The Melody of Three: (Evercharm Trilogy, Book 1) by S. D. Reeves

11/27/2020

Multi-volume author, Stephen Reeves introduces us to his latest fantasy story, “The Melody of Three”:
Sorcerer Christaan De Rein's return to Liverpool does not go well, starting with the fact that his trusted apprentice, Higgins, dies on the way. Then again, Higgins dies a lot. Of course, Rein doesn't expect to be welcomed with open arms after being banished for nine years, but a cryptic summons from The Musician herself cannot go unanswered.

But when Rein arrives all is in chaos. People with fairy blood are turning up dead. The Forum Magicae is undone and the Curators sieged.

And in another world altogether, where Earth is just a legend, a girl named Niena and a cursed lyre hold the key to saving both realms. Or destroying them.

This story drew me into its embrace in unexpected ways. I am not normally attracted to the darker side of fantasy. This story felt like it was in a perpetually dusk on a cloudy day. I had a hard time putting the story down, I was wooed and attracted like seldom before.
The author’s grasp of language was breathtaking throughout. The images that unfolded in my mind were wonderfully intoxicating at times. Scene setting was extensive as fantasy usually is. Dialogue was terse and well played. The action could have been a bit fuller in a place or two, a few times I had to reread a section to be certain I didn’t miss a syllable.
I award 4.8 stars to "The Melody of Three: (Evercharm Trilogy, Book 1).

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/the-Melody of-Three-Evercharm-Trilogy-Book
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-melody-of-three
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-melody-of-three-sd-reeves
and other major platforms where you buy books.

You can connect with the author:
https://twitter.com/SD_Reeves
https://www.facebook.com/SDReeves.Author
https://www.goodreads.com/author/S_D_Reeves

I have reviewed another wonderful book by the author: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/curses-of-scale-by-s-d-reeves

tags: fantasy, fairy, fairies, magic, elf, elves, music, books, sculpture
Copyright © 2020 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction

83 Comments

Stephen Reeves link

11/28/2020 12:00:46 pm

Thanks for the great review, Mark!

Mark

11/28/2020 12:13:27 pm

You are welcome, I really enjoyed reading your book.
I also appreciate you joining me from Switzerland, you are nine hours ahead of me.
First questions.
Please, tell us more about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.
How did you wind up living in Switzerland?

Stephen Reeves link

11/28/2020 12:58:26 pm

Well, for starters I am a bit of the type of fellow who will read a book (say about pirates, or tall ships) then go off and carve a boat from a block of wood. Generally speaking, if I can picture something, I can usually make it. A bit crafty in that way.

On Switzerland, I was working for an American DOD contractor (sounds majorly stuffy, right?), and had a friend on a history forum whom lived in Switzerland. My job required me to travel to Germany, so she bridged the gap to come visit me. Time went on, meetings turned to dates. Messages to love letters. I ended up marrying her in 2012, and have lived in Switzerland ever since As for why there, it was just a more practical thing to do I suppose.

Mark

11/28/2020 01:12:11 pm

That is a handy skill, being able to build what you can visualize.
Nice romantic story. I was in Switzerland in 74. The views were stunning as I traveled by train. I enjoyed my time there quite a bit.
New questions.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer?
If you are, how long have you been a full-time writer, and how much time did it take you to make the transition from part time?

Stephen Reeves link

11/28/2020 01:23:00 pm

Of course I haven't tried to make a working Death Star. Yet. Hmm.

When I first came down I spent a lot of time traveling around the country. I was absolutely star-struck. Now, though, I am afraid I take it a little for granted, living in a country other people travel to for vacation.

Part-time here. Though, it does take up a good bit of my free time. What eats up the most is the stuff you have to do *after* becoming published.

Mark

11/28/2020 02:14:15 pm

Everyday responsibilities do get in the way of appreciating when you live in a special place. I have noticed the same thing about Oregon. There are so many special and interesting places all over the state. I have not visited many of them.
The largest percentage of writers are part-time. You are right about all of the other post-publication stuff. We will talk more about that later.
New questions.
How long have you been writing fiction?
Are you in the writing business for love of writing or for money?

Stephen Reeves link

11/28/2020 04:36:54 pm

There is a Tolkein museum somewhere here I would love to see. Also a glacier. Many more, but those are the ones off the top of my head - and Switzerland is a small country.

Hmm, about twenty-five years. Mostly I write because I can't imagine not writing. It is a compulsion, a need, I suppose. If I were to try to leave off my proceedings I would be eating a lot of Ramen, hah.

Mark

11/28/2020 05:04:37 pm

A quarter of a century is a good start.
Ramen. That puts you squarely in the 'for love of writing' column, like so many other authors.
Quite a few authors have said they have to write or they might go crazy. For some, it quiets the voices in their head. Maybe there is a connection, I will ask my imaginary friends about that. They say it's perfectly normal. We think that settles the issue.
New questions.
What kind of work do you do? Feel free to skip that question, if you would rather not answer.
Does your work, or past work if you are retired, have any influence on your writing?

Stephen Reeves link

11/28/2020 05:32:13 pm

Reminds me a bit of how I work dialogue, and motivations; talking to the characters. I am surprised I haven't been locked up yet haha.

Until they went bankrupt, I was the sole System Administrator (think Servers, network infrastructure - in short, IT) for an international news channel based here in Switzerland. I will be starting another similar job again in January.

I am not sure how much it influences, really. Perhaps just my methodical writing process. I usually edit what I previously wrote in a chapter, before adding more.

Mark

11/28/2020 06:06:51 pm

You were the IT guy on that job. I bet you have some funny stories to tell.
You must be one of the lucky ones. I have heard of authors losing touch with their muse when they edit too much before the first draft is done.
The whole 'my first draft is crap' is true. The first draft is supposed to be terrible. Because its main purpose is to get the story out your head and onto 'paper'. After it is written down then it's easy to edit. You have lots of company, by the way, a lot writers function like that. As long as it works then it's all good.
New questions.
What inspired you to write this book?
Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?

Stephen Reeves link

11/28/2020 06:17:59 pm

Several times I had to perform IT voodoo to get things running, often right before live show. I remember once I managed to get their CGs (computer graphics), camera control, and live broadcast back up and running about 10 seconds after things were supposed to start. There was a huge cheer, and I had to cold count down the swap to a live broadcast.

