Today is part two of two where we are talking to Settle Myer about her novels. After today you will have heard about writing since middle school on printer paper, knowing when to pull a book down when it’s not ready, having your own photoshoot for your cover, learning how to promote your books, blowing up on tiktok for videos unrelated to your books, and just finish your book, then you can go back and finish it.

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I am a 40 years old, plus-size woman who lives in NYC. I am a tv news writer who hopes to one day leave that world for a world of love stories featuring big body characters. I have two cats: Zombie & Michonne. I love singing karaoke!

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Today is part two of Two where we are talking to Settle Meyer about her novels.

After today, you will have heard about writing since middle school on printer paper, knowing when to pull a book down when it's not ready, having your own photo shoot for your cover, learning how to promote your books, blowing up on TikTok for videos unrelated to your books and just finish your book.

Then you can go back and finish it.

Beyond the Fame rebecca my life has been a whirlwind of heartbreak, beginning with the death of my brother when I was 18 years old.

He was my best friend.

I worked through my grief by writing a book about his life, and that book was turned into a movie.

That's when I met him.

Jensen Boliver, the movie's director.

He's younger than me, controlling and infuriating.

For four years, I've denied my attraction to him because every time he shows an ounce of compassion, he takes it away and shuts down.

Now we're in Hawaii for our friend's wedding.

The hotel has lost my reservation and Jensen shows up with a solution.

You can stay in my suite.

Jensen I grew up fat in fat phobic Hollywood.

All my life I was told to hate myself and my body.

Then I met her, Rebecca Taylor.

She's beautiful, intense and makes me feel things I've convinced myself I didn't deserve.

So for four years, I let her believe I hated her.

I don't.

I never did.

Every time we cross paths, our attraction to each other grows.

Last year, we both caved.

She let me have a taste, but we weren't ready.

Now we're in Hawaii for our friend's wedding and the hotel has lost her reservation.

Good thing my suite has a spare room.

Rebecca and Jensen are first introduced.

And beyond the bright lights While you don't have to read that book to read this one, it is highly recommended.

Beyond the Fame ends with the happily ever after.

You'll get more of them in the third and final book of the Offscript series.

This book has adult themes and deals with difficult topics including fat, phobia, bullying, terminal illness, cancer, loss of a sibling, loss of partner, loss of a parent off page, mentioned grief, attempted suicide off page, suicidal thoughts, addiction and alcoholism, depression, parental abuse, mental grief, and graphic sex.

So now you are you said you're up over 10,000 followers, so you've kind of figured out the TikTok thing.

Have you started branching into other stuff?

You're still working in the newsroom?

Any plans to eventually go full time or are you hoping to kind of keep it on the side?

I would love to go full time, and I actually have not figured out TikTok because here lately, my views have been horrible.

So now I have almost 12,500 followers and some of my videos barely break 100 views.

And I just don't understand what is going on.

I feel like someone reported my account as spam.

I can't explain why else my views would be suppressed.

Like, that so weird.

I've been reporting the ones that are like, I won't talk until a pretty girl shows up as bullying.

I'm like, this is bullying, just plain and simple.

That's what that is.

So I'm like, we're just going to report you.

Yeah.

I don't report authors, though, unless it needs to be reported.

I don't like the people that are essentially bullying people with their mass reporting for no reason.

That drives me crazy.

Yeah, I feel like the videos I make are like, with trending sounds.

They're on trend and they just never do as well as the videos that are getting a lot of views.

And then instagram is worse.

I feel like my reels over there only get like 50 views, but I don't have as many followers over there.

Bookstagram is so weird because I'll scroll through the reels on there and it's all like, this is what I'm reading right now.

Here's my coffee, here's what I'm reading.

It's all the same exact video.

Just change out the book and the scene with the coffee.

So I'm like, I don't know.

I don't get why that does so well.

Because I'm just like basically you liked just posting the picture of your book and now you're making a video that.

Does well for whatever reason.

Yeah, and then I've tried doing like, YouTube shorts and those really don't do anything.

I don't know.

I feel like they all started doing shorts because of TikTok, but then they don't know what their algorithms are yet.

No idea.

But yeah, I would love to do full time writing, but we'll see what happens with this next book because Zach Miko is on the COVID and he's got a huge following and he is all about body positivity.

He broke barriers modeling as a big guy.

I think they label him like the world's first plus size male model because he was the first plus size man to be signed to an agency like I said, he's been on Good Morning America because of the things that he's doing.

He has his own swimwear line for big guys as well.

So he said it like when the COVID is done, he'll help push it out.

So I hope he can put some attention on the book.

I don't know.

We'll see what happens with this next one.

But of course, it's every author's dream to go full time.

But if I can't be a full time author, I don't want to stay in the news.

The news stresses me out.

So maybe I could go back to Kansas, which is where all my family live.

They live there and open up a karaoke bar because I like karaoke.

That would be fun.

Sing your Little Mermaid songs.

Yeah, I could run my karaoke bar and write books.

That would be like a dream.

So do you have any karaoke bars in your books yet?

Yeah, well, beyond the Bright Lights has Rock Star Karaoke, which is a live band playing, and you go up and sing with the band.

I do mention karaoke in my Trinity.

Trilogy, so it's always on the brain while you're writing.

It's funny, I always somehow mention karaoke in my books and the word zombie because I love zombies.

Okay.

My cat's name is Zombie.

My other cat's name is Michone.

From The Walking Dead.

Yes.

And then I have, like, this huge zombie tattoo, just a little obsessed with zombies.

So I somehow enter the word zombie into my books, even if it's just.

Like I walked into the room like a zombie.

So tired.

I feel like a zombie.

Whatever.

See, I'm trying to figure out the things that my life revolves around.

I'm trying to pick my publishing house name.

Okay?

So I'm like, working on my own books, and I'm like, you need to set the stupid thing up as a business from the get go so you don't have to fix it later.

So in my head, that's what I'm telling myself do.

This takes a second to set it up at the beginning, but then you're good going forward.

So I'm like, what should my publishing house name be?

I don't know.

I love penguins.

That's my favorite animal forever.

But I'm like, I can't use Penguin in a publishing thing because of Penguin Random House.

So I'm like, what do I use?

I'm like, I don't know.

So I'm like, maybe fairy tales, because I already use that for the podcast.

No, that's already a thing.

Fairytales publishing is some fairy tale publishing house.

So last night, I'm, like, laying in bed just trying to think of what are other things I'm like.

Well, I like coffee, and I like chocolate and ice cream.

Maybe it could be, like, food related.

I'll eventually figure it out.

The crazy things that you have to come up with or whatever.

When I started doing the podcast, I didn't start, like I didn't set up an LLC or anything when I started Narrating, but then when I started the podcast, those suckers can make a lot of money.

And I'm like, we want to run that all through.

And in case, I don't know, some really dead classic novelist family was like.

You said, blah, blah, blah.

I could be like, listen, I got the information on Wikipedia, so go after them.

Leave me alone.

So you have book two coming out.

We're waiting on the COVID We are waiting on you said it's about to go to the editor.

So how many books is this series going to be?

It'll just be three.

They're all standalone romances, so technically you can read them individually.

But I do suggest reading in order.

Yeah, because I introduced, like so the second book features two characters that I introduced in this book.

Okay.

So you get their introduction if you read them in order.

Yeah.

And then I imagine book three is the same.

You're going to have introduced those characters.

Well, not quite.

So book three features one character that I briefly mentioned in the first book, but he has added more in the second book.

But his love interest in book three isn't in any of the first two books.

So she's like a whole new character.

I feel like that's pretty standard, though, to use one and then at least one.

Yeah, they don't all have to be of course, then you have the ones where it's like the couple that is fighting or not a couple anymore.

Like, oh, they dated in high school, and then there was Big falling out, and conveniently they get back together.

