S.M. Stevens's Blog, page 21
February 7, 2020
Fun Photo Friday: Bumblebee Butts
Fun Photo Friday is back after a 2-week hiatus while the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour took place. And we are back in a way sure to create a lot of “buzz.”
Today’s photo shows a bumblebee that feel asleep after snacking on nectar from a flower blossom. Note the dusting of pollen on the little creature’s fuzzy backside. Full credit for this amazing story goes to Healthy Food House. I highly recommend clicking through to HFH where you can be regaled with many tired bumblebee butt images!
In between oohs and awwws over the photos, soak in the environmental message too. Bees need our help!
You can learn more about the plight of the bees at sites including The Honeybee Conservancy and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The BCT link takes you to a page with suggestions for bumble-friendly flowers you can plant in your own yard.
Can’t leave without one more adorable bumble-butt photo:
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February 2, 2020
HAHG Blog Tour: Day 7
The Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour wraps up with a bang: two reviews on leading book review sites, Allieereads out of Australia and Emma and Her Books in the UK. Thanks to both bloggers, and all the bloggers who participated, for making my first ever blog tour a smashing success!
Book Review on Allieereads
Allieereads posted a review that describes the plot of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades interspersed with insightful observations. I’ll share a few here:
“S.M. Stevens’ Horseshoes and Hand Grenades is a powerful and timely written novel which explores the issues of sexism and sexual assault as well as the micro-aggressions which women deal with in their everyday life.
“There were times when I had to put the book down and scream from absolute frustration and infuriation because how dare men treat women like that. Then realising, men still treat us like that…
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“I love when I read about women empowering each other and strengthening each other through love and support. We need more books like this! 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.
“I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in the exploration of these themes….this novel is incredibly timely in the wake of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movement so I honestly think that you should give this book a read!”
For the full review, click here to go to Allieereads.
Book Review on Emma and Her Books
Thanks also to Emma for taking the time to write a book review of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Here are excerpts from her review.
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“I enjoyed following the two main characters, Shelby and Astrid with their growth, relationships and respective journey….[The book] touches on sexual abuse/harassment and other similar themes which are extremely topical following the #metoo movement. The writing dealt with these themes sensitively but not diminishing the issue’s importance. It was heavy in places to read but rightly so….Overall, the women were strong, brave and full of hope. An uplifting ending and all round solid story!”
Click here to read the full review on Emma and Her Books.
That’s a wrap, folks. I can’t thank the bloggers who participated in this Blog Tour enough! But I will try. Look for a future post telling my readers a bit about each of these lovely book review sites.
#BlogTour #BookReview #HAHG #AlmostCounts
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February 1, 2020
HAHG Blog Tour: Day 6
The Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour continues with a review of my Contemporary Women’s Fiction story on Savvy Verse & Wit in the U.S. We then jump across the pond to the U.K. where Book Inspector hosts my guest post.
Book Review on Savvy Verse & Wit
Savvy Verse & Wit writes about Horseshoes and Hand Grenades:
“Horseshoes and Hand Grenades by S.M. Stevens is a look at the effects of sexual harassment in the workplace during the 1980s and how women were stuck with few options — tough it out or move to another company. It also examines the lasting effects of sexual molestation and abuse that occurs too often in the home — forever shaping the worldview of the children it directly impacts.”
She wraps up with this high praise: “Stevens is a talented storyteller and the book is a page-turner.”
Click here to read the full review.
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Guest Post on Book Inspector
On Book Inspector, I write about “The Birth of Shelby and Astrid: My Narrative Choices.” The post explains why I opted for two narrators/heroes, and how I developed them and made related narrative choices. Here’s a taste:
“[One] choice was which narrative point-of-view to employ. For Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, I knew third-person narrative wouldn’t be personal enough to effectively convey the rough-and-tumble thoughts of my victims as they process confusing and conflicting emotions that ebb and flow over time.
“Ditto for an omniscient author, even though she would have had the ability to peek inside my main characters’ heads and hearts. That left me with first person.…
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“At the end of the day, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades is an intensely personal story, about two women living through painful and traumatic situations as well as uplifting, funny and heart-warming ones. I hope the first-person, dual narrative approach helps readers who have had similar experiences connect with Astrid and Shelby. And I hope it helps readers who have not had similar experiences understand a bit better what it’s like to be one of those women.“
Click here to read the full post on Book Inspector.
#HAHG #AlmostCounts #MeToo #TimesUp
Tune in tomorrow for the final day of the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour.
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January 31, 2020
HAHG Blog Tour: Day 5
(Fun Photo Friday will resume next week, once the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour is done.)
