Leon Stevens's Blog, page 62
November 19, 2023
Thursday Thoughts: Hitting 50
Don’t wish me Happy Birthday. I’m not 50. Been there, done that.
No, the fifty I’m talking about is the fifty Amazon reviews. There’s only one problem: It’s not raining jellybeans. Wait, jellybeans? Or is it Skittles? Maybe confetti?
If you are unaware, there is an urban legend that the Amazon algorithm causes your book to show up in more searches when the review count reaches that number. Why fifty? Let’s use math to figure it out:
50 is an even number
50 is divisible by 2, 5, 10, and 25
2+5+10+25=42 (interesting*)
2+5+10+25+42=84 (not as interesting)
OK. That didn’t help. Maybe I should Google it. Here’s what I found: “When you sell 50 000 copies, then your book will get more search results.”
Well, that sounds about right. Speaking about selling books:
Don’t feel you have to wait if the regular price of $2.99 is within your budget!
-Leon
*Interesting only if you have read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or The View from Here
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, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book!
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 18, 2023
Weekend Wrap-up Nov 17: Routine
We all have our routines, and with dogs it’s no different.
I have the pleasure of dog-sitting two dogs, on an overnight no less, which means, dinner/evening/sleeping arrangement/pee time/night/morning routines are out the window. For the dogs, as well.
Oh, I’ve been informed by the owner what they expect, but I have also been informed by the dogs themselves that I’m doing it all wrong.
Apparently, the treat cupboard is supposed to stay open for grazing, toys are not to be left in the bin (the scattering allows for easy access), outdoor time is often, very often, and most importantly, the kennel is not, I repeat, not, for sleeping, the bed is where the night time is spent.
At least I have time to have a coffee and write this morning’s blog p—
“What the hell is going on in there?!‘
On my blog this week:
Free Book Friday Nov. 17: Just last week’s book promos.
Thursday Thoughts: Comfort Food
Weird Wednesday Nov 15th: Weather, Cartoons, and Sales. Oh, my!
Tuesday Tirade: Amazon
Music Monday Nov 13: Ever heard of The Rolling Stones?
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, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book!
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 17, 2023
Free Book Friday Nov. 17: Just last week’s book promos.
Sometimes I have nothing to say, so I’ll say this:
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 StoryOrigin and BookFunnelStoryOrigin and BookFunnel allows authors to advertise their books to each other’s audience. I hope you have been able to discover a new favorite!
Free Books
Starts Nov 7 Kindle Unlimited
Sales/Purchase LinksNo Banner: Science Fiction & Fantasy Mid-November
Oct 25-Nov 22Sale announcement:
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, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book!
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 16, 2023
Thursday Thoughts: Comfort Food
Comfort food. The meal that makes you forget everything else except, “Mmmmm.”
Many comfort foods a late in the day items, but many of mine are early risers.
Oatmeal: Warm, soothing, and incredible healthy. Throw in some nuts and ground flax and you’ve upped the ante. My favorite addition? a dollop of peanut butter.Breakfast sandwich: At it’s simplest, a fried egg between toast. Need more? Bacon of course, or a homemade sausage patty. More? Cheese. OK, we need some veg. Do jalapenos count? Tomatoes and lettuce work too.Breakfast burrito: All that stuff above plus salsa.Grilled cheese sandwich: On rye bread is my favorite, but any bread will do because once you slather it with butter and fry it, well, you know, bread, cheese, butter, fry, yum. What about ketchup? Duh. Side of tomato soup? Ya.Pizza: Not that frozen cardboard from the store, although some of them are slightly passable, but true, make the dough, use fresh (or canned) crushed tomatoes, add your own herbs/spices, and what ever is in your fridge will do, kind of pizza.If you are wondering, and I’m not opening this up for debate, yes, pineapple is an acceptable topping but only if it is paired with ham, otherwise it’s just weird. Bread. Fresh bread. Fresh, homemade bread. Fresh, homemade bread, straight from the oven. And yes, the heel is the best part.
