S.M. Stevens's Blog, page 10

Book Club Review: Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

One year ago today, this review of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades was posted on Amazon, following a lively book club session in Central Massachusetts.

I didn’t share it at the time, so am doing so today. I absolutely love connecting with readers through book clubs, so let me know if you’re interested in having me participate in your next meeting. And click here for a Reading Guide to aid book club discussion of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.

The reviewer wrote:

“Our book club read / listened to this book for our September meeting. It was thought provoking and led to some great conversations about a topic that affects so many. It was nice to know that we aren’t alone and can gather support from other women. A great read and I highly recommend it for your book club as well!

“The author participated in our discussion and it really added a layer of depth that all of our members enjoyed.“

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Fun Friday Photo: Spot the Intruder

Let’s play “Spot the Intruder” – a game I just made up for today’s Fun Friday Photo post.

Came across this heavily munched plant in my garden recently. Can you see the culprits?

Look at the following images as I zoom in so you can spot the very hungry intruders!

Something is not right…Let’s have a closer look.Here’s the first guy or girl.And the second. Glad they enjoyed their free lunch!

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Novelette Release: The Wallace House of Pain

My novelette called The Wallace House of Pain is now available in paperback and ebook format, exclusively on Amazon.

The story is a portrait of troubled family relations, modern social justice issues and deeply personal choices. Here’s the back-cover blurb:

Activist Xander Wallace and his straitlaced father do not have an easy relationship. Jim’s views on race, immigration, gender, sexuality and even millennials alienate his son no matter how hard Xander tries to find common ground. Toss in Jim’s second marriage ten months after Xander’s mother died and it’s a volatile cocktail. How, against this backdrop, will Xander dare to bare his soul and reveal his greatest secret?

Social justice issues have touched the life of every American in some way over the past few years. I wrote The Wallace House of Pain to explore the differences in generational attitudes toward these social justice issues, in parallel with exploring a troubled father-son relationship. The novelette delves into that age-old question: Can two people meet in the middle without sacrificing their own beliefs and convictions?

On top of that, it’s a fun and fast read (due to it’s novelette length), filled with colorful characters, humorous bits and–hopefully–thought-provoking insights.

Check it out here. And read more about the novelette form here.

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Cover Reveal: The Wallace House of Pain

What does one do while waiting a year-plus for the next big novel (Beautiful and Terrible Things) to be published? One writes a shorter work of fiction, of course! Today, I reveal the cover of that work — it’s called The Wallace House of Pain, and will be published later this month.

You may have noticed on the cover this book is called a “novelette”. I was an English literature major in college and am now something of an author, but had never heard of the novelette until I began packaging The Wallace House of Pain.

What is it? A novelette is longer than a short story but shorter than a novella. (And a novella is shorter than a full-length novel.) Many famous novellas exist. They’re the thin paperbacks that made high school students less inclined to read sigh in relief at the assignment–no Anna Karenina, these books! Famous examples include Animal Farm, The Metamorphosis, The Old Man and the Sea.

As for famous novelettes? Not so many. But, you will find bookshelves for novelettes on goodreads.

I predict novelettes will grow in popularity as short fiction continues to take over the reading community. We now have flash fiction, short fiction, and even 100-word story competitions–all in keeping with our 280-character Twitter-fueled world.

Ever the fan of concision, I find it fun to read and to write shorter pieces. But I for one will never abandon the satisfaction of sinking my teeth, and my brain, deep into an epic masterpiece.

Stay tuned to this space for more details on The Wallace House of Pain, including a “blurb” description, and release date.

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Shannon’s Odyssey is Free for 2 Days Only

Yes, I’m having fun dabbling with these Amazon sales for my books–my Middle Grade chapter book Shannon’s Odyssey is free for 2 days only. That’s today and tomorrow, July 22-23, on Amazon, ebook only.

(I’d love to make it free on other platforms too, but my ability to do so is limited by technology and know-how. And I’d love to offer the paperback for free as well, so more people can hold the delicious cover art by Natalie Simone in their hands, but that would be cost-prohibitive.)

So, if you like reading stories for 7- to 11-year olds (I do – there’s no shame in it!), or if you know a child who would like a story about an adventurous girl, animal communication and family secrets revealed, click here to get your free ebook. Remember, it’s free for 2 days only.

Click here to learn more about the book.

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The Best Middle Grade Adventure Stories with Talking Animals and a Dash of Magic

I’ve got 3 exciting updates on Shannon’s Odyssey, my novel for 7- to 11-year-olds: First and foremost, find Shannon’s Odyssey featured in Shepherd’s list of “The Best Middle Grade Adventure Stories with Talking Animals and a Dash of Magic”. The book also appeared on an author’s list of recommended summer reads. And on July 22 and 23, the ebook will be free on Amazon.

1. Shepherd List of Best Middle Grade Books

Shepherd, as you’ll know if you’re a regular reader of my blog, is a new, fun and different book recommendation website on which authors recommend 5 books on specific topics related to one of their own books. Shepherd is still in beta but already attracting more than 100,000 visitors a month. I highly recommend checking it out here. No registration or sign-up of any kind is required to view their lists. Just go to the website and poke around ’til you find something that suits your fancy.

Researching other children’s books similar to mine — books with journeys filled with adventure, talking animals and a dash of magic — was loads of fun. The journeys often, but not always, cover miles and miles. The manner in which animals “talk” varies by book. In some, it’s fantastical with animals speaking like humans. In others, it’s unspoken communication or communication in the animal’s own language.

And most of the books I recommend are not true fantasy; rather, they incorporate a little bit of magic that may leave the reader thinking it wasn’t magic at all — just a new way of looking at, and living, life. In other words, perfect reading for kids with their active imaginations and willingness to see the world through a special lens of their own making.

