S.M. Stevens's Blog

Happy October! In New England, this is a very special month with warm sun, crisp breezes that leave your cheeks tingling, and of course the start of foliage season. I have two announcements and then will get right into this month’s main topic.

A street near my homeWin Bestsellers

AuthorsXP, a no-frills site that makes it super easy to win free books and access discounted titles, is holding a one-week Bestsellers Giveaway. You might win one free book or if you’re extra lucky, the grand prize of 21 free books! My Beautiful and Terrible Things is one of the prizes, along with Malibu Rising from bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid and Regretting You from Colleen Hoover. Entry is free; you do consent to be added to participating authors’ newsletter lists, but can of course unsubscribe at any time.

The Bestsellers Giveaway ends Monday, Oct. 6, so check it out soon if you’re interested: https://authorsxp.com/giveaway

DARE Giveaway Winner

Speaking of free books, congrats to Rebecca, who won a copy of Mimi Wahlfeldt’s awesome thriller DARE in my recent giveaway. And thanks to all who entered. If you’d like to know more about Mimi’s books, click here.

Casting the Movie Version of “Beautiful & Terrible Things”

I am often asked in interviews who I would cast in a movie version of my contemporary friendship / social justice novel Beautiful and Terrible Things. (Or a limited TV series. Are you listening, Netflix?)

The very diverse group of friends at the heart of the award-winning novel would demand careful casting. So just as I tried to make my characters as authentic as possible through research and help from sensitivity readers, I tried to pick my actors with care too.

Here are the movie stars I would cast for each of the 29-to-31-year-old friends, and why, presented in their order of appearance in the novel as I try not to play favorites…

After each photo, I’m putting a link to their Character Profiles, which reveal details about each character’s personality, hopes and dreams, and role in the novel. The profiles also include an excerpt from the novel so you can get to know the character better.

My Dream Cast of Actors

Charley is a fair-skinned, introverted and superstitious woman with long brown hair. She would be played by Elle Fanning (with her hair dyed brunette), who has the right fragile, ivory-skinned look and even, like Charley, some Irish heritage.

Elle Fanning (Photo: Cosmopolitan)

Read Charley’s character profile here.

Xander is a tousle-haired White guy with a short beard and a slightly long nose. He would be played by a scruffed-up Tom Holland, seen here with a beard. Of course, to play Xander, he’d need longer hair with blonde bits, a shorter beard, and definitely no suit! (Xander lives in jeans and T-shirts.)

Tom Holland

Read Xander’s character profile here.

Terrance is a tall, kind, analytical Black man with a touch of baby face. Actor Michael B. Jordan is a tad older than my Terrance, but he’s got the perfect baby face for the role – just add heavy black-framed glasses and dye his hair blonde. Earrings? Check!

Michael B. Jordan (Photo: Wikipedia)

Read Terrance’s character profile here.

Sunny is a biracial (half-Black, half-Indian), nonbinary character. Actor Amandla Stenberg from The Hate U Give isn’t half-Indian, but she has Sunny’s coloring and almond-shaped eyes and the perfect mix of girlish and gorgeous.

Amandla Stenberg (Photo: Elle)

Read Sunny’s character profile here.

Jessica is a pretty, ambitious CPA with an asymmetrical haircut and olive skin. It’s almost scary how much actor Rachel Zegler from Snow White and the Hunger Games prequel matches my image of Jess, right down to the strong eyebrows and subtle cleft in her chin! Making this assignment even better, Rachel is also of Colombian descent. Cut her hair asymmetrically, add some some subtle highlights and voila – you have Jess!

Rachel Zegler (Photo: NBC News)

Read Jessica’s character profile here.

Buwan, the oldest of the group at 31, is a Filipino-American artist with no day job. He has bronze skin, twinkling eyes and an impish grin. Although a bit tall at 5’11”, Filipino actor Benjamin Alves would be ideal to play Buwan.

Benjamin Alves (Photo: My Drama List)

Read Buwan’s character profile here.

What do you think of my choices? Do you have someone else in mind for my dream cast in a movie? An actor you think would be even better? Let me know in the comments!

The post Casting the Movie Version of “Beautiful & Terrible Things” appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

I’m excited to offer you the chance to win a free copy of the new novel DARE, a psychological thriller from Mimi Wahlfeldt, in either paperback or ebook format. I met Mimi through our publisher, and have read and loved both her books.

Who is Mimi Wahlfeldt and What Does She Write?

You know how cool it is to discover a little-known band that eventually makes it big? The same can be true with authors, and that’s how I feel about Mimi. Her writing is excellent, from the prose to the plots. I know big things await her in the future.

Like me, she writes contemporary fiction, delivering stories that make you think about life as well as laugh and cry. Her novels are very highly rated on Amazon, Goodreads, etc.

About DARE

Here’s a description of the novel:

Jewel Diamond wakes in the ER with no memory of the trauma that brought her there. Bearing a hideous facial scar that affects her speech, Jewel’s instinct is to isolate and withdraw. But as memories of the incident that caused her concussion and disfigurement begin to return, Jewel is drawn into a quest to discover who hurt her and why.