It actually tends to put me back into the story. I don't write a ton at one time, maybe anywhere from 200-500 words a day.

Oh aye, it is. And even with all the editing, it usually will require me to go over it all again. I typically do that every five chapters as well. And then of course, all over again, slowly, when the first complete rough draft is done.

Myths and legends. I did deep into a lot of obscure historical bits here, and apply them. All the way from the riddles of King Heithrek, to the more common old Germanic pieces of the Nibelungenlied. I love that sort of world building, anchoring things to old legends - there is even a song based off of one of the first written lullabies.

As far as genre, I seem to write literary fiction for my very short stories. Fantasy for longer novels. Cosmic Horror, for a novella series I am working on. I don't know why, it just falls into that. I guess it is bit like why I write: I just have too.

Mark

11/28/2020 10:49:07 pm

Details really make a difference, sometimes good and sometimes bad. The trick is to find the right balance, to provide enough detail for color and texture in the story, but too many and you have fallen into the dreaded infodump swamp.
I understand that tension very well. If I was a writer I would want to share every marvelous detail I uncovered in my research. I love detail. As a kid, way before the internet, I would look up a word in our 20 pound dictionary. I would get lost so easily, I would come up for air after an hour or two of exploring the most fabulous rabbit trails. That unabridged Webster's dictionary was almost 6 inches thick.
It certainly sounds like the genres picked you. There is a touch of horror in this book. I guess that is what makes it dark fantasy.
New questions.
Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.
This next question might seem obvious, except that I sometimes miss something the author intended. What do the elements on the cover represent?

Stephen Reeves link

11/29/2020 07:07:25 am

I definitely agree on that. Per the old adage descriptions and details can be like icing on the cake. A little, or moderate amount is nice. But too much will spoil it. It is something I have struggled with in the past.

Oh yes, rabbit holes! It got worse for me when I started studying Latin. The key is to try to weave put things in subtly. That in of itself became a complex mission: to weave folklore and such into the tale, without it being obvious. Make it seem natural, or indistinguishable from the surroundings. I hope I achieved some of this, but it is a difficult task.

That would be the incomparable Sean Counley at https://www.seancounley.com/ . Here is also a link to a little page, with a video he did about it: https://www.seancounley.com/the-melody-of-three . He really did some marvelous work, and captured that sort of throwback cover I was going for.

Effectively you have the two main characters in their different worlds, the tree representing one of the aspects that linking them together. The Evercharm she holds is an object with the power of creation, and in a sense it holds back the darkness (and the creatures without) from approaching. This is why the colors become more vibrant nearer to her, and muted the further away.

Mark Schultz

11/29/2020 09:49:02 am

That was a good trick with the Latin and I think you pulled it off pretty well. I am reminded of the language touches that JRRT utilized in the LOTR. As a professor of languages he went far down the rabbit hole, inventing multiple languages and histories, in his spare time. That series was my introduction to high fantasy when I read it for the first time in junior high school. I loved it so much I read it two more times before graduating from high school. Before that I had read mostly science fiction.
I assume the other person on the cover is Rein. His world looks different and both are under threat.
New questions.
Was it hard to come up with the title? What was the process?
Were the character names difficult to develop? How did you choose them?

Stephen Reeves link

11/29/2020 11:31:31 am

Thanks! We share that much in common. I am a big fan of Tolkien, and in high school I could speak Sindarin. Yes, I went all out. He was a huge influence on me.

The names of the characters fell together. Niena, of course is a character in Curses of Scale. Her name is actually a tribute to a character in the Silmarillion. Christaan De Rein is based loosely on someone I know, at least his first name is. Once I settled on him being Dutch, and living from the 18th century onward, I had a little research to do. The rest sort of fell into place.

Mark

11/29/2020 11:48:01 am

You are a big fan, no doubt about that. I didn't give much thought to trying to learn any of the languages.
You probably know that Tolkien was a good friend of Clive Staple Lewis. They had an enduring friendship. Lewis is most famous for The Chronicles of Narnia. Not many books have been made into movies more than once. Lewis wrote a science fiction trilogy, "Out of the Silent Planet"; the protagonist was patterned after JRRT, a professor of languages. I really enjoyed the books.
New questions.
Your book is available as an e-book and a paperback. Are you planning any other formats?
This is your third book on Amazon. What is the status of your next book and what is it about?

Stephen Reeves link

11/29/2020 02:36:49 pm

Well, I had a spectacular disdain for my social life.

Quite so, he was an inkling. Though I have as of yet to read his books. I might have to check out that science fiction trilogy.

I had considered an audible format, but my publisher won't cover that. If I did it, I would need to put down the money myself. Probably out of the question for a bit. Though I would love too.

Currently I am working on the continuation of the Evercharm Trilogy, which will be called (tentatively) A Song in the Dark. Bit hard to explain without spoilers. I need to work out a back blurb one day, though...

Mark

11/29/2020 05:15:08 pm

Spectacular disdain, what a great line!
Lewis has written broadly, in many different genres.
Audio books are very popular and have been exploding around the world for several years. English is spoken as the official language of government and commerce in many different countries. It is also taught in quite a few countries as a second language. This translates into hundreds of millions of people, many of whom access the internet primarily through their phone. For millions of people an audio book is more than entertainment, it's also a means to casually improve their command of the English language.
Having an audio book made is not cheap. That kind of project might do well on kickstarter.com. More authors are following the lead of graphic novelists and financing their publishing expenses through crowd funding sources.
Not too long ago I had the pleasure of interviewing a narrator as part of the interview with the author. Here is the link to the interview, copy and paste https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/heir-to-a-prophecy-by-mercedes-rochelle-narrated-by-kevin-e-green or use the search box below for the narrator's name.
Here is a link to a blog by one of my favorite bloggers, she knows far more about crowd funding than I do. Most of what I know I have learned from her. https://kriswrites.com/2020/07/22/business-musings-the-kickstarted-game-changer-part-two/
A short blurb or elevator pitch is a great thing to have even before the book is written. It can help clarify the premise of the book.
New questions.
What other books and genres have you written?
What are the Amazon categories you chose for your book?

