The Munn Avenue Muse Podcast Podcast Por Charles Levin arte de portada

The Munn Avenue Muse Podcast

The Munn Avenue Muse Podcast

De: Charles Levin
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Tips, Tricks, and Inspiration for Both Aspiring and Accomplished Authors from Munn Avenue Press

www.munnavenuemuse.comCharles Levin Arte Economía Historia y Crítica Literaria
Episodios
  • From Hurt to Healing to Amazon #1 Bestseller: Christina Marie Calderwood on Writing, Healing, and Radical Co-Parenting

    From Hurt to Healing to Amazon #1 Bestseller: Christina Marie Calderwood on Writing, Healing, and Radical Co-Parenting
    Jan 20 2026
    What does it take to turn a decade of emotional upheaval into a book that helps others navigate one of life’s most difficult transitions?In a recent episode of The Munn Avenue Muse, Charlie Levin sat down with Christina Marie Calderwood, a licensed counselor, wellness coach, and former finance executive, to discuss her new book, Protecting Children Through Divorce: 12 Self-Guided Reflections. Christina’s journey is not just one of healing, but of perseverance, and her story offers writers and readers alike a front-row seat into the messy, powerful process of turning vulnerability into value.A Radical Model of Co-ParentingThe book opens with a scene that usually stuns readers: Christina, her current husband, her ex-husband, and his wife travel and dine together regularly, functioning as a “true family.”But she’s quick to clarify that this wasn’t always the case. Early on, her divorce was shaped by “animosity and hurt,” particularly at emotionally charged events like youth sports games, where sitting on the same side of the stadium felt impossible. Her book doesn’t idealize her present; it chronicles how she got here, and how others can choose light over darkness, especially when children are involved.Writing Through Pain, Writing Toward PurposeThe process of writing Protecting Children Through Divorce took over 15 years. It wasn’t a straight line. Christina admits to opening and closing her laptop countless times, discarding draft after draft before finally finding the voice that felt true.Her biggest creative barrier? Vulnerability.* She relived the hardest parts. “There was a lot of crying,” she says. Revisiting the emotional wreckage of her past was non-negotiable but also exhausting.* She didn’t hide the scars. Christina chose to write the “raw” story because she didn’t want readers to mistake her current joy for a shortcut.* She avoided the drama. Instead of detailing what caused her marriage to end, she focused on forward movement: how to emotionally care for your children even if you’re still figuring things out yourself.High-Mileage Questions and a Hybrid FormatThe structure of Christina’s book also sets it apart: part memoir, part self-help, part journal. As a clinician, she developed “high mileage questions”—deeper, reflective prompts meant to help parents process heavy emotions before they unintentionally pass them on to their children.One of the key takeaways from her conversation was the distinction between self-care and self-avoidance. Bubble baths and jogs are helpful, but are you also sitting with your pain long enough to understand it? Christina encourages readers to ask, “Am I in a space where I can think and feel safely?”The Long Game of PublishingIn the spirit of creative resilience, Christina shared a quote that stuck with her: “Finish the book.” That advice, originally from author Dennis Lehane, became her north star. There were many moments she almost quit, when the process felt too raw, too uncertain. But her WHY kept her going.“If this book helps even one parent, then it was worth every last second,” she says.📘 Protecting Children Through Divorce is available now at:* Amazon* Barnes & Noble* Independent bookstoresIf you are ready to share your own story, whether it is fiction, nonfiction, or a blend of both, Munn Avenue Press is here to help you bring it to life. If you would like to publish your book or your audiobook (or are just dreaming about it), let the MunnAvenuePress.com team help make your dream a reality.Happy Writing! Charlie Levin, Publisher & Founder🎧 Listen to Christina’s full episode on The Munn Avenue Muse.👉 Want more unfiltered author journeys and publishing wisdom? Subscribe below for weekly insights from the Munn Avenue Muse.Ask Siri or Alexa to “Play The Munn Avenue Muse podcast!” This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.munnavenuemuse.com
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    34 m
  • From the Serengeti to the Bestseller List: Todd Gustafson on Story, Persistence, and Legacy

