Steve Stewart’s ‘Free Bird Files’ Book Series Imbues Eclectic Voice of the ’70s (Exclusive)
There’s a certain kind of magic that fills the pages of Alabama-born author Steve Stewart’s five-part novel series that’s set in the 1970s, under the umbrella title of The Free Bird Files.
Call Me the Breeze is the first of the five volumes of the budding love story of “The Breeze” and “Fancy,” characters based on himself and his wife of nearly five decades, Nancy.
Whether or not you lived and loved in the ’70s, this is your love story, too, because you’ll fall in love with them both. They guide us through a trailblazing time, and almost subconsciously teach us to care about all of the good things that life has to offer, at all of the right moments, and in all of the raw and very real, and profound ways.
In brief, this eclectic five-volume literary series offers a gripping tale infused with raw, unfiltered humanity.
The books initially began as a screenplay, but the dense material lent itself to literary adaptation. “After watching the movie Dazed and Confused,” Stewart told ReMIND, “I wanted to tell my story since I felt it was a better ’70s story than that movie. I wrote it strictly from memory.”
Stewart began writing the script about his early life in November 1999. “Most of the story is true,” he said.
“Of course,” he adds, “… Like any good story, there is fabrication, but the base of the story is real. I changed names and some places. And some of the events, while true, took place at a different time than in the books.”
Stewart found the process of his creation, specifically the second book, Blue-Eyed, in actuality, a prequel to Call Me The Breeze, as “very therapeutic for me.”
Call Me The Breeze and Blue-Eyed Son each took approximately eight months for Stewart to complete. Breeze & Fancy required five months. Rebelicious, 10 months, and I Need You, nine months.
Stewart, who describes himself as “a storyteller,” writes from memory and “by the seat of my pants,’ while his prose flows with his recollections and vice versa.
“The ’70s were just different,” he says of the backdrop era for his work. “Hard to explain how different it is to someone who didn’t experience that time, especially in Gadsden, Alabama. My teen years were in the ’70s, so naturally, that makes that decade crucial to the book series.”
When he began writing, Stewart “honestly had no expectations other than wanting to get the story out. And to say that I had written a book.”
However, the positive response to his work has “way exceeded” his expectations. “I’m blown away by the reception they have received,” he says in sincere awe.
As to what’s next? Stewart has “one more book in store for The Free Bird Files series. It should be out next April and will be titled Simple Man. After that, I plan to write a post-Civil War Western titled The Mississippi Kid. I’ve also written around 40 songs that go along with my book series, and have close to 20 of them already recorded. I plan to release an album soon.”
The soundtrack of Stewart’s remarkable life and talent will cover the threshold of his acclaimed literary accomplishments.
As to his entire body of work (which is available on Amazon), Stewart says, “I’ve enjoyed connecting with so many people from across the country who share my love of the 1970s.”
“Growing up in East Gadsden, Alabama, during that time was an adventure,” Stewart concludes. “My friends and I were a wild bunch. My wife, Nancy [Fancy], is the heroine of the entire series. She literally saved my life.”
And it’s all played out with powerhouse poise in the lyrical, multi-layered The Free Bird Files.
[Herbie J Pilato is an award-winning writer, actor, producer, and songwriter. For more information, visit HerbieJPilato.com.]
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