Yeah, I don't remember what that trope is called.

The I don't know, friends to Getting Back together.

Enemies to lovers.

Ex Lovers.

Second Chance.

Second Chance.

Second Chance.

There you go.

Second chance.

There you go.

Well, in my second book, beyond the Fame, it features the two characters in the first book that they kind of, like, don't like each other.

They have this hate relationship, but they don't really hate each other.

They just never admit that they like each other type situation.

I don't know what that trope is called.

No, I don't like it's not really Enemies to Lovers, but yeah, I don't.

Know what's the tamer version of Enemies to Lovers.

Hate to Lover?

I don't know.

I don't know what that trope is.

But it'd be like fake hate if it's just not wanting to admit.

Yeah, I don't know what the name?

I have a hard time keeping up with all I like enemies to Lovers is one of my favorite ones.

I know there's, like, the pregnancy trope.

I know there's the multiple parties tropes, and there's a couple of different names for those.

I'm just like, I don't know.

Can't keep track.

I need to make a list so that in my own stuff, I can label it correctly.

I'm in a discord where someone had listed a list of the major triggers that you should include if it's in your book.

And so I screenshotted that so that if anything happens to be in there, because I'm always like what's considered because I don't have any.

So I'm like what's considered a trigger beyond the big ones, like essay, like the obvious ones, or any bad things having to do with children I know are big triggers.

Obviously.

I can't put myself into that headspace though.

Yeah.

I have a content warning on my book, but kind of the same.

I don't really have a lot of triggers, so I just listed and it's not like dark romance, it's like tough everyday issues that we face, like grief.

And my book deals with addiction and some depression and suicidal thoughts.

It's like brief.

It's like not the whole book, but even if it's brief, I don't know how someone is triggered by that stuff.

Even if it's briefly mentioned, that could be something huge for someone.

Yeah, which is why I want a list of what are all the things that could be triggering so that I can not necessarily in the book.

But if you need a list of triggers, you can see the website because I know that's a big thing on Amazon, like not to include it or they'll do weird things.

I heard that Amazon doesn't like when you say trigger warning or content warning.

So on my blurb I think I say this book deals with difficult issues or topics such as and then I list them and I haven't had any issues so far, but then in my book I also put links like help is available and then I put like, I'm really huge into St.

Jude.

I lived in Memphis, St.

Jude was there, so I put like donate to St.

Jude in my book.

So you have book two should be out in March.

When do you plan on book three being out?

Oh gosh, looks like you've been doing.

About every eight months.

I know, yeah.

Well, I have like 15,000 words written on book three.

Okay.

As soon as I send the second book to the editor, I'll probably take a little bit of a break from writing and then I'll start back onto book three.

What month is it?

February, I don't know.

Probably August.

Again, I'm going to aim for okay.

So are you a planner or are you a discovery panther person?

I like to say I'm a planter.

Okay.

I know what's going to happen in the book.

I kind of outline it, but then I start writing and I don't know where each scene is going to go until I'm writing it.

And then sometimes the characters just go in a different direction and I have to redo everything at the end of book one and beyond the Bright lights.

I had no idea what was going to happen in book two and I actually started writing book two.

I think I wrote a couple of chapters, and then I was like, you know what?

Let me just try to plan it out.

And I had, like, a very loose outline.

So it's like not really planning or plotting.

I think I'm like in between.

Yeah, I saw recently a video that was like, if you plan at all, you're a planner.

And I'm like, I don't I don't agree with that.

Like, just because I know what the main contention is going to be in my book.

Does that make it a plan?

Not really.

Plan to eventually kill off the big bad?

That is the plan.

I feel like that's the plan in every book.

When I was writing beyond the Bright Lights, I didn't know it was going to be part of a standalone series.

And then I was writing these two characters that is in book two, and I was like, I should do a romance between them.

And then I gave them like, a little hate relationship.

So that's how book two came along.

Because just because they hate each other, I feel like they have to have a relationship now.

So I imagine the reviews have been better on this series than your first one than 2015 book.

Yeah.

So do you read the reviews or do you avoid the reviews now?

I look and see if I get any new reviews.

I don't know.

I don't want to invade a reader's space, but I look to see if it's getting any more ratings.

Because ratings and reviews are really important for indie authors because that's what readers base them on.

All you have to do is click on the book and then that's at the very top.

You have this many reviews and this many stars without having to go and look at them.

Yeah, I know.

How many reviews are on Amazon?

I think it's like 94.

And then it's like 118 ratings or reviews on Goodreads.

But I feel like I have a good relationship with readers on TikTok, and I worry that they don't want to leave a bad review because of that.

And I'm like, no, it's not for me.

Do your thing.

If you didn't like my book, tell people why.

Yeah, exactly.

Because I don't want someone to read my book and waste their time.

If you read it and you didn't like it, then stay wise.

So if someone had the same reason, I wouldn't want them to waste their time.

Right.

And that's fine, because not everyone's going to like my book.

Because some people don't like the fact that my main character is 40 and my male main character is 25.

Some people don't like the age gaps, and we don't see it a lot when it's reversed like that.

Or the woman's, the older one.

Yeah.

And then I feel like that would be the main issue, is that she's older, but some people might not like the small town drove I don't know.

Who knows what like, it's so hard.

No matter what you're doing, creativity wise, you will never please everybody.

Exactly.

Write the story you want.

Now, beyond things that you should have had sensitivity readers for, things like that.

Normal, everyday things, you're never going to please everyone.

The reality is sometimes 15 year age gaps do happen in real life, and it's not always the man that's older.

Yeah, she's 40.

He's 25.

So I didn't want to go younger than that because even I think that's, like, my character was, like, 25.

You're young.

You have so much life to live.

So she was, like, fighting it the whole time.

It's not like she was, like, preying on this guy.

Yeah.

So?

I don't know.

I get it if that's not your thing, like, age gaps and then I.

Occasionally on TikTok will stumble across all the Sugar Babies.

Granted, you're not doing that because you love the person in most cases, but what's the difference?

You're going and you're spending time with someone significantly older than you for money in that case, and then probably coming home and complaining about it because a lot of them will get on TikTok and talk about how weird it was or whatever.

I don't think I've seen a lot of Sugar Baby videos on the TikTok.

I will occasionally get on sides of TikTok and I'm like, how did I get here?

I don't know how I got here.

Now sometimes it's due to they changed up the algorithm again, and they've thrown me back into the like, these videos did good.

Maybe you'll like them and I'm like, I skipped them the first time for a reason.

Thank you.

Exactly.

Yeah, sometimes I do get on some I get some weird videos.

I'm like what?

Well, then what's bad is when you're like, Where is this?

You have no idea what the video is about as they're, like, talking, and you're like, Where is this going?

And then you watch the whole thing.

So then you get all these videos because they're like, you watched the whole video that time?

And you're like, I didn't know what was happening.

Exactly.

I just watched a video like that yesterday, and my husband was listening into it, too.

And he's like, both of us are just sitting there, like, listening to the story.

And she finally gets to the end, and we're both like, oh, my, how did we not see that coming?

I don't even remember what it was now, but it's just like, sometimes if they're a really good storyteller on there, you'll just keep going to see what's going to happen.

Exactly.

I can't tell you how many accidental I had to poop myself in my car stories I've heard on TikTok.

Oh, my gosh.

I'm just like, how did I get here?

Thankfully, there must not be a lot of those because they don't know how to niche those because I don't get those a lot, but I have seen more than two of them.

Oh, my gosh.

I feel like my For You page knows me pretty well by now.

I'll get the occasional thirst trap videos.

I'm like yeah, I like that.

I like the thirst trap videos.

No shame.

And then I get so many book videos, which is great.

I don't get the thirst traps themselves.

I get the book talkers reactions.

I never see the original ones.