Are there more? Way more than I care to mention, because I only wrote this because I didn’t have anything to post today.
What’s your comfort food?
-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, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book!
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 15, 2023
Weird Wednesday Nov 15th: Weather, Cartoons, and Sales. Oh, my!
Note the date!Quick sales announcement: Oh, you just saw it up there. I do wish Amazon would allow authors to run sales in more than two regions.
Weather: We received the first snowfall a couple of days before Halloween. Now, this isn’t unusual. Many a parent in Canada has spent scads of money or worked tiredly on theirs child’s costume, only to cover it over with what we Canadians call a skidoo suit (that would be a ski suit or full body winter jacket elsewhere).
For a week and a half, the temperature stayed below freezing, although the sun and lack of humidity did a pretty good job at evaporating the snow cover. Did I mention I put on my studded tires on my bike? No? They work well on packed snow but on bare pavement, man do they ever hum.
I also saved money by spending $550 on steel rims for my vehicle’s snow tires. Now, by changing them myself, I don’t have to pay $150 twice a year to have it done at a garage. So in two years I will have recouped my expenditure.
Back to the weather.
The last few days have been quite delightful, the temperate rose several/many degrees above freezing and will stay like that until at least the weekend. Are above freezing temperatures in November unusual? It happens, but not often.
Am I complaining? My shorts and t-shirts aren’t.
Cartoons:
Who are The Miniscules?
The Miniscules: Humble Beginnings
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, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book!
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 14, 2023
Tuesday Tirade: Amazon
It’s murky, turbid, full of piranhas and alligators, and it can’t make up its mind of the path it takes. Yeesh, quit your winding…
Oh, wait. Not that Amazon. That Amazon is alright*.
A sale of on of my books yesterday netted a royalty of $1.96. Yet, a sale of the same book a few days ago paid me a royalty of $2.05:
So, which one is right? The higher one. I set my book price at $2.99, Amazon takes 30%, and then takes $0.06 as an eBook delivery fee (that’s a whole other side tirade, can’t they take the six cents from their thirty percent?)
So I email the CSR who informs me:
“I can see that you are looking at the Royalties estimator , when using the Royalties Estimator, please keep in mind that this is a data analysis tool. Everything is an estimate and won’t match your actual royalty earnings… I hope that clarifies and proves helpful.”
Umm. No. Not really, Nadia.
So, I’ll wait and see if it corrects itself in a few days and get back to you.
-Leon
*Hey, kids! Here’s why the real Amazon is cool:
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, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book!
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 13, 2023
Music Monday Nov 13: Ever heard of The Rolling Stones?
There is a radio show on CBC here in Canada that occasionally does a feature called SYNTH: Songs You Need To Hear.
Now, I can’t say to someone, “You’ll like this song” (or book for that matter) because I can’t presume that others will share my taste in music (or books), so it is safer to say, “You might like this” and if they don’t like it, so be it.
Maybe you will find a new favorite.
CBC MUSIC, Central · Mornings with CBC Music
The Rolling Stones. Yup. They are still around. Just put out a new album, which I need to get to complete my collec—
Wait! I haven’t participated in buying or listening to them since…let’s go back a few years.
From 1974: Throughout the 70s, these next two songs permeated the AM radio. Along with songs from their previous albums, if you listened to popular music, you knew who The Stones were. I wasn’t old enough to have money to buy any of their albums at this point.
From 1978
From 1980: Emotional Rescue. I’m not including this song because I disliked it so much I almost gave up on them.
From 1981: Well, they redeemed themselves.
From 1986:
From 1989:
And that’s all she wrote for my enjoyment of the Rolling Stones. I looked through the list of albums and couldn’t find any songs that I could remember hearing.
But congratulations to 61 years of rock and roll.
-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, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book!
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 11, 2023
Weekend Wrap-up Nov 11: Dulce et Decorum est
War. There always seems to be another one. And that is sad. Many soldiers have died fighting for various reasons, some right, some wrong. People enlist in armies for various reasons, some right, some wrong.
