A cursed symphony and magic which tells stories in your mind.
Today I’m excited to welcome author Shaun Paul Stevens to the blog for a chat about all things writing and his newly released debut novel, Servant of the Lesser Good. It’s always a pleasure to be joined by a SPFBO finalist – for those of you that are unfamiliar, the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off is a fantastic competition for self-pub authors to show off their beautiful book babies, and being named one of ten finalists out of 300 entrants is HUGE DEAL! Stevens’ Servant of the Lesser Good is a standalone novel in hisFeyrlands Collection, following the “deadly and delightful” (love this!) MC from the main series. You can even read a quick sample of this tale on Shaun’s website here.
This feature is part of a book tour organized by the author himself, and I’d like to send a huge heartfelt thank you to Shaun for inviting me to join in the fun. Don’t forget to check out all the other amazing stops along the way, which will be continuing on through December 12th. You can see who’s joining in below.
Servant of the Lesser Good is now available, and also for free with Kindle Unlimited!
About the Book
A cursed symphony and magic which tells stories in your mind.
High Mistress Talia is a hellraising socialite with a murky past. But she has a bright future. Beautiful, rich, and a virtuoso harpist, she’s betrothed to the Count of Brecht. In short, she has it all. Or so it would seem.
Marla Holst is the new lady’s maid, but never has the ‘help’ been so unhelpful. Marla, real name Mist, has only one mission: to stop the high mistress’s marriage. By any means necessary.
But complications abound. Talia’s disturbed daughter, a girl who can see into the future, is cursed with the stigma of a devil-worshipping father. The count’s father, the Duke of Rizak, is a recluse, too afraid of assassins to show his face. And all the nobility want to do is duel.
Meanwhile, the highlight of the season—a recital of the famous ‘Cursed Symphony,’ draws ever closer.
Servant of the Lesser Good by Shaun Paul Stevens
SERIES: Feyrlands Collection (Standalone)
PUBLISHED: December 2, 2021 by Pitt Norton Publishing
GENRE: Epic Fantasy
PAGES: 270
CHECK IT OUT ON
Meet The Author
Shaun Paul Stevens was born in October 1972 in London. He spent his formative years in the shadows of the dreaming spires of Oxford, before moving to Nottingham, where he graduated university with a degree in English and Media.
Navigating a path through music, art and the internet, writing came calling and he found himself ensconced in alternate realities and gritty fantasy worlds. He has written several books to date.
Shaun now lives in Brighton, on the south coast of England, with his patient family and ungrateful cat, generally being a nerd.
WEBSITE: www.shaunpaulstevens.com
Thanks so much for stopping by for a chat, Shaun. Since we already have your official bio, can we have the MC(s) from Servant of the Lesser Good introduce you in one sentence?
Mist: “This is Shaun. He writes stuff, apparently. Seems all right. Not about to stab him in the eye, or anything…”
Give us an idea of how Servant of the Lesser Good came to fruition.
I wrote Servant of the Lesser Good a couple of years ago. It’s a prequel spin-off in my Feyrlands series. I wanted to spend some time with Mist – a sassy assassin type, and one of my favorite characters from Nether Light (my SPFBO 2020 competition finalist). It started as a short story and has gone through several iterations since.
Can you share with us something about Servant of the Lesser Good that isn’t in the blurb?
Wow, just one thing? There’s so much… OK, how about a mystic, supernatural theme explored through a young girl’s interest in ‘divination cards’.
Was there any specific research you’ve done or inspiration you’ve pulled from for this story of yours? If so, did you learn anything interesting?
I did a lot of research into period dress, especially for the servants (the story is set in an early 18th century equivalent setting—although in a completely different realm). I also looked at fencing, poisons, and weather systems, amongst other things.
What do you hope your readers take away from Servant of the Lesser Good?
I hope they will firstly enjoy the ride, but that it will also make them think, appreciate what they have, and bring out more kindness and empathy in the world.
What comes first, the plot or the characters?
Characters are always first for me.
What do you think makes a good story?
Great characters, realism (even in Fantasy), and reflecting a universal truth.
If you could go back and change how you approached writing your debut novel, what’s the one thing you’d do differently?
I would make it longer. I rushed it out for publication and wrote with rather ‘expansive’ brush strokes.
Writing can be a stressful pursuit. Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?
Yes, enjoy the process, the journey’s more important than the destination.
Have you read anything awesome lately?
Yes, I read Revelation Space recently, a fantastic space opera by Alastair Reynolds.
Thank you again for taking the time have a chat, Shaun. Tell us what lies ahead for you!
No problem, glad to drop by! I’m currently working on books 2 & 3 in my related Ranker’s fantasy series, then I plan to write a standalone sci-fi thriller looking at AI and weaponized robotics.
Happy Reading!
🖤