Leon Stevens's Blog, page 30
November 24, 2024
Songs for a Sunday: Hawktail
Bluegrass. You either love it or hate it, but admit it, you love it.
Well, maybe not love love it, but it’s pretty good, and what the kids are doing with it these days…
This next one I would describe as bluegrass wanderings:
-Leon
Want to read more music blogs? Here are some of the ones I follow: Mostly Music Covers, Take it Easy, Beetley Pete, A Sound Day, PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture, SuperdekesVinylReviews, Fox Reviews Rock
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
November 23, 2024
Weekend Wrap-up Nov. 23rd.
Some theme day celebrations make sense. Pi day (3/14) and Star Wars Day (May the fourth) to name a couple, but when I wokoe up to discover it was Fibonacci Day, it took me a few seconds to–
You Googled it.
Ya. I googled it. I knew what the Fibonacci sequence was: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13… (or for the math buffs: xn= xn-1 + xn-2) so when I saw 11/23 I said , “Ahhh, November 23rd.”
Worked out by the fourth most famous Leonardo, the others being DiCaprio, Davinci, and that turtle, Fibonacci came up with the sequence because everyone else was working on Pi, and being a rebel, he struck out to make a name for himself.
Little did he know that he would have a day named after him as well as a flavor of ice cream.
True story.
-Leon
In case you missed it:Weekend Wrap-up Nov. 23rd.Free Book Friday Nov. 22th:Thanksgiving and Black FridayThursday Thoughts: That’s a lot of bananas.Weird Wednesday: But is it Art?Music Monday Nov 18th: Famous TriosHope 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
November 22, 2024
Free Book Friday Nov. 22th:Thanksgiving and Black Friday
Archeologists have discovered the transcript of the first meeting of Native Americans and pilgrims.
“That’s a really big canoe.”
“No shit Sherlock, got any other words of wisdom?”
“Why are you like that? Hey, look. They do have small canoes. They are coming here. What do you think they want?”
“I dunno. Maybe they want to build summer homes along the beach that gets eroded every time there a storm, then after their insurance company denies their claim, they rebuild anyway.”
“C’mon. No one is that stupid.”
“We should get them addicted to tobacco.”
“Yeah, we should. We should also sell them a bunch of stuff, then next week put everything on sale really cheap.”
“Hey, why are they wearing buckles on their heads?”
“Excuse me my good man, do you mind if we live here?”
“What did he say?”
“No idea, but he stinks.”
“Yeah, that’s really bad. Let’s get out of here.”
“Where are they going, Captain?”
“I don’t know, but it’s pretty rude.”
A short fragment of the first Thanksgiving was also unearthed, but was used as a napkin, so it is incomplete:
“What is this called?”
“It is a cornucopia. A horn o’ plenty if you will.”
“All the grapes and legumes are falling to the bottom. Can you pass that thick, brown soup? You really overcooked the turkey we brought.”
“These yellow kernaly cylinders are amazing. Have you ever thought about processing all the sugar out of it and putting into everything you eat?”
“No, but I like what you did with the pumpkin. The spices would really go well with my coffee.”
“Shh. Don’t tell them that. I have an idea.”
And finally, the last words as the guests were leaving:
“I don’t feel so good.”
“You just overate.”
“I think they gave me measles…”
Speaking of Black Friday, I may have put all my books on sale that day.
-Leon
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.
Reads From StoryOriginStoryOrigin allows authors to advertise their books to each other’s audience. I hope you have been able to discover a new favorite!
Free Books/KU
Sales/Purchase Links
Review Copies (These are free!)Review copies: Like reviewing books? Try my two poetry collections: Lines by Leon and A Wonder of Words
Newsletter:Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book (poetry or science fiction): Leon’s Newsletter
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
November 21, 2024
Thursday Thoughts: That’s a lot of bananas.
Remember that banana I raved about yesterday?
Weird Wednesday: But is it Art?
I reported that CNN reported that the “art” piece, Comedian, otherwise known as “banana duct taped to wall” would sell for 1.5 million dollars.
They were wrong.