    From the Serengeti to the Bestseller List: Todd Gustafson on Story, Persistence, and Legacy
    Jan 6 2026
    What turns a lifetime of adventure into a story that lasts?In a recent episode of The Munn Avenue Muse, Charlie Levin sat down with Todd Gustafson, a wildlife photographer, PBS documentarian, and composer whose memoir, Tales from the Ends of the Earth: My Adventures in East Africa and Beyond, has already reached #1 on Amazon’s bestseller list. Todd’s story isn’t just about breathtaking encounters with wildlife. It’s about how a life fully lived becomes a legacy worth passing on.A Childhood Shaped by the WildTodd’s creative foundation was laid far from classrooms or studios. He grew up in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania, nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, surrounded by rainforest, chameleons, and Colobus monkeys. His father, an architect, biologist, and missionary, moved the family there in the 1960s to build a secondary school.That early immersion didn’t just influence Todd’s career. It shaped his worldview. Nature wasn’t something to visit. It was home. And for decades, he’s returned the favor by documenting it with patience, respect, and remarkable skill.Beyond “Pretty Pictures”: Learning to Tell a StoryOne of the most revealing moments Todd shared was when he first considered making a book. His son Anders, a filmmaker, offered blunt feedback: a collection of beautiful images without a narrative would be “boring.”That critique changed everything.Instead of assembling a photo album, Todd approached his book like a silent film. Images introduce characters. Sequences establish rhythm. The structure mirrors the human condition: courtship, family, competition, survival. In doing so, Todd found the connective tissue between human life and the natural world.The result is a book that doesn’t just show animals. It helps readers recognize themselves.Stick‑tuitivity and the Long GameTodd credits much of his success to what his mother called “stick‑tuitivity,” the ability to stay with something long after it gets hard.That persistence paid off when he pursued legendary primatologist Jane Goodall to narrate his PBS documentary series. After years of navigating gatekeepers, Todd finally met her in Seattle for a recording session he describes as unforgettable. Goodall later contributed a deeply personal three‑page foreword to his book.The reach of Todd’s work has been equally striking. During a visit to Tanzania, Pope Francis encountered Todd’s books and remarked that they have the “chance to change hearts and minds and make this a better world.”When the Wild Is Very RealThe memoir is filled with moments that are visceral, unscripted, and decidedly not enhanced by technology:* The Cheetah Encounter: A young cheetah leapt onto the roof of Todd’s vehicle in the Serengeti, sitting just a foot from his face while its mother scanned for prey.* The Leopard Farewell: Two leopard siblings Todd had known since infancy performed a final tumbling ritual before separating forever to claim their own territories.* The Hailstorm: A rare and dangerous hailstorm trapped Todd near a herd of nearly one hundred elephants—an encounter as humbling as it was terrifying.These moments aren’t shared for spectacle. They are reminders of how small we are—and how connected. Listen or watch while Todd shares some of his most amazing encounters.Why Stories MatterTodd likens himself to the ancient mariners of Victorian England—those who returned from distant voyages with shells, artifacts, and tales of far‑off worlds. His photographs and stories are modern equivalents: gems gathered from the edge of the earth, carried back for those who may never go there themselves.Ultimately, Tales from the Ends of the Earth is about legacy. Todd believes a memoir is one of the greatest gifts we can leave future generations, a way of saying, this is who we were, and this is what we learned. As Jane Goodall writes in the book, everything we do makes a difference. The choice is what kind of difference we decide to make.Final ThoughtsWhat makes Tales from the Ends of the Earth endure isn’t just where Todd Gustafson has been, it’s how intentionally he chose to tell it.This book works because it treats a life story the same way Todd treats the natural world: with patience, structure, and deep respect. For anyone considering a memoir, especially one rooted in experience, expertise, or decades of lived work, Todd’s journey is a reminder that impact doesn’t happen by accident (although happy and unhappy accidents do happen). It comes from persistence, clarity, and a willingness to move beyond “what happened” into why it mattered.A story lasts when it does more than preserve memories. It invites others in. It teaches. It connects. And in the best cases, like Todd’s, it leaves the world a little more awake than it found it.At Munn Avenue Press, this is the kind of work we believe in, stories built with intention, care, and a long view toward legacy.📘 Where to Find the BookAvailable now at:* ...
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    38 m
  • From Bullet Points to Bestseller: How Two Experts Turned Ideas into Impact

