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
I am often asked why I wrote Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, my novel that is both a coming-of-age story for two young women, and a probe into the minds of victims of sexual harassment and abuse. I had several goals in mind when developing and writing the story, as I explain in this 2-minute clip … Continue reading Video: Why I Wrote Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
I think a lot of writers suffer from midnight inspiration, for better or worse. I’m almost done with the first act of my new manuscript (about a group of Millennials grappling with life’s choices and social justice issues), and am happy to report I've found a way to work with these sometimes unwelcome thoughts. Typically, … Continue reading Life of a Writer: Midnight Inspiration
I had the distinct pleasure of being interviewed recently by the delightful Chriselda Barretto for her unique podcast, "The 3 Pillars." The episode was published on April 29, 2020. Listen to it here, and be prepared for 30 seconds of intense, awesome music in the introduction! We discussed the actions women are taking after reading … Continue reading Interview: “The 3 Pillars” Podcast
We're halfway through the "30 Days of Free Books" COVID-19 program, and there are still many great books in many genres from many amazing authors up for grabs! https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=exJhzSvampU&feature=emb_logo Entry is free, other than answering 1 quick, multiple-choice question about how the coronavirus has affected your reading habits. The other authors and I thought it … Continue reading 15 Free Books Left
Sneak preview: During this coronavirus crisis, housebound people are turning to streaming services and social media to stay entertained and sane. It's time to get some books into that mix, don't you think? We'll be announcing something special in a day or two. (As you can guess from the title of this post, it has … Continue reading Sneak Preview – 30 Days of Free Books
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
Day 2 of the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour takes us to Review Tales by Jeyran Main in Canada, which published an article by yours truly about why I delved into the sticky world of #MeToo with this novel; and to Book Briefs here in the U.S., which published an author interview and is … Continue reading HAHG Blog Tour: Day 2
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by AllAuthor recently, about my new novel Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, as well as previous books Shannon's Odyssey and the Bit Players series for YA theatre-lovers. AllAuthor is a wonderful site that unites authors and readers. It's main goal is helping readers discover new authors and new books … Continue reading AllAuthor Interview with S.M. Stevens
Next week marks my virgin foray into the wonderful world of blog tours. Blog what? you might ask. A blog tour, I repeat. What is a Blog Tour? A blog tour is essentially a virtual book tour. In the old days, and in the today days for big-name authors backed by big-name publishing houses, authors … Continue reading Blog Tour Preview