I always get, like, the book talker react, which shows like, it knows who I want to see.

But I don't get the thirst traps.

Except the vampire guy that always does the lives.

I come across his videos all the time.

Just the live ones.

Not if he does anything else.

I never see those.

But the lives all the time, that's funny.

I get the guy, the chef that gets very inappropriate with his food.

His name's Cedric Lorenzo, I think.

Never seen him.

It's so inappropriate.

He prepares foods.

He does videos where he's preparing foods and he's like, touching the food very sexually.

And then sometimes I like bit.

I'm like, oh, I'm at work watching these.

I'm like, you should not be watching.

This video about food at work.

Just hope no camera is running or something.

I know the camera behind me watch me watch their dogs.

So what kind of videos do you find are the most, like, do the best for you?

So you've talked about, like, the newsroom one.

That has nothing to do with books, but book wise, what kind of videos seem to perform the best for you?

So for a while I was doing the video.

That where you zoom in on me and it's playing that Taylor Swift song.

Forgot the name of it, but there's been a few.

Yeah, she's a little popular.

Something about dreams.

Wildest dreams, I think.

Okay, so anytime I would do that video and then on the screen, I put a bunch of text like, I'm a plus size author.

Do you like to read plus size books?

Then you should check out the other bright lights.

And so those videos were doing pretty decent.

And I say decent, I mean like 600 views, maybe 1000 here and there.

And then sometimes I feel like a lot of videos with my face in it tend to do better.

The Page flip videos, not good for me.

They never do well.

For some reason, some authors, their faces don't do well.

So it's weird.

I honestly cannot understand the algorithm because it just seems so random to me.

Like random which videos they push out.

Anytime I talk about the custom covers for my books, like doing the photo shoots, those tend to do better.

That's probably because a lot of authors don't do custom photo shoots.

So, like, the interest of, like, how did you do that?

Why did you do that?

Why would you spend all that money?

How much did it cost.

Oh, that's not bad.

You're going to get reactions on both sides.

Well, yeah.

And I had a few comments that were like, oh, I wish I was that successful to be able to do this.

I'm like I'm not successful.

My books don't make enough money to pay for these custom cover shoots.

I pay for them with my full time job.

Like my full time job funds this little indie author journey I'm doing.

So that's the only reason I was able to do the custom photo shoots.

And I'm grateful for that.

I understand that is a privilege.

But if I can do it, if I can do the custom photo shoot so we can show different body types and book covers, then I'm going to do it if I can.

Because the cartoon covers are super popular and I love them, they're gorgeous.

But for these books, I wanted to have like I just wanted to feature real people on them.

That's why I didn't do the cartoon.

Those are more like rom.com is usually when you'll see the cartoons.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too.

Like they're romcommy and my book, I have some laughter in it, but they're not I mean, my book is about grief and overcoming addiction.

And the cartoon didn't seem right.

No, that would have been deceptive.

Yeah.

So I don't know.

We'll see what happens with the second book.

I feel like this is going to determine if I can still keep doing these custom covers.

I mean, I'm going to have to do it with the third book.

I can't change it up for third.

Book, but going forward yeah, it may be like if you did get to the point where your books were making enough to cover the cost of that.

I remember getting to the point where my audiobooks were able to fund my other stuff, but now I haven't had a pay up front audiobook in a while.

So now I'm like, I just had to make a credit card payment today.

And I'm like, oof, but my royalty share stuff does grow every month.

So I'm like, hey, we're doing good.

We just need it to be a little bit bigger.

So you do royalty share.

I didn't do that with my audiobook.

Narrators.

I do both, but I have a day job that supports me just fine and I'm part owner in that.

So for that, it's like, for me, I'm not going to leave that.

So for me, I don't need to make this a full time thing.

Would it be nice?

Obviously.

Same with podcast.

Now podcast expenses are low.

I'm just paying for the website, which I designed myself, and then I pay like $20 a month for the place that I upload the podcast to that sends it everywhere.

So as far as that goes, costs for the podcast are low.

Equipment for the narrating, not low.

But that's like a one time cost.

You don't have to buy equipment every month.

So it's one of those, like, I made enough in audiobooks at the beginning with people that did pay me up front because I won't do royalty share on a nonfiction.

So any nonfiction I do that's paying me up front and then I'll do other ones.

But I do a lot of indie authors where I'm more selective now.

Like, they need to be actively promoting their book on social media and stuff.

At the beginning, I wasn't as selective.

I just really wanted to be able to do fiction.

I just need to get my foot in the door and whoever's willing to let me do that, we can go from there.

And then once I had a few under my belt and people saw like, hey, she does a decent job at that.

And I improved in what I was doing.

Yes.

And now I do.

There's quite a few I'm about to start on.

I don't know if you've seen Stormy Lewis on TikTok.

She does the Sophie Lee saga about to start on her books.

She's big on the promoting on the TikTok.

I just did the first two in Amberly Hennings books who's also on TikTok done a few others that are not coming to mind right now.

But for me, I'm like, it has to be a book that I want to read if it takes me.

Because you get paid for like on ACX, it's seven years at least of getting the royalties on it.

Nice.

So it's like, it has to be a book I want to do or else I'm going to be like, I pick and choose.

So I don't audition for every single book that pops up on ACX anymore.

But yeah, I do a lot of indie authors that like Amberly, she was talking about her book and I commented on it.

And I'm like, I would love because I would always come across her promoting the same with Stormy.

I would always come across them, like, talking about their stuff on TikTok.

And I'm like, hey, I'd love to do your audiobook.

And they're like, amberly was like, But I'm poor.

I was like, Are you willing to keep talking about it every day on TikTok?

That will help too.

And then Stormy, did you ever come across any of the femme audio takeover days?

I don't think so.

Did you know anything about the weird audiobook publisher that the one Thirst Trap dude tried to start up?

Yeah.

So right after that thing, not because of that thing, but right after that thing, a bunch of femme narrators were like, hey, we want to do like a femme Audio day because it's always like the male ones that get recognized and usually will be the clip on Dual Romance up on Audible.

They'll be the clip.

Like, it won't recognize the female at all.

And so they were like, we're going to do basically a day where we all.

Posted videos on TikTok saying, like, hey, we want authors to send us two to five minutes, or two to three, I guess, because three minutes is the limit snippets of their book.

So we could highlight, like, badass film characters on TikTok.

And so the first day that I did it, I did actually I've only done it one day, but they were doing it like, every two months and I did like 30 clips from like, 30 different books in one day.

And Stormy's was one of those.

So she heard the clip and was like, oh, my gosh.

So now we're working on the audiobook.

That's for it.

But it's one of those things, like, I don't intend to make it a full time thing.

If it paid me that well, I would love that.

But there are a lot of authors that can't afford to pay it up front, and I'm totally willing to do royalty share if I fit the characters.

There's a whole thing about and I'm sure when you were auditioning, you heard some people didn't fit the characters.

Their voice just didn't fit.

And when I reach out to people on social media, I'm always like, if I don't fit the voice in your head, that's totally okay.

That's part of the job.

But as part of the podcast, I've talked to quite a few authors about if you need help through that process, let me know.

You don't have to use me, but I've been doing it for a year and a half at this point, so I've learned a few things.

Yeah, it was definitely a process doing the audiobook.

And I don't know what I'm going to do for the second book because even though I like these narrators for the first book, they don't do a lot of promoting themselves, which I didn't expect them to.

But it would be nice to find a narrator narrators who can help me promote.

So I think that would be what I would look for when I do beyond the Fame.

I don't think I would necessarily look for a couple to do the duet narration.

I don't know.

Should I keep it consistent and do another duet with beyond the Fame?

If I did it for beyond the.

Right Life, if it switches POVs, yes.

Yeah.

I would do like, the dual, like, female read the female male read the male chapters.

