Free Book Friday June 28: Leon Stevens Interviews Himself (again)
How many times have I interviewed myself? This will be number six. The first time, I thought it would be fun to interview myself as a reader, then for the second, I was the reader interviewing the author. I had grand plans to do a podcast, so I r…
How many times have I interviewed myself? This will be number six.
The first time, I thought it would be fun to interview myself as a reader, then for the second, I was the reader interviewing the author. I had grand plans to do a podcast, so I recorded myself and posted it on the free podcast host, Anchor.fr, or was it fm?
Anyway, I recorded the two interviews and posted them with little fanfare, and as expected, received little fanfare. So I forgot about it for a while until yesterday, when I discovered I have a Spotify podcast (since Spotify bought Anchor). I also discovered I had another episode which I had forgotten about.
Another thing I discovered is that I have a boring voice. Not very expressive and monotone.
Do I do more? I find I'm not good a just talking with out a script, and reading a script sounds like, well, you know...
In Conversation With: Leon Stevens
Hey!
Sup?
Not much. Whatcha working on?
Just going through Euphrates Vanished, doing a last-minute check for typos.
You know what they say about typos, don't you?
I do not.
[silence]
Are you Googling it?
Maybe. Did you know there are no funny quotes about typos? Lots of funny signs with typos, though. Like look at this one. It's a motel sign that reads—
So, I'm kind of busy, can we get this over with?
Sure. What was your inspiration the latest book?
Euphrates Vanished started out as a short story titled, How Sci-fi Saved My Life. About someone who wakes up on a starship and everything he needs to survive comes from his recollection of science fiction shows. I wondered if I could continue the humorous take on the genre portrayed in television and movies—much like how Galaxy Quest did in the early 2000s—into a longer volume.
It's a comedy?
No. There are some comedic elements. As I was planning out the story, my notebook became a list of ideas that had been covered in one form or another, and while nothing is truly original, I tipped my hat to the writers and comedians before me and began to revise the story to be a mystery.
So not the next Hitchhikers Guide or Redshirts?
Or the next Red Dwarf or Lower Decks.
Oh, I like those shows!
Yeah, they are great examples of comedy in sci-fi but I didn't want to completely abandon some of the parts that made me chuckle, I retained a few of my original ideas and set forward on this next writing adventure.
You said it was a mystery.
The story is. The adventure is mine.
So…no adventures in the story?
Well, no story is completely devoid of adventure.
Good point. You're not a physicist, so how do you go about explaining the future technology in your books?
Simple answer? I try not to.
Doesn't that seem like cheating?
Not really. Unless it is crucial to the story, things just have to work, right? Take Star Wars for example. They had hyper speed, but it didn't matter how it functioned, just that it was used to get from A to B.
But—
I know, I know. It's called science fiction, but many readers—myself included—don't want to be bogged down in lengthy, technological explanations.
But—
Yes, yes. But some do.
Please stop doing that.
Sorry. Continue.
I'm kinda done.
Don't be like that. It's unbecoming.
You're unbecoming.
What's that supposed to mean?
[shrugs]
So, what's it about?
It is about a young man who wakes up to discover he is on a starship, as a member of its crew, but no memory of how he got there. There are things he automatically knows, and as his memory slowly returns, he has to piece together the clues to figure out who he is and why he is there.
I noticed on the cover that it says book one. Now you have committed yourself to a series, right?
Well, at least one more book.
I don't know if you can call two books a series. Three maybe, but that's more of a trilogy, like The View from Here. I'm thinking you have to have at least four.
What's the next book about?
It's a prequel to Euphrates Vanished. I thought it was necessary to tell the back stories of the characters and the setting.
Could you read it first?
Definitely not.
When does book one come out?
August 1.
Can the readers get a peek at the book?
Of course! I have chapter one available on my website, or you can download it when you sign up for my newsletter.
What if they don't want to sign up for your shitty newsletter?
Really? That's where this is going?
[Laughter] I'm just having fun with ya. The newsletter is mildly amusing from time to time on a semi-regular basis.
Are you done?
Pretty much. So…?
There's a link to download a newsletter free copy on the ARC form, if readers really don't want to sign up.
I've met many authors and readers during my time marketing, cross-promoting, and blogging. I think writers have a responsibility to inform readers about all the indie authors out there in the very crowded world of book publishing. You can't do it alone, and why would you when you have a supportive group available?
Readers don't just read one author - they stick with their favorite genres. Therein lies the power in cross-promotion. If one of my readers buys a book from an author I promote, then chances are there will be a reciprocal effect, or so is the hope. Do I want to boost sales? Of course I do. Do I want to boost other's sales? Why not. It's called karma.
Some free book offers require a newsletter sign-up, which is a small non-monetary price to pay to try out a new indie author.
Reads From StoryOrigin and BookFunnel
StoryOrigin and BookFunnel allows authors to advertise their books to each other's audience. I hope you have been able to discover a new favorite!
Note: After this month, I will be offering promos from StoryOrigin only as I am trimming my budget this year.
Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter and receive a free book (poetry or science fiction or both): Leon's Newsletter
Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.
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