6.2 million dollars. That’s what it finally went for. To put that into perspective, you could buy 20,666,666 bananas. Now, while that wouldn’t put a dent in feeding the 828 million people in the world who don’t have enough food, it would be a start but you could also:
feed 6000 people for a yeargive the 3 million school kids in the US who don’t eat breakfast something nutritious every day for a weekinstall 2000 handpumps too supply water to a developing communityYou get the picture.
Thank you Mr. Cryptocurrency CEO for your sound financial decision. Now I know where my Bitcoin investment went…
-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
November 20, 2024
Weird Wednesday: But is it Art?
Yes, that is a banana duct taped to a wall, and yes, it is art. Well, so says Sotheby’s who will be auctioning off this work by Maurizio Cattelan called “Comedian”. And no, it isn’t a joke. According to the auction house:
“The work includes a certificate of authenticity along with detailed instructions for its proper display, intended for its owner to use when displaying the work. Both the banana and the duct tape can be replaced as needed; the physical representation of Comedian is not the work itself. “
So yeah, you are buying the exclusive rights to duct tape a banana to a wall in your house. I better take mine down before I get sued.
In case you are wondering, it is expected to fetch upwards of $1.5 million. No, I did not make that up:
Oh, I know what you are thinking. I want to see that sucker close up:
Oh…You meant the sucker who was going to buy it.
So, not a fan of having a fruit fly incubator taped to your wall? Neither is your significant other. Correction, your ex.
Maybe you can win them back by purchasing a different piece of “art”.
Untitled (1970) by Cy Twombly – $69.6 Million
Jackson Pollock’s No.5 – $140 Million
Kevin Abosch’s Potato #345 – $1 MillionThat’s a photograph of a dirty potato in case you were wondering.
White Fire I by Barnett Newman – $3.8 Million
Blood Red Mirror by Gerhard Richter – $1.1 MillionThere are so many more, but we are all getting angry about what some consider art, right? Maybe if we pool our money we can share.
If you enjoy art, do you have a favorite piece or artist?
-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
November 18, 2024
Music Monday Nov 18th: Famous Trios
I grew up thinking that the only musical trio (with trio in the name) was The Kingston Trio. That lasted until 1987 when a friend introduced me to The Guitar Trio made up of the guitarists (obviously), John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucia.
All of them are incredible musicians in on their own, but together…
And here is the Kingston Trio:
I’m sure The Kingston Trio was the inspiration for the movie, “A Mighty Wind”, from the creators of “This is Spinal Tap”.
-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
November 17, 2024
Songs for a Sunday: Jason Isbell
Covers.
There are two ways to do them: Completely true to the original or turn it upside down so no one knows it’s a cover.
Take a listen to this one:
If you know the original, you either love this or hate it. If you have never heard the original, it might surprise you who it is. I’m putting it down the post a ways so you can’t peek until your ready.
-Leon
Want to read more music blogs? Here are some of the ones I follow: Mostly Music Covers, Take it Easy, Beetley Pete, A Sound Day, PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture, SuperdekesVinylReviews, Fox Reviews Rock
Almost there…
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
November 16, 2024
Weekend Wrap-up Nov. 16th.
I may be out of touch the next few days so I’ve scheduled a the next few posts.
-Leon
In case you missed it:Weekend Wrap-up Nov. 16th.Free Book Friday Nov. 15th: ExtrasThursday Thoughts: Reasons to not use AIWeird Wednesday: CartoonTuesday Top Ten: Reason you are CanadianHope 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
November 15, 2024
Free Book Friday Nov. 15th: Extras
So, I’m toying with putting some extra content into my current project, A Matter of Sabotage.
Map: Since the series involves the interstellar Orion Arm Alliance, I have a map of the planets in relation to the Earth. If there is a map in a book that I’m reading, I will refer to it often if a location is mentioned, but with ebooks, that’s more difficult, so…maybe a bonus for the paperback version?Pronunciation guide: With many sci-fi and fantasy books, character and place names can be difficult and I tend to mumble through them, which makes my favorite characters, blahblah and mumbmls.An description/excerpt from the next book in the series: I did this for Euphrates Vanished, to pique curiosity. I guess I have to start writing book three.-Leon
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.