But for the duet, for where they're interacting within the chapter, that's what I did for beyond the Bright Light.

So should I do that for beyond the Fame as well?

I think I would keep it consistent throughout the series.

Yeah.

All right, now there are quite a few if you just search on TikTok narrators, there's a lot of narrators that will work together.

I know, like, Nicole James works with quite a few other males, so, like, ones that also Paige Risen Cells, which is a really long last name, has worked with she works with her partner a lot for duel, but she's also worked with other guys, so it kind of depends on most.

I'm not opposed to it.

I've just never done it before.

So when people ask me about it, I'm like, I know what it is in theory, but I've never done it.

Yeah, because you would have to record your part and then pause in that chapter so the male could do his line.

I think they use a clicker or they'll stop and then splice it together so you're not like, leaving random gaps of or I saw the couple that does the Zodiac Academy books.

She will actually whisper his lines so that it feels like she's interacting with something.

I saw there's one what is her name?

Like Sarah Sampino.

Her and her boyfriend, I think.

Boyfriend or husband?

I don't know.

They were live narrating, and they're in booths that back up to each other.

So when you're watching her live, you could hear him doing his part.

And then she would do her part.

That's cool.

Or there's Marcus Rain and his wife.

They have a booth big enough to fit both of them.

So they'll do it together in the booth at the same microphone recording.

Marcus.

I feel like he just narrated my friend Jordan Grant's book.

Marcus Green.

That name sounds familiar.

I'm pretty sure he just I know.

He does a lot of his videos on TikTok.

He does a lot of, like, growl prep, like werewolf.

Yeah, him.

And then I know what's Corvin King does a lot of.

He does a lot of pairing up with other female narrators.

Oh, that's cool.

I've seen him come across I haven't seen his videos, but I see him in live.

Yeah, I feel like he used to do either.

I haven't seen his videos lately because I literally just said that to my husband.

I came across a live he was in last night and was like, I haven't seen any videos of his lately.

But I always see him in lives.

Yeah, I just hit my microphone, talk with my hands too much.

No, same.

Yeah.

So there's a bunch on there that do work with it's.

Just like, my husband is also writing a book.

And so I tell him, I'm like, just go through and find the narrators that you like.

And he hasn't posted any videos yet.

But I'm like, go make friends on TikTok because you need people that are going to buy your books when you finally release it.

So I'm like, go make friends.

So he'd be like, hey, I made a new friend today.

Oh, my God.

But now he's starting to branch into narrators.

And I'm like, find narrator voices that you like.

And his book has a ton of accents in it.

So while he was like, oh, I narrated for almost a year before he listened to any books that I did.

And I think he probably just thought like, it was just something that I do in my closet.

I have this one trilogy that I did last summer, and the author was type A, and he was like, I don't know if I can listen to his publisher picked me.

He didn't.

So he's like, I don't know if I can listen to it.

So I asked my husband because it was like a bunch of there was like, over 300 made up words that I had to pronounce correctly.

My husband listens to a lot of Sci-Fi stuff, so I'm like, that's going to have a lot of made up words in it.

So I'm like, can you please just listen to this and make sure that it sounds, like, natural and I don't do anything, like, majorly wrong?

Because at that point, I'd done mostly just romance and some fantasy, but not with that level of made up words.

Yeah, so he listens through it, and he's about halfway through and he's like, okay, you can narrate my book now.

And I'm like, except you threw in Russian and Australian and Irish and I don't know how to do any of those.

No, yeah, that's what when I put up the audition for beyond the Bright Lights, I have a Southern character and then a male character who's German, and the male narrator did a great job with the German.

He was like, my favorite character when he did the voices for the German character.

Yeah.

If I saw yours, I would have avoided it because of that.

The southern and the German.

I'm from Texas.

Like, I live in Texas.

I've always lived in Texas, and my Southern is, like, not great.

Yeah.

Typically I just avoid if it's not general American, I'm like, we will let someone who knows how to do that handle that.

Yeah, I mean, my character is from Arkansas.

I lived in Arkansas forever, and I had a little bit of a twang, but not like that much, so I can't even remember how I used to talk.

So I can't even imagine trying to do a whole book like that.

Yeah, I'm reading through a book right now to prep, and they have these robot cars, and each robot car has a different accent.

And I'm like, I'm just going to tell the publisher hired me, not the author.

But I'm like, not to kill your joy, but there will be no accents in your book.

He's like, okay, if the author hires me, I'm like, you have three options.

We can do them very badly, we cannot do them at all, or we can cancel the contract and you can find someone who can do them.

That's basically the only three options we've got here.

Oh, my God.

Whichever you want to do, I'm cool with.

But just know if we do terrible accents, we will get terrible accent complaints.

If we don't do accents, we will get docked a star because someone was mad.

I didn't do the accents, which has happened.

Yeah.

I'm like, Fair, you probably would have docked three stars if I'd done the accents.

What happens when that particular book, the characters were, like, traveling around the world, so it was like, all these different, and I'm like, no.

Yeah, there are a lot of narrators that are very good at picking up accents.

I am just not one of them.

No, I love doing a British accent.

I don't think I'm good at though.

The book I'm doing right now is supposed to have a British character, and I told her up front.

Now this one, her narrator ghosted her for two years, so she was like, I just want the books done at this time.

So I gave her options.

I'm like, we can either do he's super douchey, and kind of like, I'm better than you.

So I'm like, I gave her two options.

I'm like, we can just do a douchey voice, and then I gave her an example, or we can do, like, a little more, like, fancier sounding voice, and she's like, we're doing that one.

But she just got back to me.

She listened through book one, and she's like, So no British accent.

I'm like, Dude, I gave you the two options.

I even listened through an entire British audiobook, and it just did not work.

Oh, no.

So what is the biggest piece of advice that you would give to someone either just starting out or trying to get back on track on their journey?

I would say if you want to write a book, just write it.

And I actually just did a video about this.

So the first draft for beyond the Fame was, like, 60,000 words, and I did some edits after that, read throughs, adding more details, and then it was sent to beta readers, and they suggested changes.

And by the time when I send it to the editor, it's going to be, like, 71,000 words.

So over that time, I added 10,000 words.

So write.

Just write it.

Get the book to the screen or whatever.

It's not going to be good.

That first draft is not going to be good, and that's okay.

Just get it out, and then you can go back and perfect it.

And just don't focus too much on it.

I feel like people overthink when they're writing.

They're overthinking it.

So just try to get it out.

Try to get that first draft, and then you can go back and make your changes.

Now, I do know there are some brain types that do have to have it.

Like, it has to be perfect, or they can't move on.

But then also, I notice with my own stuff, as I go, I get better at adding in all the it may have started at the beginning with, like, oh, there's only dialogue for this entire stretch.

And then as I moved on, it got, like the internal dialogue got a little bit better as I moved forward.

Yeah.

But at the end of the day, if you think your first draft is the final draft, that may not be the best way to go about it.

And even when I'm writing, sometimes I have to go back and reread everything mmhmm.

Just because I'll be like, wait, what did I just write?

You mentioned this before.

But then if you're doing that, try not to edit as you are rereading it, because then you'll get off track.

So I don't know.

Everyone's going to have their own process, but I just think it is important that you get everything down.

And even if you're writing, but you have this certain scene that may not be until the end, and you're like, I really need to get this scene down.

Then write that scene.

I did that with beyond the Fame, there were, like, patches of scenes where it came up in my head and I wrote it out.

And then I kind of, like, left it there until I got to that part of the book.

My husband was writing an order, and then he has a chapter question mark, question mark, because that happened.

He's like, this is going to be somewhere.

I just don't know where.

But I couldn't get it out of my head.

And then he had an idea for a second book that he couldn't get out of his head.

So he started needing a break from the one because he was stumped, moved to the other for a little now he just goes back and forth, which I just started when I realized my.

