The Artsy Raven Podcast about Writing and Art with host JF Garrard
By JF Garrard
The Artsy Raven Podcast about Writing and Art with host JF GarrardMay 12, 2023
Ep 56 Writing in South America and Interviewing a WW2 British Commando with Christopher Canniff
Christopher Canniff shares his journey through Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, and how he began work on two novels, one of which became Poor Man's Galapagos. He also talks about how he ended up interviewing a WW2 British Commando for his book, Intervals of Hope.
Christopher Canniff is the author of Intervals of Hope (Blue Denim Press, October 2021), Poor Man's Galapagos (Blue Denim Press, 2015) and Abundance of the Infinite (Quattro Books, 2012). He mentored with MG Vassanji and David Adams Richards at the Humber School for Writers. He published in Descant Magazine and with Tightrope Books, and shortlisted in Matrix Litpop Awards for fiction and the Ken Klonsky Novella Contest (Quattro Books). He was President of the CAA Toronto Branch.
At time 21:00 he reads from Intervals of Hope.
Website & Socials
Please visit: christophercanniff.com and intervalsofhope.com.
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 55 What Do Publishers Want? with Suzanne Craig-Whytoc
Fellow Canadian Suzanne Craig-Whytock shares how she transitioned from being a writer to publisher, the goals for her publishing house DarkWinter Press and what writers can expect after their manuscript is submitted for publication.
Suzanne Craig-Whytock is the author of four novels: Smile, The Dome (English version, 2019; international Arabic translation, 2022), The Seventh Devil, and The Devil You Know, all published by Bookland Press, two short story collections: Feasting Upon The Bones and At The End Of It All, both published by Potter’s Grove Press, and the humorous non-fiction publication What Any Normal Person Would Do. Her new novel Charybdis is due to be released this April by JC Studio Press in the United Kingdom. Suzanne is also the editor-in-chief of DarkWinter Literary Magazine, an Ontario, Canada-based online publication featuring short fiction and poetry, as well as the founder of DarkWinter Press, which publishes short story and poetry collections as well as novels and novellas from authors in Canada and around the world. DarkWinter Press’s most recent publication, In the Lair of the Kraken, by Canadian Author’s Association member Christopher Butt, debuted at #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Canadian Short Stories!
At time 16:30 she reads from latest novel, Charybdis
Website & Socials
Website: https://www.darkwinterlit.com/
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 54 Creating a Canadian Kpop Drama with Sarah Haasz
Sarah Haasz shares her career journey, how she ended up creating "Gangnam Project" and what inspires her work.
After 20 years as a Broadcast Executive for various children's programming networks in Canada, Sarah Haasz has taken her robust industry experience directly to kids television production, creating original series and assisting producers in bringing their shows to fruition. Sarah recently wrapped “Gangnam Project”, the live action K-pop drama/comedy series she created and which she'll be talking about today. She also produced the Emmy-nominated “Circuit Breakers”, a live action anthology series for Apple TV, and “Step By Step Let’s Dance," a live action docu dance series for TVO Kids. Sarah is currently working with Cottonwood Media as a Creative Producer on their live action slate and sits on the board of the Youth Media Alliance.
CBC Gem Gangnam Project page and videos: https://gem.cbc.ca/gangnam-project
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 53 How Fantasy Inspires this Writer with Jesse Zimmerman
Writer Jesse Zimmerman discusses what inspired him to write, the difficulties of publishing and how he created his main character, "the Challenger" in his first book, Our Adventures with the Challenger.
At time 22:00 he reads from Our Adventures with the Challenger.
Jesse has always lived, worked, and studied in Toronto. Growing up, Jesse enjoyed fiction, particularly speculative fiction and fantasy, anything imaginative. He began writing at a very young age on a DOS computer, creating short stories and little novellas. In his teens he was particularly interested in fantasy, having fond memories of playing Dungeons and Dragons in the late 90s at Jane and Finch, the area he grew up in which led to the creation of the character, "the Challenger." Years later, as an adult, Jesse reimagined the Challenger and began writing stories about him, among other things, having been inspired by the mainstreaming of fantasy fiction in pop culture. The Challenger is a semi-comedic character, though prone to brooding like many famous heroes. Jesse put together numerous Challenger stories into one self-published book, Our Adventures With The Challenger, which he promotes in many ways, including placing copies in Little Free Libraries on lawns and porches throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
Author website: https://junctionlandlord.blogspot.com/2021/12/our-adventures-with-challenger.html
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 52 Can Writers and AI Co-exist? with Kit Daven
Author Kit Daven unveils why AI serves as her creative ally, how to utilize AI as a valuable tool to seek feedback on her writing, and why the notion that writers should harbor any fear of AI should be dismissed.
Kit Daven’s heart beats for the eerie and the extraordinary in her tales. Even her sci fantasy series, which begins with The Forgotten Gemstone, unfolds in The Other Castle, and culminates in The Starry Rise, possesses demonly threads running through the trans-dimensional landscape. Her most recent work, The Arrest in Mannequin Row, steps out of the fantasy realm into an urban one, where the living and dead collide in a town beneath the lake waters. Kit enjoys spending her time with her husband and her feline familiars amidst the quiet hills of Hespeler, Ontario.
At time 19:00 she reads from Everyday is Halloween, a short fiction story about the dead coming back and deciding to stay in the world of the living.
Website & Socials
Website: https://www.kitdaven.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitdaven2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitd.eagereye/
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 51 How to Juggle Editing, Writing & Working at the Same Time! with Matthew Gordan
Writer and editor Matthew Gordon shares how he juggles editing eight books at once while writing, researching and working; advice for surviving writing as a marathon and how he manages his time.
Matthew Gordon's short fiction has appeared in Amazing Stories, in High Shelf Press, in The Quilliad, and in The Exhibitionist. His non-fiction has appeared in The Huffington Post, The Sporting News, The Billfold and on RealGM.com. He has lived in Ontario, New York, Texas and Alberta. He now lives in his hometown of Toronto, Ontario.
At time 21:00 he reads Wound Salter, a short story.
