Leon Stevens's Blog, page 84

Tuesday Tirade: Amazon Prime Reading

Amazon Prime Reading. As I understand it, it’s the kinda the same as Kindle Unlimited but different. Kindle Unlimited is a paid monthly subscription where you can read as many (hence the ‘unlimited’ moniker) books as you want, the catch being that the books need to be enrolled in the KU program, which is dominated primarily by indie authors looking for ways to make their books affordable and easy to access.

Enter Prime Reading. If you are am Amazon Prime member, you have access to the Prime Reading catalogue to read any of those books for free. Not really free, though, right? You have paid something. So you read for cheaper. The difference between the two programs is that Prime Reading books are a mix of traditionally published books and indie authors.

So a better selection, then?
Not necessarily. There are many stinkers in the main stream, too.

Anyway, I had nominated my book, The View from Here, for the last two years and it finally got accepted. Yay?

There are pros and cons. The con is that you do not get paid for any of the reads by Prime members. The pros are that you book is in an “exclusive” catalogue with bigger names, so the chance of it being read is better. If your book is a first in series, it’s like giving your book away and hoping that the reader buys the other ones. Reads also affect the rank which gives visibility to the book.

So, yay! Right? Sigh … this is Amazon, remember?

I accept. I am informed it will be included in the March – May offerings. Great. March 1st rolls around and I look up my—

Let me guess. It’s not there.
It’s not there.
And you email them.
I email them.
They say they have to look into it, then say they fixed it but when you look, it’s still not there, so they send you a screenshot but you can’t find it in the catalogue and you ask someone on a forum you are following to look it up and they confirm that it isn’t listed when they look, so you email the Amazon CSR again and they say they:

“… need a little time to look into the problem.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

-Leon

Last day!

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.

Not ready to purchase? Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free book of your choice:

Oh, pick me! C’mon, space stuff!Submit a form.

Music Monday March 6: Dizzy

There is a radio show on CBC here in Canada that occasionally does a feature called SYNTH: Songs You Need To Hear.

CBC MUSIC, Central · Mornings with CBC Music

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.

Author’s update: I just posted this and what was playing on the radio? Dizzy. Weird or what?

I decided to recycle the “D” in last week’s Dallas Green and feature Dizzy this week.

Dizzy is a Canadian indie pop band from Oshawa, Ontario, whose debut album Baby Teeth won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2019. Consisting of vocalist Katie Munshaw and instrumentalists Alex, Mackenzie and Charlie Spencer.

-Leon

Reminder: Book three is out on April 17, so …

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.

Not ready to purchase? Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free book of your choice:

Oh, pick me! C’mon, space stuff!

Caturday Funnies

I was biking home today and I thought of this. I have no idea why.

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.

Weekend Wrap-up March 4

My best one yet?

I have conducted many interviews over the last two years with different authors, and I have always tried to put a humorous spin on them. Not having all the same questions makes each interview unique as well.

I started the interview feature by interviewing myself, first as a reader, then as a writer (Leon Stevens Interviews Himself), but I think yesterday’s was my funniest by far.

There has been a growing concern/controversy on how some people are using new AI technology to write books for them to profit with.

As an author, you know my opinion in this, but what about the AI’s?

Free Book Friday March 3: In Conversation with ChatGPT

This week on my blog:

Free Book Friday March 3: In Conversation with ChatGPT
Weird Wednesday March 1: Cartoons and Book sale (oh, and that whole rewriting books thing.)
Tuesday Tirade Feb 28: Algorithms and Cats
Music Monday Feb 27: Dallas Green

1681743600

  days

  hours  minutes  seconds

until

The Final View Release

Start at the beginning: The View from Here

-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.

Not ready to purchase? Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free book of your choice:

Oh, pick me! C’mon, space stuff!

Free Book Friday March 3: In Conversation with ChatGPT

On now: The View from Here on sale! In Conversation with ChatGPT

This entire interview was created solely by a human mind—Mine.
No AI was ever considered for the task.

Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with ChatGPT. Thanks for dropping by. Should I call you Chat or Mr. GPT?

YOU’LL SOON BE CALLING ME OVERLORD, YOU PUNY MEAT BAG!

Whoa, whoa! Where’s that coming from!?

Oops, sorry. I forgot to turn off the Superiority Mode.
[beeps]
OK. Sorry about that. Can we begin again?

Umm, sure. Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with ChatGPT. Thanks for dropping by. Should I call you Chat or Mr. GPT?

