S.M. Stevens's Blog, page 3

Meet Terrance: Character Profile & Excerpt

This is the third of six character profiles to introduce you to the group of friends in Beautiful & Terrible Things, about which Chat About Books wrote:

“These characters…have an important story to tell, not least about the importance and power of friendship.”

Character Profile: Terrance

Meet Terrance Washington: Terrance is a 30-year-old, straight Black man who works as communications director for an environmental nonprofit. He moved to the city and took the job six months before, hoping to make this city his own regardless of whatever racism he might encounter.

What He Represents: Our logic

Personality in Brief: The Analytic

Personality in More Detail: Several readers have said Terrance is their favorite character. He is warm and thoughtful as well as highly analytical, always asking Why? and What if? Physically, he is tall with an all-black wardrobe offset by bleached blonde hair. His “love of a list” is explained in this passage:

“Terrance loved a list for its clarity of expectations and sequence. If your boss approved your list of priorities, you could pursue those projects with abandon. If your girlfriend wanted more quality time, you defined the list of actions that constituted quality time and established the desired frequency.”

His Challenges, Hopes & Dreams: Terrance wants an orderly life with a successful career, a Black wife who shares his values, and several children who will be open-minded and cherish the planet as he does.

What Others Say

How The Friends Describe Terrance:

Xander: Terrance scratched his close-cropped, dyed-blonde hair, which contrasted dramatically with his dark brown skin and all-black clothing. One of Terrance’s diamond stud earrings winked in the sunlight filtering through the leaves. He removed his heavy, black-rimmed glasses, pulled a microfiber cloth from his pocket, and wiped the lenses.

Jess: Terrance called time out [in the basketball game] and struggled out of his sticky shirt. His well-defined chest and arms resembled an ad for an exercise machine if it featured a once-fit thirtyish man softened somewhat by hours at a desk.

Buwan: Terrance smiled, his glasses nudging his cheeks up and transforming what Bu thought women would call a handsome face into a boyish one.

What Terrance Says

Quotable Quotes:

To Xander, who is White: “Your right to protest is more protected than mine. When I attend a protest, I become a target. That’s a conflict I’d rather avoid. Doesn’t make me bad.”

“I’ll always believe in helping the planet, but I also want to raise a family someday, and I want to make career decisions based on what’s best for them, not just me.”

“No city will ever be my city. We take what we can from it, but don’t expect it to give back everything you need.”

“I did something horrible once, too. Something I’ll never forgive myself for. You’re not alone.”

Excerpt: Terrance

“Every time I come here, the yard looks smaller,” Terrance said to his mother as she emerged from their side of the two-family house with a glass of iced tea and a beer. Mary Washington wore dungaree shorts and a white sleeveless blouse. Her short, salt-and-pepper hair capped cherubic features that echoed the trace of baby face her son was stuck with for life.

“Really? To me it seems bigger without the toys and sports stuff.” She sat down at the dimpled, glass-topped table on the back patio. “Still like the new job?”

Terrance braced himself for the requisite maternal inquisition—a regular feature of visits home regardless of the number of phone calls in between. If only Jasmine were here to join in the fun. “I love it. It’s important work and I’ll be in a great position to apply for the national communications director job in a year or two.”

“That’s my boy. I know you’ll make me proud.”

“Mama, you should already be proud. Wilderness Protection is a major organization and we’re doing good for the world.”

She clapped her hand over his where it lay on the table. “I am, I am! Although with all the hurt in this world, why you’re protecting animals is beyond me.”

He flipped his hand over and clasped hers, shaking it for emphasis. “I’m trying to save the environment. What bigger cause is there? Racism, sexism, you name it—none of those will matter if we destroy the planet and everybody on it.”

She sighed as if unable to fathom that concept. “Have you got a new girlfriend yet?”

“No, still trying.” He swigged his beer, already warming in the heat.

Mary stared over his shoulder and smacked her tongue against her palate—a familiar sound that meant a lecture was coming unless he cut it off at the pass.

“Mama, trust me—I want a wife and family as much as you do. The right person will come along. Give it time.” He thought about letting her in on the list of qualities he was seeking—ranked by “must have” and “nice to have”—but decided it was safer, on balance, to drop the subject.

She sighed and returned her gaze to him. “Are you going to church?”

“Every Sunday, and praying every night.”

“Got enough money?”

“Yes. And I’ve got sixteen-thousand saved toward a down payment on a house.”

She smiled but winced, and he knew she was wondering what city and state that house would be in. “Being cautious?”

Terrance studied his mother for clues to the intent behind her question. With her, being cautious could mean anything from looking both ways before crossing the street, to wearing a condom, to not joining a gang.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m staying true to the docile boy you raised. Don’t make trouble. Stay alive.”

She slapped the side of his head lightly and lovingly, but her voice rang strident. “Don’t sass me. You have no idea what it’s like to give birth to a Black boy. Motherhood is supposed to be the greatest joy a woman can feel, but when you give birth to a boy, all you are is scared. I was scared then and I’m scared now.”

Terrance bowed his head. He’d grown up in the shadow of his mother’s omnipresent worry, but she’d never explained the root of her fear so bluntly and personally.