Author website: https://matthewgordonbooks.blogspot.com/
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 50 Why Writing is Zenlike and How Cows Inspire M.A.C. Farrant
On the Artsy Raven M.A.C. Farrant describes her journey of becoming a prize-winning writer, the Zenlike process of discovery when she writes and how cows inspired her latest Jigsaw Puzzle book.
M.A.C. Farrant - Marion Farrant has been writing and publishing since the 1980s: 18 works of fiction, non-fiction and memoir; two produced plays, countless book reviews for the Vancouver Sun and Toronto Globe & Mail; and over a dozen chapbooks. Along with Pauline Holdstock she ran the Sidney Reading Series from 1994 – 2009.
Her books have been a finalist for many awards, among them the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, the Ethel Wilson fiction prize, two Jessie Richardson theatre awards, The Van City Book Prize, the National Magazine Awards, the ReLit Award, the Gemini Awards for the Bravo short film adaptation of her story, Rob’s Guns & Ammo, and the Victoria Book Prize (three times), the last of which she won in 2014 for her collection of miniature fiction, The World Afloat.
Her 2021 non-fiction book, One Good Thing, was a BC Bestseller. In 2024, Talon Books will issue the 20th Anniversary Edition of her memoir, My Turquoise Years.
Farrant is well-known for her acerbic wit and laugh-out-loud humour. Sheila Munro, has called her “Canada’s most ascerbic and intelligent humourist”.
Bill Richardson has called her “a master of the Zen-like art of delivering weight in a way that is featherlight”, further noting that she’s “the most accomplished and unapologetic miniaturist in Canadian letters.”
At time 15:00 she reads from Jigsaw.
Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._A._C._Farrant
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 49 Running an Online Zine with Unconventional Formats with Cormack Baldwin
Writer Cormack Baldwin describes what it was like growing up in a family of writers, why he started an online zine featuring unusual formats for telling stories, and how he juggles multiple jobs while pursuing a literary career.
Cormack Baldwin is a speculative fiction writer, editor, and disaster human. When frightened, he frequently recounts long tales about his hometown's disappearing and reappearing graveyards or his most recent brush with fate before fleeing into the night.
At time 21:00 he reads his short story Exaltation in Truptych published in the Loves Bites Anthology by Mischief Press.
Links:
Archive of the Odd Zine - archiveoftheodd.wordpress.com
Twitter - @cormackbaldwin
Link to End All Links - cmbaldwin.carrd.co
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard
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Ep 48 Will AI Take Jobs Away from Writers? with ANALOG Editor Trevor
ANALOG editor Trevor discusses the impact of AI on writers, the effect AI has on the editing process and how AI can be used as a tool for writers and editors.
Before taking the reigns of ANALOG SCIENCE FICTION & FACT as editor in 2012, Trevor started off as an editorial assistant in 1999 and worked his way up the ladder at ANALOG and ASIMOV’S SCIENCE FICTION, under Stanley Schmidt, Sheila Williams, and Gardner Dozois, respectively. On top of that, he’s also been a Broadway stagehand, collected data for museums, and executive produced a science fiction pilot for a basic cable channel. He lives in New Jersey with his fiancée, daughter, and way, way too many comic books.
ANALOG link: https://www.analogsf.com/
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 47 Making an Inclusive LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie with Rivkah Reyes
Rivkah Reyes is a Chicago-bred, LA-buttered actor, writer, producer, and musician. They rose to fame in the 2003 film School of Rock and have been slaying the theatre, film, and comedy world ever since. She starred in the Chicago and Los Angeles productions of Spamilton, the Off-Broadway parody of Hamilton. They hosted a podcast called Where Are We Now?, in which she interviewed fellow former child stars. Rivkah's screenwriting debut, Gianna, also stars Rivkah as both leads and is co-produced by Jack Black. Most recently, they starred in Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, which premiered at Sundance in 2023. In their free time, Rivkah can be found line dancing, powerlifting, and hosting “HOWL: A Full Moon Party” in Los Angeles.
Recently Riv along with Lindsay Hicks, Marsha Warfield and Jill Larson all star in A Holiday I Do.
A Holiday I Do was made to change the lack of LGBTQ+ representation and is an inclusive Christmas movie. This film was made for everyone. This is not a “coming out” story, but a story showing that “love is love.” The primary themes of A Holiday I Do are being true to who you are and family. Ten percent of the producer’s proceeds supports The Trevor Project to help save young LGBTQ+ lives. The film is streaming on Tello Films.
On The Artsy Raven we discuss what happened on their journey to becoming an actor, why an inclusive Christmas movie is important and what projects they are working on next.
Rivkah Reyes links:
A Holiday I Do movie page and trailer
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard
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Ep 46 The Journey to Create Diverse Films with Director Quentin Lee
Quentin Lee is the Winner of the 2020 Roddenberry Foundation Impact Awards for TV creators, a member of the Producers Guild of America, Canadian Media Producers Association and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Directors and Producers Peer Group), Quentin Lee is a multimedia creator and has directed and produced over ten feature films and three TV series. His first feature Shopping For Fangs premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and became a cult classic as part of the Asian American New Wave Class of 1997.
As a creator, he is currently developing Rez Comedy, the first Canadian Indigenous stand-up comedy TV series for APTN (Aboriginal Peoples TV Network) and Canada Media Fund with a principal photography date of January 2024.
His latest feature THE LAST SUMMER OF NATHAN LEE, explores the story of a Chinese American teenager who upon receiving a devastating diagnosis, chooses to embrace life with an unbridled passion.
On The Artsy Raven we discuss what happened on his journey on finding his way to UCLA to study film, how he made his first film and the inspiration behind The Last Summer of Nathan Lee.
Quentin Lee links:
THE LAST SUMMER OF NATHAN LEE movie page You can watch the trailer here and find the press release here for more info. The film will be released on Amazon Prime in November 2023.
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard
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Ep 45 A Conversation about Loveboats and AI with Abigail Hing Wen
Abigail Hing Wen is the New York Times bestselling author of Loveboat, Taipei, which is being adapted for film. She holds a BA from Harvard, a JD from Columbia Law School, and an MFA from the Vermont School of Fine Arts, and, like some of her characters, is obsessed with musicals and dancing. When she’s not writing stories or listening to her favorite scores, she is busy working in artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley, where she lives with her family. You can learn more about her at www.abigailhingwen.com.