DARE is an emotional fiction that follows Jewel as she heals from her physical and psychological wounds. However, her path is not straight or simple. When the legal system fails her, Jewel confronts the nature of justice, actions and consequences, wondering if sometimes what’s wrong is also right.

I actually was an early reviewer for DARE. Here’s what I said about it:

“DARE is a gripping psychological thriller that pulled me in from page one, and I stayed up far too late a few nights reading it. It’s not easy to transform a relatively mild-mannered person into a revenge-obsessed character who takes things into her own hands. But the author handles it masterfully through constant, little shifts in Jewel’s mindset that lead up to a logical and dramatic conclusion. It’s harsh but realistic. And both Jewel and her friend Teddy are wonderfully written characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers or stories of healing, overcoming hardship, and redemption.”

(Read more reviews here and order it here.)

Don’t Forget Forks & Knives

I also want to mention Mimi’s previous novel, Forks & Knives: A Marriage at the Crossroads of Addiction and Codependency, which is a great read for anyone but will resonate especially with those who have dealt with addiction in some way. Here’s part of my review of Forks & Knives:

“This is a searingly honest and acutely insightful deep dive into alcoholism, recovery and codependency. The Prologue alone had me hooked with its strong voice, summary of very, very human concerns and emotions, and even a touch of humor woven into the dark theme. And the story’s structure – exploring the different paths a marriage troubled by addiction might have/could have/should have taken — is very effective. It’s a wonderful mechanism for revealing how easily we can head down the wrong road despite best intentions, because it’s impossible to predict the future and to know what the right choice will prove to be.”

(Read my full review and other reviews here, and order on Amazon here.)

How to Enter to Win DARE

I promised you special offers as a subscriber, so I’m keeping this super simple — no need to follow my social media or tell me which character you loved the most. To enter, just send me a message using my Contact form, saying “Please enter me in the DARE contest.” The form also requires your name and email, and that’s all I need!

Entry deadline is midnight on Tuesday, September 30. A winner will be chosen randomly on Wednesday, October 1, and notified via email. You can then specify if you want the ebook or a paperback.

I won’t be issuing any reminders on this, so mark the deadline or, better yet, enter now as it takes less than a minute!

Click to EnterIncrease Your Chances of Winning DARE

If you have friends who love to read fiction, and who you think might enjoy my newsletter, then here’s an easy way for you to get additional entries into the DARE contest:

Have your friend go to my Contact page here and then:

Enter their name and email address.In the Comment box, tell me they want to enter the contest, and they were referred by you. Make sure they include your name and, most important, email address. (I only require an email when people subscribe, so I don’t always know names!)I will enter both of you in the contest. Zingo bingo, done.

Here’s a draft message if you want to copy and paste it.

Hi. Please add me to your newsletter list. And please enter me and my friend [add your name] in your DARE contest. [His/her/their] email address is [add email].

There’s no limit to how many friends you can refer and how many entries you can get.

And don’t forget, as a subscriber, your friend will also get a free ebook of my award-winning novella The Wallace House of Pain.

Good luck and, as always, Happy Reading.

The post Win a Newly Released Novel, DARE appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

People seem to like this image, which had nearly a thousand likes on my TikTok, so I thought I’d share it with you. Buwan, or “Bu” as he’s known to his friends, is the somewhat goofy guy in Beautiful & Terrible Things who nonetheless spouts nuggets of wisdom on important issues like coping with depression, and simple things like — in this case — when to brush your teeth in the morning.

Horizons Author Lounge Interview

If you’ve ever wondered how audiobooks are produced, check out this recent podcast interview with me and Nicole Cash, the wonderful voice actor who narrates the audiobook of Beautiful & Terrible Things. The interview also delves into how to write nonbinary characters like Sunny (around the 8 minute mark), among other topics. (So, apologies Bu, but there are more than 2 kinds of people in the world.)

Musing: AI, Creativity & Our Future

I recently used ChatGPT to create realistic images of the six friends at the heart of Beautiful & Terrible Things, since I have never found six illustrations that accurately portray the characters in a similar style. (If you follow my social media posts, you know what I mean!)

When I mentioned this to my artist daughter, Natalie Simone, she laid a dose of reality on me: ChatGPT and other AI platforms “create” those images by mashing together illustrations and photography created by artists who get no compensation or credit for their work whatsoever.

I should have known this, because authors are also finding their carefully researched and crafted works being used to train AI engines, with no compensation.

AI’s Impact on the Planet – Do We Have Enough Power?

Further, Natalie crystallized for me the environmental impacts of AI. I’m an ardent tree-hugger — I’ve been known to pull a tiny piece of paper out of the trash for recycling. But I had no idea how bad AI is for the planet. This United Nations website sums up AI’s negative impacts: massive use of water, massive use of electricity, reliance on unsustainably mined minerals, and the production of mercury and lead.

Let’s focus on electricity. How much are we talking about? The University of Massachusetts found training an AI model creates as much carbon dioxide as 300 round-trip, cross-country flights. (Earth.org) And that’s just to train the AI model. The Independent newspaper reported that “the energy used to actually run the AI tools is estimated at 960 times those from a single training run.”