Stephen Reeves link

11/29/2020 05:33:57 pm

Oh I agree, and thank you for the links!

I am just not terribly comfortable with Kickstarter. I've considered it in the past, but in the end it was generally not for me.

What is weird about my writing is the concept will change drastically. Whole chapters will be moved, rearranged, and the book entirely rewritten before it is all said and done. Even the ending I have in mind for the series, will change. I don't even do outlines anymore, hah.

For full length novels, only fantasy. Short stories and the like are usually literary, I am working on a cosmic horror. But it is a side project.

Actually I didn't. Amazon just picked them, and they have been an extreme pain to try to change. Usually, they just revert back, once done.

Mark

11/29/2020 05:50:47 pm

Maybe I used the wrong term, categories, keywords might be better. Take a look at this article. Anne is another of my favorite bloggers and Dave is very smart and methodical. How to Change Your Kindle Keywords, by Dave Chesson
https://annerallen.com/2020/09/how-to-change-your-kindle-keywords-by-dave-chesson
Kickstarter is not the only way to leverage crowd funding, but it is popular.
That is amazing that the story changes so much. You are not the first pantser to tell me that also. It sounds like you tried to plot out your books and it didn't work very well for you. There is no one right way to write a book, that is certain.
New questions.
Have you entered any writing contests?
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

Stephen Reeves link

11/29/2020 06:02:17 pm

Ahh yes, I am afraid I don't have any control over those. Everything is entirely controlled by the publisher, and they have had only middling success - they don't operate directly through amazon, but via a third party. I am not precisely sure how it works. The only thing I can change is my author page.

There are so many different ways to do things. The name of my book, actually, is usually among the last things to be decided.

I have. For Curses of Scale I won in a couple of YA categories, but mostly just placed as a finalist. The Melody of Three won for "most promising new series," for Red City Review. I haven't entered it in any others, I have found the return on those to be middling. I am still considering coming around for a couple next year.

As for writing contests in general, I am such a slow writer I usually never make the deadline haha.

Mark

11/29/2020 06:45:44 pm

I suppose this is a good argument for self-publishing, having complete control of your books. Traditional publishing, as an industry, is collapsing, and has been for the last several years. The big 5 publishers are about to be the big 4. We have Amazon to thank for that. Amazon made the gatekeepers of traditional publishing irrelevant and their profit margins have been shrinking ever since.
Amazon made publishing available to everyone who wanted to publish a book. Good news, right? Also bad news, because anyone could publish a book, whether it was ready to publish or not. In the early years so many books were not ready for publishing, writers were cranking them out as fast as possible trying to cash in on the new e-book fad, before it went away. One of the results of all those poorly written and never-edited books was that a lot of readers were turned off by the quality and refuse to pickup an independently published e-book.
Sorry about the rant, I guess I got off-track.
Congratulations for the awards for Curses of Scale. That had to make you feel good.
There are a lot of bad contests out there, some just want to squeeze as much money as possible from an author; the really scammy ones not only steal your money they also grab your intellectual property rights. Anne Allen always a list of safe contests to enter at the bottom of her newsletters. If you ever decide to enter one again.
New questions.
Every genre's fans have expectations about what they are going to want to read. Fans of cozy mysteries have a set of expectations that can differ greatly from the expectations of fans of hard-boiled murder mysteries.
What expectations do fans of that genre have in mind, when you think of dark fantasy?
If you were going to launch into a different genre, which one interests you the most?

Stephen Reeves link

11/29/2020 07:11:16 pm

This is actually something I've been struggling with, at least when I consider the new series I am writing. On one hand, even a small-publisher lends a bit of credibility. Also, it is easier to get Bookbub slots and the like.

On the other hand, even with a favorable contract you are at least throwing half of your would be income to them. Profit margins are slim, and that is compounded by the loss of control. When it comes down to it, the one thing about my current publishers is I like them individually a lot. I think I will have to balance all of that, versus expectations, and make a decision down the road.

That was about the sum of their use, really, to be honest - helped build up my confidence, as I was a new author. But now? There are too many that are scams, as you mentioned. And the others don't really offer much. I mostly stick, or will stick, to a core 5 or so that have some amount of pedigree. If I do so again.

I believe they tend to prefer more realistic, sometimes gritty worlds. My own tend to lend more towards a melding of the concepts of cosmic horror at times.

Aside from the aforementioned CH, sometime down the road I may try a traditional mystery.

Mark

11/30/2020 09:32:48 am

You make some good points. Here is am answer to one of them possibly. Start your own imprint. https://www.janefriedman.com/why-self-publishing-authors-should-consider-establishing-their-own-imprint
Some authors want to stay in their ivory tower, perhaps drafty attic is more appropriate. They don't want to worry about the business side of books. They pay a high price for that.
Cosmic horror is quite powerful. Many years ago I discovered Lovecraft and was entranced by the first story. I read several more after that and lost my appetite for his writing. It became lugubrious and more frightening than I liked suddenly. I haven't picked up any of his books since.
New questions.
I noticed that you didn’t put your book in Kindle Unlimited. Why is that?
Have you ever gone through the query process, seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers or did you go straight to indie publishing or self-publishing, and why?

Stephen Reeves link

11/30/2020 10:33:13 am

I've heard different opinions on that. I am still a few years away from releasing the new series, I think I will keep Evercharm where it is, and then re-evaluate later.

It is a high price, though there are some trade-offs. Bookbub is a big one, and they usually like folks who are wide and not self-published. Though not everyone can land a Bookbub featured deal, they are rather difficult to come by.

Mostly because my press is wide. They have considered doing so for future releases, as the income from places like kobo is negligible.

I did actually. I spent a couple of months querying, got a lot of full requests from agents. But the small presses were more interested. Sulis was among about 5 other small presses who made me an offer. Their terms were far more favorable.

At the time I was a neophyte, and they helped me get things setup quite a bit. Now, however, I am passing on information to their authors. Going with a small press is something I would actually recommend for first time authors. Until you can get the hang of marketing and such. Right now I am profitable. But of course, I could be more so if I were in control (though Bookbubs would be harder, and they are a part of my income).

