Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing: EP 468 - Identity and Not Being Who You Thought You Were with Marie Lynne Desrochers

EP 468 - Identity and Not Being Who You Thought You Were with Marie Lynne Desrochers

Apr 2, 2026

Mark interviews Marie Lynne Desrochers about her new memoir SHAKEN AWAKE: A Memoir on Identity and Connection.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by Toronto Indie Author Conference, taking place in Toronto, ON in April 2026.

In the interview, Mark and Marie Lynne talk about:

Marie's background in the corporate world marketing and how that ties in to storytelling
The startling event of receiving a message via Facebook from a man who introduced himself as Marie's father and how that lead to this memoir
The moment when you start wondering who you thought you've been your whole life
Marie's book SHAKEN AWAKE: A MEMOIR ON IDENTITY AND CONNECTION which is being released in English first in March 2026, and then will be released in French in June (both written by Marie who is bilingual)
How the table of contents for the book seemed to emerge dynamically near the beginning of the project
The exploration of identity and the various different identities that each individual wears
The value of sitting in different seats during the experience of writing a memoir like this
How the cover and the title for this book came to be
The way when you first become aware of something you see it everywhere
The ritual and importance of the kintsugi bowl from Japanese culture
The fear that still sits with Marie in the process of releasing this story to the world
When editors have conflicting views/perspectives on a book and how that can mean it's going to be a really good book - and the importance that not everyone is going to like it, or even believe it
Supernatural guidance that Marie received that helped answer the question of why she was writing this book
Deciding not to try to go to a publisher, but going to Author Nation instead to connect with people and learn how to get the book out there herself
The triple crown of being a successful author that includes needing to have mentors, to know what you're doing, and to have an accountability buddy
Advice Marie would offer to a writer beginning on their journey
The confidence about trusting emergence
Doing a book launch at a local gallery and the power of that collaboration
The distinctly different title for the French version of the book
And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on a number of things that came up during the interview.

Links of Interest:

Marie Lynne Desrochers is a Montreal-based author, speaker, director and former banking executive whose 30-year career spanned marketing, entrepreneurship, and advising global leaders. She now explores truth, identity, and connection through narrative nonfiction.
Her memoir, Shaken Awake: A Memoir on Identity and Connection (March 19, 2026), weaves a powerful family discovery with a deeper reflection on how unexpected truths reshape who we are—and how we love.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0