Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.
Recently, we talked to J.M. Reeves about his writing and soon-to-be released book, Glass in the Blood, a layered, gripping, and evocative thriller in which fate and danger force two strangers into an unexpected collision (read the review here).
I was born in Lyndhurst at the heart of the New Forest, England. I now live with my wife on a sailing boat in an ever changing location.
Before semi-retirement I was a glass professional travelling the world resolving construction site issues. The demand for that particular talent was sufficient to keep me globe trotting for a period of some 30 years. And not to the tourist hot spots either. Backwater hotels, busy factory units and bustling construction sites.
As a result, I have lived and worked in seven different countries. From England naturally enough, throughout the Middle East, Africa and the Far East.
Sailing has provided a wondrous twist to life’s lessons, as I’m also an internationally travelled Yacht Master with over 50,000 nautical miles under the keel from visiting various countries on almost every continent.
It’s a fairly unique situation with an uncommon blend of lifestyle and profession. A deep well of experience from which I have drawn extensively for my writing.
Is writer’s block real?
Interesting question because conventional wisdom told me it would happen. I read that this may be halfway through the book. It didn’t happen. I think writers block is only real for an Author who is trying to frame his story to meet his reader’s interest. I wrote for myself.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Absolutely energized.
After the writing’s finished, how do you judge the quality of your work?
I go through the chapter finished to see if it still feels as compelling to read as it was to write. Sometimes I even read it out loud. That can be a good ‘tell’. When I start reading too fast I know the desire to keep reading might just as easily be found in the book reader.
Are any of your characters based on real people you know?
Oh yes! I’m not going to say which ones. Real characters are easier to build into a book. Of course, their foibles and quirks might need amplifying, but you don’t have to think as hard if you are trying to build a persona up from scratch.
Which scene or chapter in the book is your favorite? Why?
‘The Hunt’ is my favourite chapter. Why? Two reasons. First, it offers a slight switch in the book theme and second because I liked the poetic justice.
How does your faith life/ethical outlook inform your writing?
It’s all encompassing. Why try to write from someone else’s perspective. Perhaps that sort of effort is the ‘writers block’ catalyst.
What life experiences have shaped your writing most?
Extensive travel for work as a ‘Trouble Shooter’ on construction sites and sailing to remote locations has provided me with a wide palette of colours to paint a picture.
Who and what ultimately inspired you to become a writer?
The incentive to write grew over time with family and friends constantly telling me my tales relating my travels, the people I met and the situations I found myself in, we’re worth writing about. A biography was out of the question. Too many people might be, let’s say, upset. So, it had to be fiction.
What are your favorite books?
There are many books I love. When I day that I define a book to love as one which I have read more than once. Here are a quick selection straight off the top of my head.
Sailing alone around the World. By Joshua Slocum.
Riotous Assembly. By Tom Sharp.
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. By Douglas Adams.
Shantaram. By Gregory David Roberts.
The Golden Keep. By Desmond Bagley.
What is your favorite childhood book?
No question of doubt. Treasure Island. By Robert Louis Stevenson. I first read this book at age 6 and still have a copy to this day.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer?
This might surprise you. The biggest challenge by far, for me, is knowing when to take a break. I tend to either neglect or resent doing my other duties and responsibilities.
What’s next for you?
Another novel featuring Jim Blood with some characters from the first book reappearing. Not saying which!
BookView Review 
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