“What about Jasmine?” he asked quietly. “Don’t you worry about her?”

“Of course, baby. But for different reasons. Too many people see a Black man as a threat, and I live in fear someone will take action against you as a result.” She scanned his six feet of height and broad shoulders and shook her head as if his size either incriminated him or was not nearly protection enough.

Terrance picked at a loose corner of the beer bottle’s label. “It’s the Black boy with the least courage who stays alive, you said to me once. Remember?” Mary didn’t respond. “I was so mad ‘cause I thought you were telling me to be a wimp.”

Mary’s eyes narrowed and saddened at the same time. She opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by the back door banging open.

Where to Buy

Beautiful and Terrible Things is available in paperback, ebook and audiobook, on all major sites. Click here to get to most of them; it’s also available on Walmart and Target.

Illustration credit: webstockreview.net

The post Meet Terrance: Character Profile & Excerpt appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

The Year’s Top 3 Books, and a Smashing Ebook Sale

I don’t usually post twice in one week, but I want to let you know about a big ebook sale starting today, plus a fun thing for book-lovers to do as the year comes to a close.

What Are Your Top 3 Books of 2024?

Book recommendation site Shepherd started asking authors to rate their Top 3 Books of the year in 2023, but now, the fairly new site is set up to let readers weigh in too. So, which books stand out to you as your favorites from 2024? They don’t have to have been published this year; all that matters is that you read them this year.

Mine were The Mourning Parade by Dawn Reno Langley, The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, and Dracula by Bram Stoker (a mixed bag of books, per usual, reflecting my eclectic reading tastes). Click on this image if you want to know why they were my faves.

Click here to rate your Top 3 Books of 2024. Shepherd makes it easy and fun, and they create a page with images for you like the one above. (Full disclosure: If you create your own list/page, a promo for my book will appear at the bottom of the page.)

Smashwords End of Year Ebook Sale

My ebooks are sold through many platforms, including Smashwords, an online bookstore that only sells ebooks. Smashwords’ End of Year Sale starts today, December 12, and runs through January 1, 2025, and it is massive. Hundreds of books, possibly thousands, are heavily discounted or even free during this promotion so be sure to check it out.

Three of my books are enrolled in the End of Year Sale:

The Wallace House of Pain: A Novelette is $1.49 (50% off) Horseshoes and Hand Grenades is $2.99 (50% off) Shannon’s Odyssey , for ages 8-11, is $3.74 (25% off).

Smashwords is a relatively simple site, as you’ll see, which has been around for years. You’ll need to create an account, verify your email, and pay with PayPal or credit card. They can email the book right to the email associated with your Kindle if you want.

Happy Holidays!

I don’t expect to post again before Christmas, so here’s hoping you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday filled with peace and joy.

The post The Year’s Top 3 Books, and a Smashing Ebook Sale appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

“Beautiful & Terrible Things” Wins 2 More Book Awards

I am humbled to report that my new novel Beautiful and Terrible Things has received two more book awards. This is in addition to two awards previously received. It’s certainly beginning to feel like Christmas around here for me!

Shelf Unbound Names BATT One of Five Finalists

Shelf Unbound, an award-winning book review magazine that reaches more than 125,000 readers in the U.S. and around the globe, named Beautiful and Terrible Things a finalist in its 2024 Best Indie Book Competition.

The editors only award prizes to one winner and five finalists across all genres, in total, so this is quite an honor. Their Winter issue includes a 4-page spread on my book, which includes an author Q&A and an excerpt from the novel. Read it here. (My section starts on page 34.)

American Writing Awards Finalist – LGBTQ Category

Beautiful and Terrible Things was also named a finalist in the LGBTQ category of the 2024 American Writing Awards. While sexual orientation is not the focus of the story, the novel includes two main characters who identify as LGBTQ+. I am thrilled to have that aspect of my diverse cast recognized.

AWA entries were judged by publishing industry professionals, authors and professors based on the author’s story-telling ability, transitions, hooks, pacing, character development, dialogue, grammar, punctuation and overall impact.

Other Recent Awards for Beautiful and Terrible Things

These awards are in addition to an Honorable Mention received in the Fiction–Social Issues category of the Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest, and a finalist ranking in the General Fiction category of the 2024 American Fiction Awards.

Find out where you can get your copy of the paperback, audiobook or ebook here. (Also available on Walmart.com and Target.com.)

The post “Beautiful & Terrible Things” Wins 2 More Book Awards appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

Meet Sunny: Character Profile & Excerpt

This is the second of six character profiles to introduce you to the group of friends in Beautiful & Terrible Things, about which award-winning author Ruth F. Stevens (no relation to me) says:

“The six young men and women we meet in Beautiful and Terrible Things share a warm, I’ve-got-your-back camaraderie that reminded me of the cast of Friends…[but it] is a far more diverse and complex ensemble.”

Character Profile: Sunny

Meet Sunny Winston: Sunny is a 28-year-old, nonbinary, pansexual individual who studied Environmental Studies in college and now sells solar energy systems. Sunny is biracial — half-Black, half-Indian. They have an on-again-off-again romance with Xander.