In simpler terms, I’ve read that an AI search uses 22 times as much energy as a Google search.

The resulting, impending electricity shortage is why Microsoft, Google and Amazon are investing in nuclear energy.

AI’s Impact on Jobs – Are Creative Jobs a Dead End?

Artificial intelligence is already eliminating jobs in the U.S. and globally. (This Guardian article gives five real-life case studies.) I’ve always believed in embracing new technologies because, while some jobs disappear, others are created. But apparently not with AI. Instead, the AI companies profit while everyday workers suffer. (Read It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism by Bernie Sanders if you want to dig deep on this disconnect.)

Some authors I know use AI for research but most agree AI-generated articles and stories sound manufactured, overblown or not quite authentic. I get 3-5 pitches a day from marketers and can spot the AI-generated ones a mile away.

But AI will only get more sophisticated and “creative” and “emotional” in the future. Where does that leave people in creative jobs like those in the Guardian article? As one of them suggests, it leaves us thinking our kids should not pursue careers in a creative field.

Artificial Reality More great AI memes on Mimir’s Well.

I’m a realist. I know AI isn’t going away, and I see the huge potential in artificial intelligence to benefit humankind. But it also has huge potential to wreak havoc on the planet, and to widen the gap between the ultra-rich and the rest of the world. The conundrum of how to build an AI-powered world so that everyone benefits will not be solved today or anytime soon. I just hope it does get solved.

In the meantime, I will not be using the AI images of my characters, or turning to AI for anything within my power.

Thanks to Natalie for much of the research cited in this post.

And if you like funny memes, click on the link to the right for Mimir’s Well, which has many hilarious AI-related memes.

The post Are There Only 2 Kinds of People in the World? / AI Reality Check appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

People seem to like this image, which had nearly a thousand likes on my TikTok, so I thought I’d share it with you. Buwan, or “Bu” as he’s known to his friends, is the somewhat goofy guy in Beautiful & Terrible Things who nonetheless spouts nuggets of wisdom on important issues like coping with depression, and simple things like — in this case — when to brush your teeth in the morning.

Horizons Author Lounge Interview

If you’ve ever wondered how audiobooks are produced, check out this recent podcast interview with me and Nicole Cash, the wonderful voice actor who narrates the audiobook of Beautiful & Terrible Things. The interview also delves into how to write nonbinary characters like Sunny (around the 8 minute mark), among other topics. (So, apologies Bu, but there are more than 2 kinds of people in the world.)

Musing: AI, Creativity & Our Future

I recently used ChatGPT to create realistic images of the six friends at the heart of Beautiful & Terrible Things, since I have never found six illustrations that accurately portray the characters in a similar style. (If you follow my social media posts, you know what I mean!)

When I mentioned this to my artist daughter, Natalie Simone, she laid a dose of reality on me: ChatGPT and other AI platforms “create” those images by mashing together illustrations and photography created by artists who get no compensation or credit for their work whatsoever.

I should have known this, because authors are also finding their carefully researched and crafted works being used to train AI engines, with no compensation.

AI’s Impact on the Planet – Do We Have Enough Power?

Further, Natalie crystallized for me the environmental impacts of AI. I’m an ardent tree-hugger — I’ve been known to pull a tiny piece of paper out of the trash for recycling. But I had no idea how bad AI is for the planet. This United Nations website sums up AI’s negative impacts: massive use of water, massive use of electricity, reliance on unsustainably mined minerals, and the production of mercury and lead.

Let’s focus on electricity. How much are we talking about? The University of Massachusetts found training an AI model creates as much carbon dioxide as 300 round-trip, cross-country flights. (Earth.org) And that’s just to train the AI model. The Independent newspaper reported that “the energy used to actually run the AI tools is estimated at 960 times those from a single training run.”

In simpler terms, I’ve read that an AI search uses 22 times as much energy as a Google search.

The resulting, impending electricity shortage is why Microsoft, Google and Amazon are investing in nuclear energy.

AI’s Impact on Jobs – Are Creative Jobs a Dead End?

Artificial intelligence is already eliminating jobs in the U.S. and globally. (This Guardian article gives five real-life case studies.) I’ve always believed in embracing new technologies because, while some jobs disappear, others are created. But apparently not with AI. Instead, the AI companies profit while everyday workers suffer. (Read It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism by Bernie Sanders if you want to dig deep on this disconnect.)

Some authors I know use AI for research but most agree AI-generated articles and stories sound manufactured, overblown or not quite authentic. I get 3-5 pitches a day from marketers and can spot the AI-generated ones a mile away.

But AI will only get more sophisticated and “creative” and “emotional” in the future. Where does that leave people in creative jobs like those in the Guardian article? As one of them suggests, it leaves us thinking our kids should not pursue careers in a creative field.

Artificial Reality More great AI memes on Mimir’s Well.

I’m a realist. I know AI isn’t going away, and I see the huge potential in artificial intelligence to benefit humankind. But it also has huge potential to wreak havoc on the planet, and to widen the gap between the ultra-rich and the rest of the world. The conundrum of how to build an AI-powered world so that everyone benefits will not be solved today or anytime soon. I just hope it does get solved.

