Smashwords — About Kristen Stieffel, author of 'The Last Buffalo' and 'The Feast of Stevens'

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Location: United States
Member Since: June 06, 2011

Kristen Stieffel

Biography

I'm a freelance copy editor and have belonged to the Editorial Freelancers Association since 2010. My editing credits include "Winter" by Keven Newsome and "Beyond the Threshing Floor" by Randye Kimmel-McLemore.

I specialize in helping Christian writers polish their work till it shines. I also enjoy helping business people deliver their messages with the style of a professional writer.

Despite ten years of newsroom experience, I believe in preserving each writer's unique voice.

Where to find Kristen Stieffel online

Website: http://www.kristenstieffel.com/
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kristen-stieffel/1/924/877
Blog: http://thefactotumsrostrum.blogspot.com/

Where to buy in print

http://amzn.to/msTcxS

Books

The Last Buffalo by Kristen Stieffel
Price: Free! 2880 words. Published on May 12, 2012. Fiction.
The legendary White Buffalo Calf Woman said that when the last buffalo dies, the world will end. The zookeeper caring for the only remaining American Bison is about to see that prophecy fulfilled.

The Feast of Stevens by Kristen Stieffel
You set the price! 4410 words. Published on December 22, 2011. Fiction.

(5.00 from 1 review)
On a space station far from Earth, animal liberationists inadvertently jeopardize thirty-eight innocent turkeys. The station’s cook, Stevens, ensures the fowl shall not have died in vain. In this science fiction Christmas comedy, cultures clash, hearts are won, and dinner is served.

Kristen Stieffel’s tag cloud

american indian christmas comedy environment environmental damage folklore future future space exploration legends native american science fiction

Smashwords book reviews by Kristen Stieffel

Finding Angel on Feb. 02, 2012

Kat Heckenbach has created a community so lovable you wish you could move there. Like some other fantastical worlds we know of, this one exists alongside our own. But one doesn’t need a magic portal or spell to reach Toch Island. You just need the right map. The great thing about this is it leaves the reader with the feeling that you could go visit those magical folk, if only you had the latitude and longitude. The downside is--within the storyworld--non-magical bad guys can find the island, too. Toch Island isn’t a paradise—they have no iPads there. And it has the same sort of small-town politics that any human settlement might have. But the real threat comes from outside. From one of us. Finding Angel is an intriguing tale with a strong, believable young protagonist. As Angel searches for her own lost history, new questions arise and the stakes get higher. The more she learns about the hometown from which she’s been separated for so long, the more she learns about herself. Her friend and guide, Gregor, is a noble, selfless man mature beyond his years. More mature, as it turns out, than a powerful but selfish elderly neighbor. Finding Angel is full of intriguing characters--so much so that when you’re not reading it, you’re still thinking about them. Where are they? What are they doing? What will happen next? That’s reader engagement, people. And when it’s over, you want to go visit again, so you can see how they’re doing. Fortunately, The sequel, Seeking Unseen, is due for release in July. I’m booking my ticket now.
Finding Angel on Feb. 02, 2012

Kat Heckenbach has created a community so lovable you wish you could move there. Like some other fantastical worlds we know of, this one exists alongside our own. But one doesn’t need a magic portal or spell to reach Toch Island. You just need the right map. The great thing about this is it leaves the reader with the feeling that you could go visit those magical folk, if only you had the latitude and longitude. The downside is--within the storyworld--non-magical bad guys can find the island, too. Toch Island isn’t a paradise—they have no iPads there. And it has the same sort of small-town politics that any human settlement might have. But the real threat comes from outside. From one of us. Finding Angel is an intriguing tale with a strong, believable young protagonist. As Angel searches for her own lost history, new questions arise and the stakes get higher. The more she learns about the hometown from which she’s been separated for so long, the more she learns about herself. Her friend and guide, Gregor, is a noble, selfless man mature beyond his years. More mature, as it turns out, than a powerful but selfish elderly neighbor. Finding Angel is full of intriguing characters--so much so that when you’re not reading it, you’re still thinking about them. Where are they? What are they doing? What will happen next? That’s reader engagement, people. And when it’s over, you want to go visit again, so you can see how they’re doing. Fortunately, The sequel, Seeking Unseen, is due for release in July. I’m booking my ticket now.
I Am Ocilla on May 20, 2012

A beautiful fairy tale. Literally. Diane Graham brings new life to an old genre, the fairy tale, with her vision of five kingdoms separated and oppressed by a cruel overlord. Her storyworld contains all the old favorites: dragons, fairies, talking animals, evil curses, and true love. The first-person, present-tense voice takes some getting used to, but it totally works. Since Ocilla is an amnesiac, all she has at the outset is her "here and now." As the story progresses, she discovers her world and herself anew. The story is an episodic quest, as Ocilla and her allies travel across the five kingdoms, breaking curses and preparing for the final showdown. It's all wrapped in lyrical, beautiful prose. Vivid sensory details put you right in the story. Most of the story progresses through slow, lyrical periods of discovery alternating with moments of sheer terror. The first 80 or 90 percent of the story proceeds at a measured pace, but the ending comes in a rush -- almost too hurried, leaving some questions unanswered. But this is a quibble. Great story. Great characters. Happy ending. And it has what I've come to see as the essential element of great speculative fiction: a storyworld you'd like to go visit. Often.