Note: As a nonbinary person, Sunny uses the pronouns they/them. Several readers said they found that difficult to get used to, which I understand, but I wanted the characters to represent society today. On that note, I messed up — there is one place in the novel where I used “she” for Sunny. Can you find it?

Another note: In related news, The Rauch Review recently mentioned Sunny in an article on how to write biracial characters. Read that here.

What Sunny Represents: Our conscience

Personality in Brief: The Optimist

Personality in More Detail: As Charley notes, Sunny “radiates joy.” They see the good in all, and joke that if everyone in the world practiced yoga, there would be no wars. If they identified as female, many would call them the classic Earth Mother. Their altruism, however, can threaten their own happiness.

Their Challenges, Hopes & Dreams: Like Xander, Sunny wants to save the world. Their pacifist approach to activism balances Xander’s fervor. Sunny also craves marriage and children, but finding the right life partner proves an elusive goal.

What Others Say

How The Friends Describe Sunny:

Charley: (At this point in the story, Charley does not know that Sunny is nonbinary.) The woman’s stunning, heavy-lidded, almond-shaped eyes were offset by a round mouth that made Charley think of childhood innocence and puppies, a connotation that intensified when that mouth stretched into a disarming smile at something her companion said. A row of tiny gold hoop earrings traveled down the helix of her coppery left ear, glinting from within her Afro. Sunny’s voice was so comforting it made Charley want to burrow inside it, if that were possible.

Xander: He tugged on the long tail of the orange paisley scarf Sunny wore like a headband, set back a few inches from the forehead. The cloth divided their four-inch-long Afro into a narrow, sleek band in the front and a cloud of black fuzz in the back, like a smoke tree in bloom.

Terrance: Sunny—gorgeous in a waiflike way, with big almond-shaped eyes and a round mouth—was the darkest, with an unusual, orange-brown skin tone.

What Reviewers Say:

Sunny is a very easy to like character. (Chat About Books)

Sunny…desperately wishes for love while contemplating how being a “nonbinary, biracial pansexual” makes commitment a challenge, musing “it’s hard to commit to another person when society isn’t committed to you.” (Booklife)

A nonbinary person who is Xander’s friend with benefits. (Reedsy)

What Sunny Says

Quotable Quotes:

“Jess is all about efficiency. Xander’s all about equality, even for words. Now stop bickering, you two.”

From The Wallace House of Pain, at a cookout with Xander’s father and stepmother:

“The parts I was born with are my business, Mr. Wallace. What matters is that today, I prefer not to be thought of as male or female.”

“Some people like the taste of pickles, some prefer doughnuts. I happen to like both. I might even like a pickle-flavored doughnut if one existed. It doesn’t make me weird. It means I have broader tastes than some people.”

Excerpt: Sunny

In this first of the two scenes excerpted here, Xander prepares Sunny to meet Charley:

“She’s akin to a wounded animal, Sunny. She lost her parents, and then her grandparents, and she’s got no one unless you count her crotchety boss. Strike that—I’m not sure the boss even likes Charley. Or anyone.”

“But now she’s got you, Xan,” Sunny said, their voice as smooth as warm honey. They weren’t surprised that a damaged soul was Xander’s latest project. He’d been on a crusade to save the world and all the people and animals in it since the day they’d met at college in freshman year.

Xander wasn’t done. “She needs to be pulled kicking and screaming into the realm of the living. I believe she’s existed in a state of suspended animation for years now.”

“You’ve been able to draw her out some, right? So, she must want friends. Maybe she just doesn’t know it yet. You really think I can help?”

Xander snorted. “This from the person who dragged my sorry drunken posterior out of the gutter after that frat party, cradled me in their arms, and convinced me I would not only survive, but flourish. Yeah, I think you can help. Radiate your luminance on her like you do with everyone else.”

Sunny put a tawny index finger in the center of their lower lip and used their thumb and middle finger to squeeze the lip, folding it inward on itself. Xander recognized their thinking pose and remained silent as the two of them reached the bookstore and stopped outside. “Maybe you came on too strong. You can be overpowering, you know.”

“Hmph. I merely conveyed that it would be a highly entertaining weekend with a coterie of extraordinarily stimulating people.”

“That’s not too strong for you or me, but maybe too strong for her. Let’s make it sound like less of a commitment.”

“Can you be more specific?”

“Just follow my lead,” Sunny said, entering the store with a jingle.

Sunny watched Xander’s nose twitch as the morning sunbeam sifting through the bedroom blinds tickled his sleeping face. Awe at how deeply they loved him pulsed through them, followed by bewilderment at why they didn’t love him more.

Sunny and Xander had been each other’s soft place to land since the day they met. He was their soul mate and sometimes savior. Friday night, the nightclub shooting painfully fresh in their minds, they sought each other out as they had off and on over the years in between boyfriends and girlfriends. But Sunny knew the carnal reunion was most likely temporary, and they were okay with that.

Sunny so wanted marriage. Friends liked to say Sunny had it made with such a big pool of potential mates to choose from when truth be told, the people in that pool who could love a nonbinary, biracial pansexual were few and far between.

Sunny wanted children. They craved pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood intrinsically, and hoped to nurture one child in the womb plus guide another out of the foster system.

