Stuart Benbow
@stuartbenbow.bsky.social
Americana Singer-Songwriter, writer, father and husband.
Phoenix Rising is getting closer to Beta reader-ready…
When a would-be star is coerced and driven to suicide, a music-driven guardian who can nudge fate must find a mortal champion to mount a public reckoning—before corrupt men bury another voice, or his family’s secret destroys them both.
When a would-be star is coerced and driven to suicide, a music-driven guardian who can nudge fate must find a mortal champion to mount a public reckoning—before corrupt men bury another voice, or his family’s secret destroys them both.
December 6, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Phoenix Rising is getting closer to Beta reader-ready…
When a would-be star is coerced and driven to suicide, a music-driven guardian who can nudge fate must find a mortal champion to mount a public reckoning—before corrupt men bury another voice, or his family’s secret destroys them both.
When a would-be star is coerced and driven to suicide, a music-driven guardian who can nudge fate must find a mortal champion to mount a public reckoning—before corrupt men bury another voice, or his family’s secret destroys them both.
The nice thing about insomnia, I get a lot of bonus writing or editing done while the house is silent. Dog snores and chaotic cat antics accompanied my laptop keys for several hours last night.
December 4, 2025 at 1:42 AM
The nice thing about insomnia, I get a lot of bonus writing or editing done while the house is silent. Dog snores and chaotic cat antics accompanied my laptop keys for several hours last night.
I hit my month’s word goal this morning, but I’ll keep writing? Because that’s what I do. I did take yesterday off from writing to go over reader feedback on another project, which was very helpful. #NaNoWriMo folks, how are you doing with your own writing goals? #authorsky #booksky #writersky
November 29, 2025 at 5:23 PM
I hit my month’s word goal this morning, but I’ll keep writing? Because that’s what I do. I did take yesterday off from writing to go over reader feedback on another project, which was very helpful. #NaNoWriMo folks, how are you doing with your own writing goals? #authorsky #booksky #writersky
My biggest hurdle as a writer is getting so invested in my characters that I fall in love with their hobbies & lifestyles. This past spring, I was looking up small town sugar maple farms & classic cars. Now I’m browsing sailboat classified ads & certification courses, though I can’t afford either.
November 25, 2025 at 9:05 PM
My biggest hurdle as a writer is getting so invested in my characters that I fall in love with their hobbies & lifestyles. This past spring, I was looking up small town sugar maple farms & classic cars. Now I’m browsing sailboat classified ads & certification courses, though I can’t afford either.
5 days left of #nanowrimo and I’m closing in on my personal goal of 70k words. 7k to go, putting book 2 near the 1/4 mark. How’s everyone else doing? #authorsky #booksky
November 25, 2025 at 9:00 PM
5 days left of #nanowrimo and I’m closing in on my personal goal of 70k words. 7k to go, putting book 2 near the 1/4 mark. How’s everyone else doing? #authorsky #booksky
Finishing the rewrite of book one, Phoenix Rising, then starting on book 2 yesterday, I’ve been proofreading book 1 for glaring overall issues when I can’t write. I find myself thinking, that author better hurry up with book 2, I want to know what happens next. Oh wait.
November 21, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Finishing the rewrite of book one, Phoenix Rising, then starting on book 2 yesterday, I’ve been proofreading book 1 for glaring overall issues when I can’t write. I find myself thinking, that author better hurry up with book 2, I want to know what happens next. Oh wait.
How’s your #NaNoWriMo going?
The #PhoenixRising rewrite’s complete and I’ll be rolling into book 2, #PhoenixTakingFlight to round out the NaNo challenge (also to avoid my wife being mad at leaving her waiting for the cliffhanger resolution).
Lots of changes between draft 1&2, all good.
The #PhoenixRising rewrite’s complete and I’ll be rolling into book 2, #PhoenixTakingFlight to round out the NaNo challenge (also to avoid my wife being mad at leaving her waiting for the cliffhanger resolution).
Lots of changes between draft 1&2, all good.
November 18, 2025 at 5:07 PM
How’s your #NaNoWriMo going?
The #PhoenixRising rewrite’s complete and I’ll be rolling into book 2, #PhoenixTakingFlight to round out the NaNo challenge (also to avoid my wife being mad at leaving her waiting for the cliffhanger resolution).
Lots of changes between draft 1&2, all good.