    From Bullet Points to Bestseller: How Two Experts Turned Ideas into Impact
    Nov 11 2025
    Turning an idea into a book isn’t just about having something to say. It’s about how you say it, how you shape it, and who helps you along the way.Charlie Levin recently caught up with Sarah Escobar and Corinne Murray, co-authors of Work Then Place: Navigating Modern Work and Where It Happens. Their approach to writing and publishing offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to bring a dense, idea-rich book to life and to write with a partner. If you’re writing nonfiction or building a thought-leadership project of your own, their experience offers more than just advice. It’s a working model.From Bullet Points to BlueprintThe first version of Work Then Place wasn’t a book at all. It was 30 pages of bullet points, created by Sarah during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, she was working at Netflix and witnessing massive shifts in workplace strategy. She knew her insights had long-term value, so she wrote them down. But the result, by her own admission, wasn’t “real readable.”This is something many nonfiction writers face. Deep expertise doesn’t automatically translate into accessible content. Sarah had the material, but not yet the format. It wasn’t until she partnered with Corinne that the raw ideas began to evolve into something that could meet readers where they are.Finding the Right Co-PilotCorinne came into the project with her own experience in global workplace transformation and an eye for story and clarity. Sarah had the substance. Corinne brought the shape. Together, they turned technical insights into a compelling narrative.They treated co-authorship as a strategic move. Corinne didn’t just contribute to the book. She helped transform its rhythm, tone, and accessibility. This kind of partnership, built on complementary strengths, shifted the project from “informational” to “impactful.”Design Comes Before DraftsInstead of jumping into more writing, Sarah and Corinne stepped back to figure out what the book actually needed to be. They took a focused retreat to Joshua Tree: just the two of them, a house, and all their raw content, cut into strips of paper. They laid everything out, reshuffled the pieces, and physically mapped out the flow of the book.That work resulted in the framework behind Work Then Place, including its core acronym and structure. Only after this design session did they return to the writing process with clarity and direction.Taking the time to design early on helped them avoid getting lost later.Knowing What You Don’t KnowSarah and Corinne were workplace strategy experts, but publishing was new territory. They quickly realized how much they didn’t know. Formatting for Amazon, using IngramSpark, understanding the editing process, making the content readable to non-experts—none of it was obvious.That’s when they brought in Holly Hudson, an experienced book coach. Holly helped them clarify their voice, simplify the structure, and keep the book grounded in a reader-first perspective. She also introduced them to their publisher, Munn Avenue Press. Corinne admitted the editing process was far more intense than expected, but also essential to the quality of the final product.Professional support was not an optional add-on. It was part of the foundation.Publishing Is the Middle, Not the EndAfter the book was released, Sarah and Corinne kept going. Because they had trimmed so much content to keep the book tight and readable, they’re now developing a companion workbook. It includes tools, exercises, and frameworks that help readers take action on what they’ve learned.This follow-up isn’t just bonus content. It’s a pathway to deepen impact, sustain momentum, and reach more people over time.Final ThoughtsWhat Sarah and Corinne built with Work Then Place wasn’t just a book. It was a strategic, structured process. And for any author, especially those writing about complex or technical subjects, that process matters just as much as the product.Clear planning, thoughtful collaboration, early support, and a roadmap for what comes next. These elements are what make a book work not just in terms of publishing, but in terms of real impact.At Munn Avenue Press, we support authors who think big and build wisely.📘 Where to Find the BookAvailable now at:* Amazon* Barnes & Noble* Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores)If you are ready to share your own story, whether it is fiction, nonfiction, or a blend of both, Munn Avenue Press is here to help you bring it to life. If you would like to publish your book or your audiobook (or are just dreaming about it), let the MunnAvenuePress.com team help make your dream a reality.Happy Writing! Charlie Levin, Publisher & Founder🎧 Listen to the episode now on Munn Avenue Muse.👉 Want more unfiltered author journeys and publishing wisdom? Subscribe below for weekly insights from the Munn Avenue Muse.Ask Siri or Alexa to “Play The Munn Avenue Muse podcast!” This ...
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    35 m
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