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Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

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  2. Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing EP 117 - Multi-Layered Collaboration with Kerrie Flanagan, Chuck Harrelson, and MacLeod Andrews

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing EP 117 - Multi-Layered Collaboration with Kerrie Flanagan, Chuck Harrelson, and MacLeod Andrews

Jan 31, 2020

Mark has a conversation with Kerrie Flanagan and Chuck Harrelson who are collaborating yet again under the author name C.G. Harris, and their mutual collaboration with audiobook narrator MacLeod Andrews.

They discuss the book The Nine, which is the first book in The Judas Files series, which is narrated by MacLeod, a multi-award-winning narrator.

Prior to the conversation, Mark shares a few personal updates, which include:

  • Heading to Colorado to attend Superstars Writing Seminars as a guest instructor the first week of February
  • A forthcoming two hour keynote he has been booked into for the spring
  • A virtual talk he'll be doing at one conference in Alberta while he is attending another conference in Colorado

Mark then shares a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices...

You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

In the interview, Mark, Kerrie, Chuck and MacLeod talk about:

  • The origin of Kerrie and Chuck starting to write together, originally for a romantic comedy series of three books under the name C.K. Wiles
  • Where the name C.G. Harris came from (as well as Mark's continued mispronunciation of C.G. Harris as "C.J. Harris" and his feeble excuse that that's the way Canadians pronounce it)
  • MacLeod's background as an actor and how he got involved in recording audiobooks, which he had never thought of as a possible career path
  • The 12 books that MacLeod had done with Brilliance audio and how that turned into a full time profession, allowing him to leave cater waitering
  • The decision to do this collaboration with Findaway Voices, and how this project was the first one MacLeod had done in a more independent fashion
  • The full service studio in Los Angeles that MacLeod used to record THE NINE
  • How this series was something that Kerrie and Chuck wanted to be similar to or appeal to fans of Jim Butcher's "The Dresden Files"
  • The decision to reach out to MacLeod to see if he would be interested in narrating THE NINE
  • How the collaboration between writers and narrator began and progressed, and the way that Kerrie and Chuck enjoyed the playful experimentation that MacLeod did on this project and also fully trusted him
  • How the Voices Share royalty splitting option worked for them via Findaway Voices
  • What THE NINE is all about and the plans for the 12 books in The Judas Files series
  • The way that comedy plays a role in a dark novel such as this one
  • The desire to do a simultaneous release of the print, eBook and audiobook for Book 2 in the series in August 2020
  • The plans for the next two books in the series coming relatively quickly after that (November and December)

After the conversation, Mark talks about how Chuck was a fan of MacLeod's previous audiobooks and had the idea to ask if he would be interested in working with them. He reflects on the importance of asking.

Links of Interest:

 

C.G. Harris is an award winning science-fiction and fantasy author from Colorado who draws inspiration from favorites, Jim Butcher, Richard Kadrey and Brandon Sanderson. For nearly a decade, Harris has escaped the humdrum of the real world by creating fictional characters and made-up realities. When not writing, Harris enjoys sipping scotch while watching the twisted humor of Drunk History. Seeing our past through the bottom of a whisky glass is more entertaining than reading a dusty textbook. C.G. Harris is the pen name and combined persona created by authors, Chuck Harrelson and Kerrie Flanagan. Together they have published, The Judas Files, a gritty urban fantasy series and The Rax, an apocalyptic science fiction series.

MacLeod Andrews is a multiple Audie, Earphone, and SOVAS award winning audiobook narrator, as well as an award winning film actor and producer. He’s perhaps most recognized in audio for narrating the Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey and The Reckoners series by Brandon Sanderson. His films They Look Like People and The Siren have played festivals all around the world and are available for streaming on major platforms domestically and abroad. He has a cat named Luna, a well known affinity for chocolate chip cookies, and rations his social media fix to twitter.

Chuck Harrelson spent almost thirty years as a fire fighter, mostly for Space Command in the Department of defense. He has amassed a wealth of knowledge over the years as he not only excelled in his job but also spent his off time honing his craft as a successful science fiction and fantasy author. He is now retired and writes full time, publishing his novels with writing partner Kerrie Flanagan. Chuck resides in Denver Colorado and is an active member of both the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and the Northern Colorado Writers Group. His past manuscripts won the 2014 Top of The Mountain Book Award competition, the Ballot Press Competition and one was a finalist at the 2016 San Diego Writers Conference.

Kerrie Flanagan is an author, writing consultant, presenter, and freelance writer with over 20 years’ experience in the publishing industry. She’s the author of, The Writer's Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing and creator of the Magazine Writing Blueprint. In addition, she has published twelve other books, including three series’ with her co-author Chuck Harrelson, under the pen names, C.K. Wiles and C.G. Harris. Their book, Showtime Rendezvous, was a finalist in The Beverly contest and also received an Honorable Mention for the Writer’s Digest self-published books awards. Her articles and essays have appeared in publications and anthologies including Writer's Digest, Alaska Magazine, The Writer, FamilyFun, and six Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Over the years, she has worked with hundreds of authors through classes and individual consultations. Her background in teaching, and enjoyment of helping writers has led her to present at writing conferences across the country and teach continuing studies classes through Stanford University. Now as a member of the Writing Day Workshop team, I help coordinate one-day writing conference throughout the country. www.KerrieFlanagan.com.

 

The 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