#AuthorLifeMonth Day 7: Writing Music

Ahhhh, writing music.

Some writers cannot write while music is playing, but I, fortunately, am not of that breed. I usually avoid music with lyrics while I'm writing, but that is certainly not always the case. So, without further ado, let me share with you some of my absolute favorites when it comes to writing music.

Audiomachine

From their website, Audiomachine is "a boutique, motion picture advertising music collective, specializing in original epic music and bone crunching sound design for theatrical trailers, television commercials and video game advertising campaigns." Audiomachine is my go-to writing music. I own every single one of their albums, and I think each track of theirs has 50+ plays in iTunes (with the exception of their newest albums).

I love their music first and foremost because it is awesome—"epic" to say the least. It's powerful, atmospheric, and conveys a number of different tones that are all perfect for writing dark epic fantasy. But I also love their music because I don't really associate it with anything--while I'll occasionally recognize a track of theirs on a movie or video game trailer, most of their music is not on official soundtracks, but on their own albums. This means that, for all intents and purposes, their music is the soundtrack to my writing. That's how I think of it, anyway, and it's pretty cool to (pretend to) have your own soundtrack, I must say.

Their most popular album is Chronicles, and that is a great one, but my current favorites are actually Phenomena, Decimus, and Magnus: B-Sides. If you are a writer of fantasy of any kind, and you remotely like music at all, you NEED to check them out.

Max Richter

Did you see Arrival? Did you wonder what that gorgeous composition was that opened and closed the film? I did, and that's how I came across Max Richter. (That track from Arrival is called "On the Nature of Daylight," by the way, by Max Richter of course. You're welcome.) Richter's music is subdued and subtle, but impeccably composed and capable of moments of great power. When I want music that isn't quite as bold as Audiomachine, I go straight to Max Richter. I've particularly fallen in love with his magnum opus, Sleep--an eight-hour tour de force that I've now listened to many times over.

Soundtracks (particularly from Game of Thrones)

While I enjoy soundtracks to a lesser extent, they do provide some variety to my typical Audiomachine- and Max Richter-induced music euphorias. My favorites include just about any season's soundtrack to the television show Game of Thrones (Ramin Djawadi is incredible) and the Skyrim video game soundtrack (which is surprisingly atmospheric). Both are worth a listen.

Sigur Rós

I've talked about Sigur Rós before, and they are easily one of my all-time favorite bands. The only problem with listening to Sigur Rós while writing, however, is that sometimes I get too into the music. SR creates the type of music in which you need to fully immerse yourself to fully appreciate. I like listening to them when I'm brainstorming and world building, and sometimes when I'm outlining, but I rarely listen to them when I'm full-on composing (unless a song of theirs fits perfectly the scene I'm writing, which has actually happened on a few occasions).

So, if you haven't listened to Sigur Rós, they are an absolute must. They are one of the true sources of beauty in this world. Buy an album of theirs, turn up the highest-quality stereo or headphones you own, turn all the lights off, find a comfy chair, and let their music take you.

#AuthorLifeMonth Day 6: Fan Art!

Well, I've yet to encounter any fan art for Duskfall or the Chaos Queen Quintet (yet 🤞--consider this an official invitation, folks!). While of course I'd love to see fan art of any kind, I'm totally cool with the fact that I haven't come across any so far. tMy first book only came out, like, seven months ago! And it's the first of five, so...I think I've got time. :-)

That said, there is something I've been meaning to share with everyone. It's not even close to fan art, but more like a form of wishful thinking on my part. Many people who've messaged me, emailed me, found me on social media or in person and spoken with me about Duskfall have told me that Astrid is their favorite character, and I totally understand why. She's easily the most fun character to write in the book, and she has a special place in my heart. For that reason, I get pretty excited whenever I see similar characters on the big screen. Athena from the Tomorrowland film came pretty close, but there's one that I think comes even closer, and that's (who I assume to be) X-23 from the new Wolverine film Logan. Just check this out:

If you've ever wondered how I visualize Astrid fight scenes, this trailer will tell you a lot. Goes without saying that I'll definitely be seeing this film when it's released, and I'll let you know at that point whether the projected fight scenes (and the character of X-23 in general) lives up to my expectations.

She's no Astrid, obviously, but she's pretty damn close.

#AuthorLifeMonth Day 5: Comp Covers

Honestly, I had no idea what a comp cover was until I did this challenge, but as far as I can tell it's a cover design or draft that didn't make the final cut. Interestingly enough, I actually have one of those! Check out the first cover design for Duskfall:

I quite liked it, initially. That's a depiction of Knot and Winter on the cover, of course, and what I imagine to be the Sorensan Mountains in the background. It's more or less a classical fantasy novel cover. To be fair, it was the first time I'd seen my name on anything resembling an official book cover, and I think I would've been over the moon about it no matter what it looked like. After a discussion with my agent, however, we came to the conclusion that this didn't really represent the tone and brand of what we wanted the series to be, and my publisher was gracious enough to go back to the drawing board, where they came up with the official cover that we all (or at least I) know and love:

                          

And, seriously, I love that cover. But that'll actually be the subject of another ALM post, so stay tuned :-).

#AuthorLifeMonth Day 4: My WIP

I mentioned a few days ago that my current WIP is actually book 3 of the Chaos Queen Quintet, Blood Requiem. I technically started the novel late last year, then decided I needed to go back to prewriting to really nail down what I wanted to happen with each of the characters in the book.