In the meantime, I will not be using the AI images of my characters, or turning to AI for anything within my power.

Thanks to Natalie for much of the research cited in this post.

And if you like funny memes, click on the link to the right for Mimir’s Well, which has many hilarious AI-related memes.

The post Are There Only 2 Kinds of People in the World? appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

I’ll be interviewed live on the Horizons Author Lounge podcast tonight (Monday, Aug. 4) at 7:00 PM EST. The interview will be 100% live, not “live to tape” like many interviews, or taped and then edited — both of which allow the producer to edit out any really bad fumbles. So this should be fun!

I’ll equally excited that Nicole Cash, the audiobook narrator who brought Beautiful and Terrible Things to life so incredibly well, will also be interviewed by Dr. Rhonda Lawson, the host of Horizons Author Lounge.

You can watch the 7:00 PM live interview on these Horizons Author Lounge/Meet the World Image Solutions’ social media pages:

YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_1f4cLU0k4)

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/732664096068199)

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/events/7357502207245623297/)

Dr. Lawson is a publisher, editor and marketer in addition to a podcaster. And she is the author of six novels and many shorter works. Learn more about her here.

Hope you can join us!

The post How to Watch Live Interview Tonight appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

A heartfelt thank you to those who downloaded Beautiful & Terrible Things during the 2-day sale to celebrate the book’s one-year anniversary!

Would you believe that together we vaulted the novel into the #1 slot on Amazon’s Romance Literary Fiction list for the day? Traditional romance novels follow a very specific formula that my book does not, so I was surprised to be in that category, but I’m not quibbling. I’ll take the glory!

And if you missed it in all the anniversary hubbub, here’s a new video trailer capturing some of the highlights from the book’s first year:

What’s in a Name?

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” 

– Juliet in Romeo and Juliet

Choosing a book title can be difficult — How do you distill multiple themes into one phrase or word that captures readers’ attention and conveys the genre as well as the themes? Now, with north of one million books coming out a year (thanks in large part to self-publishing and to AI-generated books), try finding a title that hasn’t already been used! This makes naming your book even harder than before. But that chore comes with some funny stories, at least in my case:

What’s In A Name – Beautiful & Terrible Things

When I finished writing Beautiful and Terrible Things several years ago, I researched other books with that title and found none. The title was pulled from a quote by minister and author Frederick Buechner that inspires several scenes in the book: “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.” All I found were similarly named books, like Hunter Biden’s memoir Beautiful Things. So things looked good and I chose that title for my novel.

Fast-forward through one publishing deal that failed to transpire (the publisher essentially went out of business), another year to find a new publisher, and the typical lag time between signing a contract and holding your book in your hand, and it’s July 2024. It never occurred to me to research the name again in case it had been applied to other books in the meantime. But, it had…

Frederick Buechner

Mere months before my book was published, pastor Amy Butler published a series of inspirational essays under the title Beautiful and Terrible Things. My publisher, Black Rose Writing, quickly added “A Novel” to the end of my book’s title to help avoid confusion among readers looking for either book. (Btw, the black rose illustration above is from Black Rose Writing’s logo; it seemed appropriate for the topic.)

That prompted me to do a fresh round of research, and lo and behold, Beautiful and Terrible Things is now the name of at least two more books: Episcopalian priest Christian M.M. Brady’s self-help book about moving on from grief, and Riley Hart’s LGBTQ+ romance. That’s not counting the books with similar titles, which include a memoir of marriage and betrayal, and an 18-page story by a professional Dominatrix! Reverend Buechner, who died in 2022, seems to have had quite a sense of humor, so I expect he would have been flattered, humbled, possibly shocked and, mostly, entertained by this slew of books bearing his words in their titles.

What’s In A Name – Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

The title for my adult contemporary friendship story with incest and sexual harassment themes also came from a quote — in this case, the saying Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. When my novel Horseshoes and Hand Grenades was published in 2019, no other books had that title, although there was a rock band sharing the name.

Then, in 2022, John Corabi of the band Mötley Crüe called his autobiography Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Well, I figured, maybe some people searching on his book will find mine, gaining me some visibility. Be careful what you wish for…

A reader gave my Horseshoes and Hand Grenades a one-star review on Amazon because he was looking for the Corabi book and he ordered mine by mistake! Not sure how his oversight translates into my book being unworthy, but you have to keep a sense of humor about these things!

The post appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

If I may shout my excitement like a teenager, today’s post brings super awesome, some might say epic, news:

A huge sale, meaning FREE, in honor of the 1-year anniversary of Beautiful and Terrible ThingsEncouraging news about my next bookTwo major podcast interviews.Beautiful and Terrible Things is FREE for 2 Days Only

The ebook of Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Novel will be FREE on Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19, to celebrate a successful first year. Since being published on July 18, 2024, the friendship / social justice story has won 7 awards and earned many glowing reviews. So if you haven’t had a chance to pick it up yet, now’s the time! The sale only lasts 2 days, so mark your calendars, and please share the sale with your reader friends who might be interested.

And on Friday or Saturday, get your free copy here.