Book is a giant mountain of fantasy.

That I made for myself.

Oh, yeah.

I'm like, well, we're going to start on something that hopefully is shorter and fun and will be way more outlined.

And I don't know, something will get published at some point.

Hopefully.

Yeah.

All right, well, thank you so much.

For your time today, and I hope you have a good rest of your Saturday.

Thank you.

You too.

Thank you for talking to me.

I will see you around, TikTok.

Okay.

Bye.

Bye.

Settle has always liked the Little Mermaid.

The Little Mermaid is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Anderson.

First published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story follows the journey of a young mermaid who's willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul.

The original story has been a subject of multiple analyses by scholars such as Jacob Bogild and Pernell Higard, as well as the folklorist Maria Tadar.

These analyses cover various aspects of the story, from interpreting the themes to discussing why Anderson chose to write a tragic story with a happy ending.

It has been adapted to various media, including musical theater, anime, ballet, opera, and film.

There's also a statue portraying the mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the story was written and first published.

Since we've already done all the versions of the Little Mermaid I could find, today we'll be reading another Hans Christian Anderson story.

The Snow Queen.

You may know this as a story that inspired the movie Frozen.

Due to its length, we'll be splitting this story across settles episodes.

Don't forget we're reading Lemort de Arthur, the story of King Arthur and of his noble knights of the roundtable on our patreon.

You can find the link in the show notes.

The Snow Queen part Two fourth Story the Prince and Princess Goethe was obliged to rest again, and just opposite the place where she sat, she saw a great crow come hopping across the snow toward her.

He stood looking at her for some time, and then he wagged his head and said ka.

Ka.

Good day.

Good day.

He pronounced the words as plainly as he could, because he meant to be kind to the little girl.

And then he asked her where she was going, all alone in the wide world.

The word alone Goethe understood very well and knew how much it expressed.

So then she told the crow the whole story of her life and adventures and asked him if he had seen little K.

The crow nodded his head.

Very gravely and said, perhaps I have.

It may be no.

What do you think you have?

Cried little Goethe.

And she kissed the crow and hugged him almost to death with joy.

Gently, gently, said the crow.

I believe I know I think it may be little K.

But he has certainly forgotten you by this time.

For the princess.

Does he live with a princess?

Asked Goethe.

Yes.

Listen, replied the crow, but it is so difficult to speak your language.

If you understand the crow's language, then I can explain it better.

Do you?

No, I have never learned it, said Goethe.

But my grandmother understands it and used to speak it to me.

I wish I had learned it.

It does not matter, answered the crow.

I will explain as well as I can, although it will be very badly done.

And he told her what he had heard.

In this kingdom where we are now, said he, there lives a princess who is so wonderfully clever that she has read all the newspapers in the world and forgotten them, too.

Although she's so clever, a short time ago, as she was sitting on her throne, which people say is not such an agreeable seat as is often supposed, she began to sing a song which commences in these words why should I not be married?

Why not indeed?

Said she, and so she determined to marry, if she could find a husband who knew what to say when he was spoken to, and not one who could only look grand, for that was so tiresome.

Then she assembled all her court ladies together at the beat of the drum, and when they heard of her intentions, they were very much pleased.

We're so glad to hear it, said they.

We were talking about it ourselves the other day.

You may believe that every word I.

Tell you is true, said the crow.

For I have a tame sweetheart who goes freely about the palace, and she told me all this of course his.

Sweetheart was a crow, for birds of a feather flock together, and one crow always chooses another crow.

Newspapers were published immediately with a border of hearts and the initials of the Princess among them.

They gave notice that every young man who was handsome was free to visit the castle and speak with the Princess, and those who could reply loud enough to be heard when spoken to were to make themselves quite at home at the palace.

But the one who spoke best would be chosen as a husband for the Princess.

Yes, yes, you may believe me, it is all as true as I sit.

Here, said the crow.

The people came in crowds.

There was a great deal of crushing and running about, but no one succeeded either on the first or second day.

They could all speak very well while they were outside in the streets.

But when they entered the palace gates and saw the guards in silver uniforms and the footmen in their golden livery on the staircase, and the great halls lighted up, they became quite confused.

And when they stood before the throne on which the Princess sat, they could do nothing but repeat the last word she had said, and she had no particular wish to hear her own words over again.

It was just as if they had all taken something to make them sleepy while they were in the palace, for they did not recover themselves nor speak till they got back again into the street.

There was quite a long line of them reaching from the town gate to the palace.

I went myself to see them, said the crow.

They were hungry and thirsty, for at the palace they did not get even a glass of water.

Some of the wisest had taken a few slices of bread and butter with them, but they did not share it with their neighbors.

They thought if they went into the Princess looking hungry, there would be a better chance for themselves.

But kay.

Tell me about little K said Goethe.

Was he amongst the crowd?

Stop a bit, we're just coming to him.

It was on the third day.

There came marching cheerfully along to the palace, a little personage without horses or carriage, his eyes sparkling like yours.

He had beautiful long hair, but his clothes were very poor.

That was K.

Said Goethe joyfully.

Oh, then I have found him.

And she clapped her hands.

He had a little knapsack on his.

Back, added the crow.

No, it must have been his sledge, said Goethe, for he went away with it.

It may have been so, said the crow.

I did not look at it very closely, but I know from my tame sweetheart that he passed through the palace gates, saw the guards in their silver uniform, and the servants and their liveries of gold on the stairs.

But he was not in the least embarrassed.

It must be very tiresome to stand.

On the stairs, he said.

I prefer to go in.

The rooms were blazing with light.

Counselors and ambassadors walked about with bare feet, carrying golden vessels.

It was enough to make anyone feel serious.

His boots creaked loudly as he walked, and yet he was not at all uneasy.

It must be kay said Goethe.

I know he had new boots on.

I've heard them creak in grandmother's room.

They really did creak, said the crow.

Yet he went boldly up to the Princess herself, who was sitting on a pearl as large as a spinning wheel and all the ladies of the court were present with their maids, and all the cavaliers with their servants.

And each of the maids had another maid to wait upon her and the cavalier servants had their own servants, as well as a page each.

They all stood in circles round the.

Princess, and the nearer they stood to.

The door, the prouder they looked.

The servants pages, who always wore slippers, could hardly be looked at.

They held themselves up so proudly by the door.

It must be quite awful, said little Goethe.

But did Kay win the Princess?

If I had not been a crow.

Said he, I would have married her.

Myself, although I'm engaged.

He spoke just as well as I do when I speak the crow's language.

So I heard from my tame sweetheart.

He was quite free and agreeable, and said he had not come to woo the Princess, but to hear her wisdom.

And he was as pleased with her as she was with him.

Oh, certainly.

That was Kay.

Said Goethe.

He was so clever, he could work mental arithmetic infractions.

Oh, will you take me to the palace?

It is very easy to ask that, replied the crow.

But how are we to manage it?

However, I'll speak about it to my tame sweetheart and ask her advice, for I must tell you it will be very difficult to gain permission for a little girl like you to enter the palace.

Oh, yes, but I shall gain permission easily, said Goethe, for when Kay hears that I'm here, he will come out and fetch me in immediately.

Wait for me here by the palings.

Said the crow, wagging his head as he flew away.

It was late in the evening before the crow returned.

Ka, he said, she sends you greeting.

And here's a little roll which she took from the kitchen for you.

There's plenty of bread there, and she.

Thinks you must be hungry.

It is not possible for you to enter the palace by the front entrance.

The guards in silver uniform, and the servants in gold livery would not allow it.

But do not cry.

We will manage to get you in.

My sweetheart knows a little back staircase that leads to the sleeping apartments, and she knows where to find the key.

Then they went into the garden, through the great avenue where the leaves were falling one after another, and they could see the light in the palace being put out in the same manner.

