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What happens when your personal journey of healing and transformation inspires a novel?

That’s exactly what happened to this week’s podcast guest, award-winning author SL Clarke (Sherrie Lynn Clarke), whose debut novel, When He Returns, explores resilience, trauma, and redemption.

In this episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show, Sherrie Lynn shares the fascinating backstory behind her novel’s evolution—from its first publication as True Strength to its rebranding and relaunch as When He Returns.

We discuss the deep emotional roots of the story, how martial arts played a crucial role in her personal growth, and why she ultimately decided to change the book’s title and cover to better fit the women’s domestic suspense genre.

Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:

✨ How Sherrie Lynn channeled her own emotional transformation into her protagonist’s journey

✨ The challenges of self-publishing and why she decided to rebrand her book

✨ How she tackled cover design, book marketing, and genre alignment

✨ What it’s like to write about deeply personal experiences while keeping fiction fictional

✨ Her current memoir-in-progress about grief, faith, and self-discovery

If you’ve ever struggled with finding the right title, cover, or marketing approach for your book, this episode is packed with insights! Plus, you’ll love hearing about Sherrie Lynn’s creative journey—from marching band and martial arts to indie publishing and beyond.

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In this episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show, I sat down with the wonderful Kat Caldwell — and let me tell you, it was such an energizing, heartfelt conversation that I just know you’re going to love.

Kat is the host of the Pencils&Lipstick podcast, a multi-genre indie author, and someone who’s passionate about helping writers like us stay creative and resilient.

She’s been on this writing journey for over a decade, and together, we dove into the realities of what that path actually looks like — spoiler alert: it doesn’t magically get easier after you publish your first (or third!) book.

Kat opened up about how she first fell in love with stories as a kid, rewriting endings and imagining new adventures. But like so many of us, she struggled to figure out how to “make writing a real thing” when it came to careers and degrees.

One thing that really stuck with me was how honest Kat was about the mental hurdles we face. She described the fear of finishing one project and worrying there might not be another idea after it. I could completely relate — I’ve been there too!

But Kat reminded me (and all of us) that even when you switch genres or work on a new type of project, it’s always a fresh beast to tackle. Each book, each story, demands its own unique approach, and that’s part of what keeps this work exciting (and yes, sometimes maddening!).

We talked about the importance of joy in the writing process — how crucial it is to write what you love, without judgment. Kat encouraged writers to let go of the idea that every word or every story has to be “literary” or world-changing.

Whether you’re passionate about romance, sci-fi, or even writing short flash fiction pieces just for fun, it’s all valuable. Not every word needs to be published — sometimes writing just for yourself is what keeps the spark alive.

Kat also shared some smart advice about learning to toss out what isn’t working (including, in her case, tossing a whopping 60,000-word draft!) and recognizing that not every review or piece of feedback matters. What truly matters is creating work you’re proud of.

She even gave us a sneak peek into her resource: 10 Ways to Bring Joy Back Into Your Writing Life — which you can grab at the link.

If you’re feeling stuck or disconnected from your writing right now, this is the episode for you.

I walked away from this conversation feeling re-energized and reminded that we are resilient writers — we keep going, not because it’s easy, but because we love the process and the stories we’re here to tell. I hope you tune in and feel the same spark of inspiration I did!

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In today’s episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show, I’m absolutely thrilled to sit down with the incredible Canadian author Catherine Bush.

Catherine has written five novels—including Blaze Island and The Rules of Engagement—and has racked up an impressive list of accolades along the way. But today, we're diving into something a little different: her very first collection of short stories, Skin.

I loved hearing Catherine talk about why she turned to short fiction after years of working in long-form novels. Like many of us, she found herself exhausted during the pandemic and needed a new creative challenge—something playful, something pleasurable. Short stories, flash fiction, and even novella-length pieces became her way back into joy.

Skin isn’t just a collection of new work either; it brings together pieces from across her writing life, reimagined and revisited with the wisdom she’s gained over the years. I loved hearing her describe it as a "fractured writer’s autobiography."

We also explore how Catherine’s work continues to weave in themes of climate change and environmental intimacy, from a man obsessed with extreme windstorms to a woman’s strangely moving encounter with a glacier.

Catherine shares how she tries to reframe the typical “doom and gloom” narrative around climate change by writing about it in ways that are fresh, intimate, and full of wonder. Her reflections on finding new, non-cliché language to capture the natural world were so inspiring.

One of the things I found especially fascinating was how Catherine thinks about revision. Whether working on a novel or a short story, she approaches the process slowly, deeply, and with a fierce dedication to re-seeing the work each time she sits down.

Revision isn’t just about tweaking words—it’s about returning to the heart of the story, again and again, to bring it closer to its fullest, most alive version. Hearing how she balances specificity with liveliness was a real reminder to be patient with our own messy drafts.

We also talked about tenderness—how important it is to bring a loving, attentive gaze to both our characters and our readers. Catherine’s thoughts on writing as a reciprocal act, a gift exchange between writer and reader, really stayed with me. It's not about judgment; it's about listening and offering something meaningful.

Catherine’s new collection Skin is published by Goose Lane Editions, and she shares a bit about what it was like working with them (hint: she’s thrilled with the stunning cover!). Plus, she talks about the gift of working with fellow writer André Alexis as an editor for this project—how his intense, detailed feedback pushed her stories to an even deeper level.

Whether you’re working on a novel, experimenting with short stories, or simply needing a boost of creative inspiration, this conversation is full of encouragement, wisdom, and heart.

Thanks for tuning in, Writer—I'm so glad you're here!