S.M. Stevens

Best of the Best 2025 Contemporary and Historical Fiction Best of the Best 2025 Contemporary and Historical Fiction  By Julie Sara Porter   Bookworm Reviews  It's that time again.  I want to apolo...

☀️ 🏆 📙 I woke up to a nice surprise. My novelette The Wallace House of Pain, which features the same characters as my 7-time award-winning novel Beautiful and Terrible Things, was named one of Julie Sara Porter's Best 10 Contemporary Fictions of 2025 on her Bookworm Reviews blog. buff.ly/IDy1gyf

A mother's worst nightmare...I highly recommend this novel about a woman estranged from her daughter and - worse - for reasons she does not know. #newbook #booksky

Congratulations on putting this marvelous book into the world!

Check out the WROTE podcast, a weekly show about LGBTQ storytelling in all genres and mediums. This week's episode features ME, talking about Beautiful and Terrible Things. 🤭 😀 buff.ly/Ylkjk8o #lgbtfiction #bisexual #pansexual #nonbinary #black #latino #filipino #bipolar #socialjustice #lgbtqbooks

Thanks to these guys for having me on their wonderful podcast!!

@authorsmstevens.bsky.social shares her novel Beautiful & Terrible Things about a diverse cast of friends, social justice activities living in today's America. Plus a free short story & novelette cut from the book for you. buff.ly/m209fTg #booktalk #bi #queer #black #latino #filipino #socialjustice

Thanks for having me on the show, Baz & Vance - it was a great discussion!! 🙏📚😀

Togetherness: A Story About Friendship, Identity, and the World We Live In with Author SM Stevens YouTube video by Online For Authors

My interview on Teri M Brown's amazing podcast, about my novel Beautiful & Terrible Things, is live! Topics include writing diverse characters, typos in bestsellers and plotting resources for writers: www.youtube.com/watch?v=otUt... #nonbinary #nonbinarycharacters #writingresource

🎉 Win books in this "Uplit" Sweepstakes: buff.ly/iyqN3uW "Uplit" fiction refers to books that tackle serious themes but are ultimately hopeful & inspirational, reminding us of the power of human connection. So exactly what I like to write, and a great way to start a New Year! 😀 #freebooks

Good morning from the lake! Woke up to this incredible view today. I haven't been posting much because I'm deep into my work-in-progress but had to share this! #beautifulday #writerslife #grateful #contemporaryfiction

True Crime Memoir Update & Book Deals - S.M. Stevens Work-in-Progress Update I’ve mentioned before that I am helping two friends write their true crime memoir. It’s an incredibly compelling story — so compelling that Michelle was asked to tell it on…

True Crime & Memoir fans: Get an advance look at the topic of my work-in-progress, in my new blog post: buff.ly/WBWZ6su #truecrime #memoir #authornews

The EBOOK of Beautiful & Terrible Things is now available through local libraries! If you haven’t read Indies Today's Best Literary Book of 2024, you can borrow it for free. Tell your librarian "Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Novel" is now on OverDrive. 😀 📚 #LibraryLove #BorrowBooks #OverDrive

WIN 13 BOOKS! It's LGBT History Month, and AuthorsXP is holding a Book Giveaway to celebrate. You'll find my "Beautiful & Terrible Things" and "The Wallace House of Pain" in there plus fantasy, romance, horror, thriller, and short fiction books. Enter here: buff.ly/GQx8bi0 #lgbtbooks #lgbtfiction

By Refusing to Stay Silent, She Caught Her Assaulter | Michelle Linn's Story YouTube video by Stories from the Stage

Some of you know I'm co-authoring a true crime memoir with a rape survivor and the detective who solved the crime. The survivor, Michelle, was just featured on the PBS show "Stories from the Stage" telling her story - very compelling! www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhLW... #truecrime #memoir #survivors

If you like detective stories and mysteries, check out "Death Grip" by Travis Tougaw, just released today. I LOVED the last book I read from his Marcotte and Collins series, so can recommend the new one without hesitation! buff.ly/Rf9EWmB

How To Handle Criticism Like A Pro - Books Uplift Criticism is never easy to take or deliver. However, criticism often gets a bad rap. There are several good aspects to criticism that uplift the receiver and guide them in...

Not sure how to give or receive criticism? This article from Books Uplift is chock full of helpful ideas, some of which are bound to work for you if you struggle with accepting criticism or want to do better when delivering it. I had the pleasure of being interviewed for this piece. buff.ly/Kwjk32c

Win a free copy of Beautiful and Terrible Things, and/or many other great novels that are perfect for Book Clubs and people who love books that make you think as well as laugh and cry! Go to AuthorsXP to enter: buff.ly/WC7Aplr

Join me tonight at 7:00 P.M. EST for a live interview with Dr. Rhonda on the Horizons Author Lounge podcast! 🎤 Psyched to share the spotlight with Nicole Cash, who narrated my "Beautiful and Terrible Things." Tune in at 7 PM on YouTube: buff.ly/6oYUkBk