Mark

11/30/2020 10:54:22 am

Bookbub deal ads are hard get, I have read at least one blog to that effect.
Going wide is important for an author's long term financial stability. All kinds of people shop at different platforms. Amazon seems to be the biggest player, but there are a significant number of people who refuse to shop there. Walmart has partnered with Kobo to increase their scope of products offered, including books.
Getting multiple requests for manuscripts is quite an accolade. So many authors get few if any responses to their queries, most get rejections. Your writing must be what publishers are looking for.
Small presses can be very responsive to an author's needs. Few publishers, traditional or independent, do much in the way of promoting an author's book. Most authors are on their own when it comes to the day to day marketing and promotion of their book.
New questions.
Do you think independent publishers can produce a book as good as mainstream publishers?
What are the three most important considerations for an independent author to be certain of when signing a contract with a publisher?

Stephen Reeves link

11/30/2020 05:07:15 pm

Usually take forever. They are now mostly taken up by trad published titles. Very hard for indies to get in nowadays.

Oh quite so, but there is an allure to the KU and such that is hard to beat. No one really has anyone near the market share of Amazon. And honestly, that is a problem.

I had a really good query letter I think. The key is to sell the book in the first sentence, really. As it were I fit a special niche, but that also meant the big guys wouldn't touch me.

Small presses are great training grounds, in my opinion.

Can they? Technically, yes. But is too expensive for them to really do anything beyond POD. I believe there are only a literal handful that are putting out paperbacks of real, textile quality. As far as the quality of the writing, and book itself, absolutely.

In no particular order:

Who holds the rights. Everything from foreign language rights, to merchandising rights (and technically movie rights). How long they hold onto sole publishing rights, and such. You don't want to give up your copyright to the characters, etc. There are a lot of predatory small time publishers out there. You also want to make sure if there are clauses that guarantee if one party isn't fulfilling contractual obligations, that the contract will be void.

Royalties. There is a big different between Net, and Gross percentages. Royalty based on gross means that the cut is calculated from the money made from the sale of the work before any deductions are made for overhead. Net is the opposite. If you are making 50% net...But the publisher has a lot of misc, (and sometimes fraudulent charges), you may come out with next to nothing. If your contract is net based make sure you ask for a list of possible charges, and get it into writing.

Well I had a lot of ideas for last one. Probably would lean towards how long the company has been in business. Or barring it is a new company, the pedigree of its staff. A new company with amateurs at the helm is of no benefit to you. Might as well self publish.

Mark

11/30/2020 05:26:52 pm

Rights, royalties and cumulative experience. That is a great list. I would add one thing, have any contract inspected by an attorney familiar with intellectual property rights and licensing before signing. Very obvious, I know, but it bears repeating. Too many authors have fallen for scams and lost everything, truly, the devil is in the details of a contract.
Query letters are an art and science unto themselves, it seems. There are podcasts, classes, and books about writing the perfect query letter. That is almost another scam, because every agent is different and not all are honest. If an agent asks for money up front an author should say no thanks and leave fast. An agent doesn't get paid until the author does. Plenty of motivation for an agent to find the right publisher.
In the end, it comes down to if a publisher thinks they can make money on a book or not. It really is that simple. Some authors decide to write for the market and others go their own way.
New questions.
What is your publisher doing, if anything, to market your book?
Is using Twitter and other social media part of your marketing strategy?

Stephen Reeves link

11/30/2020 05:35:24 pm

That is a solid suggestion. And for those who can afford it, I suggest signing up for something like the Author's guild. They provide a lot of good legal advice, among other things.

Quite so. And you are touching on something here, that I am actually going to address in a blog series sometime: all of the predatory "services" out there that prey upon dewy eyed authors. There is an exhaustible amount of them, sadly.

Quite a few authors just right to market, you see it a lot in the 20booksto50k facebook group. There is a lot of solid advice there, but I am not sure I could churn things out like that>

Mostly newsletter marketing, and social media marketing. They drew up press releases, and such, and basically tutored me a bit when I was new. My own marketing carries things, naturally.

It is. Mostly on twitter, though to be honest I haven't honed how to really dial it in. Most of my regular sales come through my newsletter

Mark

11/30/2020 06:17:45 pm

The Authors' Guild sounds like a good resource. I will check it out.
There are a lot of unsuspecting authors out there, no doubt about that. There are so many horror stories.
Victoria Strauss writes a great column for the SFWA called Writer Beware. I have several links to her blog on my Highly Regarded Blog page. Anne R. Allen covers one aspect of that topic on her website occasionally, also.
There is more than one way to write for a market. It doesn't have to be books all the time. There are many companies who pay for short stories of different lengths. I know one author who writes a 10,000 word book almost every month and publishes that. She has good stories. The stories lead from one to the next, almost like a monthly serial.
That is ideal, I think, getting most of your sales through your newsletter and website. Those are the only things you have much control over.
New questions.
Do you have a reader magnet to get people to sign up for your newsletter?
Which mailing service do you use? Is it the same one you started with or not? Why? I see many authors switching service as they grow.

Stephen Reeves link

11/30/2020 06:24:20 pm

I used to read that blog of Strauss's, until I encountered her on Absolute Write forums. Not a friendly person, suffice to say.

Ahh yes, I find myself unable to write short stories lately. I think the last one I put together is running about 4 years old now. Just how my mind works.

Due to constraints - my publisher doesn't like freebies - I had to do a bit of workaround with that. I have one based on extended previews, and a couple of short story collections I use. I would, for the new series, like to make the first novel free. But, I will have to see about that.

Mailerlite, currently. I had mailchimp, but they got too expensive. Plus, mailerlite offers a lot more domain authorization and otherwise which helps getting the emails in the inbox.

Mark

11/30/2020 08:45:32 pm

I have not had the pleasure of meeting her outside of a blog, that I can recall. Some people are prickly, sometimes they are having a bad day.
Sometimes we just have to follow the muse or nothing happens.
Your publisher, there is that control thing again.
It seems a quite a few authors start with Mailchimp and move on to another provider after awhile.
New questions.
In your experience, which marketing avenues have been the most rewarding or profitable?
Speaking of marketing, why did you pick me to help promote your book?

