Hello all!! I’m so excited about this week’s guest, Adrian Phoenix!! Such an amazing author, and FANTASTIC taste in music. Adrian is stopping by, not only to share some of her awesome musical influences, but to give away some BOOKS!!! Check below her post to see how to win your choice from her Hoo Doo series or her Maker’s Song series.
Emotional
Soundscapes
Adrian Phoenix
Dante Baptiste from The Maker’s Song series was born—along with his friends, family, and dark New Orleans setting—while I listened to Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral. It was Danzig’s Lucifuge album (the song “Killer Wolf” in particular) that gave rise to Devlin Daniels and Gabrielle LaRue of the Hoodoo series and C.C. Adcock’s bluesy southern rock LP Lafayette Marquis that inspired Kallie Rivière, Layne Valin, Dallas, Belladonna, and their magical Louisiana bayou world.
Music is my muse. Always has been and I imagine it always will be. Music sculpts characters and stories from my subconscious and provides an emotional soundscape for both. Whenever I see a movie, the score or soundtrack can make or break key moments. It’s not just the performance that can break your heart or perch you on the edge of your seat in dread—the music enhances and underscores the emotion/drama on the screen.
The soundtracks from Gladiator, The Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Crow, The Thirteenth Warrior, Lord of the Rings, The Last of the Mohicans, The Assassination of Jesse James by that Coward Bob Ford, Batman Begins, The Velvet Goldmine, The Matrix, Moulin Rouge, The Social Network, are all examples of this (for me, anyway). I am always moved emotionally when listening (and writing) to these soundtracks. The emotions invoked run the gamut from heartbreak and loss, to desperation, to furious action, intense passion, to wild, reckless adventure and risk and heroic sacrifice. I can’t think of favorite scenes from any of these movies without hearing that particular scene’s music and vice versa.
I can’t think of Supernatural without hearing the classic rock and metal that Dean Winchester loves and which defines and identifies the show: Foghat, Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynrd, Ozzie, Queenryche, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Nazareth, AC/DC among many others. All perfect for this show, especially the opening song by Kansas, “Carry On My Wayward Son.”
The same goes for True Blood, can’t think of it without hearing the blues and sex-drenched opening song, “Bad Things” by Jace Everett. (Also the place where I discovered C.C. Adcock. YAY.)
For Dante, I plumbed the depths of his pain, rage, and heartbreak in Nine Inch Nails songs like “Terrible Lie,” “The Great Below,” “Wish,” “March of the Pigs,” “Closer,” the entire Downward Spiral album (especially the deluxe version with “Burn” added in), “Something I Can Never Have,” actually the entire Still album is one I played over and over. “Sunspots,” “The Line Begins to Blur.”
For Dante and Heather’s relationship, “We’re in This Together” on NIN’s The Fragile album sounded like the kind of promise, one brimming with fierce determination and love, Dante would make to Heather.
As for his destiny, the dark path unwinding beneath Dante’s boots, more NIN in the form of “The Beginning of the End,” “Me, I’m Not,” “My Violent Heart,” “The Great Destroyer,” and “In this Twilight.”
But I didn’t limit myself to just Nine Inch Nails, LOL. I also listened to Rammstein’s Mutter album, Queens of the Stone Age, Chevelle, Muse, Linkin Park, Modwheelmood, Saul Williams, Stabbing Westward, among others. Music that grabs your emotions and packs a punch to the heart.
Could I create without music? Sure. But it wouldn’t be as much fun. Whenever I’m stuck, I listen to music and before you know it, I’m writing again, the music carrying the images forming in my mind as my fingers fly over the keyboard.
Thanks so much for having me here and allowing me to ramble about one of my favorite subjects. Below are links to sample chapters to the books and other places where you can find me. 
Here’s the first chapter of Black Dust Mambo. (Hoodoo Book 1)
And the first two chapters of Black Heart Loa. (Hoodoo Book 2)
You can read a chapter from the first book in The Maker’s Song series. Here’s a link to the first chapter of A Rush of Wings.
You can also find me at:
Website, Facebook Fan Page, Twitter, MySpace, Goodreads
So… ladies & gents… have you checked out the free samples?? Are you ALREADY a HooDoo series or Maker’s Song series fan?? Can you imagine these songs fitting into the story?? Let me know what you think of the songs mentioned here (I’m so excited to see Stabbing Westward on the band list… my personal favorite… What Do I Have To Do) and how you think they fit the series. Each comment below will be an entry to win on of Adrian’s books!!! Two winners, chosen randomly after midnight pacific next Sunday night (July 22nd), will be able to pick their choice of one book. This is the perfect way to start out if you haven’t yet, or pick up the latest, if you’re a little behind. Big thanks to Adrian for joining us, and for the awesome offerings. I can’t wait to hear what you all think!! Good Luck!!