A country’s army is meant to protect it’s citizens, and we should all honor the sacrifice of those who have lost their lives because their countries have gone to war for various reasons, some right, some wrong.
This poem has always stuck with me from the first time I read it in university English course. The title is in such stark contrast with the experience of the author, Wilfred Edward Salter Owen (18 March 1893 – 4 November 1918) an English poet and soldier. Wounded and sent home in 1917, he returned to the war in August 1918 and was killed a week before Armistice Day.
This poem takes its its title from a poem by Roman poet Horace, and means “it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country” and I think it is one of the greatest poems ever written.
Dulce et Decorum estBent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.—
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
On my blog this week:
Free Book Friday Nov. 10: In Conversation with Sci-fi author Nicholas Lemieux
Weird Wednesday Nov 8th: Cartoons
Music Monday Nov 6: Adrian Legg
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, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book!
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 10, 2023
Free Book Friday Nov. 10: In Conversation with Sci-fi author Nicholas Lemieux
Don’t forget to check out this week’s book promos after the interview! (There’s a lot)
In Conversation With: Nicolas Lemieux
My name is Nicolas Lemieux and I live in Montreal with my wife Marie-Claude in a third-story apartment overlooking an interesting, green back-alley. Although French is my first language, I like to write in English primarily. My chosen writing genre is science fiction.
Aujourd’hui, j’ai le plaisir de m’asseoir avec l’écrivain et bientôt publié auteur Nicolas Lemieux. Merci d’être venu. Puis-je vous offrir quelque chose à boire ?
Oui! Euh…
[Since French is my guest’s first language, I shall conduct the entire interview in—Wait. Je ne parle pas Français… except what I learned in school, and we all know what good that did most of us, right?]
Let’s begin again. Today, I have the pleasure of sitting down with the writer and soon published author Nicolas Lemieux. Thank you for coming. Can I offer you something to drink?
Merci mon ami! Votre français est impeccable. Tout comme le mien, d’ailleurs. Mais sachez que je parle également le québécois moderne : “Merci mon ami, je prendrais ben un bon p’tit gin de l’Ungava bien sec avec ma poutine sans gluten au bœuf de pâturage.”
In English, this would (almost) mean “Thank you, sir, I wouldn’t object to a wee dram – Lagavulin (16 years) is a personal favourite of mine – and a hefty serving of haggis. But a nice glass of water is perfectly fine too, and probably more in line with my daily habits.
Or if you like, let’s grab a coffee. On me.
Since it is a bit early for scotch, let’s go for the coffee option.
Agreed!
When people hear Montreal, they do think it is a city of French speakers but there is a very large number of English speakers as well as a very diverse ethnic population, right?
Absolutely. Montreal is a diverse place with all kinds of percentages in terms of demographics. This Wikipedia page says English speakers make about 13.2% of the population while French speakers make another 65.8%. My personal experience is that the languages you hear and speak vary as you move around the city (the east-west axis is interesting in that vein, but not as clear-cut as it once was). What language you hear also depends on where you live and work. My daily life happens mostly in French because this is how I was brought up. So when I write in English (this is what I do), I am in fact stepping away from my daily grind.
Since everyone (meaning me) wants to know, here’s the last unrelated writing question. Lemieux is a common Francophone surname, but … any relation to either Mario or Claude*?
Hey, my triplet brothers! Say hi when you see them! I miss them so much… Only kidding of course. We could be cousins, but very, very distant ones. They say we’re all descended fromtwo dudes who came over from Normandy back in the 17th century. Lemieux’s are pretty much all over the place but more concentrated in Canada primarily, and also in the States.
Let’s get to the writing questions. What was the first story you wrote?
I remember writing a “novel” when I was about seven or eight. It was about a monster that lived in a volcano. I’m sure I meant it as an adventure story, with heroes and such, but in truth I don’t remember much about the story itself apart from the fact that it was about four pages long (hence my double quotes around the word “novel”), and that I was supremely proud of having written it. I owe a debt of gratitude to my third-grade teacher for having encouraged me to push all the way through and actually finish it. I should still have the thick manuscript around, somewhere… Maybe I’ll dig it up some day, that’s an intriguing thought.