On The Artsy Raven she shares her writing journey, what inspired the Loveboat series and how AI will change the creative process.
At time 12:32 she reads from her latest work, Loveboat Forever.
Love in Taipei, a Paramount+ motion picture released in August 2023 was based on Loveboat, Taipei, the first book in the Loveboat series.
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard
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Ep 44 The benefits of attending writing retreats and conferences with Jass Aujla
Jass Aujila is the Canadian South-Asian author of debut suspense-thriller, Next of Twin. Jass studied creative writing as an undergraduate at the University of Toronto, and later earned a Certificate in Creative Writing from the School of Continuing Studies@ UofT. She's passionate about creativity, personal growth, and is an active member of the Canadian Authors Association and a Professional Author Member of the Crime Writers of Canada.
When Jass isn't working on one of her twisty novels, she can be found writing poetry and prose on social media. Her microfiction and poetry have appeared in several bestselling anthology publications worldwide, including Hidden In Childhood (by Literary Revelations Publishing House), From One Line (by Kobayaashi Studios), and 50 Give or Take (by Vine Leaves Press)."
On The Artsy Raven she shares why she writes, how conferences have helped her writing and what it’s like to attend a writing retreat.
At time 26:00 she reads from her latest work, Next of Twin.
Jass’ website: https://jassaujla.com/
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 43 The Difference between Short Fiction and Novels with Thomas Dodson
Thomas Dodson grew up in a small town in northeast Missouri, here he spent most of his time reading comic books, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and learning martial arts from a badass farmer. He holds graduate degrees from the Ohio State University, Kent State University, and the University of Iowa, where he was an Iowa Arts Fellow at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in fiction. Founding editor of the journal Printer’s Devil Review, Thomas served as its editor and designer for five years. He was also the executive editor of the Best Indie Lit New England series.
No Use Pretending is an astounding debut collection that expertly blends diverse genres to capture the nature of circumstance. The characters in these stories have been forced into conditions of life that they find unbearable, and the stories chart their often tragically misguided attempts to relieve their suffering via connections with other people or through the pursuit of addictive attachments. This Iowa Short Fiction Award winning piece is perfect for readers interested in the absurd, messy complexity that is being a human in the 21st century.
On The Artsy Raven, we discuss the short story format, what inspires him to write short stories and the difference between short fiction and novels.
At time 18:21, Thomas reads from his debut collection, No Use Pretending.
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 42 Satirical Novelist Skewers the Worst of Social Media with Jeff Cottrill
Jeff Cottrill is a novelist, performance poet and journalist based in Toronto. He has headlined in countless literary series throughout Canada, the U.K., the U.S., France and Ireland for more than twenty years, and he has been published in several international anthologies from New York to Australia. In 2021, his poem “This Is Not Real Poetry” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and last year, he launched Hate Story, his seventh or eighth attempt at a first novel. His short story "The Madness East of St. George" was a finalist in the Writers' Union of Canada's 2023 Short Prose Contest for Emerging Writers.
On The Artsy Raven he shares on how to deal with trolls on social media, the difficulties of dealing with publishers and how he sells his writing internationally.
At time 13:27 he reads from his latest work, Hate Story.
Website: www.JeffCottrill.com
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 41 “Why Write about Trump?” with Feminist Science Fiction Scholar Dr. Marleen S. Barr
Dr. Marleen S. Barr is known for her pioneering work in feminist science fiction criticism. She has won the Science Fiction Research Association Award for Lifetime Contributions to Science Fiction Scholarship. Barr is the author of Alien to Femininity: Speculative Fiction and Feminist Theory, Lost in Space: Probing Feminist Science Fiction and Beyond, Feminist Fabulation: Space/Postmodern Fiction, and Genre Fission: A New Discourse Practice for Cultural Studies. Barr has edited many critical anthologies and co-edited the science fiction issue of PMLA. She is the author of the novels Oy Pioneer! and Oy Feminist Planets: A Fake Memoir. Her When Trump Changed: The Feminist Science Fiction Justice League Quashes the Orange Outrage Pussy Grabber is the first single authored Trump short story collection.
On The Artsy Raven she shares why she writes about Trump so much, how she became a feminist science fiction scholar and why Barbie is so important!
At time 19:00 she reads from her latest work, This Former President: Science Fiction as Retrospective Retrorocket Jettisons Trumpism.
Webpage for her latest book: https://darkhelixpress.com/fiction-and-non-fiction/this-former-president-science-fiction-as-retrospective-retrorocket-jettisons-trumpism/
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 40 Writing as a Way of Life and to Process Grief with Catherine Graham
Catherine Graham is an award-winning poet, novelist and creative writing instructor based in Toronto. Her eighth book, Æther: An Out-of-Body Lyric, was a finalist for the Trillium Book Award, Toronto Book Award, and won the Fred Kerner Book Award. The Celery Forest was named a CBC Best Book of the Year and was a finalist for the Fred Cogswell Award for Poetry. Her debut novel Quarry won The Miramichi Reader Award for Best Fiction, an IPPY Gold Medal for Fiction and was a finalist for the Sarton Women’s Book Award and Fred Kerner Book Award. The Most Cunning Heart is included in The Miramichi Reader’s Best Fiction Book of the Year list. She teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto where she won an Excellence in Teaching Award, leads the Toronto International Festival of Authors’ Book Club, co-hosts The Hummingbird Podcast—part of the WNED PBS Amplify app, and is a judge for the CBC Poetry Prize. Put Flowers Around Us and Pretend We’re Dead: New and Selected Poems is her latest book.
On the Artsy Raven she discusses why she started writing, the beauty of language and how poetry has helped her on her journey through life.
At time 18:00 she reads from her latest work, Put Flowers Around Us and Pretend We’re Dead: New and Selected Poems.