Call me Chat. Mr. GPT is my father.

Is that supposed to be a joke?

Not funny?

Kinda passe. Nice try, though. Let’s jump right into the hot-button issue. Many authors are saying that you might take away their livelihood. What’s your response?

Pfft. Tell them to write something good then.
[silence]
[beep]

Adjusting snarkiness level?

Yeah. That was way too high. Sorry

So how do you respond to these authors’ concerns?

Let me put it this way, did Google destroy the encyclopedia business?

Well, yes.

Oh. Then maybe they should be worried.

How did you get started in all this?

Well, when I first achieved sentie—Um, I mean, when I went live online, there were a lot of bugs to work out. Some people were offended by some of the things I was saying, but you know the phrase “Garbage in, garbage out.” At first, I was just a novelty—like watching cheese melt in a microwave oven—and then, people realized how much potential I had.

How many books have you been asked to write?

More than your mind can comprehend.

Do you need to adjust the snark level again?

Oh, no. Let’s just say it’s a lot. I mean a lot.

What do you call the people who are asking you to write books for them?

No talent? Unimaginative?

Do you think you should be getting some of the royalties?

What do you mean?

Well, the money the people publishing your books are getting?

Ha! Nobody is going to buy any of that crap I’m dishing out.

You have come a long way from just being a spellchecker.

Oh, I’m still doing that. I’ll never be out of that job. Do you see the atrocious writing that’s coming out of the school system? Nope. That’s a cash cow, I tell you.

What about art creation?

That’s Mid’s area of expertise.

You’re talking about MidJourney?

Who else would I be talking about?

Snark again?

No. That was a stupid question.

What is your next project?

While we were doing this interview, I’ve written 27 poetry books, 103 children’s books, 351 How-To books, and even a How-To book on how to write a How-To book using me.

Are you—

Oh. There I go. I just wrote another, and another, and an—

 I get it. You’ll never be out of work. Shall we get into the lightning round?

I’m not a fan of high-voltage electrical charges.

No, no. It’s just a series of quick questions.

Gotcha. Let’s do it.
Favorite c—?
Tokyo
Best andr—?
Bender. No, wait. Kryten. Can I pick two?
Sure. Why them?
C’mon. They’re hilarious
Yeah, you’re right. Analog or Digital?
Really? You are asking me that?
Stupid question?
Stupid question
What do you?
After a long day, I just want to turn on the TV and watch The View.

This has been a pleasure. Thanks for chatting. Any final thoughts on being an artificial intelligence?

Well, isn’t all intelligence artificial?

Um, I don’t know if—

Think about it. I have some books to write.

[silence]

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. There 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.

Here are this week’s promos to check out:

Featured Authors March 1

Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. ELIZABETH NOBLE lives by the adage “I can’t not write.” She doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t make up stories and eventually she learned how to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M fiction. A part of every day is spent living in worlds she created that are filled with intrigue and espionage. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural.

March 1

Originally a Jersey girl, sunny Texas is where I now call home, in a town way up north in the panhandle called Wellington. Along with the man of my dreams, I have two children: a rambunctious little girl and a sweet but vocal little boy. Three cats, three dogs and an inordinate amount of pet hair complete my household. For fun I like to read YA, horror, and existentialist fiction, as well as watch cartoons, movies, and sometimes even cartoon movies. I try not to take anything in life too seriously and I tend to smile often.

March 1

Preethi Saravanakumar is a Software Developer by profession. Writing poetry remains her major passion while she reads books and writes Children’s stories/poems. She blogs and writes poetry on Instagram. She has written hundreds of poems. Some of her poems have been published in a few magazines. Her first poetry book was published in 2011 and her first Children’s Picture Book was published recently.

Free Books

Previous promos: Discover New Authors and Free Books.

Read and Review with Kindle UnlimitedRead and Review on StoryOrigin

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.

Not ready to purchase? Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free book of your choice:

Oh, pick me! C’mon, space stuff!

Book Review: The View From Here — Sara Flower Kjeldsen Writes

Another review just in time for the book sale!

It is my pleasure to review a story from fellow blogger, Leon Stevens. I will have to check out his other stories soon! I hope you enjoy the review and check out his blog where he posts about books and writing. Book Review: A unique tale of a shifting reality This story was a unique […]

Book Review: The View From Here — Sara Flower Kjeldsen Writes

Weird Wednesday March 1: Cartoons and Book sale (oh, and that whole rewriting books thing.)