Stephen Reeves link

12/1/2020 09:01:01 am

Probably a good thing to avoid that forum, then, hah. She is unique, I won't get into it though.

Kind of a theme. Control, and all.

Outside of Bookbub, Ereadernewstoday, and robinreads I would go with the just the simple newsletter. I sell a decent amount every send.

A bit of sentimentality, I like the way you do your posts. Plus my presence on social media needs work. Outside of that, you do a great job finding errors.

Mark

12/1/2020 09:39:37 am

I have heard of Bookbub, they are a fairly big player in the field, if you ignore the gorilla. The other two are new to me.
Thanks, I try to include an element of humor in my posts as much as possible.
Social media is like a drug, there is always time for one more fix. I have cut back, I have not been active on Instagram for a long time and I don't do much on Facebook or Instagram.
I have concluded that my talent for finding spelling errors is pretty unique. I read 50 to 60 books a year, not including my proofreading work. Once a year I find a book with no spelling errors. I think I would find more spelling-error-free books if other people had my talent.
New questions.
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?
Have you thought about offering a large-print edition of your books?

Stephen Reeves link

12/1/2020 10:59:17 am

They are the Apex predator. The other two are considered the next tier, but are magnitudes below.

You are far more active than me. I am lucky if I make a post a day on twitter. It can suck you in, but sometimes it has the opposite effect.

Well you have found things that two editors have missed, that is for certain.

Hard to put a finger on it, because there are so many despicable ones. Probably it would be the vanity press that charges you, but also takes your rights with sneaky contracts.

I have, I would also love to put out a hardback. Unfortunately they are usually cost prohibitive, but we shall see.

Mark

12/1/2020 11:23:09 am

I find spelling errors all the time. It is part talent and part skill.
I agree, theft of an author's IP rights is the worst because that is key to their long-term success.
With POD I would think the cost would not be that bad. Unless a large print book uses the same formatting enlarged into a physically larger book. I don't know how big of a book a POD machine can create.
New questions.
Have you thought about doing an audio book?
Who would you pick to do the audio book?

Stephen Reeves link

12/1/2020 11:55:26 am

I don't think the cost for the large print would be too bad, just a matter of convincing a publisher I suppose.

I have, I was actually sourcing a service earlier. Unfortunately Covid hit, and my job fate was uncertain, so I put it on hold. You are generally looking at about 2-3k for a decent production, for starters.

Mark

12/1/2020 02:39:05 pm

A publisher won't do anything that won't add to their bottom line.
If they didn't license a large print book from you in the contract, then it is still yours to use, if you wanted to, the same with a graphic novel, audio book, screenplay, RPG game, also themed merchandise.
Producing quality audio books are not cheap, as we already mentioned briefly.
New questions.
Do you have a favorite book by another author or just favorite authors?
Did you have a favorite book as a child?

Stephen Reeves link

12/1/2020 05:39:23 pm

I would have to check, I know an audiobook is licensed. But we worked something out.

Well, right now I am reading the Dresden Files by Jim Bucher. Beyond that I do like Patricia McKillip quite a bit. Few others, though their names escape me. Tolkien of course.

The Hobbit, I think I read it when I was five.

Mark

12/1/2020 06:06:45 pm

The Hobbit is pretty wild reading for a five-year-old boy. I was introduced to The LOTR trilogy when I was in the eighth grade, I think I found the Hobbit a year later, in the library.
New questions.
Do you ever read a book more than once? If so, which one?
Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired at the end of a good writing session?

Stephen Reeves link

12/1/2020 07:03:54 pm

I read quite a bit at an early age, then dropped off later. Now, doing so again. I don't believe I touched the LOTR trilogy until much later.

Rarely. In fact, only the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which I read every couple of years.

Hmm, I can't say. Mostly it is a restful motion, but I can get quite obsessed at times, and when that happens I have a manic energy about it. However, that is partially due to being Autistic.

Mark

12/1/2020 08:19:48 pm

I learned to read at five years of age, I was reading the Dick and Jane books. I was taught to read by a neighbor who lived on the other side of our back fence. She was a retired school teacher, and she made it fun for me.
Autism is an interesting part of the equation. It brings a dynamic to creativity and human relations that is not always understood.
I haven't read a book more than once for at least 20 years, more like 30. The last thing I read more than once was CS Lewis' space trilogy, "Out of the Silent Planet. Before that it would have been "The Chronicles of Narnia" reading to my children.
New questions.
Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?
How does a writer ensure the reader will connect with the characters?

Stephen Reeves link

12/2/2020 06:01:17 am

Ahh! I see how the seeds of the future word-refiner were sown!

Quite so, in the end it really is just a different sort of wiring. On the basic level a lot of folks have a misconception that because I am autistic, I do not understand human emotion, and as such cannot write believable characters.

In reality this is a problem only in on-the-fly interaction, as I do not read things intuitively (I am very analytical as well). However, in order to socialize, I have had to study everything from facial expressions and voice tone in order to interpret better. Lends a bit of nuance to my writing, I like to think.

I typically don't re-watch movies, or re-read books. I think it is just due to my early connection with Tolkien.

Questions:

Characters need to be believable, grounded. Everyday people tend to react in similar ways to terror, heart ache, and such. There are classes out there just for this, as well as for crafting dynamic dialogue.

Tapping into the emotions, grounding characters, helps establish the gravitas of the decisions they make. So when that great big ugly comes around, and they decide to make a stand, the weight of their choice affects the climax.

Grounding. Characters need to have identifiable characteristics. Adding realistic flaws, creates someone that a reader can latch onto. We aren't perfect, and as mentioned above we react to things in various, often non-heroic ways. Establishing a character to identify with, also helps creating antagonists in a fantasy setting - or even fellow protagonists - who are alien. Fey characters for instance, probably should not look at the world the same as everyone else.