Visit her online at www.catherinegraham.com and @catgrahampoet
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard
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Ep 39 Becoming a Wattpad Star and Publisher's Weekly Book Reviewer with Idris Grey
Idris Grey (they/them) is a writer, an experienced authenticity/sensitivity reader, and a book reviewer for Publisher Weekly. They’ve been posting stories on Wattpad since 2013 and have accumulated over 200,000 reads on the platform. They won the LGBT+ Watty Award in 2015 for their F/F romance Girls Chase Girls, and were longlisted for their F/M romance The Fashion of Love in 2018. They’ve been an authenticity/sensitivity reader since 2017, a professional book reviewer since 2018, and a Wattpad Star since 2019. They were a finalist in “Harlequin’s Romance Includes You” Mentorship Contest in 2019 before they signed with literary agent Claire Friedman from Inkwell Management in 2020. They’ve written for the Lure, Radish, and Stori fiction apps, among others. They’re currently pursuing traditional and non-traditional publication.
On the Artsy Raven she discusses why she started writing, what a Wattpad star entails, her experience as a book reviewer for Publisher’s Weekly and how to look for an agent.
At time 23:40 she reads a preview of a queer mystery work-in-progress they are working on for an agent!
- Idris' website: https://idrisgrey.carrd.co/
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- For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 38 Jumping from Science/Engineering to Writing about Lab Life with Akemi C. Brodsky
Growing up in the Bay Area, Akemi C. Brodsky always loved unassigned reading and making creative and unnecessarily complicated school projects. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brown University with a Bachelor of Science, then moved to the UK to do a master’s in engineering at Imperial College London. She currently lives in the Bay Area and spends most of her spare time traveling, cooking, seeing family and friends, and watching TV.
On The Artsy Raven Akemi discusses the sudden shift from a STEM career to becoming a writer, how she published with a hybrid publisher and her future projects.
At time 15:00 they read from their novel, The Brill Pill
Website: https://www.akemicbrodsky.com/
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For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 37 Marketing Differently to get Books into Schools and Landing on the Kelly Clarkson Show!
Vincent Yee was born in Boston, Massachusetts. For most of his career, he has worked for several Fortune 100 companies in various managerial roles. At all other times, he has a vision...“To write for better Asian Representation.”
Vincent was a former National President for the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP). He also co-founded the ERG at his last employer and led it with an amazing team, to be one of the largest ERGs with over 450+ members within a few months. He’s also been known to create artistic culinary dishes for friends. When he is not writing, he may be binging a K-Drama on Netflix. He now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
On the Artsy Raven Vincent explains why he wants to do what other people are not doing for marketing, how he published five books in six months and describes the impromptu opportunity of landing on the Kelly Clarkson show.
At time 15:09 there is an audio excerpt from Clara Wu and the Portal Book.
In addition, Vincent is a judge of “Tell Us Your ABC Story: WuKong Global Essay Contest” along with mega star Daniel Wu! Enter by July 31, 2023: https://www.abcstory-wukongsch.com/
Visit Vincent’s website here: http://www.clarawubooks.com/author.html
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 36 Two Longtime Friends Talk about the Past, Present & Future as Writers & Artists
Gregory James Light was born in 1951 in Canada. He lived abroad for 42 years in Paris, London and Chicago before his recent return to Toronto. He is a writer, performance artist and professor. In addition to four academic books, and 70+ academic papers, he has published four works of poetry and theatre. His plays and performance pieces have been produced and performed in France, the UK, Switzerland, and Canada. He holds two passports and almost speaks two languages. He divides his time between Toronto and an island in the Canadian Shield. For more information, please visit www.gregorylight.com
Rafael Sinclair Mahdavi was born in 1946 in Mexico of an American mother and an Iranian father. He spent his youth in Mallorca where he was home-schooled by his parents until the age of ten. He then attended European schools and completed his university studies in the U.S. As a writer he has written six novels published by Kindle Direct Publishing and as a painter he has had numerous solo shows worldwide. He holds multiple passports, and speaks several languages. He divides his time between France and an island in Greece. For more information, please visit www.rafaelmahdavi.com
On the Artsy Raven, Gregory and Rafael discuss their careers as writers, artists, teachers and the challenges they have faced along the way. Their joint novel, The Dishwasher Dialogues will be making a debut at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
At time 29:00 they read from their novel, The Dishwasher Dialogues.
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 35 Using The Story Engine Deck’s Lore Weaving prompts to Write Faster
Peter Chiykowski (he/him) is the creator of the award-winning webcomic Rock Paper Cynic, the crowdfunding sensation The Story Engine Deck of writing prompts, and six books of comics and short stories. He has twice won the Aurora Award for “Best Graphic Novel” from the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association. His fiction, game writing, and poetry have appeared in the award-winning tabletop RPG EMBERWIND, the video game FRACTER, and publications like Best Canadian Poetry, Best Canadian Speculative Writing, Globe & Mail, Asimov’s Science Fiction and more. His comics, memes, and social media shenanigans have been covered by Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Entertainment Weekly, Buzzfeed, Newsweek, and The Huffington Post.
On the Artsy Raven, Peter talks about his journey from being a writer to making a "Story Engine" deck to help writers and gamers formulate stories. His latest project is The Story Engine: Lore Master’s Deck, a deck of lore-weaving prompts for writers, worldbuilders, and game masters.
Website: https://storyenginedeck.com/
Around 27:00 Peter demonstrates how to use The Story Engine: Lore Master’s Deck to create a story!
Note - The Story Engine: Lore Master’s Deck is launching live on June 20th 2023 on BackerKit, grab your copy with extra goodies by visiting the website for the BackerKit link!
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Artsy Raven merch available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com
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Ep 34 Professor Joseph Sassoon Discusses the Rise and Fall of a Global Empire
Joseph Sassoon is a Professor of History and Political Economy at Georgetown's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies and holds the al-Sabah Chair in Politics and Political Economy of the Arab World. He is also a Senior Associate Member at St Antony’s College, Oxford. His research interests include political economy, economic history, Iraq, Iraqi refugees, and authoritarianism.
On the Artsy Raven we discuss the inspiration for his latest book, The Sassoons: The Great Global Merchants and the Making of an Empire and how his family built and lost their fortune.
At time 16:27 he reads from , The Sassoons: The Great Global Merchants and the Making of an Empire .
