Author Reading: Middle-Grade Fiction

white wolf sleeping in snow

I was honored to participate in last week's Reading Week festivities at the Dr. Joseph A. Whelan Elementary School in North Providence, Rhode Island. I read from my middle-grade fiction work, Shannon's Odyssey. Twelve-year-old Shannon treks through a hundred miles of wilderness to find her long-lost Gran. She encounters dangers, hunger, thirst, storms, and animals good and … Continue reading Author Reading: Middle-Grade Fiction

Reading: “Sullied at the Police Station”

What happens when an attempted rape is reported at the police station? This reading from my novel Horseshoes and Hand Grenades gives you an idea. The story is set in the 1980s but how much has changed since then? You be the judge. This reading, which I call "Sullied at the Police Station", was recorded … Continue reading Reading: “Sullied at the Police Station”

Reading: “Frenemies”

author s.m. stevens

Who doesn't love a good enemies-turned-friends story? That's what you get in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. In this reading of an excerpt from the Contemporary/New Adult Fiction novel, our two heroes meet for the first time. Shelby and Astrid couldn't be more different, and they do not hit it off right away, to put it … Continue reading Reading: “Frenemies”

Reading: “Astrid in the Alley”

graphic slide for novel excerpt video

Hello everyone! Work on my new novel is keeping me from posting as much as I'd like, but we can't forget about Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, my modern coming-of-age novel for two young women building their careers and lives while dealing with demons from the past and present. The novel continues to garner glowing reviews. … Continue reading Reading: “Astrid in the Alley”

Reading: “Porch Steps”

Shelby is beginning to heal in this short passage from Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, recorded at a virtual reading I did recently. Click on the video to watch. I call this passage "Porch Steps" - I hope you enjoy it! https://youtu.be/uRaOeHduKlE If you don't know the story of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, it might help … Continue reading Reading: “Porch Steps”

July 28 Virtual Author Reading

I'll be reading from my novel Horseshoes and Hand Grenades and doing some Q&A this Tuesday, JULY 28, 2020 at 7:00 PM EST. Click here to register for the free Zoom event. The virtual author reading was originally scheduled to take place at the Thirsty Lab in Princeton, Mass. but then coronavirus... The event will … Continue reading July 28 Virtual Author Reading

HAHG Blog Tour: Day 3

snipped from masthead book review blog reading nook

In honor of it being Day 3 of the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour, we have three postings to share with you today. (Just kidding. It wasn't planned that way. It just turned out that Review Tales by Jeyran Main split her post into two pieces: my guest post about why I wrote HAHG … Continue reading HAHG Blog Tour: Day 3

Excerpt: Driving to Newfield

This is the final excerpt in celebration of TouchPoint Press's recent release of my #MeToo novel Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Thanks for reading, and I hope I've encouraged you to read the rest of the story as Astrid and Shelby struggle with past and present demons and try to rebuild their lives, friendships, romances and … Continue reading Excerpt: Driving to Newfield

Excerpt: Hotel Suite

Today's episode of Book Launch Week features a Horseshoes and Hand Grenades excerpt that is short but intense. Astrid has just arrived at the door of her former boss's hotel suite, for a business meeting with him and another woman. He backed up, allowing me to pass by him into the small living area. The … Continue reading Excerpt: Hotel Suite