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When Life Hands You Hardship, Write a Novel

On a warm afternoon in our Texas studio, host Rosabel Zohfeld recorded a podcast session with award-winning author S.M. Stevens to explore how two life-altering health crises—a shattered pelvis and ovarian cancer—became the unlikely spark for a flourishing fiction career.

From “Happy Accident” to Industry Leader

In 2009, Susan Stevens was thrown from her horse and suffered multiple pelvic fractures. “I was couch-bound,” she recalls, “with three dogs, two daughters, and a full-time marketing career. I thought I’d lose my mind if I didn’t try something new.” That “something” was her first children’s book—and the beginning of her fiction journey.

One year later, chemotherapy and surgery for ovarian cancer again put her at a standstill. Armed with a laptop and an infusion IV, she penned a middle-grade novel about a teen drama club. “I don’t recommend it,” Susan laughs, “but it worked for me!”

Beautiful and Terrible Things

Susan’s newest novel, Beautiful and Terrible Things, has won seven awards—including Best Literary Book of 2024—and tackles mental health, immigration, racism, and the bonds of friendship. Six diverse friends (Colombian-American, Filipino-American, non-binary pansexual, and more) navigate life’s big questions on the cusp of 30.

To ensure authentic voices, Susan enlisted sensitivity readers: “They helped me portray characters I’m not—and made the story resonate.”

Marketing Meets Storytelling

With decades in PR & marketing—and interviews on CNN and in the Wall Street Journal—Susan knows how to champion her work. “Every author wears two hats: creator and promoter,” she says. Her marketing savvy helps her stand out in today’s crowded book market.

What’s Next?

Susan is shopping her next adult-contemporary novel, The Unraveling of Carol Dunn, and co-authoring a true-crime memoir about a young survivor who later married her detective.

Connect & Discover More

Visit S.M. Stevens