And the crow led little Gerta to the back door, which stood ajar.

Oh, how little Girda's heartbeat with anxiety and longing.

It was just as if she were going to do something wrong.

And yet she only wanted to know where little Kay was.

It must be he, she thought, with those clear eyes and that long hair she could fancy.

She saw him smiling at her as he used to at home when they sat among the roses.

He would certainly be glad to see her and to hear what a long distance she had come for his sake and to know how sorry they had been at home because he did not come back.

Oh, what joy and yet fear she felt.

They were now on the stairs, and in a small closet at the top a lamp was burning.

In the middle of the floor stood the tame crow, turning her head from side to side and gazing at Goethe, who curtsied as her grandmother had taught her to do.

My betrothed has spoken so very highly.

Of you, my little lady, said the tame crow.

Your life history, vita, as it may be called, is very touching.

If you will take the lamp, I will walk before you.

We will go straight along this way, and then we shall meet no one.

It seems to me as if somebody.

Were behind us, said Goethe.

Something rushed by her like a shadow on the wall.

And then horses with flying manes and thin legs.

Hunters, ladies and gentlemen on horseback glided by her like shadows on the wall.

They are only dreams, said the crow.

They are coming to fetch the thoughts of the great people out hunting.

All the better, for we shall be able to look at them in their beds more safely.

I hope that when you rise to.

Honor in favor, you will show a grateful heart.

You may be quite sure of that, said the crow.

From the forest they now came into the first hall, the walls of which were hung with rose colored satin embroidered with artificial flowers.

Here the dreams again flitted by them, but so quickly that Goethe could not distinguish the royal persons.

Each hall appeared more splendid than the last.

It was enough to bewilder anyone.

At length they reached a bedroom.

The ceiling was like a great palm tree, with glass leaves of the most costly crystal, and over the center of the floor two beds, each resembling a lily, hung from a stem of gold.

One in which the Princess lay was white, the other was red.

And in this Goethe had to seek for little K.

She pushed one of the red leaves aside and saw little brown neck.

Oh, that must be K.

She called his name out quite loud and held the lamp over him.

The Dreams rushed back into the room on horseback.

He woke and turned his head round.

It was not little Kay.

The Prince was only like him in the neck.

Still he was young and pretty.

Then the Princess peeped out of her white lily bed and asked what was the matter.

Then little Goethe wept and told her story and all that the crows had done to help her.

You poor child, said the Prince and Princess.

Then they praised the crows and said they were not angry for what they had done, but that it must not happen again and this time they should be rewarded.

Would you like to have your freedom?

Asked the princess.

Or would you prefer to be raised to the position of court crows with all that is left in the kitchen for yourselves?

Then both the crows bowed and begged to have a fixed appointment, for they thought of their old age and said it would be so comfortable to feel that they had provision for their old days, as they called it.

And then the Prince got out of his bed and gave it up to Goethe.

He could do no more.

And she lay down.

She folded her little hands and thought, how good everyone is to me.

Men and animals, too.

Then she closed her eyes and fell into a sweet sleep.

All the dreams came flying back again to her, and they looked like angels.

And one of them drew a little sledge on which sat Kay and nodded to her.

But all this was only a dream and vanished as soon as she awoke.

The following day she was dressed from head to foot in silk and velvet, and they invited her to stay at the palace for a few days and enjoy herself.

But she only begged for a pair of boots and a little carriage and a horse to draw it so that.

She might go into the wide world.

To seek for K.

And she obtained not only boots, but also a muff.

And she was neatly dressed.

And when she was ready to go there, at the door she found a coach made of pure gold, with the coat of arms of the Prince and Princess shining upon it like a star.

And the coachmen footmen and outriders, all wearing golden crowns on their heads.

The Prince and Princess themselves helped her into the coach and wished her success.

The forest crow, who was now married, accompanied her.

For the first 3 miles he sat by Gerda's side, as he could not bear riding backwards.

The tame crows stood in the doorway, flapping her wings.

She could not go with them.

Because she had been suffering from headache ever since the new appointment, no doubt from eating too much.

The coach was well stored with sweet cakes, and under the seat were fruit and gingerbread nuts.

Farewell, farewell.

Cried the Prince and princess, and little Goethe wept, and the crow wept.

And then after a few miles, the crow also said farewell.

And this was the saddest parting.

However, he flew to a tree and stood flapping his black wings as long as he could see the coach, which glittered in the bright sunshine.

Fifth Story Little Robber Girl the coach drove on through a thick forest, where it lighted up the way like a torch and dazzled the eyes of some robbers, who could not bear to let it pass them unmolested.

It is gold.

It is gold.

Cried they, rushing forward and seizing the horses.

Then they struck the little jockeys, the coachmen, and the footmen dead, and pulled little Goethe out of the carriage.

She is fat and pretty, and she's been fed with the kernels of nuts.

Said the old robber woman, who had a long beard and eyebrows that hung over her eyes.

She is as good as a little lamb.

How nice she will taste.

And as she said this, she drew forth a shining knife that glittered horribly.

Oh.

Screamed the old woman the same moment for her own daughter, who held her back, had bitten her in the ear.

She was a wild and naughty girl, and the mother called her an ugly thing and had not time to kill Goethe.

She shall play with me, said the little robber girl.

She shall give me her muffin, her pretty dress, and sleep with me in my bed.

And then she bit her mother again and made her spring in the air and jump about.

And all the robbers laughed and said.

See how she's dancing with her young cub.

I will have a ride in the.

Coach, said the little robber girl, and she would have her own way, for she was so self willed and obstinate.

She and Goethe seated themselves in the coach and drove away over stumps and stones into the depths of the forest.

The little robber girl was about the same size as Goethe, but stronger.

She had broader shoulders and a darker skin.

Her eyes were quite black and she had a mournful look.

She clasped little Gerda round the waist.

And said they shall not kill you as long as you don't make us vexed with you.

I suppose you are a princess?

No, said Goethe, and then she told her all her history and how fond she was of little Kay.

The robber girl looked earnestly at her, nodded her head slightly, and said, nay.

Shan'T kill you even if I do get angry with you, for I will do it myself.

And then she wiped Goethe's eyes and stuck her own hands in the beautiful muff, which was so soft and warm.

The coach stopped in the courtyard of a robbers castle, the walls of which were cracked from top to bottom.

Ravens and crows flew in and out of the holes and crevices, while great bulldogs, either of which looked as if it could swallow a man, were jumping about, but they were not allowed to bark.

In a large and smoky hall a bright fire was burning on the stone floor.

There was no chimney, so the smoke went up to the ceiling and found a way out for itself.

Soup was boiling in a large cauldron, and hares and rabbits were roasting on the spit.

You shall sleep with me and all my little animals tonight, said the robber.

Girl, after they had had something to eat and drink.

So she took Goethe to a corner of the hall, where some straw and carpets were laid.

Down.

Above them, on laughs and perches were more than a hundred pigeons, who all seemed to be asleep, although they moved slightly when the two little girls came near them.

These all belong to me, said the.

Robber girl, and she seized the nearest to her, held it by the feet and shook it till it flapped its wings.

Kiss it.

Cried she, flapping it in Goethe's face.

There's it the wood pigeons, continued she, pointing to a number of laughs and a cage which had been fixed into the walls near one of the openings.

Both the rascals would fly away discreetly if they were not closely locked up.

And here is my old sweetheart Bah.

And she dragged out a reindeer by the horn.

He wore a bright copper ring round.

His neck and was tied up.

We are obliged to hold him tight too, or else he would run away from us also.

I tickle his neck every evening with my sharp knife, which frightens him very much.

And then the robber girl drew a long knife from a c**** in the wall and let it slide gently over the reindeer's neck.

The poor animal began to kick, and the little robber girl laughed and pulled down Goethe into bed with her.

