not Be Ok

Kemeasha Brown is a children's author, who, after flight delays, touched down in New York City and joined me on the podcast. Kemeasha's children's book, "It's Ok to Not Be Ok," is a doorway for parents and children to discuss mental health. Her book is enjoyed by all ages and is receiving accolades from all over. Kemeasha's "attitude of gratitude" comes through in our discussion. Kemeasha explains the inspiration for her book, including the book cover and illustrations. Our discussion levered into issues affecting us all. Kemeasha knew the timing of her book was just right when she saw Japanese professional tennis player, Naomi Osaka, on the cover of time with the caption "It's Ok to Not Be Ok." After listening to this podcast, you'll come away feeling inspired. "What act of kindness have you done today?"

E47- Sue Stoney, Zero Waste

Sue Stoney has authored textbooks. She has sewn for as long as she can remember. She creates her own dyes and dyes her own wool, silk and other fabrics, as well as producing her own patterns. Zero waste. When she’s not scouring linen with soda ash to prepare it for dying with onion skins, Sue is blogging or zigzagging around Australia discovering all sorts of public art. Sue joins me on the podcast and we talk about zero waste as well as kick around the idea of Sue writing a fictional novel. fadanista – For indulging my fads

E46 - Ashley Good, Mary and The Alien

Ashley Good is an author, podcaster and indie filmmaker. She joins me on the podcast and we discuss everything from her YA novel, Mary & the Alien, filmmaking, and being the creative behind the Foggy Isle Film Festival. We discover we are both fans of The Umbrella Academy, and we agree that creative expression is not about following the rules but creating and putting your creation out there, be it novel or film. 
⁠Ashley Good

E45- Judy Penz Sheluk, Moonlight and Misadventure

Six amazing authors join me in the dressing room and we talk about their short stories in the Moonlight and Misadventure anthology, which is the third ⁠short story anthology⁠ from Judy Penz Sheluk’s Superior Shores Press. Award-winning short story authors from the US and Canada are featured in this anthology, as well as talented new authors, who are breaking into Canada's mystery writing scene with their unique voices. These individual stories flow so nicely together. They are notes in a phrase of music. And to tap into your moonlight theme, when I read the stories of these authors, I thought of Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune. This anthology was a pleasure to read.
⁠Susan Daly - Joie de Livre⁠
⁠Judy Penz Sheluk | One Writer's Journey

E44 - Candas Jane Dorsey, The Adventure of Isabel

Edgy, different and a nameless protagonist.  Candas Jane Dorsey's writing style defies convention. As I said to Candas during our interview, she's in the driver's seat of a Bugatti and she's just told me to "buckle up."  Candas is a prolific internationally known award-winning author. In 2005 she was awarded the Province of Alberta Centennial Gold Medal for her artistic achievement and community work, and in 2017 the WGA Golden Pen Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Literary Arts. In 2019 she was inducted into the City of Edmonton's Arts and Cultural Hall of Fame. Candas and I share favorite story lines and discuss her nameless protagonist in her book The Adventures of Isabel, the first in her Epitome Apartments Mystery series.

E43 - Bill Morrison, Lions in the Grass

"What are you that Random House is not?" "Be nimble. Be quick." Today, I have award-winning author and consultant, Bill Morrison on the podcast. Bill is the author of Lions in the Grass, a #1 Amazon Bestseller as well as the 2020 Canadian Book Club Award winner in the 2020 Business/Self-Help category. He has appeared on the CTV Morning Show talking about “the tricks of professional persuaders” and is a consultant in the field of emotional positioning and consumer behaviour. He has spent the last 25 years uncovering the elements of influence and persuasion that impact human motivation. After two decades of unprecedented success in condominium tower marketing, he now consults with corporations, brands and individuals on how to emotionally connect their audience with their offerings.
In the beginning of the podcast you will hear about Bill's 2 book giveaway. The first two listeners to email me the correct answer to the question: What is the title of the "great great book" written by Sun Tzu that Bill refers to in the podcast? will win a free copy of Bill's book Lions in the Grass.
⁠Bill Morrison Author of Lions in the Grass (morrisonwrites.com)