The #PhoenixRising rewrite’s complete and I’ll be rolling into book 2, #PhoenixTakingFlight to round out the NaNo challenge (also to avoid my wife being mad at leaving her waiting for the cliffhanger resolution).
Lots of changes between draft 1&2, all good.
Still plugging away. There’s another write-in event this evening, so I’ll probably hit the Nano 1/2 way marker in the next day or so. Main characters finally got together, bad guys are in the move, and the plot’s moving forward. Good times! #nanowrimo #booksky #authorsky #urbanfantasy
November 10, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Still plugging away. There’s another write-in event this evening, so I’ll probably hit the Nano 1/2 way marker in the next day or so. Main characters finally got together, bad guys are in the move, and the plot’s moving forward. Good times! #nanowrimo #booksky #authorsky #urbanfantasy
With #nanowrimo now dead, I’m still plugging away. Community’s good, but I didn’t need it to create. That said, the local library’s running a write-in event, and held a local author event recently, so that’s fun. Currently I’m continuing on the novel I began before November.
Progress:
Progress:
November 7, 2025 at 9:44 PM
With #nanowrimo now dead, I’m still plugging away. Community’s good, but I didn’t need it to create. That said, the local library’s running a write-in event, and held a local author event recently, so that’s fun. Currently I’m continuing on the novel I began before November.
Progress:
Progress:
Good writing day today. More than 6k words in, and the story’s shaping up nicely.
October 20, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Good writing day today. More than 6k words in, and the story’s shaping up nicely.
When life’s chaos forces a break from editing and writing, it gives you time to step back and reflect on just how far you’ve come. Getting recharged for the next big push while I help my wife recover from surgery. The next quarter’s going to be a wild ride.
October 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
When life’s chaos forces a break from editing and writing, it gives you time to step back and reflect on just how far you’ve come. Getting recharged for the next big push while I help my wife recover from surgery. The next quarter’s going to be a wild ride.
Clarity’s off to beta readers. Time to finish drafting Heartbreak Harbor this week, then get back to editing Frost and Firelight.
Staying busy is keeping me sane while we prep for my wife’s Cancer surgery on Friday.
Staying busy is keeping me sane while we prep for my wife’s Cancer surgery on Friday.
September 29, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Clarity’s off to beta readers. Time to finish drafting Heartbreak Harbor this week, then get back to editing Frost and Firelight.
Staying busy is keeping me sane while we prep for my wife’s Cancer surgery on Friday.
Staying busy is keeping me sane while we prep for my wife’s Cancer surgery on Friday.
While doom scrolling narrated Reddit stories, my wife said, there would be a lot less drama if people just talked to each other.
I agreed. My upcoming Melody Farm series could have ended in a very short prequel where the MC’s grandfather got custody of the grandson his daughter didn’t want.
I agreed. My upcoming Melody Farm series could have ended in a very short prequel where the MC’s grandfather got custody of the grandson his daughter didn’t want.
September 18, 2025 at 3:45 PM
While doom scrolling narrated Reddit stories, my wife said, there would be a lot less drama if people just talked to each other.
I agreed. My upcoming Melody Farm series could have ended in a very short prequel where the MC’s grandfather got custody of the grandson his daughter didn’t want.
I agreed. My upcoming Melody Farm series could have ended in a very short prequel where the MC’s grandfather got custody of the grandson his daughter didn’t want.
Big news 📚
I’ve launched Maple Shores Press LLC!
This press will publish my works across three paths:
💖 soft romance
🌌 urban fantasy
🌑 dark trauma & redemption (with content warnings)
Different genres, one mission: authentic stories that connect + inspire.
#booksky #writersky #selfpub #indieauthor
I’ve launched Maple Shores Press LLC!
This press will publish my works across three paths:
💖 soft romance
🌌 urban fantasy
🌑 dark trauma & redemption (with content warnings)
Different genres, one mission: authentic stories that connect + inspire.
#booksky #writersky #selfpub #indieauthor
August 30, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Big news 📚
I’ve launched Maple Shores Press LLC!
This press will publish my works across three paths:
💖 soft romance
🌌 urban fantasy
🌑 dark trauma & redemption (with content warnings)
Different genres, one mission: authentic stories that connect + inspire.
#booksky #writersky #selfpub #indieauthor
I’ve launched Maple Shores Press LLC!
This press will publish my works across three paths:
💖 soft romance
🌌 urban fantasy
🌑 dark trauma & redemption (with content warnings)
Different genres, one mission: authentic stories that connect + inspire.
