32. From postpartum depression to author w/ Samantha Bryant

When postpartum depression strikes, escaping those feelings can seem impossible. But finding a way to overcome the impossible and turn what we view as a weakness into our strength is part of what draws us to superheroes.

Joining today’s conversation is Samantha Bryant, an author of horror and superheroes. This mom of two returned to creative writing as a means to help herself through postpartum depression. 

Learn how Samantha established healthy boundaries with her children to safeguard her writing time. You’ll also hear about the evolution of her children adjusting to her writing needs and becoming her biggest supporters.

So, if you want to hear how Samantha turned a forgotten hobby into a writing career that includes superheroes, tune in today’s episode. 

Topics discussed: 

• Writing to process the world
• The slow decline of writing post-childbirth
• PPD and getting back into writing
• Weekend family team meetings 
• Pursing writing beyond being a hobby
• Implementing a daily writing habit
• The kids’ reactions to mom writing
• How healthy boundaries change as kids grow up
• Writing has no age limit
• Looking back at our earlier writings
• For the love of superheroes
• No right way to go about a writing life
• Favorite books
• Don’t wait to start writing again 

About Samantha: 

Samantha writes half-hero and half-horror, depending on whether she wants to save the world or watch it burn. Her superhero series comprises four novels, two novellas, and a collection of shorts and will conclude with the fifth novel in 2024. Her short-form horror work appears in several anthologies.

She parents an adult daughter and a teenage non-binary kid with her patient husband. La Casa Bryant is in a small town in North Carolina.

Get her books:

• Menopausal Superhero series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CHNLQ2 
• Anthologies with her horror stories: https://bit.ly/SamanthaBryant

Connect w/ Samantha:

• Website: http://samanthabryant.com
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/samanthadunawaybryant
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/samanthabwriter
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/samanthabwriter

 Books discussed during the show: 

• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• Comic books: Spider-Man, Underdog, Archie, Red Sonya, X-Men, and Uncanny X-Men
• The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Blck
• Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
• Pajama Time and Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton 
• Junie B. Jones by Barbra Park
• Franny K. Stein by Jim Benton 
• Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
• The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
• David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
• Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells

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