A cosmic battle, a cancer diagnosis, and 22 years in the making—Steven Mutchiga’s debut novel, The Midway Conflict: Hour 1, is more than a story. It’s his story.
After years of pauses and rewrites, Mutchiga, who goes by the pen name Steven Nevets, returned to his manuscript again and again until he finally completed it.
Published on Jan. 25, The Midway Conflict: Hour 1, blends fantasy and historical elements with autobiographical reflections drawn from his own life, including his battle with cancer.
“[My] goal was to create a narrative that would not only resonate with readers but also inspire those navigating their own hardships,” said Mutchiga, who goes by the pen name Steven Nevets for the book.
The novel follows the protagonist Steve, who undergoes radiation therapy after his recent cancer diagnosis and finds himself in a “cosmic conflict” involving the potential collapse of the Afterlife.
Steve is pulled from his sedation by Lady M., a being from another realm who is in danger, and sets foot on a journey to save both the Afterlife and Lady M. He must fight his own personal battles in his reality, while helping to save another realm. His epic journey is one full of perseverance and resilience, just like the one the book’s author faced.
The book is already proving its success with positive reviews from Goodreads.
“A must-read for anyone looking for a heartfelt and thought-provoking story that transcends genres and leaves a lasting, thought provoking impact,” said one reader.
Another said it was “a gripping read for anyone who loves stories of redemption, self-discovery, and the battle for survival against impossible odds.”
Mutchiga moved from Hamilton to Robbinsville resident in 2021 and wrote the book to share his story and inspire his community.
While those around him may know him as a product development officer for the state of New Jersey, they may not know he is constantly creating and cultivating projects, like the next two books to follow The Midway Conflict: Hour 1, growing a YouTube channel, and running an online store selling products with his own designs.
Yet all of these endeavors stem from the challenges he has faced in his life, which encouraged him to give back to others by storytelling.
He started the first draft of this novel in 2003, before his diagnosis of ocular melanoma in 2009.
Ocular melanoma is a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer, and he learned that a cluster of cancerous cells were growing behind his eye. After battling his cancer and undergoing surgery, he has been cancer-free for 16 years.
While Mutchiga never liked reading growing up, clearly he had an unearthed passion for writing instead. He was drawn to writing after taking a high school journalism class. As soon as he put the pen to a paper, writing struck a chord with him.
“I just felt happy because it gives you an escape, but your ideas are your ideas, and you can put them on paper, and you can create anything that you want. Any kind of a world that you’re looking to create,” Mutchiga said.
This led him to writing his original 500-page manuscript in about 11 months. The original story had no autobiographical element and was only a fantasy novel, but Mutchiga knew there was something missing.
He was never satisfied with the book and had made countless edits and rewrites before its final version was complete. It wasn’t until 2024, after another personal hardship caused a moment of reflection for his writing.
He knew he wanted to incorporate his own journey into his story because it would make the book’s meaning even stronger and allow readers to connect to it more.
In his words, he wants the readers to take away “inspiration and resilience.”
“I want [readers] to pull those million focal points from that book, to say, ‘okay, I can put this into my life. I had this particular hardship. I’m never gonna give up. I’m gonna reach out for support’, things of that nature,” Mutchiga said.
Through trying to convey his message to readers, he learned plenty of life lessons from both his bout with cancer and writing his novel.
He found these same strengths and inspirations, especially from those around him. He had immense support from his wife, Jackie, and from his family through these journeys and was able to overcome his challenges through their help.
This also led to the creation of his YouTube channel, @EyeCanandYouCanSurviveCancer, where he creates many videos and YouTube Shorts to make others who are struggling laugh.
He also provides tips, inspirational stories and encouragement to help those currently struggling with cancer. His first post was this past February, and he consistently gets a few hundred views on each post.
He is hoping to provide comfort, community and support to those who may need it, just like his family provided that same support for him.
“I want to provide smiles and laughter to people,” Mutchiga said. “Always look for support. That could be in your inner circle, with your friends and family, and sometimes, if you don’t have as many friends and family, always look for community support outside.”
Another passion he pursues on the side is EyeRISEPrintDesigns, an online shop he started a few months ago. He sells products like canvas prints, mugs, wall clocks and more with designs and photographs he took himself.
The images on the products are typically calming scenes of nature, like a sunset or waterfall. The idea behind it is that nature in itself is soothing, and by owning and looking at these designs, they can calm someone and provide comfort to those who need it.
“I just want people to feel calm and serene and tranquil with these particular images,” Mutchiga said.
Readers can stay up to date with his work through his website. His book can be purchased through his website or on Amazon.
Readers can expect two more books to follow his debut novel, The Midway Conflict: Hour 2, releasing in 2026, and a third untitled book releasing in 2028, where Steve and Lady M.’s journey continues.
His website also links to his YouTube channel and his online shop, where readers can support him and expect new content frequently.
“I want people to know that in the face of hardships and challenges, we can overcome them, and also we don’t have to go at it alone,” Mutchiga explained. “So that’s essentially what this book is about, going through hardships, but we don’t have to go through it alone.”
The Midway Project: Hour 1 can be purchased on Amazon.com in either a Kindle edition or paperback and on Bookshop.com in paperback..