Work-In-Progress Update

I haven’t talked much about what I’m working on next, because I’ve been in the horrible No Man’s Land of trying to find a publisher for my new novel. Yes, even with my last book published by a small press and having won a bunch of awards, it’s still not a slam-dunk in the publishing world. But enough of my whining. On to the good news!

I entered my work-in-progress, tentatively titled The Unraveling of Caro Dunn, into Blydyn Square Books’ First Chapter Contest, and I found out a few days ago that I was the runner-up! My prize is a full manuscript review and, potentially (fingers and toes crossed), publication. Whatever happens, it’s a huge step in the process and I know I’ll get excellent feedback from them. Click here if you want to know more about this very cool small press out of New Jersey.

Saving the World: Compassiviste Podcast Interview

I recently had the very distinct honor of being one of the few fiction authors ever interviewed by host Ali Horriyat on the podcast Compassiviste Dialogues. Ali has nothing against authors, but the podcast’s focus is on social justice and sustainability. They interview leaders from the environmental movement, equality organizations, policy-makers, etc.

The resulting interview is long, over an hour, but if you care about making the world a better place and are curious how Beautiful and Terrible Things could possibly contribute to that, give it a listen. Put your feet up with a cup of tea, or listen while you cook, or whatever suits your schedule.

I’ll be posting 1-minute snippets from the full interview on my social media in the coming weeks, so follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or Bluesky if you’re interested in those. In the meantime, here’s the first one, in which Ali and I discuss why my books often include a mental health aspect.

Pain into Purpose: Life Unscripted Podcast Interview

I was also recently interviewed for the podcast Life Unscripted with Rosabel. Rosabel Zohfeld is a warm, intelligent host, and – fun fact – she is of Colombian descent like my character Jess! After reading the book, she gave my depiction of that culture a thumbs-up, which is a relief. Here’s how she describes our episode:

“Join us for an inspiring conversation with award-winning author and advocate S.M. Stevens. After a life-changing health crisis, Stevens turned pain into purpose—channeling her experience into powerful fiction that explores trauma, healing, and justice. Her story is one of resilience, creativity, and using storytelling to create meaningful change. Whether you’re a writer, reader, or seeker of inspiration, her journey will remind you of the strength found in vulnerability and the power of your voice.”

Watch the full episode here. If you’re more of a reader than a watcher, Rosabel also published an interview with me here.

Note: I linked to YouTube for both the Life Unscripted and Compassiviste Dialogues episodes, but they are also on Spotify and other podcast platforms if you prefer.

The post Beautiful and Terrible Things is FREE on July 18-19 appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

When does a protest become a riot? More important, why does a protect become a riot? I dug deep into that topic before writing my extended protest scene for Beautiful and Terrible Things, to ensure its authenticity. (I have, thankfully, never been at a protest that turned violent.)

As I suspected, a number of forces are at play when a crowd of peaceful protestors crosses a line into violence. I’d like to briefly speak to that point, which I hope you find as fascinating as I do, and then I’ll present an excerpt from the riot scene in the book for your reading pleasure.

The Psychology of a RiotPhoto credit: EV on Unsplash

When I wrote my long scene about a protest-turned-riot, I called it “The Anatomy of a Riot” in my head. But maybe I should have called it “The Psychology of a Riot.”

Mob mentality is a real thing, but it’s not what drives rioting, according to research. Mob mentality is essentially mindless action, having no control over yourself and doing whatever the larger group is doing. The National Library of Medicine (which falls under NIH, the National Institutes of Health) posted a paper a few years ago about an experiment to investigate the real psychological factors of rioting.

One of the conclusions of the research was this: “Our results add to the evidence that essentialism—the notion that riotous crowds are simply made up of violent people—is an inadequate explanation.”

The study found:

People protest because they believe there “is a shared problem and that collective action can…change things”When people know or feel they are at a disadvantage compared to others, they have higher levels of frustration. (Makes total sense!)Teams put at a disadvantage in the experiment were more prone to vandalism.But frustration alone does not result in violent behavior.Their identification with the group, and the situation itself, are also factors in if and when a group crosses a line into violence.

The situation is a major component in this protest stew. As the study’s authors say, “Because people were randomly assigned [in this experiment], collective violence [was] produced by the situation alone.”

Having said that, “agitators” are a real thing too—individuals with ulterior motives who can benefit from the chaos when a protest spirals out of control. The curfew in Los Angeles earlier this month was enacted to separate the peaceful protestors from the agitators, who tend to hang around after the curfew. In this news article, the LA police chief confirmed the existence of agitators who “show up at demonstrations to cause trouble.”

Excerpt: Anatomy of a Riot

In my extended riot scene from Beautiful and Terrible Things, I tried to present many of these factors as one might experience them in real life, showing how all six friends are impacted by the protest, with one even crossing an ethical line. I hope what is presented in this excerpt from that scene feels authentic. Does it ring true to you? Click through to this post on my blog here and let me know in the comments.

A smattering of cards and flowers rested on the section of blood-stained sidewalk where the homeless woman died. Sunny placed a handmade bouquet of frilly pink and yellow snapdragons, tied with a strand of cork-colored jute, on the concrete deathbed. They bowed their head, lips moving silently, then spoke softly. “I brought you snapdragons because they symbolize grace and inner strength. And presumption. I know you were more than they said. God bless, Queenie.”

