S.M. Stevens's Blog, page 14
April 19, 2021
What’s In A Name? Or a Book Title?
William Shakespeare and heavy metal musician John Corabi of Mötley Crüe inspire today’s post. Yep, you read that right.
One of the most often quoted passages from Shakespeare is this sentiment posed by Juliet in Romeo and Juliet:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.“
Names don’t matter? Try telling that to an author struggling to come up with a book title. The words slapped on our book covers must be creative and original, not hackneyed or dull. They must align with the plot and the mood of the story lest we mislead readers. And they must entice readers to look inside.
Trying to find the right name or title for a novel is not as easy as you might think. For me, however, the choice of title for my most recently published book, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, was easy. The title is pulled from the saying “Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Or its variant, “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” The meaning is clear if you give it a moment’s thought: A “leaner” or near-ringer in the game horseshoes still gets you points. A grenade that almost hits its target still gets the job done. As for everything else in life? Almost is not success. At least according to whomever wrote the saying.
I chose the phrase as my title to make the point that actually, almost does count in more than horseshoes and hand grenades. Specifically, “less severe” forms of sexual abuse impact their victims too–it’s not just the horrific, violent rapes and incest cases that change victims’ lives.
But was the title even available? A few years ago, when I was writing the novel, I searched the Internet and found only one other book bearing that name, in a different genre than my contemporary novel, plus the Green Day song from “21st Century Breakdown.” The latter felt like karma to me since Green Day is one of my favorite bands.
My, how things change. I searched again today and found two albums–one alternative rock by Chris Mars, who was the drummer for The Replacements, and one from Christian metal band Disciple, which also has a song by the name “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.” Then I found books with that title in the short story, sci-fi, occult, horror, and action and adventure categories. Topping it off, there’s now a lifestyle blog called Horseshoes and Hand Grenades! (Many of these pre-date my novel; I’m guessing search results have improved since I didn’t find these a few years ago.)
Now, if that’s not enough to contend with, former Mötley Crüe singer John Corabi has an autobiography coming out. The name? You guessed it. Horseshoes And Hand Grenades. (No idea why he chose this name.)
At least I’m in good company. Or simply company, depending on your musical and literary tastes.
(Btw, since we’re on names, if you’re an author stuck on naming a character, this recent post from Anne Allen’s blog might help.)
So, what’s in a name? A lot, when it comes to book titles. And I expect Shakespeare would agree. While Juliet’s line served his play well, and has stood the test of time as a profound thought, it was one character’s observation. Something tells me old Will put a lot of thought into the titles for his works.
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March 22, 2021
Author Reading: Middle-Grade Fiction
I was honored to participate in last week’s Reading Week festivities at the Dr. Joseph A. Whelan Elementary School in North Providence, Rhode Island. I read from my middle-grade fiction work, Shannon’s Odyssey. Twelve-year-old Shannon treks through a hundred miles of wilderness to find her long-lost Gran. She encounters dangers, hunger, thirst, storms, and animals good and bad. She’s aided by a mysterious amulet with potentially magical powers, and she learns secrets about herself and her family on the journey.
The reading was remote, of course, which is sad as I didn’t get to gauge the students’ reactions to the tale. But, it has the benefit of allowing me to share the video with you.
Please enjoy these few chapters, which I chose as they stand alone quite well.
May every week be Reading Week! 
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March 12, 2021
Fun Photo Friday: Little Donkey
Today’s Fun Photo Friday features a hysterical meme a friend posted on Instagram. This little donkey is the cutest thing I’ve seen all week. Other than my dog, of course.
No offense intended to those who might intend to be offended.
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March 8, 2021
What the Gov. Cuomo Situation Teaches Us: Harassment Still Treated Differently Than Other Crimes
Society must start treating sexual harassment victims with the same respect given to victims of non-sexual crimes.
Regardless of whether New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is guilty or innocent of sexual harassment in the workplace, the reaction to the accusations against him are the latest proof that society assigns a different value to sexual harassment than it does to other crimes. Already people are asking, Was it really that bad? What’s the big deal?
The truth is, when a line is crossed, damage occurs. Any transgression has an impact. As one of the characters in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, says, “There is no such thing as mild trauma.”
But this will never be reflected in societal attitudes and criminal prosecutions as long as sexual crimes continue to be “ranked” by different criteria than non-sexual crimes. Correlating the two types of crime highlights a stark inequity.
Take theft. Like sexual crimes, theft encompasses a sweeping scope of severity, from pickpocketing to grand larceny. While a million-dollar theft may get more attention from the authorities, even a lesser theft is treated seriously, and the victim isn’t asked why he is reporting the crime or if it really mattered.
A street punk stealing $10 from an individual in an alley is as accountable for the crime as a professional thief who steals thousands of dollars’ worth of valuables from a home. More to the point, in both cases, we acknowledge that the victims suffer, and we don’t judge them if they feel violated, frightened or powerless.
We understand that being a victim of theft or burglary impacts different individuals in different ways. In fact, one crime with multiple victims can impact each victim differently. The level of trauma is influenced by factors including the victim’s mindset, the victim’s previous experiences, the nature of the transgression, and the relationship and power balance between the perpetrator and victim.