What made you want to write a science fiction book?
1- Writing in general: The effect that reading has always had on me. Losing myself in another world, discovering and exploring, being someone else entirely, and learning from the experience, and being changed by it… Besides reading (and other things), I spent most of my childhood inventing new crazy worlds and adventures. At a later point in my life, I felt the need to do it again, but flesh it out better, and come up with a story that I would love reading, and that I would be proud to share, hoping it had the same effect on others that so many good stories have on me.
2- Science-fiction in particular: I read some of the sci fi classics in my teens. (I might mention names later). I was utterly fascinated every time. I also read Patience dans l’azur, a wonderful book by our beloved and alas, recently departed astrophysicist, Hubert Reeves, who explained – so well – that we are in fact made from the dust of stars. This book was a game changer for me, so much so that I went into physics. But I wasn’t meant to be a scientist. I switched to music, more specifically classical singing, which I made my main activity for two decades. But in the meantime, there was the advent of the Internet and the Web, and fascinating developer jobs… All to say, one day I realized that writing had the potential to include all my previous and current attractions and passions. Music and physics both, adventure, exploration, passion, and human life… So I wrote. And naturally, science fiction came up as my first love, so this is where I went, and I’m glad I did.
Do you think science fiction is harder to write today since our scientific knowledge is much greater?
Excellent question!
I thought so… sorry, please continue.
Yes and no. Or rather, maybe, perhaps. Could be, but then again… There is always more and more to explore. The more we learn, the more we know that we don’t know. And now that I think of it, I don’t believe science fiction should be any more or less hard to write today than it used to be in the past or will be in the future. Traditionally and historically, science fiction has often been a tool to mirror our current ways; a means to reflect our current world back to us with alterations that magnify and underline the contradictions and beauties, ironies, pains and absurdities. Science fiction challenges the way of things by pinpointing dangers and pitfalls, and potential horrors… But also, by showing the many possibilities, solutions and hopes that our future might entail if we pay attention. Personally, I like to focus on the hope I see at the heart of it.
You describe your novel, Seven Drifts, as “… an epic space opera story featuring a drifting city spaceship, a wannabe sleuth and some murders, a brewing rebellion and an antique wooden treasure chest.” Care to elaborate on that?
Well, it’s true: the story does have all that.
Anita Burgess lives in a city starship named Seven. Seven is actually a long stack of large O’Neill cylinder space habitats which constitute the districts of Seven which has been adrift for two centuries.
During her teenage years, Anita aspired to be one of the mayor’s mentees, but had to abandon her dreams to care for her ailing father. Despite feeling like a failure, she became a capable caretaker and eventually found employment looking after Zoe Crasotte. However, when Zoe’s granddaughter, Leona, inherited the house and an antique wooden chest, ornamented with arcane carvings and stories Anita had to find a new place to work and live. Nonetheless, she and Leona remained close friends.
Anita now works at the district’s botanicals. They have a shed in the woods that she calls her shit shed. Because that’s where she brews her special blend of fertilizers. She is a compulsive reader of crime stories and fancies herself as cunning as Rita Stalker, her favourite fictional sleuth.
One rainy night (there is actual weather in the districts of Seven, even if it is indeed an artificial space city), she stumbles upon a dying man…
Does this help? Would you want to read that story? What’s up with the chest? Who’s the villain?
So … no singing?
Lots of it! Leona’s singing eventually becomes a key part of the plot. Everything is interconnected somehow.
And the book, Cradle, is it a prequel to get readers interested?
Cradle is not really a book per se, but rather a short scene from the second draft of Seven Drifts. I wrote it when I began working with my excellent developmental editor Courtney Harrell (who is also a wonderful writer – and did you know she just won an award at the Nashville Film Festival?).
Cradle is actually the very first bit of the whole story I ever shared with anyone else. When I started building my author platform, I chose Cradle as my free giveaway because it had an energy I liked, and something about it just seemed to work for me. So I barely edited it and put it out there, and it has gathered a lot of positive feedback ever since.