The books I chose are (in alphabetical order based on the author’s last name, because far be it from me to suggest which is the “best”):

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamilloWhere the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace LinCoo by Kaela NoelThe Golden Compass by Philip PullmanThe Wolf’s Curse by Jessica Vitalis

Hop on over to Shepherd to learn why I chose these five books.

2. Summer Reading Recommendations

Author M.T. Maliha includes Shannon’s Odyssey in a short list of recommended summer reads, be they beach reads, lakeside reads or bedtime story reads.

You gotta love an author whose website proudly quotes Mary Higgins Clark: “When someone is mean to me, I just make them a victim in my next book.” Sort of like poetic justice!

Read Maliha’s book ideas here.

3. Get Shannon’s Odyssey for Free

The last promotion I offered for Shannon’s Odyssey was so successful and fun, I’m doing it again. On Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23, the ebook version will be free to download from Amazon. Mark your calendars and get your free copy for a child in your life — a birthday present, miss-you present or just-because present. Click here to get the book. Read a description, excerpt and reviews here.

And if you’re so inclined, post a review of the book on Amazon (or goodreads or on your own social media) after you finish the Middle Grade adventure story. I love to know what readers — children and adults — have to say.

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Get a Free Middle Grade Chapter Book, July 1-3

I’m offering my Middle Grade chapter book Shannon’s Odyssey as a free ebook for three days, starting from midnight tonight (Friday, July 1) through midnight of Sunday, July 3. Take advantage of this special promotion if you know a 7- to 11-year-old who loves adventure stories, animals (who may or may not talk), and a dash of magic (or is it just real life?).

Hop on over to Amazon to get your free copy of the chapter book. (Sadly, I don’t think I have the ability to make the book free on independent bookstore sites like IndieBound. But then, free wouldn’t really help them out, would it?)

What is Shannon’s Odyssey about? Here’s a brief description of the story:

Rather than stay with the mean, smelly Zielinskis after her parents are hurt in a car accident, Shannon Simpson treks a hundred miles through the forest seeking her long-lost grandmother.

Finding Gran means finding her way safely through the woods with only a compass, her wits and a mysterious, possibly magical marra mamba stone to guide her.

During her journey, Shannon faces bad weather, injuries, hunger, thirst, and lots of wild animals – some nice and some not so nice. And she uncovers secrets about her family and herself.

One young reader wrote this about Shannon’s Odyssey in a review: “Your book is the best chapter book I’ve ever read.” High praise indeed!

I’ve got an excerpt of the Middle Grade novel here if you’d like a taste before deciding.

Or if you prefer to listen, check out this reading I did for Reading Week at a Rhode Island elementary school:

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That Stunning Cover Artwork

And now for a little bit of fun: If you love the cover art of my novel Horseshoes and Hand Grenades (as I do!), then you’ll like this 16-second video, which pans down the painting, giving you the chance to savor it up close.

Credits: Illustrator/artist Natalie Simone. Cover design by Colbie Myles. Cricket soundtrack by Mother Nature.

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Fun Photo Friday: Our Absurd Language

I think this fun image about our absurd language originated from Goodwill Librarian or The Language Nerds. Regardless of its origin, it pokes insightful fun at the absurd and illogical collection of words and phrases that comprise the English language. This image beautifully captures some of the funniest contradictions English has to offer.

Even if you’ve recognized, groaned and/or laughed at some of these before, you’ll probably see a new one. For me, “cargo” was the one I’d never thought about before.

Hilarious!

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Poetic Ponies and Childhood Dreams

Poetic ponies and childhood dreams….say what?

The only thing today’s post has to do with my usual writing theme (other than the fact that I am writing this post right now) is that it’s about an article I wrote for the travel blog Budget Travel with Gabby.

But this post is also about dreams coming true, which seems a very literary bent to me. And it’s about traveling–the ultimate escape, whether it’s literal or in the pages of a novel or even non-fiction book.

What the heck are you talking about?

I recently fulfilled a childhood dream of seeing the wild horses at the Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland. I’m sure some of you are familiar with Marguerite Henry‘s children’s book, Misty of Chincoteague. (Assateague…Chincoteague…confused? You should be. Read on.)

That book (which perhaps indirectly inspired my own children’s book, Shannon’s Odyssey) initiated my intense desire to see the wild ponies for myself. After all, other than seeing wild mustangs in the west, what could top witnessing these gorgeous creatures at the beach, being themselves with little human intervention?

Henry’s book also fueled my already considerable passion for horses, which manifested itself in adolescence as a shelf filled with fiction and non-fiction horse books, and another shelf crammed with plastic models of horses in every shape and color, from the raging Appaloosa stallion with mane permanently cresting, to the petite, honey-and-cream-cloaked Misty herself.

Get to the point, please

Before I go too far down Memory Lane, let me pull myself back and get to the point: After encountering logistical confusion while planning my trip to Assateague, I decided to help future travelers by penning the ultimate, best guide on how to visit Assateague and see the wild horses. Such a resource was not to be found when doing my research. Just for starters, who owns this land and which state is it in? And are these Assateague horses or Chincoteague ponies?

My daughter graciously agreed to publish my travel article on her blog, Budget Travel with Gabby, which offers budget travel tips and guides, and stories of volunteering around the world.

Equally thrilling, I met an amazing wildlife photographer on Assateague, Joe Bainbridge, who allowed me to use his gorgeous photos in the article on Gabby’s blog. I am also highlighting a few of his shots in this piece; to me, they capture the poetry that is wild ponies. And his images are a sight better than what I got with my phone!

If you like horses, or travel, or saving money when you travel, check out the article and the blog.

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