S.M. Stevens's Blog, page 9

Three Must-Read Books

This is not a book review blog; it’s a blog to talk about my own books and related news. However, sometimes you read a book that is too good not to talk about. I’ve enjoyed a few of those lately, and I want to share these three must-read books with you. Making these books extra special to me is the fact that I know, in one form or another, each of the authors, as I explain.

Intrigue is a vital element of any novel, not just mysteries and thrillers, in my opinion. If there is no intrigue to tickle the reader’s brain and give them a question or conundrum to ponder while the story moves toward a revelation, then the impetus to read to the end declines considerably. These three novels have intrigue to spare.

As it would be impossible to pick a favorite here, I am listing in alphabetical order.

Dark Drink by Tina O’Hailey

I have had the distinct pleasure of becoming friends with Tina through a Writer’s Group set up by another esteemed author, Joseph Carrabis. In fact, I was an early reader of various scenes from this book in their infancy. Here’s my review of the completed, published novel:

O’Hailey’s latest novel is an action-paced thriller in which we’re reminded that even friends since childhood can harbor secrets from each other. Jude and Mercedes have a special relationship, linked in part by long-ago traumas. As adults, the vice presidential motorcade member, avid caver and amateur mixologist Jude, and the whip-smart, trans, social media whiz Mercedez, continue to support each other on a daily basis.

This story is a modern thriller with many twists and turns. Once I got about halfway in, I couldn’t stop reading. O’Hailey does a masterful job weaving flashbacks into the present-day narrative in a way that flows well and heightens the mystery. The dialogue is snappy, insightful and very funny in spots. The drink recipes are a fun addition.

But it’s the quirky, memorable characters that hooked me. Interesting jobs and hobbies were icing on the cake that is Jude and Mercedez. I cared about the two women and would love to spend more time with them. Sequel anyone?

Learn more about Tina and Dark Drink.

Disappeared by Bonnar Spring

I connected with Bonnar Spring and found her novels through the New Hampshire Writers’ Project, of which I am a member. Here’s my review of her second novel, Disappeared:

Disappeared is not a stereotypical thriller high on adrenaline and low on character — it’s a thriller with heart and soul, a quiet thriller with tension that builds throughout. In fact, I would describe it as part thriller, part travelogue, part personal journey, part geopolitical lesson, and even part MacGyver! (That last reference will make sense if you read the story.) The narrative felt very personal — in part due to the present-tense, first-person approach, in part due to Spring’s skill — and I almost felt I had climbed into Julie’s world and was traveling alongside her.

By the end, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, hoping for these women to extricate themselves from the nightmare in which they’ve become entrenched. And you’ll celebrate the female cunning and resourcefulness they employ to that end. This page-turner would make an excellent movie or limited TV series.

I am now adding Spring’s first novel, Toward the Light, to my reading list.

Learn more about Bonnar and Disappeared.

What I Hid From You by Heleen Kist

Heleen and I bonded over the shared #metoo theme of our last novels: Stay Mad, Sweetheart for her, and Horseshoes and Hand Grenades for me. Here’s my review of What I Hid From You:

Kist takes you into the world of dentistry and underworld drugs. It seems like an unlikely combination until you think about it and realize the potential overlap. The plot moves quickly as you wonder how Radha will get out of the pickle she’s put herself in.

But while this book has all the hallmarks of a thriller and it does have you on the edge of your seat at times, at its heart it is a family drama. Pain caused by a loved one’s death, trying to hang onto one’s identity, parent/adult child relationships, marriage difficulties, the feeling of loss as one’s children grow up, and of course secrets. They’re all there, portrayed realistically and sympathetically.

You’ll root for Radha. Even if you think she merely reaps what she sows, Kist does a thorough job letting us into Radha’s mind so we understand why she makes the choices she does. And the ending is masterful in its reserve and understatement.

A thoroughly engaging, thought-provoking story!

Learn more about Heleen and What I Hid From You.

That’s it – three must-read books to add to your collection. And for a refresher on my books, visit my Novels page.

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How to Add a Book to a Goodreads List

Those of you who use Goodreads to find your next book are probably familiar with the site’s Lists. These are reader-selected collections of books on similar themes. So there are lists on everything from New Horror for Your Halloween Reading to one of my favorites, YA Books About Performing Arts.

(That list is one of my favorites because I started the list, and it includes my three Bit Players novels, which are set in a high school drama club. There are nearly 100 books on the list now, making me feel like a proud parent.)

But if you’re not a regular adder of books to lists, it can be a little confusing figuring out how to “vote” a book onto a list. Votes also move books up the list.

Add a Book to a Goodreads List in 7 Easy Steps

Here are simple instructions on how to add a book to a Goodreads list:

1 – Sign into your Goodreads account.

2 – At the top, click on the Browse dropdown menu and choose Lists.

3 – On the right, enter your search criteria in the “Search lists” box (not to be confused with the “Search books” box at the top of the page). Your criteria can be a theme or topic, or the actual name of a list you have in mind. Then click on the Search button.

4 – A list of relevant lists comes up. Click on the name of the list you want to add a book to. (If you’re looking for a particular list and the list of lists is long, you can always do a “Find” on your PC or Mac with the list name to find it faster.)

5 – When the page for the specific list opens up, click on “Add Books To This List” next to “All Votes” – under the list title.

6 – Just under that, to the left, you can choose whether to add books from “My Books” or a Search. If the book you want to add is in your Goodreads books, that may be faster. If not, just choose “Add books from a Search” and enter the book title. Either way, you should see a list of books to choose from.