Mark

12/2/2020 09:37:30 am

I never connected those particular dots. I have known that I can focus a lot of my concentration, especially when reading, to the exclusion of almost everything around me. I recall things I have read much easier than if I hear them. Hearing things don't rank very high on my list of priorities, it seems, without a lot of repetition. I have felt my brain is wired somewhat differently than others.
Great description. The reader learns to connect with the characters through the daily small choices that are made by both protagonist and antagonist. A well-crafted antagonist is very relatable also, they think they are the hero in the story they are telling.
Excellent point. Non-human characters should be different in some ways from humans. Being able to see things in a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum could be one difference. It turns out that many flowers display particles only able to be seen with ultraviolet vision. Bees have this component in their eyes and they see beauty that we didn't know about for a long time.
New questions.
What was your goal in writing this book? Did you achieve it?
Has your life turned out differently than expected or planned?
Have you ever done NaNoWriMo?

Stephen Reeves link

12/2/2020 10:38:23 am

I tend to be very visual. Anything told to me, especially directions, can get me confused easily enough. More or less I tend to view being called Autistic as a label for other folks to understand how I work.

It can be difficult to make an alien creature that is close enough to humanity, but too far to bridge the gulf. So, you have to use every advantage you can to establish it.

Generally, I like to make people daydream. That is more of an artistic over-arching goal. For the book itself? More or less it is a leaping off point, and I think it set the mood quite well for what may come.

I would say things are proceeding about how I thought they might. A little boring of an answer from me, haha.

Unfortunately not. My writing process is such that I can't just push out a lot of words, and come back to it. It would end up losing me more time in the long run.

Mark

12/2/2020 11:15:55 am

I have struggled all of my life with spoken directions to get somewhere. I have always depended on maps and then electronic navigators such as Garmin when I started working in construction. I am visually oriented also.
Alien differences are important, but they must not be so far apart as to be a character that can't be connected to. Similar or comingled motivations help to overcome that issue a lot.
New questions.
Are you an under-writer or an over-writer? When the first draft is done, do you need to add more to flesh it out or do you have to cut material because there is too much?
What type of material is that most often, action, description or dialogue?

Stephen Reeves link

12/2/2020 01:57:01 pm

People can tell me to raise my right hand, and I may raise my left. Depends on all the other noise, and interference happening, though.

Quite so, there has to be some link to them.

I would say I am an over-writer. I normally have to cut things down, and it is usually in the descriptions. That is my Achilles heel, so to say.

Mark

12/2/2020 04:20:23 pm

I half expected you to say that because your descriptions were very good and rather lengthy at times. I know I will find that when reading fantasy, it seems to be a hallmark of the genre.
Science fiction used to have long descriptions also, but not nearly so much as in the past. I think sharing large amounts of information in sci-fi is a tricky balance point for many authors. It would definitely be a problem for me if I tried to write a sci-fi book. It is my favorite genre.
New questions.
When working through the excess writing, are you talking about sentences, paragraphs or a chapter that didn't survive the final cut?
Do you save the parts that didn't make it into the final version?

Stephen Reeves link

12/2/2020 08:16:19 pm

It seems to be a common issue, at least. Especially among folks who grew up reading certain authors.

Chapters. Even entire books, so to say. The material always gets used. Sometimes rearranged, cut. Spliced. I save everything.

Mark

12/2/2020 11:09:28 pm

I read a lot of Asimov when I was young. I recall Frank Herbert having some lengthy descriptions also. In the 80s I read the rest of the Dune series, up to number 9 at the time, I think. His son was writing then. It got pretty weird about that time. Bringing down a galactic empire is a hard act to follow.
I think saving stuff is a good idea. Some kind of organization would be important, I would think.
New questions.
Do you prefer dialogue tags or action beats in your books?
What do you do to flesh out the characters for your stories? How do you give them depth?

Stephen Reeves link

12/3/2020 07:52:18 am

Would be tough shoes to follow. And on saving things, yeah I agree. My organization is a bit half-hazard when it comes to my writing, though.

Action beats, but I use dialogue tags more, and the action beats as flavoring.

That is a difficult one. For me it is all about first creating an emotional baseline. Where are they at in their lives? That involves delving into their background. Then I start turning the dial in their personalities like you would do for mixing sound. Usually, this is based on all the wonderful people (and not so) people I have encountered in my life. Naturally. Once this is all done I try to inhabit them like an actor would, or have vis-a-vis conversations with them. It sounds a bit nuts, and I would probably be locked up if overheard in the wrong place hah.

Mark

12/3/2020 09:40:06 am

Action beats can carry the story forward in a seamless fashion, when they are done well. However, I think that dialogue tags are necessary and can be used for emphasis.
You did a magnificent job of laying that motivational foundation. It came across very organic. Wisdom is necessary to make good decisions, wisdom comes from the consequences of making bad decisions. Your characters, whether, elf, fae or human expressed these very real and universal traits.
I like the idea of inhabiting your characters as an actor gets into a role. I think those two things are nearly identical. I recently read a blog that had 25 questions an author should ask their main characters. It was a lot like going on a first date.
You might find this interesting, one of my guest bloggers, Rick Hall, an author himself, created a tool that helps to create psychologically congruent characters. Whether good or bad, he offers multiple angles and lots of famous examples. Here is a copy and paste link: https://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/character-creation
New questions.
Have you ever used other acquaintances as the basis for a character, to the point they have recognized themselves in your book?
Have you ever used yourself as a character for a starting point in a story?
Would a friend or family member recognize you in the story?

Stephen Reeves link

12/3/2020 06:19:39 pm

I really appreciate that, even with all the work, it is difficult to know if a character in the end connects. What you have in your head, is obviously different than what others see, and all that.

Hah! I am not surprised that someone came up with something like that. There are a lot of tools available to new writers nowadays. Hell, I am so stuck in the old ways of doing things I won't upgrade my word processor.

Not to the point they recognize themselves, but aspects, definitely.

No, generally not. I do pull off aspects of myself and sometimes scatter them among my characters. I think it is difficult not too, actually. But most are not entirely recognizable.

Though the character of Niena does physically look like my wife, at least. Not sure how that happened.

Mark

12/3/2020 10:07:22 pm

I have heard it said that no two people read the same book in the same way. The book is different for each person. I think it is true, because each person is in a different mind with a different background.
Are you the guy still using Wordstar? ;-) I heard someone was.
I agree, bits and pieces of an author can't help but creep into the writing. But sometimes I can imagine there is a temptation to pattern a character after a close friend or relative, simply because they fit the role perfectly, in one way or another.
New questions.
There is a journey that a hero/protagonist must complete in a story. How do you frame the quest or challenge for your protagonist in this book?
What do you use to cause problems for the hero in this book?