My experience writing Dark Immolation (book 2) was a rough one, and while I think I'll talk a bit more about that later this month, a lot of it had to do with how I approached the first draft of the novel. To make a long story short, I've done a lot more outlining for Blood Requiem than I ever have for a novel before, and I think it's going to help my process a lot.

My goal is to finish Blood Requiem by the end of April. That's a pretty intense timeline, but I'm feeling pretty confident, especially with all the prewriting I've done.

All that being said, I'm pretty excited about book 3. There are some cool things in the pipeline for Winter, Knot, Astrid, Cinzia, and co., and I can't wait to get them out there! :-D

#AuthorLifeMonth Day 3: Last 5-Star Read

A couple months ago I had the pleasure of reading Witchy Eye by D.J. Butler, and I was blown away. To be fair, Dave is a good friend, and he's already written some good books, but this one was truly impressive, and a 5-star read any way you look at it. Here's the blurb:

Sarah Calhoun is the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Elector Andrew Calhoun, one of Appalachee’s military heroes and one of the electors who gets to decide who will next ascend as the Emperor of the New World. None of that matters to Sarah. She has a natural talent for hexing and one bad eye, and all she wants is to be left alone—especially by outsiders.

But Sarah’s world gets turned on its head at the Nashville Tobacco Fair when a Yankee wizard-priest tries to kidnap her. Sarah fights back with the aid of a mysterious monk named Thalanes, who is one of the not-quite-human Firstborn, the Moundbuilders of the Ohio. It is Thalanes who reveals to Sarah a secret heritage she never dreamed could be hers.

Now on a desperate quest with Thalanes to claim this heritage, she is hunted by the Emperor’s bodyguard of elite dragoons, as well as by darker things—shapeshifting Mockers and undead Lazars, and behind them a power more sinister still. If Sarah cannot claim her heritage, it may mean the end to her, her family—and to the world where she is just beginning to find her place.

Sounds amazing, right? Also, I have the pleasure of being one of the cover quotes for the book:

"Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!"

And I mean every word of it. I was particularly impressed with Dave's world building: he transforms historical America into an epic fantasy world where the mythology runs deep and magic runs deeper. I was delighted with the world, the mythos, and the ease with which Dave presents both (not to mention some really phenomenal character work).

There's only one problem (more for you than for me): I read an advanced copy of this book, and it still technically doesn't come out for about another month. But, seriously, mark March 7th on your calendars, and prepare for the release of Witchy Eye. It's an incredible read. Five stars, hands down. Go pre-order it now on Amazon!

#AuthorLifeMonth Day 2: Author Photo

My official author photo! Or one of the many I use in rotation, at least, all of them taken by my fantastic cousin, Cheryl Babb. This one is almost two years old, and I'm surprised to say I actually look quite different. No beard. Much longer hair.

Might be time for an update!

#AuthorLifeMonth Day 1

Hello alls!

So in an effort to rekindle my blogging prowess, I'm participating in #AuthorLifeMonth (the hashtag is superfluous, I know, but hey it's fun). Author Life Month, as far as I can tell, is mostly an Instagram thing where authors post one picture each day in the month of February going through a list of 28 items:

I've been incredibly busy lately and have not had much time to get on the old blog, but I'm hoping that participating in this will get me going again.

So, without further ado, let's get to...

Day 1: Your Books

My books! That's easy enough, I only have one on the market so far :-). Duskfall is a dark epic fantasy novel that follows the intertwining fates of three characters: Winter, Knot, and Cinzia. Here's the back cover blurb:

Pulled from a frozen sea, pierced by arrows and close to death, Knot has no memory of who he was. But his dreams are dark, filled with violence and unknown faces. Winter, a tiellan woman whose people have long been oppresses by humans, is married to and abandoned by Knot on the same day. In her search for him, she will discover her control of magic, but risk losing herself utterly. And Cinzia, priestess and true believer, returns home to discover her family at the heart of a heretical rebellion. A rebellion that only the Inquisition can crush.... Their fates and those of others will intertwine, in a land where magic and daemons are believed dead, but dark forces still vie for power.

Duskfall is available for purchase in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. Check out Amazon, Powell's, and Barnes & Noble. Oh, and Duskfall is available in German, too!

Duskfall is the first book of the Chaos Queen Quintet, and this June (on the 20th, to be exact), book 2--Dark Immolation--hits the market! Here's the blurb:

A new religion is rising, gathering followers drawn by rumors of prophetess Jane Oden. her sister Cinzia--one-time Cantic priestess--is by her side, but fears that Jane will lead them to ruin. For both the Cantic Denomination and the Nazaniin assassins are still on their trail, and much worse may come. Knot, his true nature now revealed if not truly understood, is haunted by the memories of others, and is not the ally he once was. Astrid travels to Tinska to find answers for her friend, but the child-like vampire has old enemies who have been waiting for her return. And beyond the Blood Gate in the northern empire of Roden, a tiellan woman finds herself with a new protector. One who wants to use her extraordinary abilities for his own ends...

I know, it sounds amazing! You can pre-order it on Amazon right now, and here's the amazing cover:

As for book 3 of the series--now officially titles Blood Requiem--well, I'm hard at work writing it as we speak. It's going pretty well so far, and I can't wait to get it out there!