Leon Stevens's Blog, page 14
May 16, 2025
Free Book Friday: New Words
Maybe you heard the claim: No one uses the term “groceries” anymore. Trump said it’s a beautiful word and used it in his campaign. He describes it as, “It’s a bag with a lot of different things in it.”
Eloquent. Mr. President. Well done to bring that term back to the 21st century. Which makes me wonder, when do you think he last went to the … Hmmm. What’s that place? Oh yeah, the building with different things in it.
Then, just the other day he stated: “Basically, what we’re doing is equalizing. There’s a new word that I came up with, which is probably the best word.”
I’m pretty sure that word has been around a while.
-Leon
A note on Amazon:
There has been a growing movement to boycott Amazon which for indie authors who publish through the KDP platform is concerning. Many have seen their sale drop off as a result.
Yes, Bezos is one of those billionaires that really don’t need more money, and seems to be trying to curry favour with sleepy Mr. Orange, but since Kindle is one of the most popular way to read eBooks, it is an obvious choice for the indie author.
Being exclusive to KDP means your book can be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited and is accessible to readers who pay for the subscription. The royalty payouts are less than the eBook purchase pays but with 4.5 million subscribers it is a decent piece of the reader pie. Some authors have done the math and calculated that reading 10 books a month will cost Amazon rather than make them money.
Year to date I’ve made ~$50 on eBook sales and ~$10 in KU royalties. Last year it was ~$164 in eBook sales and ~$43 in KU royalties. So I do make more in sales but I’m also reaching readers through KU.
I have been tossing around the idea of going wide (publishing on all eBook platforms) and will start with my poetry books soon.
-Leon
Euphrates Vanished (Kindle/KU)A Matter of Sabotage (Kindle/KU)Don’t feel like buying the book?
Sign up to review Euphrates VanishedSign to review A Matter of SabotageSci-fi not your thing?
Try my two poetry collections: Lines by Leon and A Wonder of Words
The story behind Free Book Friday: I’ve met many authors and readers during my time marketing, cross-promoting, and blogging. I think writers have a responsibility to inform readers about all the indie authors out there in the very crowded world of book publishing. You can’t do it alone, and why would you when you have a supportive group available?
Readers don’t just read one author – they stick with their favorite genres. Therein lies the power in cross-promotion. If one of my readers buys a book from an author I promote, then chances are there will be a reciprocal effect, or so is the hope. Do I want to boost sales? Of course I do. Do I want to boost other’s sales? Why not. It’s called karma.
Some free book offers require a newsletter sign-up, which is a small non-monetary price to pay to try out a new indie author.
Purchase/Sales Links
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
May 12, 2025
Monday Music: Eurovision Predictions
I hope you enjoyed going on this musical journey with me, but since the semi-finals start tomorrow, I better get in my picks. In case you are wondering what my criteria was, I looked at musicality, theatrics, originality, entertainment value, an the “What the heck was that?” factor.
First: KAJ-Sweden
Second: VÆB-Iceland
Third: Zoë Më-Switzerland
Fourth: Mamagama-Azerbaijan
I also have a wild card pick: Tommy Cash-Espresso Macchiato
I just checked the official Vegas money line and only two of my picks are in the top ten. But you gotta play the odds, right?
-Leon
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
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Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
May 11, 2025
Mother’s Day
For most of history, the mother was the parent who raised the children, while it was the father’s role to parade them around and say, “Look at my lovely kids,” as if he had something to do with the rearing.
But even thousands of years ago, during the first televised gladiator games, the winners would put down their bloody weapon, wipe the bits of flesh of their leather armor say hi to and thank their moms first, if not only. This practice led to the first recorded instance a father saying, “Why you ungrateful little…”
But even as mothers began to take jobs outside the home, they still had the added responsibility of household chores as most fathers still were unable to grasp the concept of when something was dirty or the correct size of a pot for the item to be cooked. Not to mention the sniff test technique to determine when an item of clothing needed washing.
So, when the kids came home and tossed their coats, shoes and school bags in front of the closet before running up to their rooms, the mothers would often be the maids of the house.
The first Mother’s Day was in 1908, created by American Jarvis who later regretted it due to the massive commercialisation of the holiday by corporations run by— you guessed it—men.
Mothers do deserve more than one day, for all the work they do. But in the meantime, enjoy the breakfast in bed prepared with love—and possibly salt instead of sugar—by your children, who despite not saying it enough, do love and appreciate you.
-Leon
Hope you enjoyed the recap! Feel free to share it with others.