They moved on toward the subway station to meet the others at City Hall. A wave of people, some carrying signs about Queenie, swept past in the other direction. Curious, Sunny changed course to join, thinking the protestors must be targeting the police precinct they knew was nearby because their dad had worked there a few years before.

At the police station, their stomach soured. Scores of protestors occupied the street in a tense congregation. Fifty or more police in black helmets with clear visors lined the sidewalk in front of the station.

A familiar chorus wafted toward Sunny but offered no comfort. “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!”

Sunny frowned and pressed on. The heat of the crowd melded with their own body heat. They bumped up against a narrow wall of people, five or six rows deep, running along a makeshift series of temporary wooden barriers separating protestors and police at the sidewalk. Helmeted officers formed an ominous wall, long black riot batons at the ready. Negative energy crawled over Sunny’s skin. Body odor and steamy fear wove through the air around them.

“I’m Black and I’m proud!” a man shouted into the lull when the first chant subsided. His eyes caught Sunny’s. He wore glasses, a black suit jacket, and white dress shirt. He smiled and stopped chanting. “I am Etufu,” he yelled with a lilting accent they couldn’t identify.

“I’m Sunny,” they said, stepping closer and joining his cry.

The police stood impassive.

Sunny leaned into Etufu as a young woman in a bright yellow shirt with elaborate braids coiled atop her head pushed past. She broke through to the front row of protestors and thrust her fist at the cops. “Stop killing us! When’s it gonna stop?”

Sunny cringed as others began taunting the police. A few protestors surged forward. The wooden barriers tipped precariously. The cops maintained position but raised their batons horizontally, as one unit, keeping the protestors on their side of the invisible plane. Sunny held their breath.

A full plastic water bottle sailed overhead, drawing Sunny’s eye up. It smacked into a police helmet and bounced off.

Photo credit: Koshu Kunii on Unsplash

Etufu stepped toward the police line, paused, and stepped again. Sunny grasped his arm. He stared, waiting. Sunny could barely hear themself over the crowd’s rising taunts and jeers. “Violence is not the answer.”

“This is not violence,” he yelled. “This is controlled fury born of a lifetime of being marginalized. Of being told how lucky I am to have so little. Come with me or let me go.”

Sunny let go.

He nodded and moved away. He shouted and shook his fist at shoulder level, reminding Sunny of a young child tentatively challenging a parent, unsure if it was a smart move.

The woman with the braids backed up, almost stepping on Sunny’s toes. She fired a water bottle at the police. As her arm shot back to her side, her elbow caught Sunny’s chin. The impact reverberated through Sunny’s skull.

“Sorry,” she said with a glance.

Sunny cradled their chin with one hand and grabbed the woman’s arm with the other. The limb quivered in Sunny’s grasp.

The woman faced Sunny. “What?”

“I’m Sunny. What’s your name?”

The woman cocked her head and squinted. “Lateisha. Why?”

“This isn’t right,” Sunny pleaded. “There are other ways. Violence is a crime.”

Lateisha’s head drew back as she faced Sunny. “You serious? So’s murder,” she shouted. “What can they do to us? We’re in prison already. My skin is my jail. Yours, too.”

“You think I don’t know that? You think I’m not angry and hurt? But breaking the law doesn’t help!”

Lateisha scoffed. “The law never protected me. Not even as a kid. Not from my mother’s boyfriends. Not from my foster parents. The law doesn’t care about me. So why should I respect the law? We got to stand up for ourselves!”

Sunny frowned.

Lateisha shook her head. “You go be the peace police if you want. But get out of my way ‘cause I’m here to be heard!” She twisted away from Sunny and shoved her way forward again.

The protestors’ momentum threatened to pin the cops against the police station wall. The police breached the barricade and infiltrated the street. They waded in and beat people back with batons. A strange guttural chant rang in Sunny’s ears. It finally formed words they could comprehend—the police were commanding, “Move back. Disperse. Move back. Disperse.”

Sunny watched Lateisha slip in the crush of bodies and fall to one knee. Eyes wild, she gazed up at an anonymous man in black uniform towering over her. She roared up and heaved all her might against her attacker. The cop rained blows on her shoulders, forcing her back to the ground.

Bile stung Sunny’s throat. They inched away through the people surging toward the police. They saw Etufu and stopped. The bespectacled man conversed bizarrely with a policeman who was slowly pushing the man back. Etufu didn’t resist. The cop moved him more with body language than baton. Sunny glimpsed a brown neck between the cop’s helmet and collar. They stepped closer to hear.

“You’re a Judas,” Etufu was saying in his accented English. “You are Black first. Cop second.” He spoke loudly but calmly as if socializing at a party.

“And don’t forget you’re more than an angry protestor,” the policeman said. “We’re not that different.”

“But you are part of a racist, oppressive system.”

“If we don’t work from inside, brother, it’ll never change. Now stay back and out of trouble.”

The cop placed his hand on Etufu’s chest and pushed softly. Etufu froze with hands up, unsure what to do. The cop turned away, reaching up under his visor to wipe his face with his hand. Etufu held his ground silently as the chaos enveloped him.

