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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.