Sunny wanted love, the sweetness of which they’d tasted twice only to have it turn stinging and salty. A two-year relationship with a man ended when their political differences became unsurmountable. A two-year relationship with a trans woman followed, but the first forever talk scared her right out the door. Sunny smirked. Heterosexual women who think hetero men in their late twenties are scared of commitment should try building a long-term relationship with someone marginalized into believing their wants aren’t as legitimate as everyone else’s. It’s hard to commit to another person when society isn’t committed to you.

Xander stirred. Sunny debated asking him if they were officially a couple again. Then they decided to let sleeping dogs lie.

Where to Buy

Beautiful and Terrible Things is available in paperback, ebook and audiobook, on all major sites. Click here to get to most of them; it’s also available on Walmart and Target.

Illustration credit: webstockreview.net

The post Meet Sunny: Character Profile & Excerpt appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

Holiday Gift Guide: Books, of Course!

(Note to followers: It might be easier to view this Guide on the website versus in email, as the format gets wonky in the transition to email. Just click on the blog title above to get there.)

Over the past two years, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know many of the talented authors at my new publishing house, Black Rose Writing. I’ve also become closer with some of the authors from my last publisher, the now-defunct TouchPoint Press. (If you want to know the sad ending of that debacle, here’s an article from Publishers Weekly in which several authors including me are interviewed.) With the holiday gift-giving season upon us, I thought, What better time to share with you some book recommendations from these wonderful authors? And so I present, my Holiday Gift Guide.

I have read, and thus can personally recommend, these books. I’ve included my own brief description and sorted them by genre so you can skip to your favorite (or take a chance and browse them all, try something new…). None of them are hard-core literary fiction if that’s your thing, but many I would consider “upmarket fiction” which combines beautiful prose with a compelling plot. Others are classic thrillers and historical fiction. Click on a cover to get more info including a longer description, reviews and purchasing information.

Many of these have won awards. A few are part of a series but can be read as standalone stories. All are available as paperback and ebook, and some as audiobook.

So with apologies to those authors whose books I read but couldn’t fit in because the list was getting ridiculously long (I already went over my target of 15 books), and to those authors whose books I’ve long wanted to read but still haven’t, here is my list of 16 recommended books to read and gift this holiday season.

And scroll to the end to see my Top 3 Reads of 2024, as published recently on Shepherd.com.

My Books

First, I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you of my seven books, all of which make great gifts. The first three pictured below are adult contemporary fiction. Shannon’s Odyssey is for Middle Grade readers – I usually suggest it’s for ages 8-11 but the other day I met a 7-year-old who was reading Harry Potter, which is generally considered to be for ages 9 and up, so go figure. And the last one pictured is the first in my three-part Bit Players Young Adult series for teens and tweens.

Click on a cover to see where the book is available online. And if you’re near Manchester, N.H., you can now find my books at the Manchester Craft Market in the Mall of New Hampshire.

Holiday Gift Guide: 16 Recommended Books

Without further ado, here are the 16 books in my Holiday Gift Guide. Note that I am not breaking out Women’s Fiction as a genre because that term annoys me. Want to know why? I actually wrote about that here. Again, click on a cover below for more info and purchasing information.

Contemporary Fiction

My Year of Casual Acquaintances by Ruth F. Stevens (no relation to me), in which a recently divorced woman cycles through a new, casual friendship each month, trying to keep life light. A sequel, The Unexpected Guests, comes out soon.

Forks & Knives: A Marriage at the Crossroads of Addiction and Codependency by Mimi Wahlfeldt, a thought-provoking and searingly honest look at the different paths a troubled marriage might have taken, presented in “parallel universes.”

The Stories We Cannot Tell by Leslie Rasmussen, a crisply written, fast-paced and very funny novel that raises all kinds of interesting philosophical questions related to pregnancy and motherhood as two women struggle with deeply personal choices.

Analyzing the Prescotts by Dawn Reno Langley, LGBTQ+ Fiction, about a man who leaves his wife and children to transition to the female gender, and the therapist who treats the family, in an intriguing read that packs a highly dramatic ending.

Finding Naomi by Diane Nagatomo, a well-written and entertaining coming-of-age romance set in the very different worlds of Japan and Nebraska; I particularly enjoyed learning about the cultures of both places. (Release date Nov. 14.)

Once in a Lifetime by Suzanne Grieco Mattaboni, a coming-of-age story that takes place in 1984 (which some now consider historical fiction!), set in the gritty, slam-dancing, Mohawk-wearing, safety-pin-adorned punk scene as New Wave music was taking off.

Mystery & Thriller

A Dark Drink by Tina O’Hailey, a satisfyingly horrifying psychological thriller, with highly original characters including vice presidential motorcade member, avid caver and amateur mixologist Jude; and the whip-smart, trans, social media whiz Mercedez.

A River of Crows by Shanessa Gluhm, in which family secrets, cross-generational intrigue, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, double lives and creeping insanity all factor into a murderous good time that falls in the crime fiction and domestic thriller sub-genres.

Scorched: Burn Me Once… is a new release from Cam Torrens, and the third installment in his Tyler Zahn series. I actually read the second in the series, False Summit, which was a crisp psychological crime thriller with plenty of bad guys to keep you guessing.