Sunny hesitated, then moved toward the sidewalk on the far side of the street. A guy clambered down from a metal trash can chained to a lamppost and ran screaming into the surge. Sunny took his spot, using the lamppost as leverage to reach the top of the trash can. They clung to the light pole, their sneakers straddling the hole in the lid’s center. Glass crystals crunched underfoot.

Sunny’s eyes watered. Their heart tugged with each push and pull by protestors and police. The din hurt their ears. Under the streetlamps’ harsh orange light, the protestors looked vulnerable in their light clothing and bare skin, armed mainly with anger. The cops’ ominous face shields hid their humanity, but Sunny knew they were like her dad, most of them—good people wanting the right thing. More water bottles bounced off of helmets. Batons rose and fell, hitting flesh with sickening thuds.

“It’s too much,” they said.

No one heard them speak.

Tears flowed down their cheeks and collected at the jawline, dripping off when the surface tension became unbearable.

They slid their hands down the light pole and slumped into a squat on the trash can. “It’s too much.”

* * *

Three blocks away, a man named Joe Brown and his number-two guy Daryl reclined against a brick building. Joe was squat and hulking in his dark clothes, Daryl taller and wiry. Both carried bulky black gym bags.

Daryl stared straight ahead while talking from the side of his mouth. “Should we start?”

“Soon. Patience.” Joe’s eyes tripped around the scene, gauging the crowd’s agitated mood, analyzing the intimidating police presence. A passing woman held out a joint. “No thanks,” he said, his eyes flicking beyond her. He inhaled deeply to center himself and texted his crew. “Start the distractions. Meet in 15, ready to work.”

He raised the hood of his sweatshirt, leaving only a dark beard visible. He and Daryl separated. They gravitated toward tense spots based on the crowd’s body language and volume. A shouting match developed in front of Joe. Perfect. He waited while others gathered, drawn to the altercation, then shoved a woman into another woman, making one fall and the other flail for balance. He faded back as a bystander screamed. A policeman rushed up and raised his baton but then lowered it, unsure where the danger lay.

Photo credit: Luca Discenza on Unsplash

The shattering cry of breaking glass down the block reached Joe’s ears. Good job, Daryl, Joe thought. Heads turned toward the noise. Joe plucked a brick from his bag and heaved it into the closest shop window. He stepped back and looked away as the pane shattered. People screamed and reflexively withdrew from the flying fragments, jostling him.

A policeman shoved a mouthy protestor who immediately clammed up, palms out in a gesture of surrender. Joe looked away and hip-checked the protestor into the cop’s vested chest. The cop howled and brought his billy club down on the protestor’s head. The protestor crumpled to his knees. The cop hit again.

Another crash sounded, closer than the first one. Joe smiled. Freelancers already. That was too close to be Daryl.

He strode down the street southbound as chaos billowed behind him. Bullhorns began to squawk. Sirens blared. Crashes, thuds, and screams punched the thick night air. A line of police marched in from the south with rigid, threatening stomps. Dehumanized by full riot gear—shields, helmets, bulletproof vests, shoulder and knee pads, shin guards. Like an echo, a faint clamor of stamping feet approached from the opposite direction. Probably a good block away, he guessed. They were going to squeeze the protestors from both sides—force them off the main retail street and into the side streets. Dispersion by force.

Joe slipped past the advancing line of cops—head, eyes, and hands down—unthreatening. Once past, he hurled another brick—right at a cop’s head. The man’s face shield cracked. His head jolted.

The battalion of cops reached the main crowd, human tanks plowing into the people. Unprepared protestors shrieked and struggled. Dove out of the way. Shields pushed people aside like flies. Batons worked systematically. Sirens blared from several directions. At the cross street, a string of police vans blew by.

Joe smiled as he jogged to the meeting point. Bedlam achieved.

Video Introduction to Beautiful & Terrible Things

To read the full protest/riot scene, and find out which character crosses a line as the event unfolds, check out the novel. Beautiful and Terrible Things is available in audiobook, ebook and paperback format. Click here to see which formats are sold where. (It’s also on Target.com and Walmart.com.) Click here to read more about the book including awards won and what people say about the story.

Or here’s another easy way to learn what the book’s about: This clip shows me describing it — the themes, why I chose almost-30 for my characters’ ages, and the overall plot — in a recent podcast interview for Life Unscripted:

Watch the full Life Unscripted podcast episode here if you’re interested.

The post Book Excerpt: Why Does a Protest Become a Riot? appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

Support a worthy cause, support small local businesses, and get a great book, all at once….

Bookshop.org — the alternative to Amazon for those who want to buy online and support small businesses — is celebrating Pride Month with a massive sale on more than 100 LGBTQIA+ titles, including my Beautiful and Terrible Things! Go to their site here and use the discount code Pride25 when checking out to get 20% off your book purchase. (This is in addition to the small discount you’ll see already applied to the retail price of the book.)

If you’ve read Beautiful and Terrible Things, or read about it, you know that in addition to the gender and sexuality sub-themes, the novel has social justice themes including racism, immigration and mental health. And you know that at it’s core, it’s a tale of friendship and it’s ability to damage and save people.