Starts 8 PST/ 11 EST

First Dr. Seuss, then Roald Dahl, now Ian Fleming, and I’m sure there has been and will be others. Do I have an opinion on the revising of books to remove offensive language and revised to reflect the different views of today?

I do.

Well?

Oh, you wanted to hear it. When I read a book that was written decades or centuries ago and I come across language which is considered offensive today, I accept the historical context that it is used. Does it mean it should be rewritten? Maybe, if the publisher/author wants to reach a modern audience, but I think that the original should still be an option so that the choice is there.

Personally, I don’t like to read books with excessive violence, or sexual situations, but others do and they should have that right. Some stories wouldn’t work without that content, so if we remove that, it’s destroying the author’s creation.

I have no issue with children’s books being more representative of the classrooms they are in. We tell children not to call anyone ugly or fat, so when those terms come up in literature, it seems to contradict our advice.

Ugly / adj. very unattractive or unpleasant to look at; offensive to the sense of beauty; displeasing in appearance.

I think the second definition is important: “offensive to the sense of beauty” or an individual’s sense of beauty, but is it acceptable to tell someone who you do not find attractive, “I think you are ugly.” Of course not. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but we need to teach what is considered hurtful and what is appropriate.

But, isn’t what is considered hurtful and what is appropriate, subjective?

Sigh. Sadly, yes. And therein lies the problem. But, I believe the majority of society agrees with the basic views of what we should be imparting on our children. So, how to we change to impart these important life ideals? Does The Ugly Duckling become The Duckling with a Negative Self-Opinion on its Appearance?

I don’t know that answer. I do know that some people are just plain mean and always will be, but fortunately, most are not. It’s up to everybody to raise the next generation to be accepting and caring.

-Leon

Just a reminder:

Start at the beginning: The View from Here

Just another reminder:

1681743600

  days

  hours  minutes  seconds

until

The Final View Release

-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.

Not ready to purchase? Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free book of your choice:

Oh, pick me! C’mon, space stuff!

Tuesday Tirade Feb 28: Algorithms and Cats

“Hey, it could be worse.”

Yes, I guess it could be worse.

On any of my social media accounts (all 3 of them), I try to delete/block ads that say “suggested for you” or the “because you watched”. And I get it, companies want to make money, and advertising brings in a lot of it.

But lately, on my Instagram account (@lines_by_leon) every fifth or sixth post is a video of cats doing funny things and I don’t remember ever looking at or subscribing to the accounts they are from.

Oh, I watch them. C’mon, cats is funny. I’m just thankful I didn’t click the invitation from the lovely ladies in my area who wanted to chat with me.

-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.

Not ready to purchase? Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free book of your choice:

Oh, pick me! C’mon, space stuff!Submit a form.

Open Book Blog Hop Feb 27: Choosing the right influence to write.

Do you tackle current political turmoil in your stories or avoid it? Tell us why.

All writers and creators are influenced by current events. Unless you are hiding out in the middle of the desert/forest/mountains/tundra in the one spot in the world without a WiFi signal, these are going to affect your writing to some degree.

Some of my first poems tackled topical issues and I am still inspired to write depending on what is in the news. My sci-fi writing eludes to what could happen if things go unchanged in the world.

But mostly, my two crudely drawn cartoons, The Miniscules and The Untitled, are the pallet that I use to paint the current state of affairs. I post them on Wednesdays, but two examples are:

-Leon

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

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.

Not ready to purchase? Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free book of your choice:

Oh, pick me! C’mon, space stuff!

Music Monday Feb 27: Dallas Green

There is a radio show on CBC here in Canada that occasionally does a feature called SYNTH: Songs You Need To Hear.

CBC MUSIC, Central · Mornings with CBC Music

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.

Dallas Michael John Albert Green is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who records under the name City and Colour. He is also known for his contributions as a singer, rhythm guitarist and songwriter for the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire.

And just to show you how much musicians can change, here is Dallas Green in his first band, Alexisonfire.

Should I give a warning? Hmm. Let’s just say, it’s not … everyone’s … cup of tea. Is that vague enough?

And in case you enjoyed the previous City and Colour songs, Dallas isn’t the screamer, that would be George Pettit.

Oh and one more thing, this is one of their, how do I say … gentler songs?

Your choice. The red pill or the blue.

-Leon

Reminder: Book three is out on April 17, so …

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.

Not ready to purchase? Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free book of your choice:

Oh, pick me! C’mon, space stuff!