Will you have that knife with you while you were asleep?

Asked Goethe, looking at it in great fright.

I always sleep with my knife by.

Me, said the robber girl.

No one knows what may happen.

But now tell me again all about little K and why you went out into the world.

Then Goethe repeated her story over again.

While the wood pigeons in the cage over her cooed and the other pigeons slept, the little robber girl put one arm across Gerta's neck and held the knife in the other, and was soon fast asleep and snoring.

But Goethe could not close her eyes at all.

She knew not whether she was to live or die.

The robbers sat round the fire, singing and drinking, and the old woman stumbled about.

It was a terrible sight for a little girl to witness.

Then the wood pigeon said coup.

Coup.

We have seen little K.

A white fell carried his sledge and he sat in the carriage of the Snow Queen, which drove through the wood.

While we were lying in our nest she blew upon us, and all the young ones died except us two.

Coup.

What are you saying up there?

Cried Goethe.

Where was the Snow Queen going?

Do you know anything about it?

She was most likely traveling to Lapland.

Where there's always snow and ice?

Asked the reindeer.

That is fastened up there with a rope.

Yes, there is always snow and ice, said the reindeer.

And it is a glorious place.

You can leap and run about freely on the sparkling ice plains.

The Snow Queen has her summer tent there.

But her strong castle was at the North Pole, on an island called Spitzbergen.

Okay.

Little K sighed.

Goethe.

Lie still, said the robber girl, or.

I shall run my knife into your.

Body in the morning.

Goethe told her all that the wood pigeons had said, and the little robber girl looked quite serious and nodded her head and said that is all talk.

That is all talk.

Do you know where Lapland is?

She asked the reindeer.

Should know better than I do, said the animal, while his eyes sparkled.

I was born and brought up there and used to run about the snow covered plains.

Now listen, said the robber girl, all.

Our men are gone away.

Only mother is here, and here she will stay.

But at noon she always drinks out.

Of a great bottle, and afterwards sleeps for a little while, and then I'll do something for you.

And she jumped out of bed, clasped her mother round the neck and pulled her by the beard, crying, my own little nanny goat, good morning.

And her mother phillipped her nose till it was quite red.

Yet she did it all for love.

When the mother had drunk out of the bottle and was gone to sleep, the little robber maiden went to the reindeer and said I should like very much to tickle your neck a few times more with my knife, for it makes you look so funny.

But never mind.

I will untie your cord and set you free so that you may run away to Lapland, where you must make good use of your legs and carry this little maiden to the castle of the Snow Queen where her playfellow is.

You've heard what she told me, for she spoke loud enough and you were listening.

And the reindeer jumped for joy.

And the little robber girl lifted Goethe on his back and had the forethought to tie her on and even to give her her own little cushion to sit on.

Here are your fur boots for you, said she, will be very cold, but I must keep the muff.

It is so pretty.

However, you shall not be frozen for the want of it.

Here are my mother's large warm mittens.

They will reach up to your elbows.

Let me put them on.

There.

Now your hands look just like my mother's.

But Goethe wept for joy.

I don't like to see you fret, said the little robber girl.

You ought to look quite happy now.

And here are two loaves and the hams that you need not starve.

These were fastened on the reindeer.

And then the little robber maiden opened the door, coaxed in all the great dogs, and then cut the string with which the reindeer was fastened with her sharp knife and said, now run, but mind you, take good care of the little girl.

And then Goethe stretched out her hand with a great mitten on it towards the little robber girl and said farewell.

And away flew the reindeer over stumps and stones, through the great forest, over marshes and plains.

As quickly as he could the wolves howled and the ravens screamed, while up in the sky it quivered red lights like flames of fire.

They are my old northern lights, said the reindeer.

See how they flash.

And he ran on day and night, still faster and faster.

But the loaves and the ham were all eaten by the time they reached Lapland six story the Lapland woman and the Finland woman they stopped at a little hut.

It was very mean looking.

The roof sloped nearly down to the ground, and the door was so low that the family had to creep in on their hands and knees when they went in and out.

There was no one at home but an old Lapland woman who was cooking fish by the light of a train oil lamp.

The reindeer told her all about Goethe's story after having first told his own, which seemed to him the most important.

But Goethe was so pinched with the cold that she could not speak.

Oh, you poor things, said the Lapland woman.

You have a long way to go yet.

You must travel more than a hundred.

Miles farther to Finland.

The Snow Queen lives there now, and.

She burns Bengal lights.

Every evening I'll write a few words.

On a dried stockfish, for I have no paper, and you can take it from me to the Finland woman who lives there.

She can give you better information than I can.

So when Goethe was warmed and had taken something to eat and drink, the woman wrote a few words on the dried fish and told Goethe to take great care of it.

Then she tied her again on the reindeer, and he set off at a full speed.

Flash, flash.

Went the beautiful blue northern lights in the air the whole night long.

And at length there reached Finland and knocked at the chimney of the Finland woman's hut for it had no door above the ground.

They crept in, but it was so terribly hot inside that the woman wore scarcely any clothes.

She was small and very dirty looking.

She loosened little Gerta's dress and took off the fur boots and the mittens, or Goethe would have been unable to bear the heat.

And then she placed a piece of ice on the reindeer's head and read what was written on the dried fish.

After she had read it three times, she knew it by heart.

So she popped the fish into the soup saucepan and she knew it was good to eat and she never wasted anything.

The reindeer told its own story first, and then little Girdas and the Finlander twinkled with her clever eyes, but she said nothing.

You're so clever, said the reindeer.

I know you can tie all the winds of the world with a piece of twine.

If a sailor unties 1 KT, he has a fair wind.

When he unties the second, it blows hard.

But if the third and fourth are loosened, then comes a storm which will root up whole forests.

Cannot you give this little maiden something.

With which to make her as strong as twelve men to overcome the Snow Queen?

The power of twelve men?

Said the Finland woman.

That would be of very little use.

But she went to a shelf and took down and unrolled a large skin on which were inscribed wonderful characters.

And she read till the perspiration ran down from her forehead.

But the reindeer begged so hard for little Goethe, and Goethe looked at the Finland woman with such beseeching, tearful eyes that her own eyes began to twinkle again.

So she drew the reindeer into a corner and whispered to him while she laid a fresh piece of ice on his head little K is really with the Snow Queen, but he finds everything.

There so much to his taste and his liking that he believes it is the finest place in the world.

But this is because he has a.

Piece of broken glass in his heart and a little piece of glass in his eye.

These must be taken out, or he'll never be a human being again.

And the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.

But can you not give little Gerda.

Something to help her to conquer this power?

I can give her no greater power.

Than she has already, said the woman.

Don't you see how strong that is?

How men and animals are obliged to serve her and how well she's got through the world?

Barefooted as she is?

She cannot receive any power from me greater than she now has, which consists in her own purity and innocence of heart.

If she cannot herself obtain access to the Snow Queen and remove the glass fragments from little K, we can do nothing to help her.

2 miles from here the Snow Queen's garden begins.

You can carry the little girl so far and set her down by the large bush with stand in the snow.

Covered with red berries.

Do not stay gossiping, but come back here as quickly as you can.

Then the Finland woman lifted little Goethe upon the reindeer, and he ran away with her as quickly as he could.

Oh, I've forgotten my boots and my mittens.

Cried little Goethe as soon as she felt the cutting cold.

But the reindeer dared not stop, so he ran on till he reached the bush with the red berries.

Here he set Goethe down and he kissed her, and the great bright tears trickled over the animal's cheeks.

Then he left her and ran back as fast as he could.

There stood poor Goethe, without shoes, without gloves, in the midst of cold, dreary icebound Finland.

She ran forwards as quickly as she could when a whole regiment of snowflakes came round her.

They did not, however, fall from the sky, which was quite clear and glittering with the northern lights.