If those themes appeal to you, now’s your chance to order the paperback with a healthy 20% discount, while supporting local independent bookstores, and expressing your belief in equality for all.

Novels Alive Review

I hope you like reading great reviews of my books as much as I like sharing them. Here’s a taste of a new review of Beautiful and Terrible Things from Novels Alive, a book review blog.

And here’s the full review.

Celebrate Spring

Spring has been a long time coming in New Hampshire this year. Chances are, you also live in a part of the country, or the world, experiencing unseasonal weather. For us Granite Staters, it’s been lots of rain followed by a few sunny days, then a cold snap followed by a few gorgeous days in the 70’s. The vegetables in my garden don’t know whether to emerge or hide their heads until next year.

At least the flowers are finally blooming, a little later than usual. So to celebrate the long-awaited arrival of what finally feels like Spring, here is a photo gallery of my Columbine plants (also called Aquilegia). How this is not everyone’s favorite flower, I’ll never know.

The post Celebrate Pride Month with a 20% Discount on Books, and Celebrate Spring appeared first on S.M. Stevens.

Come see me this Saturday or next Wednesday at a local author event, or — if you’re not in southern New Hampshire or northern Massachusetts — I have a few other ways we can get to know each other better. But first, a funny. I don’t know who created this or I would gladly give credit. A friend shared it, and I knew I had to re-share as it hits all the literary, great character and twisted sense of humor notes that I love.

Manchester Craft Market (NH)

I love meeting readers at author events. Events are a low-key way for people to interact with their favorite authors, and if you happen to have read my books, I love getting direct feedback.

This Saturday, May 24, I’ll be with a dozen other authors at the Manchester Craft Market (MCM) in Manchester, New Hampshire from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM. If you haven’t been to MCM before, it’s well worth a visit. I was blown away the first time I went. This store is filled with crafts, art, food, jewelry, clothes, books and more, all from regional artists and creators. Free admission of course. Manchester Craft Market is at the Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 South Willow St., Manchester, NH. (Note: Not in Manchester, Mass.)

The Hippo, which is New Hampshire’s biggest weekly entertainment magazine, ran this article today about the MCM and the author event. Article is on page 20, or here’s a screenshot:

(And if you missed it, here’s an interview with me that The Hippo published last year.)

Hancock Town Library

Then, on Wednesday, May 28, from 7:00 – 8:00 PM, I’ll be doing a free reading from Beautiful & Terrible Things at the Hancock Town Library. I’ll thrilled that I’ll be joined by my good friend and fellow author Dawn Reno Langley, who is in the midst of a book tour to launch her new novel, The Mystic. I’ve loved all of Dawn’s books, and had the honor of being an early reader on this one. It’s set in 1950s Malden, Mass., and explores racism and moral dilemmas with the pace of a thriller.

My latest, as you may know, explores racism, immigration and mental health. Dawn and I joke that we should have called our joint appearances “Books With Issues.”

After we read from our novels, we’ll take questions from the audience. Hope you can join us if you’re in the area! The library is at 25 Main Street in Hancock, New Hampshire. (If you do, note that parking is behind the library.)

Other Upcoming Events

I’ll also be at several Pride festivals in the coming weeks, in Portsmouth, NH; Manchester, NH; and Windham, Maine. Check out my full Calendar for details.

Why Pride? Because Beautiful & Terrible Things, while not an LGBT-themed novel, includes a nonbinary person and a bisexual in its diverse cast of charcters. Those representations, and the book’s overall quality, have earned it two LGBTQIA+ awards including a Gold in the Reader Views Reviewer’s Choice Awards.

Further, my award-winning novelette, The Wallace House of Pain, is the story of a young man coming out to his straight-laced father. And the second book in my Young Adult Bit Players series has an LGBT theme as the gay lead in the school play is the subject of homophobic bullying.

Connect With Me

If you don’t live in my region, never fear — there are more ways to connect with me than you could ever need! I do post regularly on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky, if you’re active on any of those platforms and want to follow my more frequent news there. I also post on TikTok but not as regularly as I hate being on camera! Making videos of myself is not my forte, but I am trying to get better at it.

My social media posts cover everything from what I’m working on now and book news (including new reviews), to topics related to my books (e.g. May is Mental Health Month), literary fun (witness Alice and Dorothy), to glimpses into my life (see the black-and-blue finger below – just trying to keep it humble haha!)

My own clumsiness amazes me sometimes! This little beauty is from using a pair of scissors. Yep, that skill we all learned in elementary school….May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Depression and bipolar are themes in contemporary novel “Beautiful & Terrible Things” and I am honored that so many readers find those depictions authentic and heart-rending. If you need help, please reach out to one of the many organizations offering free support. In honor of Frank Baum’s birthday, May 15, here’s a hilarious take on an imaginary meeting between Baum’s Dorothy and Lewis Carroll’s Alice

Here are links to my social pages, if you care to follow:

InstagramFacebookBlueskyTikTok

The post Alice Meets Dorothy; The Hippo; and Local NH Appearances appeared first on S.M. Stevens.