S.M. Stevens Inspiring Journey | From Illness to Award-Winning Author & Advocate Welcome to The Life Unscripted Podcast with Rosabel Zohfeld — where honest conversations inspire transformation! S.M.Stevens_Inspiring_Journey_From_Illness_to_Award-Winning_Author&_Advocate 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. 🎧 In this in-depth interview, Stevens opens up about: How a life-altering illness redirected her path toward writing. The healing power of storytelling and why she chose fiction. Her critically acclaimed novel Beautiful and Terrible Things. Writing diverse, authentic characters with integrity. Using her marketing background to promote her books. Practical advice for aspiring authors and storytellers. Current and upcoming projects you're going to want to follow. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 00:55 – Meet S.M. Stevens: Background & Writing Origins 01:47 – Journey to Becoming a Published Author 02:57 – How a Health Crisis Sparked a Writing Career 05:30 – The Power of Fiction & Storytelling 06:50 – Beautiful and Terrible Things: Writing With Purpose 17:04 – Authenticity & Representation in Fiction 21:31 – How Marketing Helped Promote Her Books 27:37 – Advice for Aspiring Writers & New Authors 29:19 – Current Works in Progress 31:54 – How to Connect With S.M. Stevens 💬 In every episode, we explore personal growth, healing, success, and courage. Whether you're a writer, reader, or simply someone who believes in the power of resilience and creativity, this episode will leave you feeling inspired and empowered. 🔗 Connect with S.M. Stevens: 🌐 Website: https://authorsmstevens.com 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSMStevens 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/s.m.stevens 🛒 Find Her Books on Amazon: S.M. Stevens on Amazon Subscribe for more inspiring conversations: [https://www.youtube.com/@thelifeunscriptedwithrosabel?sub_confirmation=1] 📚 Grab Rosabel’s book, The Courage to Succeed: A True American Dream: [Amazon] 🌎 Visit the official website for blogs, episodes, and more: [https://rosabelzohfeld.com/] 🔴 Watch more videos like this for inspiration and insight ✨ https://youtu.be/IKB48ZbVE1A?si=XsMQIRc2AGgT2hwl https://youtu.be/J_Hdme3zQsQ?si=5QrlvTRRHGZCr-BJ https://youtu.be/0xc_KgaMC9s?si=7tf6ZnAzp2cXLGqX Connect with Rosabel: Website: [https://rosabelzohfeld.com/] Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/rosabelunscripted/] Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/RosabelZunscripted/] Podcast: [https://open.spotify.com/show/0dR0ojKIY3igJLTEnLVUQ8?si=c4dc6866415945a4] #LifeUnscriptedPodcast #PersonalGrowth #CourageToSucceed #HealingJourney#SMStevens #AuthorInterview #WritingJourney #FictionWithPurpose #BookLovers #StorytellingHealing #AuthorLife #SocialJusticeFiction #InspiringAuthors #BeautifulAndTerribleThings

Many thanks to Rosabel Zohfeld for having me on her podcast, "Life Unscripted." Check out the interview here:

I was asked what success as an author looks like to me in this short bit from a Compassiviste Dialogues podcast interview. The answer might surprise you!

Taking a poll...which glasses should I wear in my author videos? Please let me know in the comments - thanks!

Book reviews don't have to be in-depth or elaborate to matter - check out this short but oh so sweet Amazon review of "Beautiful & Terrible Things: A Novel" posted a few days ago by Stacy Sheakly. Thank you, Stacy!

Nonbinary Sunny & bisexual Xander are best friends and sometimes more. In this scene from Beautiful & Terrible Things, well, they’re more. AuthorSMStevens.com. #queerbooks #nonbinarycharacter #bisexual #contemporaryfiction

My next book, which is still only a sad manuscript with no home, was a runner-up in Blydyn Square Books' First Chapter Contest! Tentatively called "The Unraveling of Caro Dunn," the story is about a successful businesswoman and grandmother harboring insane secrets about her children. buff.ly/8lqC7v7

THANKS to all who downloaded Beautiful & Terrible Things during its 2-day sale!! Almost 1,000 people grabbed copies of the 7-time award-winning friendship/social justice novel. And you propelled the book into the #1 spot on Amazon in one category and the #2 spot in another! Power to the People.😀💪📚

Goodreads reviewer: “If you’ve ever felt lost, if you’ve ever wrestled with who you are, if you’ve ever needed a reminder that you are more than your worst moments—read this book.” FREE today only on Amazon. bit.ly/3IqEPWQ

I just learned you can gift an ebook, even when the ebook is free! My award-winning friendship story “Beautiful & Terrible Things” is free on Amazon TODAY AND TOMORROW ONLY. So check it out if you want to send a free copy to a friend, colleague, family member, Book Club buddy. buff.ly/tZedFtq

📣 Holler it from the rooftops! 🏆 7-time award-winning novel 📚 “Beautiful & Terrible Things” is FREE for 2 DAYS ONLY! Today (Friday) and tomorrow, get the contemporary novel readers say “took their breath away” free on Amazon. It’s in celebration of the book’s 1-year anniversary. 🎂 🍾 buff.ly/tZedFtq

What Tetiana B. thought of Beautiful & Terrible Things: "This is one of those rare books that makes you feel seen—like, truly seen—and I caught myself crying and laughing in the same chapter more than once (which is kinda embarrassing but whatever)." Thank you Tetiana! Full review: buff.ly/mHlIllB

Reminds me of my dog Jenny (minus the spots but with an extra heaping of dirt).