Book Review on A Little Book Problem
I can’t thank Julie at A Little Book Problem enough for her glowing review of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Here are a few excerpts:
“This is a book for anyone who is interested in examining gender politics at the same time as enjoying an entertaining story of female friendship and empowerment.
“There was not a part of this book that was dry or heavy or lecturing and I fairly raced through it.
“Astrid’s story, in particular, rung some uncomfortable bells and made me think back to things that happened to me as a young, professional but inexperienced woman starting work in a legal firm, in a very male-dominated specialism.
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“It does a good job provoking internal questioning on gender politics in general, and for that reason can make for uncomfortable reading at times….All of these issues are presented by way of an entertaining and pacy story of three young women navigating their way through the early years of adulthood and freedom and learning some difficult truths and important life lessons along the way. “
(Side note: I love the illustration in her logo. Being surrounded by stacks of books evokes I’m sure a miserable image for many people, but for bibliophiles, it looks like heaven!)
Read the full review here.
Q&A on Portable Magic
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Thanks to Kate at Portable Magic for posting an author interview on her book blog!
We cover topics ranging from dead dinner dates, Old Ironsides, the Franklin Park Zoo, and stealing my daughter’s friends’ personalities. You’ll have to tune in (i.e. click below) to learn how the heck those all fit together!
Click here to read the Q&A.
The Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour continues through the weekend…2 more days of book-loving fun!
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January 30, 2020
HAHG Blog Tour: Day 4
Day 4 of the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour takes us to the U.K. where we visit with Adele, a “crafty reader.”
Guest Post on Kraftireader
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Adele at the Kraftireader book review blog graciously allowed me space to let readers in on why I chose to portray more subtle, “lesser abuse” of an everyday heroine in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Here’s a bit from the post:
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, my new Women’s Fiction novel from TouchPoint Press, is not another book about horrific, violent sexual abuse. Why? Because, even though such books are important, there are other stories that also need to be told.
I purposely portray much less severe abuse and harassment situations. Those scenes, while troubling, are brief and not particularly graphic. As one reviewer said, the book is a “safe” place to deal with these tough subjects.
I made that choice because I believe the vast majority of harassment and abuse victims suffer “lesser abuse” compared to, for example, rape.
In The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, readers root for Lisbeth Salander because they can empathize with her pain. But most probably can’t relate directly to the unspeakable violence inflicted upon the androgynous computer hacker of questionable mental stability.
In contrast, the less severe abuse my heroine Shelby suffers will resonate with the many women who harbor similar memories.
Click here to read the full post.
Tune in tomorrow for Day 5 of the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour.
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January 29, 2020
HAHG Blog Tour: Day 3
In honor of it being Day 3 of the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour, we have three postings to share with you today. (Just kidding. It wasn’t planned that way. It just turned out that Review Tales by Jeyran Main split her post into two pieces: my guest post about why I wrote HAHG yesterday, and her review of my new novel today.)
Day 3 also brings us a book review from The Lily Cafe, and the publication of an excerpt from Horseshoes and Hand Grenades plus an author Q&A on Reading Nook. Thanks to all of these bloggers for participating in the Tour!
Book Review on The Lily Cafe
“A heartbreakingly beautiful novel.” That’s how The Lily Cafe describes Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, which of course brings tears to this author’s eyes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and no book appeals to everyone. So it is extremely gratifying to have a reader connect with the story so deeply.
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The comprehensive book review covers the characterizations, setting and pacing as well as the plot and overall impact of the story. Here’s an excerpt from the review:
“[Horseshoes and Hand Grenades] was a fairly intense novel. As someone who has never been a victim of sexual harassment or abuse, it really opened my eyes to what victims must endure for the rest of their lives. This book made me hurt for them, made me want to step in and protect them, and made me root for them and every victim more than ever before…..this is one novel that should be read by victims and non-victims alike, especially in this day and age.”
Read the full review here.
Excerpt and Author Q&A on Reading Nook
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Reading Nook featured an excerpt from Horseshoes and Hand Grenades in which co-narrators and heroes Shelby and Astrid interact in the early days. Can you say “frenemy”? This seemingly innocuous scene is actually quite instrumental in conveying the personalities of both women.
Reading Nook also posted a Q&A with me that covers my dream cast for the movie adaptation of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, and why Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite books, among other topics.
Read the full post complete with book info, excerpt and interview here. And note that the magical header image for this post is pulled from Reading Nook‘s masthead.
Book Review on Review Tales by Jeyran Main
Review Tales published a lovely review of my Contemporary / New Adult / Women’s Fiction novel. Here’s a taste:
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“When it comes to sensitive matters such as sexual abuse, specifically at a young age, it is imperative that the story displays a truthful notion of emotion, triumph, conflict of behavior and hurt. The author managed to describe all of this within the story, and that made it very special.
