When plotting out a book, trying to interweave numerous plot lines into a chronology and story arc that make sense can bring on a brain cramp! Enter the Post-Its, those humble little slips of paper that have organized many a disheveled thought process. I found my pile of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Post-Its when I … Continue reading Fun Photo Friday: Post-It Plotting
One reason I wrote Horseshoes and Hand Grenades was to open a window into why many women (and men) who are victims of workplace sexual harassment, incest, rape and other forms of sexual abuse, often don't speak up. Frankly, I was pissed off reading much of the Harvey Weinstein coverage, because it seemed the more … Continue reading How Women Speak Up
OK, I know that this Friday's Fun Photo may not be deemed "fun" by all. But I can't look at my new business cards for Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, which comes out September 27th, without smiling. The cover of my book in miniature form is just so darn cute. Yes, I have a thing for … Continue reading Fun Photo Friday: HAHG Business Card!
How do you define success for a novel? I expect the answer differs for readers and authors, but maybe not as much as you would think. Whichever hat I'm wearing, I want the novel to entertain and to provoke thought. I have additional goals for Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, as I say in this recent … Continue reading Defining Success for A Novel
Thanks to my local paper, The Item, for writing up a very nice overview of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, which also ran in the Worcester Telegram. (Although, can I say, one never knows how much forehead one has until you see a photo cropped this closely, haha!) Following is the text of the article, or … Continue reading Clinton Item/Worcester Telegram Previews “Horseshoes”
Yes, we have a release date! My publisher, TouchPoint Press, has announced that Horseshoes and Hand Grenades will be released on Sept. 27, 2019. Here's the press release they issued recently: S.M. Stevens' Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Discusses Overcoming Abuse and the Power of Friendship in a #MeToo Context S.M. Stevens’ novel, Horseshoes and Hand … Continue reading TouchPoint Press to Publish Horseshoes and Hand Grenades on Sept. 27
Moving to a new home, as I recently did, means a fresh start at one’s bookshelf — a chance to wander through the collection, re-visit old friends, and maybe pluck out a few titles that have fallen out of favor and deserve a more loving home. It’s also a time to re-organize your books in … Continue reading How to Re-organize Your Bookshelf Using (Il)logical Categories
I am so pumped that author Laura Davis is endorsing my forthcoming #metoo novel, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Laura, as you may know, is co-author of The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse. A groundbreaking self-help book when it was first published in 1988, it remains in print today, … Continue reading “Courage to Heal” Author Endorses “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades”
With my first novel to be traditionally published in the pre-launch stage now, I have a lot of questions about the process. I'll figure those out in due time. But my "most burning" question -- the one that sets my brain on fire, and wakes me up at night with novel-induced hot flashes -- is … Continue reading Cover Blind
When my two daughters were in middle and high school, I struggled with the correct advice to give them regarding their clothes. Yes, they should have been allowed to wear what they liked without boys or men taking their attire as some sort of invitation. But I didn't want them to cross the line into … Continue reading Women in Leggings