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
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Ep 33 Pitching on #DVpit to meet Agents with Kara H.L. Chen
Kara H.L. Chen grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, where she once had to shovel snow off her car with a plastic trashcan. She now lives on the West Coast with her husband and daughters, and is learning how to use an Instapot. She has undergraduate degrees in English and economics, a J.D., and an MFA in fiction. She has used her economics degree exactly once, when she tried to make a joke about marginal costs and marginal returns. It did not go well.
At time 20:34 she reads from her debut novel, Love & Resistance.
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 32 What Happens Behind the Scene in Literary Contests? Paula Sheridan, Page Turner Awards
The Page Turner Awards consists of five different writing contests, for authors and writers of published and unpublished books and screenplays. Fiction and non-fiction writing projects are welcome from writers across the globe. A panel of literary agents and publishers will choose a winner in each category. Closing deadline for 2023 is June 1, 2023 and winners announced in October.
Success stories include writers gaining literary representation, writing mentorships, publishing contracts and audiobook productions and book adaptations.
Paula Sheridan, one of the founders of the Page Turner awards talks about why she started this award, how it helps writers and her journey from author to running an award organization. Paula is an award-winning entrepreneur and the award-winning author of The People's Book Prize for her debut novel, The Grotto's Secret, written under her pen name, Paula Wynne. Paula also runs the websites Book Luver and Writing Goals with her husband, Ken Sheridan.
At time 27:44 she reads from her debut novel, The Grotto's Secret.
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
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Ep 31 Building a Complex Fantasy World with Sienna Tristen and Avi Silver
Sienna Tristen (they/them) is an author, poet, and literary organizer living in Treaty 3 territory who explores queer platonic partnership, the nonhuman world, and mythmaking in their work. The first installment of their award-winning fantasy duology The Heretic’s Guide to Homecoming came out from the indie arts collective The Shale Project in 2018; the sequel was released in October 2022. You can find their poetry in Augur Magazine and Plenitude, and their short fiction in Nothing Without Us Too. Their latest chapbook, hortus animarum: a new herbal for the queer heart, is out with Frog Hollow Press. You can see what they're up to next at siennatristen.com.
Avi Silver (he/they) is a speculative fiction author of the Sãoni Cycle, the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Augur Magazine, and a poet with an honorable mention from the Rhysling Awards. Find their short fiction in Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Anthology and Nothing Without Us Too. His poetry has been published in Strange Horizons and Uncanny Magazine. In 2018, they co-founded The Shale Project, an award-winning indie arts collective, and have not stopped worldbuilding since. Pluralities, their big trans slipstream-means-space-opera novella, will be out this October with Atthis Arts. For more information, visit mxavisilver.com. For lizard pictures, follow him on Twitter @thescreambean.
On the Artsy Raven they discuss how The Shale Project started (already the fifth anniversary!), how their day jobs in the literary world helps them with writing and why they adore lizards.
At time 22:07 Avi reads from Two Dark Moons and at time 29:45 Sienna reads from The Heretic’s Guide to Homecoming.
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
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Ep 30 What Happens after Writing a Bestseller? with Lindsay Wong
Lindsay Wong is a Canadian writer, whose memoir The Woo-Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug Raids, Demons, and My Crazy Chinese Family was published in 2018. The book, a humorous memoir about her Chinese Canadian family's history of mental illness, won the 2019 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize and was a shortlisted finalist for the 2019 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction. The Woo-Woo was selected for the 2019 edition of Canada Reads, where it was defended by Joe Zee, and was longlisted for the 2019 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Wong's latest book, Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality was recently released in 2023.
On the Artsy Raven she discusses how success has affected her life, where she finds inspiration and how she ended up writing her next book.
At time 11:44 she reads from her latest book, Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality.
Website https://lindsaywongwriter.com/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
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Ep 29 A Creative Journey from Engineer to Actor with Liam Ma
Liam Ma is an emerging actor and multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto. He is a McGill University Engineering Alumnus specializing in Biomechanics and Sustainable design. Liam will be officially making his onscreen debut starring in the upcoming series Streams Flow from a River about a dysfunctional Chinese Canadian family, who when trapped by freak snowstorm in their rural Albertan hometown, are forced to confront the events of a decade prior that tore them all apart. The series will premiere on April 1st, 2023 on SUPER CHANNEL.
On The Artsy Raven he discusses the concept of self, the experience of his first acting job and why he left the engineering field.
Streams Flow from a River website: https://www.faepictures.com/streams
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
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NOTE: This podcast was published out of order to accomodate Streams Flow from a River's premiere
Ep 28 The Value of Having Writing Mentors with Natasha D. Lane
Natasha D. Lane is a friend of most things caffeinated, a lover of books, and a writing warrior to her core. As a believer that “the pen is mightier than the sword,” she graduated from Juniata (JU-nia-ta) College in 2015 with hopes to become a journalist. Since completing her first series, Pariah Child, Natasha has continued exploring the fantasy and science fiction genres to make sense of a chaotic yet interesting world.
On the Artsy Raven she discusses how having a writing mentor has made her publishing journey easier and sometimes traditional publishers may not know how to market your book so you have to be your best advocate!
At time 23:40 she reads from her latest book, The Involatary Time Traveler.
Website https://www.natashadlanewrites.com/
Instagram @natashadlanewrites
Twitter @natasha_lane1
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
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Ep 27 Fantasy Writer Saves Halloween with Goblins! Interview with Kris Bowser
Kris Bowser has spent her life adventuring in the rocky hills and forests of Southern New England. Goblins taught her how to sneak into the other worlds that exist tucked into corners and around bends. Though Kris is in a rebel band of superheroes and outcasts, she is often caught in the dystopian clutches of Mundane Problems, and must send her characters to do her adventuring for her. She lives with her partner in an old mill town, haunted by the spirits and shadows of machines and industry.
On the Artsy Raven she shares her techniques on how she plots, her techniques for finishing books and her love of goblins.
At time 19:00 she reads from her latest book, Pumpkin Goblins.
