“Wardrobe Woes & Other Assorted Misadventures” Published by HerStry

HerStry logo, slingback pumps against the Boston city skyline

Ever look back at a job interview and cringe? Wish for a do-over? Lament your youthful missteps? Or want to take back a faulty wardrobe decision? I have. All at once, in fact. My first real job interview was plagued by not one or two mishaps, but five! As the years passed, I stopped cringing … Continue reading “Wardrobe Woes & Other Assorted Misadventures” Published by HerStry

Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Review

Cover of Beautiful and Terrible Things, Readers' Favorite logo, and 5-star review badge

Sites like Amazon have made consumer reviews of everything from refrigerators to socks the most important form of marketing and advertising out there. But consumer reviews of books have always mattered. How many books have you picked up to read because a friend or family member said it was great and you had to check … Continue reading Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Review

Advance Reviews Praise “Beautiful and Terrible Things”

book Beautiful and Terrible Things on a wooden bedside table

The first advance reviews of my forthcoming novel Beautiful and Terrible Things are in, and they offer high praise! Sending "Advance Reader Copies" (also called "Advance Review Copies") out to publishing trade magazines and media before a book is published is a time-honored tradition in the process of publishing a novel. The idea is that … Continue reading Advance Reviews Praise “Beautiful and Terrible Things”

March Madness

My version of March Madness--any brackets are the punctuation kind. ๐Ÿ™‚ A lot of exciting things happened in March on the book front. Here are three tidbits I have not yet shared on this blog, and one ICYMI. The Wallace House of Pain Advances to the Finals for Chanticleer My novelette about a troubled father-son … Continue reading March Madness

My 3 Favorite Reads for 2023

S.M. Stevens' 3 favorite reads in 2023 with book covers

Shepherd, as my regular readers know, is a relatively new site for finding your next book, but with a twist: the book recommendations are fromย authors. I am one of 884 authors asked to name our 3 favorite reads for 2023. Choosing was tough, of course, and stopping at three was even tougher. But here's my … Continue reading My 3 Favorite Reads for 2023

A Little Book Problem Reviews “The Wallace House of Pain”

Graphic showing the masthead for the "A Little Book Problem" blog, a quote from the review, and the cover of The Wallace House of Pain

I'm pleased to share a new review of The Wallace House of Pain, this one from A Little Book Problem--one of my favorite book review blogs. Hop on over to Julie's blog, A Little Book Problem, for the full review. And here are a few snippets: "A great collection of vignettes which explores the relationship … Continue reading A Little Book Problem Reviews “The Wallace House of Pain”

Readers’ Favorite Rates “The Wallace House of Pain” 5 Stars

light green background readers favorite logo

Readers' Favorite, one of the fastest growing book review and contest sites, has rated The Wallace House of Pain 5 stars! They also posted the following review. "The Wallace House of Pain: A Novelette centers around Xander and his estranged father, Jim. S.M. Stevens uses this short story to introduce us to Xander and his … Continue reading Readers’ Favorite Rates “The Wallace House of Pain” 5 Stars

Three Must-Read Books

covers of three must-read books on shelf pink background

This is not a book review blog; it's a blog to talk about my own books and related news. However, sometimes you read a book that is too good not to talk about. I've enjoyed a few of those lately, and I want to share these three must-read books with you. Making these books extra … Continue reading Three Must-Read Books

Early Reviews for “The Wallace House of Pain”

open hardcover book folded pages pink flower

Early reviews for The Wallace House of Pain are starting to come in. Wottaread The first blog review of The Wallace House of Pain is from Wottaread. This book review site featured my novelette last week, for which we thank them. I love how they sum up the story: "This book is about knowing yourself … Continue reading Early Reviews for “The Wallace House of Pain”

Paying Homage to Book Review Bloggers

montage of book review blog mastheads

Book-lovers, you're gonna like this post! Read on or skip to the end to find online book reviewers who can introduce you to books in your favorite genres. When you're a relatively unknown author, getting attention for your novel is difficult and/or expensive. That's why I'm so grateful to the online community of book review … Continue reading Paying Homage to Book Review Bloggers