The snowflakes ran along the ground, and the nearer they came to her, the larger they appeared.

Goethe remembered how large and beautiful they looked through the burning glass.

But these were really larger and much more terrible, for they were alive and were the guards of the Snow Queen and had the strangest shapes.

Some were like great porcupines, others like twisted serpents with their head stretching out.

And some few were like little fat bears with their hair bristled, but all were dazzlingly white, and all were living snowflakes.

Then little Goethe repeated the Lord's Prayer, and the cold was so great that she could see her own breath come out of her mouth like steam as she uttered the words.

Steam appeared to increase as she continued her prayer, till it took the shape of little angels, who grew larger the moment they touched the earth.

They all wore helmets on their heads and carried spears and shields.

Their number continued to increase more and more, and by the time Goethe had finished her prayers, a whole legion stood round her.

They thrust their spears into the terrible snowflakes so that they shivered into a hundred pieces and little Goethe could go forward with courage and safety.

The angel stroked her hands and feet so that she felt the cold less, and she hastened on to the Snow Queen's castle.

But now we must see what Kay is doing.

In truth, he thought not of little Goethe and never supposed she could be standing in the front of the palace.

7th Story of the Palace Of the Snow Queen and what happened there at last the walls of the palace were formed of drifted snow and the windows and doors of the cutting winds.

There were more than a hundred rooms in it, all as if they had been formed with snow blown together.

The largest of them extended for several miles.

They were all lighted up by the vivid light of the aurora, and they were so large and empty, so ice cold and glittering.

There were no amusements here, not even a little bear's ball, when the storm might have been the music and the bears could have danced on their hind legs and shown their good manners.

There were no pleasant games of snapdragon or touch or even a gossip over the tea table for the young lady.

Foxes.

Empty, vast and cold were the halls of the Snow Queen.

The flickering flame of the Northern lights could be plainly seen whether they rose high or low in the heavens from every part of the castle.

In the midst of its empty, endless hall of snow was a frozen lake broken on its surface into a thousand forms.

Each piece resembled another from being in itself perfect as a work of art.

And in the center of this lake sat the Snow Queen.

When she was at home, she called the lake The Mirror of Reason and saw that it was the best and indeed the only one in the world.

Little Kay was quite blue with cold, indeed almost black.

But he did not feel it, for the Snow Queen had kissed away the icy shiverings and his heart was already a lump of ice.

He dragged some sharp, flat pieces of ice to and fro and placed them together in all kinds of positions as if he wished to make something out of them.

Just as we try to form various figures with little tablets of wood which we call a Chinese puzzle.

Case fingers were very artistic.

It was the icy game of reason at which he played and in his eyes the figurines were very remarkable and of the highest importance.

This opinion was owing to the piece of glass still sticking in his eye.

He composed many complete figures forming different words.

But there was one word he could never manage to form although he wished it very much.

It was the word eternity.

The Snow Queen had said to him when you can find out this, you shall be your own master and I will give you the whole world and a new pair of skates.

But he could not accomplish it.

Now.

I must hasten away to warmer countries, said the Snow Queen.

I will go and look into the black craters of the tops of the burning mountains aetna and Vesuvius, as they are called.

I shall make them look white, which will be good for them and for the lemons and the grapes.

And away flew the Snow Queen leaving little K quite alone in the great hall which was so many miles in length.

So he sat and looked at his pieces of ice and was thinking so deeply and sat so still that anyone might have supposed he was frozen.

Just at this moment it happened that little Goethe came through the great door of the castle.

Cutting winds were raging around her, but she offered up a prayer and the wind sank down as if they were going to sleep.

And she went on till she came to the large, empty hall and caught sight of Kay.

She knew him directly she flew to him and threw her arms round his neck and held him fast while she exclaimed, k, dear little K, I have.

Found you at last.

But he sat quite still, stiff and cold.

Then little Goethe wept hot tears which fell on his breast and penetrated into his heart and thawed the lump of ice and washed away the little piece of glass which had stuck there.

Then he looked at her and she sang, roses bloom and ceased to be but we shall the Christ child see.

Then Kay burst into tears, and he wept so that the splinter of glass swam out of his eye.

Then he recognized Goethe and said joyfully, Goethe, dear little Goethe, where have you been all this time, and where have I been?

And he looked all around him and said how cold it is and how large and empty it all looks.

And he clung to Goethe, and she laughed and wept for joy.

It was so pleasing to see them that the pieces of ice even danced about.

And when they were tired and went to lie down they formed themselves into the letters of the word which the Snow Queen had said he must find out before he could be his own master and have the whole world and a pair of new skates.

Then Goethe kissed his cheeks and they became blooming.

And she kissed his eyes, and they shone like her own.

She kissed his hands and his feet, and then he became quite healthy and cheerful.

The Snow Queen might come home now when she pleased for there stood his certainty of freedom in the word she wanted written in shining letters of ice.

Then they took each other by the hand and went forth from the great palace of ice.

They spoke of the grandmother and of the roses on the roof.

And as they went on, the winds were at rest and the sun burst forth.

When they arrived at the bush with red berries there stood the reindeer waiting for them and he had brought another young reindeer with him whose utters were full and the children didn't cure warm milk and kissed her on the mouth.

Then they carried Kay and Goethe first to the Finland woman where they warmed themselves thoroughly in the hot room and she gave them directions about their journey home.

Next they went to the Lapland woman who had made some new clothes for them and put their sleighs in order.

Both reindeer ran by their side and followed them as far as the boundaries of the country where the first green leaves were budding.

And here they took leave of the two reindeer and the Lapland woman and all said farewell.

Then the birds began to twitter and the forest, too was full of green young leaves and out of it came a beautiful horse which Goethe remembered, for it was one which had drawn the golden coach.

A young girl was riding upon it with a shining red cap on her head and pistols in her belt.

It was the little robber maiden who had got tired of staying at home.

She was going first to the north, and if that did not suit her, she meant to try some other part of the world.

She knew Goethe directly, and Goethe remembered her.

It was a joyful meeting you're.

A fine fellow to go godding about.

In this way, said Sheet.

A little k.

I should like to.

Know whether you deserve that anyone should.

Go to the end of the world to find you.

But Goethe patted her cheeks and asked after the Prince and princess.

They're gone to foreign countries, said the robber girl.

And the crow?

Asked Goethe.

Oh, the crow is dead, she replied.

His tame sweetheart is now a widow.

And wears a bit of black worsted round her leg.

She mourns very pitifully, but it is all stuff.

But now tell me how you managed to get him back.

Then Goethe and Kay told her all about it.

Snip, snap.

Snare.

It's all right at last, said the robber girl.

Then she took both their hands and promised that if ever she should pass through the town she would call and pay them a visit.

And then she rode away into the wide world.

But Goethe and Kay went hand in hand towards home.

And as they advanced, spring appeared more lovely with its green verger and its beautiful flowers.

Very soon they recognized the large town where they lived and the tall steeples of the churches in which the sweet bells were ringing a merry peal as they entered it and found their way to their grandmother's door.

They went upstairs into the little room, where all looked just as it used to do.

The old clock was going tick tick and the hands pointed to the time of day.

But as they passed through the door into the room they perceived that they were both grown up and became a man and woman.

The roses out on the roof were in full bloom and peeped in at the window.

And there stood the little chairs on which they had sat with children.

And Kay and Goethe seated themselves, each on their own chair, and held each other by the hand while the cold, empty grandeur of the Snow Queen's palace vanished from their memories like a painful dream.

The grandmother sat in God's bright sunshine and she read aloud from the Bible except ye become as little children ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of God.

And Kay and Goethe looked into each other's eyes and all at once understood the words of the old song roses bloom and cease to be, but we shall the Christ child see.

And they both sat there, grown up yet children at heart.

And it was summer warm, beautiful summer.

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