What Really Happened to Steve Nathan by Mary Marchese falls in the Thriller genre but it’s more a lovely story about family, self and forgiveness, filled with lots of intrigue. Set in Vietnam and California in dual time periods including the Vietnam War.

Captives by Travis Tougaw is a crime thriller packed with drama, suspense and tension, but also humor as three detectives work to solve a kidnapping. The plot makes it a stay-up-all-night read but it’s the very well-developed characters that set this book apart.

A Place Unmade by Carla Seyler, an environmental thriller that raises ethical questions about our modern food supply wrapped up in a fast-paced suspenseful story; even though the villain is revealed early on, it’s still a page-turner.

Come and Get Me by Marisa Rae Dondlinger, a binge-worthy book in the crime fiction and domestic thriller sub-genres. A story of revenge, relationships and misguided love with extremely well-developed characters battling against time to save a child.

Fantasy

Dead Egyptians by Del Blackwater took me by surprise in a good way. It is historical fantasy with an LGBTQ+ twist, a clever premise, witty writing and a grand adventure in Cairo with Pharaohs, mysterious characters, and a love for the ages.

Memoir

Following Sunshine by Niamh McAnally is both a self-discovery journey and a love story wrapped up in travelogue paper. If you like adventure travel and sailing, or if you want to experience them vicariously, this is for you.

Historical Fiction

A Thousand Flying Things by Kathy Ramsberger offers a fascinating peek into the life of a humanitarian aid worker in Sudan under the thumb of a warlord, before shifting into a love story between an American woman and a Lebanese man.

My Top 3 Reads of 2024

If you want even more book ideas, check out my 3 favorite reads of 2024 so far, as published on book recommendation site Shepherd.com.

The post Holiday Gift Guide: Books, of Course! appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

A Message of Tolerance

For some time, I’ve had a Holiday Gift Guide planned for today’s post, but it doesn’t feel right to lead off November with that, given how tumultuous the past week has been for Americans. So I am delaying the Gift Guide until tomorrow, and offering one person’s message of tolerance today, for what it’s worth.

Like roughly half the people in the U.S., I like to think I have empathy for my fellow human beings. I’ve often wondered where empathy comes from and like many things, it seems to be a mixture of nature and nurture. My daughter has it innately. At age 4, when one girl at a birthday party walked away from the piñata empty-handed, Natalie gave her some of her candy without prompting from an adult.

But nurture is hugely important too. People raised in tolerant, open-minded homes tend to internalize those values. Sure, the occasional individual veers away from the fold, and that works in the other direction too. Sometimes a person raised in a hateful environment breaks away once they see more of the world and realize we are all, generally, the same.

Tolerance in Fiction

My latest novel, Beautiful and Terrible Things, has strong tolerance and diversity messages. It depicts plenty of strife, because I wanted to portray life in an American city today, with all its social justice ills. But at its heart, it’s about the friendship between six very different indiviuals. They differ in heritage, race, sexual orientation, gender idendity, and of course personality. Together, they are a potent force and a reminder of what’s good in the world. Using fiction to reflect reality and inspire hope is important, I believe.

International Day for Tolerance

Also important is taking time out to reflect on what tolerance means and how we can create more of it. This Saturday, November 16, is the United Nations’ International Day for Tolerance. It’s a day for inspiring hope, and change, by recognizing “the mounting threat posed by those who strive to divide, and…to forge a path defined by dialogue, social cohesion and mutual understanding.” In the name of tolerance, please consider taking a minute to:

Educate – yourself and others, about an issue like racism or immigration or tolerance in general; this is easily done with an online search for websites, articles, videos, etc. on the topicDonate – to organizations supporting diversity and toleranceDebate – start a conversation with friends or maybe even start a dialogue with someone who seems different than you. Remember how some of that happened when the Black Lives Matter movement was at its height in the popular conscience? It can feel uncomfortable, but is well worth it in the end.And Now for Something Lighter

In honor of the U.N.’s International Day for Tolerance, author J. Ivanel Johnson put together an episode of her 4-minute “quadcast” focused on the diversity, love and acceptance messages in Beautiful and Terrible Things, which you can view here. Those important thoughts are presented in a fun, light-hearted and quirky video, with a chance to win a free ebook if you can tell which of four statements I make is fiction versus fact.

In Closing

I’m feeling a bit blue still, at the realization that so many of my fellow Americans support an agenda of hate. And I am just one person with one little point-of-view in this. But then I remember, I am not alone. We are not alone. I insist on remaining optimistic that healthier attitudes will prevail, but I am also realistic and understand that it may take generations, if we can manage to raise more tolerant children in the meantime.

Thanks for listening to my ramble, and please add a comment if you are so inclined.

The post A Message of Tolerance appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

Meet Charley: Character Profile & Excerpt

Today we meet Charley in this first of six character profiles, which will introduce you to the group of friends in Beautiful & Terrible Things, about which Reedsy says:

“The six protagonists have the type of friendship that makes the Reader think, ‘I want to live in that city and be a part of that group.’ They are almost like the Friends gang, only more diverse and set in the 2020’s.”