Stephen Reeves link

12/4/2020 10:07:33 am

Quite so, we are all special snowflakes, as the saying goes.

Actually...Yes, until like two years ago haha. Well only as a hobby, I have (at times) collected old computers. Mostly early 80's stuff.

Difficult to say, honestly. It all varies. But for the last question, mostly his own hubris, and his - at times - too trusting nature.

Mark

12/4/2020 10:26:16 am

A friend of mine was pretty good with Wordstar in the early 80s. He showed me how it worked. I decided to hang on to my typewriter. The WYSIWYG idea hadn't caught on yet. There was no fancy GUI. It was all monochrome screens and DOS. I hope I used all those terms correctly, it has been so long.
Hubris is a fairly subtle obstacle for a character to overcome. I can see that being a constant stumbling block at every term.
New questions.
Villain, antagonist, every story and hero needs a villain. Who is the main villain in this book?
Which is more fun to write, the protagonist or the antagonist, and why?
What is one thing you hate about your protagonist and one thing you love about the antagonist?

Stephen Reeves link

12/4/2020 02:20:15 pm

I used DOS quite a bit, growing up. I am not terribly well versed with it anymore, neither that nor Basic programming. I am having to relearn a lot of things.

The main villain(s) are the Teamor, and Chancy is their agent. Not to give too much away, but he is the primary of the first book.

About the same to be honest. They each have their little intricacies.

I dislike Rein's casual, (at times) selfish attitude. I like Chancy's wit, and (I guess this is two things) his distracted, cold nature - like when he is singing a French lullaby while he takes care of some "business."

Mark

12/4/2020 03:08:44 pm

Rein was insufferably selfish, that is quite a chink in the good-guy armor. Chancy is funny at times, almost cute with his humor. his devotion to the rules borders on psychopathic.
It probably wouldn't have been too hard of a stretch to flip the roles. did you ever read Grendel? The saga of Beowulf told from the monster's point of view.
New questions.
What is your writing routine when you sit down to write?
Do you write in a straight line or do you write whatever the muse provides for you at a given moment?

Stephen Reeves link

12/4/2020 07:02:17 pm

I have heard of Grendel, but I haven't checked it out. I think those sort of books were in fashion ten years ago, like Wicked, and such.

I usually read over the chapter, edit it, and continue on. Sometimes I read over the last few chapters. I try to write every day, but it usually boils down to when the mood strikes me. And also, usually in the winter.

Mark

12/4/2020 08:49:57 pm

I think I read Grendel in the 80s. It seemed revolutionary to me at the time, to write a story from the antagonist's point of view. Now I know that every well-written antagonist thinks they are the hero in their story.
If you do most of your writing in the winter, that tells me you like to do other activities the rest of the year. Outdoor activities might rank high on your list.
New questions.
Do you ever experience writer’s block and what do you do if you get stuck?
Is there a particular place or type of writing that brings the block on?

Stephen Reeves link

12/5/2020 08:36:31 am

I have so many, so many books I need to read. And more keep coming in for reviews, hah.

We don't have air conditioning here, and somehow I just don't write as much when it is warmer. But you are right, I do a good bit of moving around here.

From time to time. Usually I walk around, putting pieces together in some sort of visual cabin. Blocks don't last too long, but mostly they are brought about when whatever I am writing doesn't "feel" write. This will basically ground things to a halt, and inevitably something big changes.

Mark

12/5/2020 09:26:44 am

A lot of people like to get outside for lots of reasons. Some authors use outdoor activity as a way to refresh their creative mind or muse.
For myself, when faced with a problem that doesn't have a fairly immediate solution I mentally step back from the issue and engage with another activity that is unrelated to the problem. I have found that some kind of repetitive pastime frees up my creative mind to tackle the challenge. It can be as simple as walking or raking leaves.
New questions.
Which is more important to a story pace or flow? How do you control it?
Did your writing process change much from your early writing to your current book or did it stay the same?

Stephen Reeves link

12/5/2020 06:25:12 pm

Changing settings can have profound effects. I do enjoy writing in an 18th century member library in Basel, when I can. Covid put a damper on it.

Hmm, I would be in the camp that they are both equally important. The whole concept of: Paracelsus — 'All things are poisons, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison.'

Still the same, rather rigid. I just got better at it, hah. Faster at least.

Mark

12/5/2020 06:39:31 pm

That library would be lovely to work in. In the summer of 74 I was backpacking around western Europe, studying architectural history and there was plenty to see. Lots of cathedrals and castles. Traveling 2nd class on my student rail pass was pretty good.
Covid has altered our realities in many ways.
Paracelsus might approve of moderation in all things.
New questions.
Now that your book is published, is there anything about it you would like to change?
How do you think your book relates to the world we live in today?
What is the one thing you hope readers will remember from your book?

Stephen Reeves link

12/6/2020 11:10:30 am

It is right near the Munster in Basel, in the oldest part of town. Lovely and peaceful. Well the library is, there are a lot of tourists outside.

Those spelling errors you found, hah. Other than that, no.

Probably more along the lines of, how they felt when they finished. Other than that, hard to say.

Mark

12/6/2020 11:18:51 am

Tourists are not very peaceful, no question about that. They are having fun and making memories to last them the rest of their life.
Did the spelling errors get fixed in the e-book? If you told me I forgot.
Every person gets something different from a book.
New questions.
Do you have a classical author or poet, you admire?
What popular modern authors have influenced you?

Stephen Reeves link

12/6/2020 11:26:50 am

They sometimes have events up there, which is worse.

Not yet, probably won't for awhile. Things move slowly, especially in the holiday season.

Depends. I find Jean-Jacques Rousseau interesting. Quite fond of Charles Dickens and Walter Scott too.

Depends on what you define as modern. Probably Patricia McKillip, and Robert Jordan. Erin Morgenstern possibly.