Reads From StoryOriginStoryOrigin allows authors to advertise their books to each other’s audience. I hope you have been able to discover a new favorite!
Free Books/KU
Sales/Purchase Links
Review Copies (These are free!)Review copies: Like reviewing books? Try my two poetry collections: Lines by Leon and A Wonder of Words
Newsletter:Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book (poetry or science fiction): Leon’s Newsletter
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
November 14, 2024
Thursday Thoughts: Reasons to not use AI
What does AI know about my book, Euphrates Vanished? Turns out, not much.
I was adding a book to one of the sites I occasionally use for promotions, and in the field for book description, there were three options:
Retrieve book description from Amazon (recommended)Write a new description (3000 characters max)Generate an AI book descriptionWell, let’s see how that last one goes, shall we? How accurately will AI encapsulate the essence of this book? Turns out, not too well. Here’s what I got:
Unfolding in a vast, fascinating cosmos of the future, “Euphrates Vanished: Orion Arm Alliance Book 1”, masterfully penned by Leon Stevens, catapults readers into an immersive exploration of space, politics, and the boundaries of human identity. The novel introduces the reader to a future where Earth, now just a member of the Orion Arm Alliance, is struggling to retain its geopolitical clout. As Earth’s attention turns to the mysterious disappearance of a nascent colony-planet, Euphrates, tensions rise high. With no signs of struggle, war, or malfunction to hint at what had occurred – the planet and all its inhabitants have suddenly ceased to exist. This inexplicable occurrence draws in our protagonist, Arman Lance, a shrewd yet haunted investigator with the Alliance who is grappling with his own past. His assignment: unravel this chilling mystery. Lance plunges into a web of high-level subterfuge, ancient alien technologies, time-warps and the troubling reality that this is not his first encounter with the improbable. As Lance ventures deeper in his pursuit of truth, he becomes entangled in a game of cosmic chess that challenges his understanding of time, space, and his own existence. The narrative is deftly infused with layers of complexity, compelling characters and the vastness of space as a backdrop – all while grappling with universal themes of identity, purpose, and the very nature of reality itself. Leon Stevens has painted a stunningly intricate cosmos filled with richly realized worlds and cultures, and species living under the umbrella of the Orion Arm Alliance. Their alliances, petty squabbles, and grand ambitions echo the history and future of humanity’s own struggle with unity and purpose. “Euphrates Vanished: Orion Arm Alliance Book 1” is more than a space mystery. It’s a journey through cosmos exploring the intricate dance of politics, the fragility of alliances, the mysteries of space-time, and the profound question of what it means to be human.
Shall we dissect this? Ohhh, hand me that scalpel, stat!
“Unfolding in a vast, fascinating cosmos of the future“: Future, yes. Not the entire cosmos though.
“masterfully penned by Leon Stevens“: Won’t argue with this.
“immersive exploration of space, politics, and the boundaries of human identity”: Space: Check. Politics: Nope. Human Identity: Check
“The novel“: Psst, it’s a novella.
“Earth, now just a member of the Orion Arm Alliance, is struggling to retain its geopolitical clout.”: Earth is the center of the Alliance, but I don’t say that in this book.
“mysterious disappearance of a nascent colony-planet, Euphrates”: Nope.
Euphrates is the spaceship.
“planet and all its inhabitants have suddenly ceased to exist”: Again, no.
“our protagonist, Arman Lance, a shrewd yet haunted investigator with the Alliance”: Not even close..
” high-level subterfuge, ancient alien technologies“: Sigh. nope.
Shall we go on?
“Leon Stevens has painted a stunningly intricate cosmos filled with richly realized worlds and cultures”: I kind of wish I had…
“Their alliances, petty squabbles, and grand ambitions echo the history and future of humanity’s own struggle with unity and purpose.” : This is sounding like a pretty good book!
Let’s wrap this up with:
“Euphrates Vanished: Orion Arm Alliance Book 1” is more than a space mystery. It’s a journey through cosmos exploring the intricate dance of politics, the fragility of alliances, the mysteries of space-time, and the profound question of what it means to be human.
Sure, you could read whatever book that is or you could read:
Stay in school, kids.
-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