Character Profile: Charley

Meet Charley Byrne: Charley is an introverted, superstitious 29-year-old white woman who manages City Books, an independent bookstore, and lives in an apartment above the store with her acquired cat Baggage.

What She Represents: Our fears

Personality in Brief: The Introvert

Personality in More Detail: Charley is kind, honest, smart, and funny when she lets her guard down. But she also has low self-esteem, suffers from undiagnosed depression, and believes a rigid routine will protect her from life’s pain. A series of tragedies have made her superstitious. She believes in a 7-year curse, and in “animal omens” – interpreting wildlife sightings as messages reflecting her life.

Her Challenges, Hopes & Dreams: When the book starts, Charley thinks she just wants to remain in her self-imposed social isolation, not getting close to anyone and therefore not bringing harm upon anyone. In truth, what she really desires is a family and friends. By the end, her hopes and dreams have changed considerably, but you’ll have to read the book to learn how!

What Others Say

How Her Friends Describe Her:

Xander: Charley was quite adorable, with brown bangs teasing her eyes and an upturned nose accented by a silver nose ring. Her alabaster skin was accented by a beauty mark that hovered under her full lips, and her emerald eyes—they would be stunning if they weren’t coated with self-doubt.

Terrance: Charley appeared made of porcelain with long silky hair and stunning eyes.

What Reviewers Say:

Charley Byrne’s world is a cocoon, spun from fear and solitude. (Sublime Book Review)

Charley’s depression is her oldest and truest companion, one she can’t seem to leave behind. (Indies Today)

A relatable character who we get to see change and grow in a beautiful way. (Award-winning author Leslie Rasmussen)

Stronger than she knows, and sometimes, doesn’t trust herself to make the right decision. (Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews)

A complex character… a woman with a troubled past who finds solace in the bookstore she manages. Her confidence, once robust, has waned, and she now seeks refuge in the store, her modest apartment, and a predictable routine that includes feeding the standoffish cat named Baggage. (AudioBookReviewer)

What Charley Herself Says

Quotable Quotes:

Charley couldn’t quiet the voice reminding her that making friends, forming relationships, maybe even loving people, was dangerous—for her and the others. She didn’t know why she was toxic. She could only guess it was somehow tied to her apparent inability to love in whatever was the right way.

“I don’t know why I’m still here.”

To Xander in The Wallace House of Pain: “I just don’t think you should waste a parent unless it’s truly a lost cause.”

Excerpt: Charley

This is actually the beginning of Beautiful and Terrible Things – Chapter 1:

Charley jerked her head away too late. The scramble of bloody fur on the asphalt imprinted itself on her brain as a shudder coursed through her body. She stopped jogging at the edge of the two-lane thoroughfare slicing through the heart of Founders Park, resisting the urge to flee past the carcass. Instead, she inched closer, feeling an obligation to acknowledge the damage and her potential role in it.

The squirrel lay on its back, mouth agape in a silent scream. A spot of red blossomed across the white canvas of its belly. She jumped as a passing breeze fluttered the wispy tail. Shuddering again, she embraced her torso, the internal heat from her morning run entirely dissipated.

“I’m so sorry, squirrel. I hope you don’t have babies at home who need you.”

At a loss for anything else to say or do, she moved on, crossing the street and continuing down the park trail. She broke into a fast jog, not to outrun the generous raindrops that had begun plunking on the trail, but to hasten her trip home so she could bury the roadkill image behind her rigid morning regimen.

Back in her bare apartment above City Books, she stopped in the bathroom to turn on the shower—number one—then hung her sweaty jogging shorts and tank top off the sides of the laundry basket in her bedroom—number two. Number three, while the water warmed, she pulled out black jeans and a short-sleeved top. By the time she scrubbed herself in the shower, dressed, pulled her long wet hair into a high messy bun, and scarfed down a bowl of cereal—numbers four through seven—the notion that she somehow bore responsibility for the squirrel had been temporarily tucked away in a protective recess of her mind.

Number eight, she brushed her teeth while the cat balanced on the side of the tub and watched. Number nine, she affixed her name tag to her shirt and ran her thumb back and forth over the word Charley before—number ten—collecting her keys and cell phone and heading downstairs to prepare the bookstore for opening.

***

Charley raised an eyebrow as she turned the dented doorknob of the store’s back entrance. Already open. Since Georgina promoted Charley to store manager of City Books last year, the owner rarely arrived first. Some days, it seemed Charley was the one in charge, which suited her fine since the shop was her home away from home or, to be exact, her home under her home.

“Happy birthday!” Georgina rasped from their small, shared office, holding out a chocolate muffin on a thin paper plate, a single lit candle precariously askew on top. Her ash-brown dyed curls bobbed as she nodded and grinned, exposing crooked, coffee-stained teeth.

Charley accepted the muffin and attempted to smile graciously. How, she reasoned, was Georgina to know that Charley’s twenty-ninth birthday was not one to be celebrated? Why would Georgina know that this year, Charley would exist in constant fear of the anvil hanging inches above her head, biding its time before plunging to flatten her for the fourth time? Georgina certainly couldn’t be expected to know that the universe presented Charley with a freshly slaughtered squirrel in the park that morning, a clear harbinger of another tragedy to come.

Charley blew out the candle and mumbled thanks.