Mark

12/6/2020 11:33:09 am

An event would be disturbing for anyone seeking a quiet place.
Let me know.
Dickens and Scott have been mentioned by other writers.
I leave that definition up to you. I have heard of all of those writers.
New questions.
Are there any authors that influenced you into becoming a writer?
If you could meet your favorite author, what would you ask them?
How much will a reader get to know you by reading your books?

Stephen Reeves link

12/6/2020 11:53:15 am

Can't say there are. Other than perhaps, Tolkien. But even then, not really.

Oddly enough, I haven't thought of that question. Strange as it sounds, there isn't really much I would inquire about them.

Well, I am there, between the pages. You will get to see my eccentric sense of humor, here and there. As well as how my mind works, in the structure of the sentences.

Mark

12/6/2020 12:35:43 pm

The author leaves fingerprints all over the book. A dozen authors if given the same prompt will write at least twelve different stories.
New questions.
What software do you use to write and publish your books, and why do you use those?
How do you keep track of all the characters and events in your books?

Stephen Reeves link

12/6/2020 12:47:02 pm

Quite so. Even for those authors that churn out books.

Right now, just word, hah. Mostly because I am stubborn.

I keep it all in my head, honestly. I need to use scrivener or something.

Mark

12/6/2020 01:27:55 pm

Scrivener is an amazing program, by all reports. It sounds very powerful to me. However, it also has a steep learning curve. There are a lot of authors that love that program. It has been reviewed by a lot of authors also.
I can see keeping one book in your head, while you are writing it, but I think a series would be quite difficult.
New questions.
Have you ever had the experience of the story swerving in a different direction than planned, as if a character was driving it?
I know there are many ways to build the outline. Do you do it all on the computer or do you get analog at some point with post-its or note cards?

Stephen Reeves link

12/6/2020 01:31:36 pm

That's the thing, I may use it for another series, but I don't think I could do it midway. I have to keep to my old system.

It can be, but it is how I work. Which means often re-reading the previous books. Not efficient, I know.

All the time. The story's ending, isn't even set. I actually almost never create an outline.

Mark

12/6/2020 08:51:21 pm

One author told me he outlined his book after it was written, it made it easier to search for a particular scene. That trick saved him a lot of time in the long run.
Many authors have said they run into surprises and are almost always glad when they follow their muse. Sometimes it is a minor character that grabs a bigger piece of the center stage or an unplanned event becomes crucial.
New questions.
Do you have defined space for writing at home, or are you a coffee-shop writer, if we weren’t dealing with the covid thing?
Do you listen to music or have the TV on when writing at home, or do you need quiet?

Stephen Reeves link

12/7/2020 10:21:31 am

That actually is an option that might work for my style. I will have to remember to do that, summarize or something.

I have a writing desk, it's an old 18th century monster that I saved from being tossed. I usually prefer silence, so coffee shops don't always works. But it depends on the moods. Same thing with music and otherwise, though I have been known to listen to white noise, rainstorms and the like.

Mark

12/7/2020 10:34:40 am

That sounds like a nice desk. Does it have any secret compartments?
I need quiet when I am proofreading. I could probably listen to instrumental music, but lyrics tend to distract me. When I am only reading, it matters very little. I can read almost anywhere.
New questions.
Action, dialogue, or narration; which is easiest to write?
Of the five senses which is the easiest to write and which is the hardest?
Have you ever participated in theater in some way, acted, behind the scenes or written a play?

Stephen Reeves link

12/7/2020 02:09:14 pm

Unfortunately not, but there is a big enough space that there might have been.

Dialogue, I would say. Once you know the characters, that becomes second hand. Of the five senses, I would say that taste is the hardest and most uncommon to write. Sound, is easier for me, as it can be rather nebulous.

Outside of the things we are pressed to in youth? Hah, no. I would love to one day write a screenplay, however.

Mark

12/7/2020 02:21:55 pm

I had a desk with a false bottom in one drawer. The space was only about an inch deep, but it was fun.
That is a good point about dialogue. Quite a few authors choose dialogue, but none have mentioned why.
Being in a play in school was a real problem for me, I had a pretty bad stammering issue. Being on stage made me very nervous and that exacerbated the problem. Now, it is not much of an issue.
Melody might be interesting in the form of a play or screenplay.
New questions.
How much time passed from when you got the idea to write your book; then actually starting to write the book?
How long did it take you to write the first draft?
How many drafts did you go through to have a ready-to-publish manuscript?

Stephen Reeves link

12/7/2020 05:33:02 pm

It highlights the importance of fleshing out a character. Usually for me, they come long before the story.

Well the first one, Curses took like four years to complete. comple about two. To start, usually the day of.

Incalculable, since I also edit as I go.

Mark

12/7/2020 06:09:42 pm

If the characters are real, organic and relatable, then the setting and plot are merely vehicles to get them to the end of the story. The characters make all the difference in the world.
I reviewed a book earlier this year, the characters were unusually flat for this author. I had reviewed several books by this author. I offered to postpone the review because of the flat characters. The author declined, explaining that it had been very tough to write this year.
It has been hard for a lot of authors in 2020.
Last questions.
Do you get ideas for future books or stories while writing a book?
When does inspiration strike for you?
What do you do to preserve these ideas?

Stephen Reeves link

12/7/2020 06:57:49 pm

I totally agree. A lot of authors forgo characterization and such in favour of non-stop action. While that has its place, I personally gravitate towards deeper text.

It has certainly.

All the time. In fact I started the cosmic horror in the middle of writing the next Evercharm book.

Everywhere, especially on the toilet haha. It depends, I usually write a note on my phone, or whatever is handy.

Mark

12/7/2020 07:04:31 pm

I know one author who complained that her best ideas came in the shower and she lost so many of them by the time she was able to get out to write them down. I told her to get a Space pen and a small notebook of waterproof paper. That way she could jot it down without leaving the shower. She was very grateful
I want to thank you for being a great guest in this interview. I have another promotion that starts tomorrow, so I must bring this one to an end.
Until next time, keep on writing.

Stephen Reeves link

12/7/2020 07:13:42 pm

Very clever!

Thank you for hosting this Mark, and for the great questions. Cheers!

The Melody of Three: (Evercharm Trilogy, Book 1) by S. D. Reeves

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