One humble brag, two new podcast interviews and one opportunity for avid readers to take part in developing the next great reading app, all coming to you today.
Wallace House of Pain Recognized…Again
Taking deleted scenes from the full-length novel Beautiful and Terrible Things and turning them into a novelette called The Wallace House of Pain was one of the best publishing decisions I’ve made. The story of Xander and his dad and stepmother won a First Place in the Chanticleer International Book Awards, Shorts category, a few years ago. It also won Best Novelette in the American Fiction Awards.
Now, it has been named one of blogger Julie Sara Porter’s Top 10 Contemporary Reads of 2025. Julie is an excellent book reviewer so this is quite an honor!
“Stevens has done a wonderful and respectful job of bringing across a positive message of acceptance and love that any person who has ever struggled would love to read.” – Readers’ Favorite 5-star review
Fun fact: I toyed with calling the novelette Five Dinners and a Breakfast. 🙂
Another fun fact: Don’t forget that as a subscriber to my news, you were sent a link for a free digital copy of The Wallace House of Pain, so there’s no reason not to check it out.
New Podcast Interviews
If you’re a podcast fan, download one or both of these interviews from January and have a listen as you walk the dog or clean the house. I’ve recently started listening to downloaded podcasts when driving and it definitely helps pass the time.
The WROTE and Online for Authors episodes focus on my most recent novel, Beautiful and Terrible Things, while exploring the craft of writing (including plotting resources for authors) and my personal writing journey. WROTE includes a rapid-fire round of get-to-know-you questions which was quite fun! And unlike many podcasters, Teri M. Brown actually read the novel first for Online for Authors, which makes for a much more insightful discussion.
Beta Testers Wanted for New Reading App
My regular readers know I love the website Shepherd, which helps readers find books in fun and unique ways, including lists compiled by authors. (I’ve done several for them.) More than 2.2 million readers used the site last year. Shepherd has been renamed BookDNA, which I applaud.
BookDNA is creating a phone (and desktop) app for avid readers who want a private space to keep track of what you want to read, what you’ve read and what you thought of those books. Think Goodreads but private. No more sharing with the world if you don’t want to. This app will also do what BookDNA already does: give readers deeply personalized book recommendations. Think Pandora or Spotify for books.
BookDNA needs “beta testers” for this app. You can be on the cutting edge of something wonderful, and help create a resource that works for you. Provide as much or as little input as you like. Here’s the form to sign up: https://forms.gle/76BijYkop6S6sHa99
I’ve signed up to be a beta tester as I am always forgetting the titles of books I’ve read and then I can’t find them a year or two later. Hoping BookDNA will help! (I am not invested in BookDNA and make nothing from this. I just really like the people there and what they’re doing.)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
2 thoughts on “What’s Your BookDNA?”
Have been a member of Shepherd for a couple of years now, but I am not using it fully and properly – not enough energy yet to explore, and their list of favorite books on a subject hasn\’t worked for me because I can\’t find other books like mine.
So many things to do – and each requires energy. Right now, if I have any energy and the brain will focus, it goes to writing Pride\’s Children: LIMBO.
I want the trilogy finished, but I would also like the first two books to be building up an audience of readers waiting for the third. It IS easier to market a finished product, I think, but readers CAN be patient if they like the other books (all part of the same three-person story).
Have been a member of Shepherd for a couple of years now, but I am not using it fully and properly – not enough energy yet to explore, and their list of favorite books on a subject hasn\’t worked for me because I can\’t find other books like mine.
So many things to do – and each requires energy. Right now, if I have any energy and the brain will focus, it goes to writing Pride\’s Children: LIMBO.
I want the trilogy finished, but I would also like the first two books to be building up an audience of readers waiting for the third. It IS easier to market a finished product, I think, but readers CAN be patient if they like the other books (all part of the same three-person story).
Good luck with it, Alicia!