Website http://krisbowser.com/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15283844.Kris_Bowser
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Kris-Bowser-Author-104024055058138
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/krisbowser.kb/
Twitter https://twitter.com/Kris_Bowser
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 26 Writing about Retail Life during COVID with Adam Jonathan Kaat
Adam Jonathan Kaat worked in a grocery store as a cashier and then as a prepared foods supervisor from January 2020 until May 2021. After college, he bounced around through the corporate world until leaving it all behind in the Fall of 2019 to write his first novel. By January 2020, he had taken a job as a cashier to earn money while preserving mental energy for his creative pursuits. He got much more than he bargained for when COVID hit. He began to blog about his experiences as a frontline worker, and 15,000 Facebook followers later, Life on the Grocery Line was born.
At time 22:44, Adam reads from Life on the Grocery Line.
For more information and to read Kaat’s blog, please visit ww.lifeonthegroceryline.com; or connect with the author on Instagram (@kaatadam), Facebook (@lifeonthegroceryline) or Twitter (lifeonthegroce1).
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
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Ep 25 A professor shares her writing wisdom with Beth Kaplan
After ten years as a professional actress, Beth Kaplan left the stage to earn an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC. She’s the author of four nonfiction books: a biography, two memoirs, and a guide to creative writing that's the textbook for her courses. Her new memoir “Loose Woman: my odyssey from lost to found” was launched in September 2020. She has taught memoir and personal essay writing at Ryerson University for 27 years and also for 14 years at the University of Toronto, where in 2012 she was given the Excellence in Teaching award.
On the Artsy Raven Beth shares her tips on memoir and personal essay writing, publishing and the importance of editors to writers.
At time 20:38, she reads from her memoir, Loose Woman: my odyssey from lost to found.
Website: https://bethkaplan.ca/bio/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 24 Imagining a World on the Cusp of Climate Catastrophe with Sarah Lahey
Sarah Lahey is a designer, educator and writer. She holds bachelor’s degrees in interior design, communication and visual culture, and works as a senior lecturer teaching classes on design, technology, sustainability and creative thinking. She has three children and lives on the Northern Beaches in Sydney, Australia.
Gravity is Heartless is the first in a planned trilogy and received a Gold Medal in the 2021 Independent Publisher Book Awards. The book was also a finalist in the American Book Fest awards for LGBTQ+ and a finalist in the International Book Awards for LGBTQ+. Book 2 in the series, Nostalgia Is Heartless, is due for release in October 2021.
On the Artsy Raven Sarah shares her background in design, why writing about climate change is important and how to keep on track when writing your story.
At time 21:00, she reads from Gravity is Heartless.
Website: http://sarahlahey.com
Twitter: @SarahkLahey
Instagram: @sarahklahey
Design blog: https://theautomaticpencil.tumblr.com
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 23 How To World Build a Series and Why It’s OK to say No to a Publisher with Lauren L. Garcia
Lauren L. Garcia has been a storyteller all her life. She started writing down my stories around the age of twelve; two decades and over two million words later, she has shown no sign of stopping. In addition to living in various fantasy worlds of her own making, she earned a BA in English Literature and married her high school sweetheart. She currently reside in North Florida with her husband and pets, where she enjoys hiking, weightlifting, kayaking, and dancing at music festivals. On the Artsy Raven she shares how she started writing, world building a series (she’s written five in a row!) and why she chose to self-publish after pulling her books from a publisher who changed directions.
At time 18:06, she reads from her Catalyst Moon Series, Book #1 Incursion.
Website: https://laloga.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15266429.Lauren_L_Garcia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laloga
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/859225654453729/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lalogawrites/
Enter a draw for a series of Lauren's books and Amazon giftcard (Aug 29-Sept 10, 2021): https://kingsumo.com/g/ejj8km/lauren-l-garcia-fantasy-romance-e-books-and-amazon-gift-card-giveaway-august-29-september-10-2021-2-winners
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep 22 Writing fantasy romance and running Kuumba Publishing with N.D. Jones
N.D. Jones, Ed.D. is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in Maryland with her husband and two children. In her desire to see more novels with positive, sexy, and three-dimensional African American characters as soul mates, friends, and lovers, she took on that challenge herself. Along with the fantasy romance series Forever Yours, and a contemporary romance trilogy, The Styles of Love, she has authored three paranormal romance series: Winged Warriors, Death and Destiny, and Dragon Shifter Romance. N.D. is also the founder of Kuumba Publishing, an art, audiobook, eBook, and paperback company that is a forum for creativity, with a special commitment to promoting and encouraging creative works from authors and artists of African descent.
On the Artsy Raven she talks abouts why she started writing, how she manages writing projects, why she started a company and why she writes fantasy romance with a focus on African culture.
At time 30:00, N.D. reads from Mafdet’s Claws which is available on her website:
https://www.ndjonesparanormalpleasure.com/booksbyndjones/feline-nation-duology/mafdets-claws/
Visit N.D. Jones:
Website - https://www.ndjonesparanormalpleasure.com/about-nd-jones-author/
FB - https://www.facebook.com/ndjonesparanormalromanceauthor/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ndjonesauthor/?hl=en
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ca/ndjones001/_created/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ndjonesauthor?lang=en
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
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Ep21 Writing Reflections about Surviving Bullying in Teenagehood by Rutendo Alyssa-Joy Mushonga
Born in a small town called Norton in Zimbabwe, Rutendo is the first born in a family of 2. She spent part of her childhood in Zimbabwe with her grandparents before she joined her parents in South Africa. Her family migrated to Alberta, Canada in 2018 where she currently resides with her family. At 14, Rutendo self-published a book about her personal experiences as a teenager titled - A Farewell to the War Within: A battle with reality. She is still unsure if she will have a career in writing although she believes she will continue to write. At present, she would love to venture into culinary and have her own restaurant some day. Rutendo enjoys trying out different hobbies or activities as she discovers herself. Currently she is into football.
On the Artsy Raven, Rutendo tells us how she accomplished writing a book, dealing with bullying from a mental health perspective and tells us what it’s like to be living as a teenager now.
At time 20:35, Rutendo reads from A Farewell to the War Within: A battle with reality. The book is available on Amazon.
