Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: It’s always a good time for a space opera! We have James Milne here to tell us about his science fiction story—and as a bonus, it’s free on Royal Road! James, can you tell us a bit about The Tumultuous Tours of Ivy Green?

James: We start off with the action. An alien maid, finding herself falling through the skies above the Earth, without anything to catch her. She is… unlucky. She was an architect, but took a job on a cruiseliner to experience other cultures, because space travel is only for the rich and famous. The story has her bouncing off a few other figures. A gigantic red-skinned woman whose culture might just be the inspiration for demons. A soft-spoken, but easy-laughing woman whose past is a little secret. A professor who could somehow afford the flight as a guest. And a guest who… has bad taste.

Sabitha: That sounds like so much fun. What inspired you to write this story?

James: I started work on The Tumultuous Tours of Ivy Green as part of Camp NanoWriMo, back in March. It took me a few months longer to finish it, but that’s writing. Sometimes you just can’t hold the thread.

That’s the key to being a better writer, really. Everything in writing comes and goes. It is as much an art, as it is anything else, and that does mean that you can lose what you had. It also means that with the right amount of time and focus, you can continue to paint worlds. Sometimes it just needs a break.

Part of the break, was helping to solve the problem of a certain character’s death. It had to happen, it had to feel like something… whilst also feeling somewhat pointless. That it shouldn’t have happened. That was the key to making you feel for them, and the pain of it happening. Vague, I know. But death’s tend to be a turning point in literature. Don’t want to give away everything.

Sabitha: Who did you imagine reading your book as you wrote it?

James: I’m really not sure. It’s science fiction, but soft. It’s a little light-hearted, like Doctor Who, but it is more romance oriented than that. But it isn’t a romance novel. If it was anime, I’d stick it right in “Slice of Life”, but it doesn’t quite fit there either. The danger stakes are real. It is certainly an experience.

Sabitha: Do you have a plan for your next writing project?

James: Of course, there’s always more in the machinery. I’ve got about four novels at various stages, and two more short pieces that will hopefully appear before the end of the year. We’ll see how the words flow. But keep an eye out for Official Choices.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

James: They can find The Tumultuous Tours of Ivy Green for free on Royal Road. They can find my stories on Amazon, and find me through my website.