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
Songs for a Sunday: Eurovision 2025 (Voices Edition)
A few more hopefuls in the Eurovision title race.
A countertenor with a distinctive voice that can reach soprano heights, JJ has already made a name for himself in the classical music world.
The singer, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, was born in Vienna in 2001 and grew up in Dubai before returning to Vienna in 2016.
With over 25 years on stage, Melody is an established Spanish pop artist known for her musical talent, charisma and energy.
Since her first hit at just 10 years old with El Baile Del Gorila, she has maintained a special connection with audiences, experimenting with pop, flamenco and Latin music, and topping the charts in more than 15 countries.
I keep hearing Shakira in this one:
Despite being 1.80 metres tall, Zoë Më describes herself as a “little fairy” with a deep connection to two cultures, both of which are represented in her music.
She sings in both German and French, blending poetic pop with ‘chanson’. Born in Basel, she lived in Germany before moving with her family to Fribourg in 2009.
Sometimes a gentle, airy voice is what’s needed…
Tautumeitas are a 6-member ethno-pop group that blend the traditional with the contemporary, transforming Latvia’s folk heritage into an electrifying experience for listeners.
The band have become a huge force in the Latvian music scene, gaining widespread recognition for their unique sound. Their latest album, Skrejceļš, was celebrated with a 17-date tour and performances at Glastonbury (United Kingdom), Eurosonic (Netherlands), Rudolstadt (Germany) and Festival Du Bout du Monde (France).
Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele make up Remember Monday, a band with a real flair for vocal harmonies.
As well as their own brand of empowering pop, the trio have become renowned for their unique takes on other artists’ songs, many of which have gone viral on social media.
Tomorrow I will reveal my predictions.
-Leon
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
May 10, 2025
Weekend Wrap-up May 9: Blowin’ in the Wind
Windy and dry. It seems that we are experiencing more windy days than I remember having 10, 20 years ago, but maybe I’m mistaken, because I don’t keep a journal of windspeeds and I don’t feel like wading through a bunch of stats…
Wait, of course I will.
So the wind speed hasn’t changed much, but according to the reliable site Reddit, people seem to think there are more windy days. I bike almost every day and it does seem I’m always biking into a headwind. So I’m going to say, yes, it is getting windy.
That is all.
-Leon
In case you missed my blog:Weekend Wrap-up May 9: Blowin’ in the WindFree Book Friday: Novus papa. Non omnes duces Americani insaniunt.Thursday Thoughts: Black Smoke (and mirrors)Weird Wednesday: Seeing DoubleTuesday Top 10: Schooled
Hope you enjoyed the recap! Feel free to share it with others.
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
May 9, 2025
Free Book Friday: Novus papa. Non omnes duces Americani insaniunt.
I am not a religious person, so a new Pope doesn’t have a lot of relevance for me, but since there are 1.4 billion Catholics in the world, I feel slightly outnumbered.
As the new leader of the Catholic church, I feel confident that this highly educated, caring person from Chicago will not gut the Vatican’s budget, fire a bunch of cardinals that didn’t vote for him in the conclave and appoint new ones that he saw on TV, or slap tariffs on holy water imported from other countries.
And he picked a pretty good name, too.
-Leon
While you’re here, check out Leon’s books!
Euphrates Vanished (Kindle/KU)A Matter of Sabotage (Kindle/KU)Don’t feel like buying the book?
Sign up to review Euphrates VanishedSign to review A Matter of SabotageSci-fi not your thing?
Try my two poetry collections: Lines by Leon and A Wonder of Words
The story behind Free Book Friday: I’ve met many authors and readers during my time marketing, cross-promoting, and blogging. I think writers have a responsibility to inform readers about all the indie authors out there in the very crowded world of book publishing. You can’t do it alone, and why would you when you have a supportive group available?
Readers don’t just read one author – they stick with their favorite genres. Therein lies the power in cross-promotion. If one of my readers buys a book from an author I promote, then chances are there will be a reciprocal effect, or so is the hope. Do I want to boost sales? Of course I do. Do I want to boost other’s sales? Why not. It’s called karma.
Some free book offers require a newsletter sign-up, which is a small non-monetary price to pay to try out a new indie author.
Purchase/Sales Links
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
May 8, 2025
Thursday Thoughts: Black Smoke (and mirrors)
Apparently, everyone is now an expert in the innerworkings of the conclave because they watched the movie when it came out or jumped on the bandwagon after the death of Pope Francis.