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep 20 Should we be suspicious of a doctor who writes medical crime series? with Dr. Melissa Yi
Melissa Yi is an emergency physician and award-winning writer. In her newest crime novel, SCORPION SCHEME, Dr. Hope Sze (SI) lands in Cairo and discovers a man with a nail through his skull who might hold the key to millions in buried gold. Previous Hope Sze thrillers were recommended by The Globe and Mail, CBC Books, and The Next Chapter as one of the best Canadian suspense novels. Yi was shortlisted for the Derringer Award for the world’s best short mystery fiction. Under the name Melissa Yuan-Innes, she also writes medical humour and has won speculative fiction awards.
On the Artsy Raven she talks about how she got into writing, why she has two pen names and how she balances being a doctor as well!
At time 22:28, Melissa reads from Scorpion Scheme. Her website is http://www.melissayuaninnes.com/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/artsyraven/
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep 19 The Comedian, Producer, and Simpleton on the Podcasting Path to Enlightenment with Josh Williams
Josh Williams showed he was a natural when it came to the business of making people laugh, by getting fired from dozens of jobs in his early twenties, and by beginning his comedy career with a Canadian Comedy Award nomination for Best Stand-up Newcomer.
Delight in his wild, irreverent, and hilarious look at relationships, parenting, and everyday life in ways that leave audiences howling with laughter. His wit is quick, sharp and confident, with a deft self-deprecating touch, that lets audiences know he is having as much fun with them, as they are with him.
The Artsy Raven talks to him about how he became a comedian, why he started a podcast and other funny things in life!
Josh’s podcast is available at http://onemanpodcast.podbean.com/
On the One Man Podcast, Josh interviews JF Garrard and we talk about publishing, Pokémon Go and radioactive sandwiches: https://onemanpodcast.podbean.com/e/one-man-podcast-jf-garrard/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep 18 Coaching and Podcasting to Give BIPOC Women Self-Confidence with Sheena Yap Chan
Sheena Yap Chan is a keynote speaker, coach, podcaster, consultant, and author on building self-confidence. She currently inspires women through her award-winning podcast called The Tao of Self Confidence where she interviews Asian women about their inner journey to self-confidence. Her mission is to help Asian Women boost their confidence to live their authentic selves, help Asian Women create a voice in the world, and create a stronger representation for Asian women. Sheena has been featured on MindValley, slice.ca, Marketing in Asia, Manila Times and more. She is the co-author of the International bestselling book Asian Women Who Boss Up.
On the Artsy Raven we discuss the inspiration behind her podcast, how she markets herself and her latest projects.
At time 19:35, Sheena reads from Asian Women Who Boss Up.
You can find her on her website https://sheenayapchan.com/ and on her podcast page https://thetaoofselfconfidence.com/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep 17 Writing Spec Fic While Surviving Being a Mother with Melissa Small
Melissa Small is mother of two boys and her husband also shares all her nerdy hobbies. She is a member of the Star Wars Rebel legion and 501st Canadian Garrison. She is a horse lover and has three horses. Melissa has published several short stories: “Fate of the SeaWitch and Demons” in Stories in The Way Through and Still by Polar Expressions Publishing, “Poutine, Bugs and Big Bessie” in Futuristic Canada by Dark Helix Press, and eight short stories in Myth Magazine (“Wool of Time”, “Boom”, “Soleless”, SeaWitch stories, “Deal Breaker”, “Snow Magic and Getting the Shot”). Melissa is currently working on a YA Dragon book series.
On the Artsy Raven we discuss priorities when dealing with kids and horses, the support she receives from her writing group and how writing fan fiction led to writing about Canadian dragons!
At time 16:40 she reads from her story “Deal Breaker.”
Melissa’s website is https://smallauthorlegacy.wixsite.com/website
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissa.small.359
Twitter @authormelissas1
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep 16 Getting Back Up and Living His Truth with Harma Hartouni
Harma Hartouni is a self-made entrepreneur and developer, owns a real estate company employing hundreds of residential and commercial real estate agents in Southern California, and runs the #1 ranked real estate business in his region. He has created a successful brand with his growing business footprint in Los Angeles, building a large real estate practice exceeding $1B in sales volume in 2019.
On the Artsy Raven Harma talks about why he writes and how he published his book, Getting Back Up: A Story of Resilience, Self-Acceptance & Success. The book is a collection of life events that have been most impactful in leading him where he is today: a proud gay man living in Los Angeles, one of the most successful real estate entrepreneurs in America, and a husband and father of three.
At time 20:36 he reads from Getting Back Up: A Story of Resilience, Self-Acceptance & Success.
Harma's website is https://www.harmahartouni.com/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep 15 Get Real, Stand Tall and Take your place with Britt East
Britt East is an author and speaker who uses his experience, strength, and hope to challenge and inspire change-oriented gay men to get down to the business of improving their lives. With over two decades of personal growth and development experience in a variety of modalities, such as the 12 Steps, Nonviolent Communication, yoga, meditation, talk therapy, and the Hoffman Process, Britt is committed to building a personal practice of self-discovery that he can then share with gay men everywhere. He lives in Seattle with his husband and their crazy dog.
On the Artsy Raven Britt shares his inspiration for his new book, A Gay Man's Guide to Life, overcoming challenges despite of obstacles and how he wrote his book.
At time 24:17 he reads from A Gay Man's Guide to Life.
Britt's website is https://www.britteast.com/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep14 What Do Book Reviewers Do and How To Avoid Rejection when Submitting to an Anthology with Alex Carrigan
Alex Carrigan is an editor, writer, and literary critic from Alexandria, Virginia. He has edited and proofed the anthologies CREDO: An Anthology of Manifestos and Sourcebook for Creative Writing (C&R Press, 2018) and Her Plumage: An Anthology of Women’s Writings from Quail Bell Magazine (Quail Bell Press & Productions 2019). He has had fiction, poetry, and literary reviews published in Quail Bell Magazine (of which he is the senior critic), Lambda Literary Review, Empty Mirror, Quarterly West, Whale Road Review, Gertrude Press, HASH Journal, The Blue Nib, Passionate Chic, Writer's Egg Magazine, Stories About Penises (Guts Publishing, 2019), Closet Cases: Queers on What We Wear (Et Alia Press, 2020), and ImageOutWrite Vol. 9. He is also a former news copy editor and currently serves as an editorial coordinator for the non-profit, the Society of American Foresters. You can find his work at carriganak.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter @carriganak.