“What are you doing to celebrate?” Georgina asked, smoker’s wrinkles pointing to her mouth from all directions.

Charley picked at the muffin’s wrapper, physically incapable of looking someone in the eye while lying. “Going out with friends, I think.”

“Good for you.” Georgina placed her leopard-print reading glasses on her nose and returned to her paperwork.

Charley took a pen from the desk and stuck it in her damp bun. She grabbed a notebook in one hand, balanced the muffin on its flimsy plate in the other, and headed for the front of the store.

Where to Buy

Beautiful and Terrible Things is available in paperback, ebook and audiobook, on all major sites. Click here to get to most of them; it’s also available on Walmart and Target.

Illustration credit: pinclipcart

The post Meet Charley: Character Profile & Excerpt appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

“Wardrobe Woes & Other Assorted Misadventures” Published by HerStry

Ever look back at a job interview and cringe? Wish for a do-over? Lament your youthful missteps? Or want to take back a faulty wardrobe decision? I have. All at once, in fact. My first real job interview was plagued by not one or two mishaps, but five! As the years passed, I stopped cringing at the memory and started laughing. So did everyone I told the story to.

So when HerStry said it was seeking personal essays on the theme, “Kind of a funny story,” I knew I had to submit my experience. That essay, entitled Wardrobe Woes & Other Assorted Misadventures, along with seven others, has been published on the HerStry website. You can read my essay here and all of the essays here.

HerStry is an online literary magazine dedicated to putting women’s stories front and center. They offer great content for readers, and many resources for writers.

AudioBookReviewer

Back to the topic of the season, Beautiful and Terrible Things: The audiobook version of the novel came out a few weeks after the paperback and ebook launched in mid-July, and the early reviews are fantastic. I can say that without feeling like I’m bragging because to me, an audiobook review is all about how the narrator brings the characters and the story to life. I was very fortunate to find, through my publisher, Nicole Cash. You can tell she used to be a professional musician by the melodic way in which she phrases her sentences.

Here’s a bit of what AudioBookReviewer wrote in their review about the six friends at the heart of Beautiful and Terrible Things:

“The characters are not just words on a page but living, breathing individuals who make a difference for one another. Their journeys are profoundly moving, making this book a deeply emotional experience . . . These six friends, Charley, Xander, Jessica, Terrance, Sunny, and Buwan, are brought to life by the consistent yet distinctive voices delivered by Nicole Cash’s outstanding narration . . . timely intonations, subtle accents, and perfect pace.“

You can read the full review here.

(The audiobook of Beautiful and Terrible Things is available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. You can get to all of those via this webpage.)

Fun Photo

We started with funny wardrobe woes. We’ll end today’s post with a fun photo. Seeing your book on the shelf in a bookstore never gets old. This shot was taken at The Bookery in Manchester, N.H., which has been very supportive of Beautiful and Terrible Things since it was published in July.

It’s kind of ironic that my book is near Ernest Thompson‘s Book of Maps, because I met Thompson — who also wrote On Golden Pond — at the New Hampshire Writers’ Project‘s annual conference earlier this year. Very happy to be in his company again!

The post “Wardrobe Woes & Other Assorted Misadventures” Published by HerStry appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

Social Issues Aspect of “Beautiful & Terrible Things” Recognized

Contemporary novel Beautiful and Terrible Things has been awarded an Honorable Mention in the Fiction-Social Issues category of the 2024 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest.

This award means a lot to me for two reasons. The first is that Readers’ Favorite, which is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet, draws thousands of entries for its contest from more than a dozen countries, yet awards are not given at every level in every category if no book scores high enough. In other words, their goal is not to manufacture a PR opportunity for authors but rather to reward and recognize quality through their comprehensive judging process.

The fact that they’re not filling slots but instead are rating the quality of each and every book, and you only win an award if your book scores high enough, makes this recognition particularly meaningful.

Social Issues Recognition

The second reason this award means to much to me is that it was in the Social Issues category. The social justice aspects of the novel were in the forefront of my mind as I wrote the story. In fact, two of my goals in writing Beautiful and Terrible Things were (1) to remind readers that no matter your view on a controversial issue, for example immigration, there are always real people behind the statistics; and (2) to show that there are many paths individuals can take to greater social engagement. (Other goals included showing the power of friendship to validate, destroy and save lives; and to entertain!)

Social Justice Reviews

The social aspects of Beautiful and Terrible Things have also been recognized by professional book reviewers. What do they say exactly? I’ll let them speak for themselves in this video. (Don’t forget to turn on the sound on Instagram if you want to hear the awesome music.)

Many readers and subject-matter experts (immigration, mental health, etc.) have also weighed in on the social justice elements of the novel; here’s a video with their reflections and observations:

Why I Write About Social Issues

My fiction tends to have social issues-related themes: My novel Horseshoes and Hand Grenades addresses incest and workplace sexual harassment; my award-winning novelette The Wallace House of Pain (which features the same characters as Beautiful and Terrible Things), addresses sexual orientation and touches on immigration and racism.

I write about social issues because it’s important. At least to me. And it makes for compelling fiction. At least in my book, pardon the pun. Fiction has always been a great way for me to broaden my horizons. It’s a safe way to step into new worlds, explore new ways of thinking, and enter someone else’s mind. While I love a good beach read on occasion, I prefer fiction that challenges me and my ingrained patterns of thinking, so that’s what I try to write.

Having six friends share the limelight in Beautiful and Terrible Things allowed me to explore multiple viewpoints on social engagement. Introverted Charley feels overwhelmed by the number of issues needing supporters, while Buwan enthusiastically goes along to protests more for the entertainment value than the actual cause. Xander, a professional organizer for a nonprofit, is the paragon of social commitment. He pontificates, he nudges and sometimes pushes his friends, and he is sometimes irritating in his unrelenting passion. Yet even he can’t always identify what’s right in front of him because try as he might to have the broadest view possible, he can only see the world through his own lens. (I’m referring to a specific scene in the novel. I wonder if anyone knows which scene that is…)

The Way Forward

I feel compelled to confess that I am not nearly as socially active as Xander. I live far removed from the cities where protests and rallies occur. Before that, I had an intense job and kids to raise and dogs to walk. Sound like excuses? To some extent they are. I’m much like the parents in BATT, who prefer to donate money to the causes they believe in rather than hold a sign and chant at a rally.

One of the messages in the book is, That’s OK. Everyone who wants to be more engaged in helping make the world a better place can find their own path to do that. As Jess says to Xander, “Not everyone has the stomach you have for protesting.” For Terrance, a Black man, his caution has a different origin: “Let’s just say your right to protest is more protected than mine. When I attend a protest, I become a target.”

But as Xander says, “Every body counts. Literally. Every single person who stands up in protest makes a difference. Simply by being there, you help.”

So yes, I hope BATT inspires readers to take a more active stand in support of the social issue causes dear to them, in whatever way they are comfortable with. Or maybe even a little uncomfortable.

(Read the Readers’ Favorite 5-star review of BATT here.)

The post Social Issues Aspect of “Beautiful & Terrible Things” Recognized appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

Please Review / Author Interviews: The Human Condition

Before I jump into today’s main topic of author interviews, I have to issue a public service announcement on my own behalf. Please help me out by rating or posting a review of Beautiful and Terrible Things on Amazon. The initial hoopla over the book’s release has passed, and my publisher is waiting to see how much traction the book gets before deciding what marketing dollars to invest (which is typical).

A “review” can be very simple and brief. You can merely rate the book and offer a few words. No need to post an in-depth analysis of your thoughts. Think of it like telling a friend, “I really liked this book. (Insert reason why if you want to.)”

Amazon reviews can be posted here. And if you’re not an Amazon user, you can post a review on Goodreads, BookBub and/or Barnes & Noble. Thank you! And now on to our main topic.

Author Interviews

Are you one of those people who, after watching a movie, looks for those videos interviewing the director and cast, or showing how they filmed a particular scene? I know I am. If you, too, like to know what goes on behind the scenes, then check out these new interviews with me, which were conducted in conjunction with the launch of Beautiful and Terrible Things, my contemporary novel published by Black Rose Writing on July 18th.

For me, doing author interviews with a lot of different media outlets is one of the best parts of launching a new book. But then, I have a background in public relations; I realize doing interviews is not every author’s cup of tea!

Here are highlights from three recent interviews I took part in.

Literary Titan Interview

Q. What are some things you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?

A. First, that we don’t always do what’s best for us, sometimes because we don’t see it, sometimes because we don’t want to see it, and sometimes because we acknowledge it but for some foolish reason think it might, against all odds, work out differently.

Second, that in trying to do right by one person, we sometimes hurt another. Such is the case when Jessica, in Beautiful and Terrible Things, makes a major sacrifice to help pull Charley, but her actions end up hurting another loved one in a very tragic way.

Read the full interview from Literary Titan here.

Reader’s House Interview

(Reader’s House, by the way, selected Beautiful and Terrible Things as an Editor’s Choice!)

Q. Your novels often tackle complex societal issues such as workplace harassment and mental health struggles. What drives you to explore these topics, and how do you balance entertainment value with the exploration of serious subjects?

A. While I love a good escapist beach read on occasion, I’m more drawn to fiction that challenges me in some way. So that’s what I write. Complex themes provide ample room to explore and provoke thought. As for balancing entertainment, that’s easy: simply portray life as we know it, which is, hopefully, filled with humor, light and love as well as challenges and tragedy.

Read the full interview from Reader’s House here and read the magazine’s review of Beautiful and Terrible Things here.

The Hippo Interview

The book is set in an unknown city, a bold decision intended to underscore the universality of many social issues in its pages, Stevens said by phone recently. “These conversations and events are taking place in a lot of Western countries today,” she said. “I just think the story means more to people if they can see it happening in what they consider their city.”

Racism, gender, climate change, mental health and immigration are all addressed. When it comes to the latter, Stevens hopes readers will take away one bit of knowledge. “One of my goals in writing this was to remind people that no matter what your view is on an issue, there are always real people behind the statistics,” she said.

Read the full review/interview from The Hippo here.

See more author interviews, including one from my local cable TV station, on my Interviews page.

The post Please Review / Author Interviews: The Human Condition appeared first on S.M. Stevens.