How accurate is the movie? I don’t know, I haven’t watched it. But I did watch the TV series “Lost” and it featured black smoke. That black smoke wasn’t very nice, but I won’t tell you any more than that in case you haven’t seen it yet (the show, not the smoke).
Catholics and non-Catholics alike are fixated on the chimney at the Vatican and as you probably suspect there are many live “Conclave Chimney Cams” available. Here’s what was happening at 8:09 CST:
Speaking of movies, was it a coincidence that hours after the Clint Eastwood movie “Escape form Alcatraz” was aired on TV, that President Trump said he wanted to reopen the prison to house the worst criminals because no one ever escaped from there, saying:
“One person almost got there, but they — as you know the story — they found his clothing rather badly ripped up. It was a lot of shark bites, a lot of problems.”
The thing is, that was the last scene in the movie, and in actual fact, the real-life 1962 escape attempt that inspired the film, three inmates used raincoats to construct a raft in their bid to reach the mainland, but were never found.
I think perhaps he also watched “Toy Story” and that’s why he put the tariffs on China, because he was scared they would all come to life…
-Leon
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
May 7, 2025
Weird Wednesday: Seeing Double
Who is Matt Maltese? When I saw him, I thought he was a younger Brian Cox (the physicist, not the actor). So…Who is Matt Maltese?
Matthew Jonathan Gordon Maltese is a British-Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer.
Wait. So who is Brian Cox? He is the physicist famous for teaching us about the universe while contemplatingly walking along in various locales (usually along mountains ridges or through a forest trail)
But his claim to fame is his voice, which I discovered has the effect of counteracting insomnia, by lulling the listener into an ASMR state of relaxation, while learning about the mysteries of the universe.
But I also learned that he is also a musician, playing keyboards in the band, D’Ream.
But, he isn’t the first musician to become a scientist. That honor goes to Brian May of Queen who received his PhD in astrophysics.
-Leon
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
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Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
May 6, 2025
Tuesday Top 10: Schooled
Mark Carney meets with Donald Trump today. Trump said, “I don’t know why he’s coming here.”
Really? You don’t? That statement says a lot about your leadership.
Top Ten Things Carney Should Teach Trump:
10.Trade deficits are not subsidies: Per person, Canadians buy more from the USA.
9. Tariffs are paid by the importing country: Those billions you say you are raking in are coming from the people who voted for you.
8. Trump signed CUSMA and said it was the best deal: His words, not ours.
7. He does need our natural resources: 80% of potash their farmers use comes from Canada, for example.
6. America can’t build everything it needs: There’s a reason why goods are outsourced (and cheaper)
5. Stop with the 51st state s#!t: If we had been, Trump wouldn’t have won.
4. Borders are not artificial lines: The USA has more artificial lines then if this is true.
3. The US economy was already the envy of the world: It really was…
2. I think that’s enough for one meeting: Probably more schooling he can handle.
-Leon
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
May 5, 2025
Monday Muse: How Crazy Is That?
Some things make you say, “Did that just happen?”
No, I’m not talking about the US president saying kids will have to do with only 2 dolls for Christmas instead of 30, or him wanting to re-open Alcatraz as a prison, or him and the White House posting a picture of him as the Pope (yeah, that happened).
I’m talking about what happened during last night’s NHL playoff game between the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues. If you are not a fan of the third most popular sport in the world. let me set the stage.
The Jets had the best record in the regular season and the best goalie, Conner Hellebuyck, and were favored to beat the Blues handedly. But after winning the first two games the series seemed to go off the rails with Hellebuyck being pulled in three of the next four game after less than stellar performances, and most Jets fans were skeptical that Game 7 would end in victory.
After letting in 2 goals in 4 shots, it looks like Hellebuyck would get yanked again and the Blues seemed to be destined to advance to the next round when they scored again, going up 3-1.
Cue the sports movie trope. Three minutes left in the game and the coach pulls the goalie, leaving the Jets’ net empty, to get an extra player, which pays off and they score with 2 minutes left to make it 3-2.
Still with a man advantage and the clock ticking down the final seconds, the Jets score with 1.6 seconds left in the game, sending the teams to overtime. Then late in the second overtime, the Jets score and win 4-3.
Whew…
It was almost as crazy as when a few years ago, the St. Louis Blues went from the worst team in the league, fired their coach mid-season, went on a winning streak to be the best team in the league and going on to win the Stanley Cup.
But not this year.
-Leon
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
Join my email list
RECEIVE A FREE EBOOK WHEN YOU SUBCRIBE TO MY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Free books? Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and choose one or more!
books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