7 – Find the book cover and title for the book you want. Click on the “Vote For This Book” button next to that book.

That’s it. Adding/voting on books for appropriate lists is a great way to be an active participant in the Goodreads community. So go crazy! Happy voting.

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Early Reviews for “The Wallace House of Pain”

Early reviews for The Wallace House of Pain are starting to come in.

Wottaread

The first blog review of The Wallace House of Pain is from Wottaread. This book review site featured my novelette last week, for which we thank them.

I love how they sum up the story: “This book is about knowing yourself and being accepted by others.” Well put. Of course, gaining that acceptance by others is much easier said than done. And that’s the crux of this shortish story.

I’m also chuffed that their reviewer called The Wallace House of Pain “a touching story”.

Read the full review on Wottaread here.

Amazon Reviews

In other early reviews, readers are starting to post their opinions on Amazon. Reviewers have said:

“An insightful look at the social challenges of personal identity.”

“Quite a few gems packed into this novelette – a lot of food for thought and reflection!”

Where to Buy

Get your own copy of The Wallace House of Pain here. (Sorry, haven’t got it on indiebound or similar sites yet.) At $3.89 for paperback and $1.99 for ebook, it’s a steal.

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Fun Friday Photo: The Joy of Reading

Thanks to fellow author Jane Risdon for this fun Friday photo on the joy of reading. I unapologetically borrowed this after seeing it on her Facebook page. And thanks and kudos to the artist, Guada.

If this doesn’t sum up the power of a book to transport us from everyday doldrums to somewhere fantastical, historical, inspirational, magical or simply new to us, I don’t know what does!

Are you indulging in the joy of reading? I hope so! And really, it’s not an indulgence if it educates, provides much needed entertainment and escape, or makes us smile.

If you’re looking for a new read, have a look at my novels and short fiction works here.

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It’s Editing Time!

Let the editing begin! It’s an exciting week because my publisher just assigned me an editor to help burnish my manuscript for Beautiful and Terrible Things into final form. That means we’re in the homestretch with publication coming soon!

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Free Ebook: The Wallace House of Pain

It’s Free Ebook time again!

My contemporary novelette The Wallace House of Pain (longer than a short story, shorter than a novella) is being made available as a free ebook for 3 days only. From Friday, October 14th through midnight on Sunday, October 16th, the book will be offered for free exclusively on Amazon.

Here’s the “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?

If you take advantage of this offer and are inclined to post a review after reading, that would be appreciated! Even a simple rating or one-sentence review is helpful. And it will keep me away from the scorpions (as the image below explains).

Get your free copy of The Wallace House of Pain on Amazon here.

Learn more about the story here.

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Fun Photo Friday: Puppy Time!

It’s been far too long since I’ve shared an animal image for Fun Photo Friday. So welcome to Puppy Time!

This adorable guy was at the local vet when I took my dog Korra in for her annual exam.

The owner was struggling to fill out paperwork while holding the German Shepherd/Husky mix, so I nobly volunteered to hold the puppy for her. I know, it was a big sacrifice. Who really wants puppy time…

He was only 8 weeks old – going to be a big guy – and still had that musky, milky puppy smell. Heaven. And I love the one brown, one blue eye combo.

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Fun Photo Friday: Mist on the Lake

I woke up recently to this pastoral scene of mist on the lake where I am so lucky to live. Scroll down to watch the video version. Enlarge it to full-screen for the best effect.

It’s incredibly beautiful and eerie when the air turns colder than our New Hampshire (USA) lake at the end of summer, and the water’s warmth evaporates.

This time of year is sad because it means the end of summer is near. But there’s also a touch of color turning on the trees, heralding the gorgeous display known as fall foliage.

Mist on the lake always reminds me of Merlin the Wizard and the mystical island of Avalon. It may be time to pick up one of my favorite Camelot stories again!

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B for Bookreview Spotlight

Thanks to the B for Bookreview blog for “spotlighting” my newly published novelette, The Wallace House of Pain.

If you’re not familiar with B for Bookreview, it’s one of many wonderful blogs written for book-lovers seeking their next read. They post book reviews, author interviews, guests posts from authors, and other book news.

Read B for Bookreview‘s Spotlight on The Wallace House of Pain, which includes an excerpt, here.

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Freedom to Read, Freedom to Write

I was honored to read on behalf of the Monadnock Writers’ Group at a “Freedom to Read, Freedom to Write” event held last week by the Peterborough Town Library in New Hampshire.

As part of Banned Books Week, the library director, Corinne Chronopoulos, organized a read-out of the words of Salman Rushdie.

Fellow readers represented Avenue A, GoMonadnock, MacDowell, Mariposa Museum, Monadnock Summer Lyceum, Monadnock Underground, Peterborough Players, and The Revolution Ethics Project. (That’s me in the lime green–someone had to add a splash of color!)

After we read excerpts from Rushdie’s novels and interviews with the author, Carl Mabbs-Zeno of the Monadnock Writers’ Group read a letter of support, which attendees signed if they so chose, and which was then sent to Rushdie.

On a surface level, I was inspired by one of the readings to re-read Midnight’s Children, my introduction to Rushdie. On a deeper level, I felt an even greater appreciation for the importance of free speech–specifically, letting individuals choose which books to read versus the government or other entities telling us what we’re allowed to read.

The library displayed a collection of books deemed “inappropriate” at one point or another. I laughed out loud to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on the list, because it portrayed witchcraft and even included “real spells”. Whoever came up with that concern must truly be living in a fantasy world…

Read the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement for more on this subject.

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