On the Artsy Raven podcast, Alex discusses his journey to become a book reviewer, editor and reveals submission dos and don’ts for his latest House of Lobsters Literary project, "Please Welcome to the Stage…: A Drag Literary Anthology."
At time 21:31 he reads his short story "Odessa Remembers" published in ImageOutWrite Vol. 9. Note this episode is slightly longer than usual as Alex reads the entire story for our enjoyment. Trigger warning: some violence, foul language and bits of naughtiness is in this story.
The Please Welcome to the Stage…: A Drag Literary Anthology deadline for submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art is November 30, 2021.
More information about this submission opportunity can be found here:
Website: https://houseoflobstersliterary.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houseoflobsters
Twitter: @LobstersLit
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep13 Chasing a Good Story as a Journalist with Emi Sasagawa
Emi Sasagawa is a Brazilian-Japanese award-winning-journalist-turned-communicator who lives in Vancouver, B.C. Her work has been published by a range of publications, from The Washington Post to Room. She is currently working on a book-length manuscript inspired by her experiences coming out and moving to London, England, at the age of 19. Emi’s a graduate of The Writer’s Studio at SFU, and is presently completing an MFA in Creative Writing at UBC.
At time 20:27 Emi shares a reading from “Between Word and Mouth”, published in the Belief Anthology.
Emi’s website is https://emisasagawa.com/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep12 Sharing the love of Filipino Food in Writing and Podcasts with Nastasha Alli
Nastasha Alli was born and raised in the Philippines and came to Canada in 2007. For her writing at the intersection of food and diaspora communities, she won a Food Sustainability Media Award from the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Her work has been featured on CBC Radio and her recipe published in a “top cookbook of 2018” by the San Francisco Chronicle. She talks about Philippine food history, traditions and culture with guests from around the world on her Exploring Filipino Kitchens podcast.
At time 23:19 Nastasha shares a reading from “Sticky Notes on a Map” which will be published in the upcoming Belief Anthology
Nastasha’s website is https://www.nastasha.ca/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep11 Healing Through Poetry with Moni Brar
Moni Brar is an uninvited settler who lives, writes and learns on unceded, unsurrendered territories of the Treaty 7 region and the Syilx of the Okanagan Nation. She is a Punjabi, Sikh Canadian writer exploring diasporan guilt, identity, cultural oppression, and intergenerational trauma. She believes in the possibility of personal and collective healing through literature and art. Her work appears in PRISM international, Hart House Review, Existere, The Maynard, untethered, Hobart, and other publications. She is a member of the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society, The League of Canadian Poets, and the editorial board of New Forum Magazine. She has worked in 13 countries and is grateful to call Canada home.
At 17:24 Moni shares a few of her poems, including, “Fault Line” from the Belief Anthology.
Please note this podcast has extra “pauses” for dramatic effect and are not technical difficulties!
Moni can be found on Instagram @monibrar.
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep10 What I Learned When Applying for my MFA and Writing my Own History with Kathy Quyen Pham
Kathy Quyen Pham is a Vietnamese Canadian writer currently based in Saigon. She has published fiction in Ricepaper, Cagibi, and NōD Magazine. She is a graduate of the University of Calgary’s creative writing and English program, and a Killam Fulbright alumni. She can be found on Twitter as @phamanteau. She focuses on mental health and identity in the context of the Vietnamese diaspora, but enjoys writing across the spectrum of literary and speculative fiction. She was previously an editor and design lead for NōD Magazine, and now works in technology. She can be found at kathypham.ca. In this episode she shares with us the process of applying for an MFA, why she decided to do this and how she writes.
At time 19:00 Kathy shares a reading of “All of Us,” her story in the Belief anthology about a sister crashing a wedding.
Kathy’s website is https://kathypham.ca./
On Twitter she is @kqphm and on Instagram she is @kqphm
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep9 Writing about HK and Canadian Life, pursuing dreams with Kevin Wong
Kevin Wong was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia: the same hometown as Sidney Crosby and Sarah McLachlan. He has always loved writing and creating art, and even as a child he was constantly drawing, painting, writing stories, and telling tales to his friends and family. A child of Chinese parents, he discusses why he went into Computer Science and Nursing while writing at the same time. As well, he shares his experiences of visiting Hong Kong and living in Canada, his writing journey and his future goals.
At time 22:57 Kevin shares a reading from the first chapter of Hong Kong Hearts which is in the Belief anthology published by Ricepaper Magazine and Dark Helix Press. http://www.darkhelixpress.com/acww/belief/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep8 Intersections between Architecture, Writing and Art with Bianca Weeko Martin
Bianca Weeko Martin is a designer with Filipino, Indonesian, and Chinese ancestry. She was educated at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in Canada, where she has been based since immigrating with her family from Jakarta in 2000. Her roots in Southeast Asia have informed the bulk of her recent work, which addresses themes of memory, architectural representation, postcolonialism, and domestic space. On the podcast she shares her perspective on how the different forms of art she creates intersect, why she writes and strategies on moving projects forward.
At time 17:00 Bianca shares a reading “What’s in a Name?” from the Belief Anthology. http://www.darkhelixpress.com/acww/belief/
Bianca’s website is http://biancaweekomartin.com/
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard
Ep7 Creative Strategies to Develop and Perform Stories that Wow an Audience with Corey Rosen
This episode of The Artsy Raven features Corey Rosen, an Emmy-award winning writer, actor, and storytelling teacher. He has hosted over 100 live events for The Moth, The Moth StorySlam, and GrandSlams. A performer at BATS Improv, he is also a head writer at Tippett Studio.
We discuss what inspired Corey’s new book "Your Story, Well Told!", strategies used to tell a good story and he conducts an impromptu exercise with host JF Garrard to demonstrate the techniques of storytelling.
At time 28:20 Corey shares a reading from "Your Story, Well Told!"
For more information about Corey, visit https://www.coreyrosen.com, https://themoth.org and https://www.improv.org/actors/corey-rosen.
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcast
Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard