Like My Cover? Please Vote! And Other Random Updates

I’ve lost track of how many readers and authors have said they love the cover of Beautiful and Terrible Things. I love it too, and am so grateful to the design team at Black Rose Writing for the incredible work that captures the diverse cast and the book’s “vibe” so well. If you agree the cover is gorgeous, please consider casting a vote for it in AllAuthor’s Cover of the Month Contest. It would be much appreciated; details are below.

2024 Highlights & New Updates

So, a new year is here. I don’t want to spend too much time looking back, but the launch of Beautiful and Terrible Things was incredible, thanks to the support of so many including you, my followers. The contemporary novel has a 4.7 rating on Amazon and has won 4 awards since being released in July.

On to new news (is that redundant?): Book review blogger Julie Sara Porter of Bookworm Reviews, who reviewed Beautiful and Terrible Things for Reedsy Discovery, named the book the best contemporary novel of 2024!

And, the book has made the “long list” for the Somerset Awards in the Chanticleer International Book Awards. CIBA bestows awards in various categories. The Somerset is for outstanding works in the genres of Contemporary and Literary Fiction.

New Book Reviews

Beautiful and Terrible Things and some of my older books have been getting lovely reviews from readers and professional reviewers. I’ll share bits from those reviews for those of you who aren’t familiar with the stories.

The Winter 2025 issue of Review Tales magazine, a traditional magazine and e-magazine sold on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, includes a review of Beautiful and Terrible Things. That review includes this bit:

“Set against a diverse and dynamic cityscape, Stevens unfolds a tapestry of interconnected lives, illustrating how human connections shape, uplift, and sometimes fracture the lives they touch. Stevens’ writing is poignant yet accessible, skillfully pulling readers into the lives and emotions of her characters.”

Shannon’s Odyssey, my middle-grade adventure story, has new four- and five-star reviews on Amazon. Incognito wrote: “The story is full of surprises and teaches about being brave and never giving up. It’s also a little magical, which makes it extra fun to read. I liked it a lot. It’s exciting, has a great message, and is perfect for those who love adventure!” (Buy it here.)

Bit Players, Has-Been Actors and Other Posers, the first in my series set in a high school drama club, was reviewed in December by KC on Amazon, who wrote: “It captures the excitement of a high school drama program, where student ambitions are mixed with teen emotions. It follows Sadie, a determined young actress, through friendships, rivalries, and the staging of a musical inspired by Twilight. Fast-paced, the plot has its moments of humor, suspense, and heartfelt reflection. You’ll like this if you enjoy passion and perseverance high school stories.” (Buy it here.)

AllAuthor Cover of the Month Contest

I don’t usually try too hard when my books are entered in cover contests, if I’m being honest. In my experience, it’s usually romance covers showing headless, bare torsos of hunky men who win, and who can compete with that?

But this time around, I have had SO much positive feedback on the cover of Beautiful and Terrible Things that I’ve decided to go for it. But that means enlisting the help of people willing to vote for the cover. So here’s the deal:

My cover has already made it to Round 2 of AllAuthor’s Cover of the Month Contest. Round 2 ends this Tuesday, January 14. Of the one hundred covers in Round 2, only the top 50 will make it to Round 3. (Each round lasts one week.) If you agree the cover is a winner, please consider casting a vote and helping me get to Round 3. It would be very much appreciated, and how fun would that be to actually win recognition for the awesome cover?

I won’t issue another newsletter/blog post asking for votes in Rounds 3 and 4, if I make it to them, because I don’t want to pester you. But if you follow me on any of my social media (Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky), I’ll post reminders there when the time comes.

Go to this page to cast your vote now. You can vote for as few or as many covers as you want (up to 50). Best of all, AllAuthor now lets you vote in the Cover of the Month Contest anonymously and without creating a free account.

Thank you in advance!!

More Info on How to Vote

Here’s more info on how AllAuthor’s anonymous voting works, from their website:
– When a visitor lands on the voting page, two covers will be displayed at random.
– The visitor can choose one cover that looks the best.
– Or they can skip if none of the covers appeals to them.
– Once the visitor makes a selection, they will be shown two more different covers to choose from.

Or, if you don’t want to scroll through all the covers, but prefer to simply vote for my book, you can sign in using Facebook rather than create an account.

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