“The literature was sensitive and written with care. I would recommend this story to people who have been through a similar experience or like to read about a woman and their strength to overcome hardship.”
Read the full review here.
That wraps up Day 3. Join us again tomorrow as the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour continues. #AlmostCounts
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January 28, 2020
HAHG Blog Tour: Day 2
Day 2 of the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour takes us to Review Tales by Jeyran Main in Canada, which published an article by yours truly about why I delved into the sticky world of #MeToo with this novel; and to Book Briefs here in the U.S., which published an author interview and is hosting a book giveaway of HAHG.
Book Giveaway & Author Interview on Book Briefs
New Adult book review blog Book Briefs is hosting a book giveaway contest for Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Two Book Briefs visitors will win free copies of the paperback novel. Visit Book Briefs if you’d like to enter to win a free copy of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. (U.S. entries only, please. Sorry…)
While you’re there, check out my interview to learn what’s under my bed, and about my secret talents.
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Guest Post on Review Tales by Jeyran Main
The Blog Tour continues over at Review Tales, where I expound on what possessed me to write about sexual harassment and abuse. Below is an excerpt from the guest post. Click here to read the full post at Review Tales.
Why I Wrote a “#MeToo Novel”
Almost every time I am interviewed about my new novel Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, the interviewer asks why I wanted to write about sexual abuse and workplace harassment. Some ask with a tone that suggests I must like gory movies and watching train wrecks too. (For the record, I do not.) Others ask with a knowing nod, sure that the answer will be the #MeToo movement.
While the second is close to the mark, the truth is a bit more complicated. Here are the two reasons I wrote Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.
Reason #1: Educating the Skeptics
I freely admit that #MeToo was the catalyst for Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, in particular, the Harvey Weinstein coverage. Watching and reading news coverage of the movie mogul’s aggressive and arrogant behavior with women, I was appalled and fascinated as people—reporters, the accused, bystanders—ask questions that they rarely, if ever, ask victims of other types of crime.
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We all know the questions by now: Was it partly your fault? Was it really that bad? Why did you wait so long to speak up? And why are you speaking up now—do you have an ulterior motive?
That last pair of questions is intensely frustrating. First, victims are criticized for not speaking up when it happened, and then they’re criticized for speaking up when they finally do. It’s no wonder so many choose to remain silent, harboring the pain within the confines of their own skin.
Click here to read the full article on the Review Tales blog.
All in all, a busy Day 2 for the Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour!
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January 27, 2020
HAHG Blog Tour: Day 1
The Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour / Book Tour kicked off today with a review on The Bookwormery and an author interview on Jera’s Jamboree. Thanks to Lesley and Shaz for taking part in the Blog Tour, and devoting some of their time to help spread the word about my new Adult Contemporary/Women’s Fiction/New Adult novel.
The Bookwormery wrote: “I found this to be a beautifully written tale of a difficult and uncomfortable subject, told sympathetically and honestly and all too common. A timely must read with a satisfying ending too.”
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Read the full review of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades on The Bookwormery here. (And thanks to The Bookwormery for the header image, which I “borrowed” for this post.)
The Jera’s Jamboree Q&A covers topics like my favorite and least favorite scenes to write, my awesome book covers (thanks to artist Natalie Simone), and my most creative time of day (which does not earn me points with the family!).
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Read the Jera’s Jamboree interview here.
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The Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Blog Tour continues for 7 days, so be sure to stop by tomorrow or subscribe to this blog for all the updates!
#BlogTour #BookBloggers #HAHG #AlmostCounts
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January 24, 2020
AllAuthor Interview with S.M. Stevens
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by AllAuthor recently, about my new novel Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, as well as previous books Shannon’s Odyssey and the Bit Players series for YA theatre-lovers.
AllAuthor is a wonderful site that unites authors and readers. It’s main goal is helping readers discover new authors and new books in their preferred genres. (They also provide a number of helpful services to authors.)
The interview covers topics like how I overcome writer’s block, the sweetest fan mail I’ve received, and my views on Women’s Fiction. (Spoiler: I think it’s a peculiar term since we don’t have “Men’s Fiction”…)
Read the interview on AllAuthor.com.
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Fun Photo Friday: AcroYoga
Fun Photo Friday is back, after a two-week hiatus as I was moving!
Today’s Fun Photo shows my daughter doing AcroYoga at GuatesUP, a paddle boarding tour company in Guatemala where Gabby worked for a while. Not only does this look like a blast, it’s a very fun, cool photo, IMHO.
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