Society doesn’t weigh a thief’s intentions or motivations when determining what impact a victim of theft is entitled to feel.
Perhaps most telling, with non-sexual crimes, we do not weigh the perpetrator’s intentions or motivations when determining what impact the victim is entitled to feel.
We must apply the same compassion to victims of sexual crimes that we extend to victims of other crimes. A ranking system for harassment is necessary to define appropriate punishment, but we can’t assign a value to the damage in wholesale terms based solely on where it falls on a spectrum of severity.
Victim impact statements are used in courtrooms for a reason. They help judge and jury measure the extent of the trauma to the victim, which informs the punishment.
We must acknowledge that what many view as “mild harassment” can have a significant and/or lasting impact on the victim. And the degree of trauma must be a factor in ranking the severity of sexual harassment because only then will perpetrators think twice about the potential impact of their actions—on their victims and on themselves—before committing their crimes.
Almost counts.
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February 12, 2021
Fun Photo Friday: Dog Snow Angel
If you’ve ever wondered how a dog makes a snow angel — or if a dog can make a snow angel — this edition of Fun Photo Friday is for you….
My snow-loving mutt, Korra, made this snow angel the other day in the multiple feet of snow we have in New Hampshire.
She’s still perfecting her technique, and she gets distracted by smells around her, but in general, I’d say she’s doing a good job, right?
Snow angels aren’t just for humans anymore!
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February 5, 2021
Fun Photo Friday: Panda Snowballs
This video of panda bears playing in the snow has got to be the feel-good video of the year!
In fact, it’s so good, it might STILL be the best video of 2021 by the time year-end rolls around.
Of course, it’s so fantastic that it is making the rounds on social media, and chances are many of you will have already seen it by the time you read this post. But no worries – it’s worth watching again!
More about the pandas at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Zoo website.
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January 26, 2021
Narrative Choices – Podcast Interview
Thanks to author M.T. Maliha for inviting me to join her podcast and talk about the narrative choices authors face. The Dusty Wood Podcast showcases interviews with guests who talk about writing and life, sometimes together.
M.T. Maliha is a lovely author and an even lovelier person. Her Waverly Estate trilogy includes Ghost Dance and The Murmur — both available now — and Betwixted, coming this spring. (I love that last title, probably because I loved the TV show “Bewitched” and I love Twix bars haha!)
As one reviewer says about Waverly Estate, “There is nothing one dimensional about this series and M.T. is far more than just another writer who regurgitates themes. She is master of understated terror that creeps up and leaves you chilled.” (Read more reviews here.)
Couldn’t have said it better myself. But since I’m a writer, I’ll try: I’m not a huge horror fan. But I loved Waverly Estate: Ghost Dance. It is a human story which just happens to have supernatural elements that enhance rather than dominate the plot. The supernatural isn’t the focus of the story; it’s an essential element woven into a larger plot about human nature, society, and good and evil.
Back to my podcast interview: So I talk about the early narrative choices made when starting to write a novel. These include choosing a narrator and selecting the right point-of-view. (Remember first person, second person and third person from English class?) It also digs into why I went with a dual narrative, employing two narrators, for my most recent novel, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.
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January 19, 2021
Audiobook Now Available!
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades is now available as an audiobook!
For the past year or so, readers I’ve met at book and author events have been asking me when my contemporary novel would be published as an audiobook. I’m happy to say, the wait is over.
Rated 4.5 stars on Amazon and goodreads, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades is also available in paperback and ebook format. And the ebook is on sale for 99 cents only through the end of January 2021.
Buy the audiobook here.
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January 10, 2021
99¢ Treasure to Start the New Year
Well, the new year 2021 has not started out as the peaceful year we were all hoping for. Time to escape in a good book!
My publisher is offering the ebook version of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades for 99¢ through January. The normal price is $6.99. That’s like finding a little gem of a treasure.
As a reminder, here’s what some reviewers have said about the novel:
“A remarkable read”
“Shows the beauty of female solidarity.”
“Heartbreakingly beautiful.”
“Reading about these women warmed my heart and soul and made me reach out to the women in my life and proclaim my love for them.”
“Every American should read this novel, as each character is someone you know.”
On top of that, many have cited how entertaining the story is—a key ingredient for fiction in my book, pardon the pun.
Simply go to Amazon to get the special price.
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December 11, 2020
Fun Photo Friday: Coal for the Naughty List
I love this image and look forward to sharing it every holiday season! Puts a whole new twist on “bad boys and girls get a lump of coal in their stockings.”
Can you tell I work in the solar business, am a solar owner, and am a big advocate of clean energy?
Give yourself or someone you love the gift that keeps on giving this Christmas — solar energy for a home or business, which pays for itself and then some. (Or give them my latest novel, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades…but I digress.)
Not sure who to call? Here are a few reputable solar companies I have personal knowledge of:
New England Clean Energy (serves much of MA, NH and RI, residential & commercial)Citadel Roofing & Solar (serves all of CA, residential & commercial)Solect Energy (serving large commercial and government/municipal customers in parts of New England and IL)
You can also research reputable companies on SolarReviews.com.
Happy Holidays!
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