#booksky #writersky #selfpub #indieauthor
3633 words today, so far anyway. The plot thickens. #booksky #authorsky
August 27, 2025 at 12:50 AM
3633 words today, so far anyway. The plot thickens. #booksky #authorsky
My brain needs to remember that I’m supposed to be in editor mode. Waking up with an idea for a romance novel turned the days plan on its ear. Morning world building and outlining, afternoon and evening writing, 3500 words in when I’m supposed to be wearing a different hat today. Oops. #authorsky
August 25, 2025 at 3:24 AM
My brain needs to remember that I’m supposed to be in editor mode. Waking up with an idea for a romance novel turned the days plan on its ear. Morning world building and outlining, afternoon and evening writing, 3500 words in when I’m supposed to be wearing a different hat today. Oops. #authorsky
ADHD brain in full scatter mode. Final edits on my novella tackling emotional and financial abuse, initial drafts of a novella that turns the tables on sexual predators, developing a 4 book urban fantasy series, final draft of book 1 of a small town romance series, & draft 2 of another. #authorsky
August 19, 2025 at 9:15 AM
ADHD brain in full scatter mode. Final edits on my novella tackling emotional and financial abuse, initial drafts of a novella that turns the tables on sexual predators, developing a 4 book urban fantasy series, final draft of book 1 of a small town romance series, & draft 2 of another. #authorsky
That moment when you’re up in the night with an idea, then feverishly knock out the first chapter and logistics. The morning after, realizing that I need to change the story trajectory or be completely out of pocket. #darkending #booksky
August 15, 2025 at 1:03 PM
That moment when you’re up in the night with an idea, then feverishly knock out the first chapter and logistics. The morning after, realizing that I need to change the story trajectory or be completely out of pocket. #darkending #booksky
An afternoon of updating my website to carve out space for my writing endeavors was well-spent. It’s official, time to finish the editing process and set some books free.
stuartbenbowmusic.com/author-home
stuartbenbowmusic.com/author-home
Stuart Benbow - Author - Home
Author Updates - Blog for Stuart Benbow, an americana artist from Westland
stuartbenbowmusic.com
August 12, 2025 at 9:41 PM
An afternoon of updating my website to carve out space for my writing endeavors was well-spent. It’s official, time to finish the editing process and set some books free.
stuartbenbowmusic.com/author-home
stuartbenbowmusic.com/author-home
When I was little, I was told, get your head out of the clouds. These days, between medical chaos and the world we live in, I’m happier returning to those clouds. Crafting stories, whether in song, print, podcast or audio, it’s far more satisfying. Plans and effort every day. #storyteller #writer
August 12, 2025 at 11:37 AM
When I was little, I was told, get your head out of the clouds. These days, between medical chaos and the world we live in, I’m happier returning to those clouds. Crafting stories, whether in song, print, podcast or audio, it’s far more satisfying. Plans and effort every day. #storyteller #writer
Editing book one’s been a heavy chunk of my time lately, but I’m down to being nit picky at last. Meanwhile, books two and three are underway, along with a few short stories and novelettes.
July 30, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Editing book one’s been a heavy chunk of my time lately, but I’m down to being nit picky at last. Meanwhile, books two and three are underway, along with a few short stories and novelettes.
Editing seems never-ending at the moment. I keep telling myself that with every rewrite and tweak, it gets better, but my eyes are blurry after another marathon session of hunting down mistakes.
June 30, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Editing seems never-ending at the moment. I keep telling myself that with every rewrite and tweak, it gets better, but my eyes are blurry after another marathon session of hunting down mistakes.
Another day, another round of editing. Hunting down plot holes and tightening things up more every day.
June 9, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Another day, another round of editing. Hunting down plot holes and tightening things up more every day.
That moment when you realize you need to split your writing project into three books, rather than three acts to avoid breaking tables when people eventually set it down. Oops.
May 7, 2025 at 2:42 PM
That moment when you realize you need to split your writing project into three books, rather than three acts to avoid breaking tables when people eventually set it down. Oops.
I felt bad about what I did to my poor characters, so I wrote a short story set several months along to give them better things now instead of waiting. Does that make me weird? #writersky #writerproblems
April 24, 2025 at 8:39 PM
I felt bad about what I did to my poor characters, so I wrote a short story set several months along to give them better things now instead of waiting. Does that make me weird? #writersky #writerproblems