What authors influenced you?
In no particular order:Henri Vernes, Elisabeth Vonarburgh, Esther Rochon, Isaac Asimov, John Irving, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Philip José Farmer, Umberto Eco, Alexander McCall Smith, Diana Gabaldon, Georges R.R. Marten, Kim Stanley Robinson, Gregory Benford, J.K. Rowling, Michel Tournier, Alastair Reynolds, Orson Scott Card, Neal Stephenson, Hugo Pratt, Mézières Christin…I know I’m just listing a bunch of authors I love, really, and there are so many others.
Do you have a favorite book?
Hard question! In the past, I have mentioned Anathem, by Neal Stephenson; certainly one of my all-time favourites. But in truth, the book I’m reading at a given time is usually my favourite book. If it’s not, I might not read it. I mentioned House of Suns, also, by Alastair Reynolds. But have you read the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson? Life changing! These days, I’m reading Alastair Reynolds’ Revenger series. Enjoying it very much.
I do remember reading book one of that trilogy, many, many years ago.
I read the trilogy in the 90’s. I still catch myself thinking about it nowadays.
I have never met anyone who said they didn’t like music. Do you have any favorites?
I guess I’m kind of all over the place. Just curious. I was born in the sixties, so I grew up in the seventies and eighties. But I was always kind of behind my time. Still probably am, so I’ll just own it. So in the eighties, I listened to the Beatles a lot. Then later, I found out about Pink Floyd. And also Yes, and Genesis. Not to mention Händel, Bach, Monterverdi, Mozart, Strauss or Mahler when I went into classical, and I’ll forever revere them. A classic Metallica song can lift me up as well, or make me cry. I love The Scorpions, Ariane Moffat, Björk, Massive Attack, David Bowie, Jorane, King Crimson, Queen, Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, Paul Williams, Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Sigur Ros, Dominique Fils-Aimé, Mister Drê-D, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Elisapie. There’s a lot to explore.
Are you ready for the lightning round?
Hit me!
My lawyers say I can’t legally do that, even with the invitation, so I’ll start asking questions. Quebecers: Bad drivers. True of False?
They are the worst! Grrr. Beware.
Most annoying social media platform?
LOL. All of them! It’s okay once you take control of your notifications.
Which states border Quebec?
Easy! New-York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Favorite city?
Quebec City of course! That’s where I’m from. Incredible river.
PC or Mac?
Ah! Wars of religion! Let’s fight! I work with both, but I prefer owning Macs.
Poutine. Are you a traditionalist?
Yummy! Nowadays, the plethora of variants has become the tradition.
This has been a pleasure. Thanks for chatting. Any links you want to share?
It’s been an absolute pleasure. I had a blast chatting with you! Here’s my website: www.nicolaslemieux.com. You’ll find my blog there, with my writing notes, book reviews and interviews… In November, be on the lookout for Leon Stevens’ fascinating answers to my questions!
You may download my free story “Cradle” upon subscribing to my newsletter at www.nicolaslemieux.xyz. I promise I won’t email too often, but the newsletter is a great way to stay informed of the state of my current project. For instance… How’s it doing? When am I going to release that Seven Drifts story?
*For the non-sports fans, Mario and Claude Lemieux were hockey players, the former being a bit more famous than the latter.
Onto the free and almost free books!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 StoryOrigin and BookFunnelStoryOrigin and BookFunnel allows authors to advertise their books to each other’s audience. I hope you have been able to discover a new favorite!
Free Books
Starts Nov 7 Kindle Unlimited
Oct 14- Nov 13
Sales/Purchase Links
Oct 25-Nov 22Leon 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, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book!
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 8, 2023
Weird Wednesday Nov 8th: Cartoons
Humor. It’s either funny or it’s not. Some cartoons I create, I find absolutely hilarious:
But, that’s just me. Other ones, like the one below are only slightly amusing if you know the Miniscule backstory:
The Miniscules: Humble Beginnings
And even then, that’s debatable.
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, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/
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