Island of Lost Forevers Blog Tour – Soundtrack

I originally wrote this post for the Island of Lost Forevers blog tour back in July, but it seems to have been lost in the mix (these things happen). But since I’d like to talk about the soundtrack to which I wrote Crossroads of Frozen Eternity, I’ve decided to share it with you now. It’s like secret, bonus content!

One thing all writers seem to agree is that music and inspiration go hand in hand. Not everyone listens to music when they write (I don’t always), but lots of writers listen to music at various stages in the process. For example, I have a list of epic-sounding songs with no lyrics that I often put on in the background while I’m editing. I also use sound generators to put on soothing sounds, like rain or ocean waves, to help keep me focused on the task at hand.

The stage where music serves me best is when I’m looking for inspiration, taking notes and planning the plot of a novel. During my discussions with James about Island of Lost Forevers, I often had music playing in the background. Songs help us clarify the picture as it forms in our heads and hone the intricate details. I always find that listening to a song I associate with a character or a story conjures the same images I first developed while I was listening to that song.

Because of that, each of my projects ends up with its own soundtrack. When I need to get in the mood or work on that project, I’ll open its soundtrack and let the music carry me away. Since Island of Lost Forevers was my first novel, it didn’t get as much devotion in the music department as some of my other projects (since I developed this practice after we wrote much of Island of Lost Forevers), but it still has some songs that always bring those raw scenes back to me.

As you’re about to discover, I listen to a wide range of music from old 80’s classic rock songs (which I grew up on) to 90’s and early 2000’s rock, to heavy metal (to varying degrees of heavy). In fact, I was discovering my love for heavy metal while I was writing Island of Lost Forevers.

The song I always play when I need to get into our leading lady Catilen’s head is “Wonder” by Natalie Merchant (from 1995). This is one of those songs I grew up listening to on the radio and it fits a couple of my characters. But since Catilen is an empath, it’s easy to imagine her existing in the atmosphere shaped by this song, as a mysterious lady who finds her own way:

“I’m a challenge to your balance
I’m over your heads
How I confound you and astound you
To know I must be one of the wonders.”

By contrast, when I need to get into our leading man Damian’s head, my go-to is “Spatial Architects” by Demons and Wizards, which is much heavier and faster. But a lot of their lyrics conjure mystical pictures which are great for a sorcerer who has spent his life hiding his talents. Like these lyrics which make me think of the lost teachers Damian is searching for:

“You must learn to believe
That mankind’s blind and trying to see
The architects have left us many signs.”

Getting into our villain Sentomoru’s head is always a challenge for me, since he was largely crafted by James. But there’s a fantastic song by Slipknot (much heavier than I usually listen to) by the name of “Before I Forget” which suits a lot of his attitudes perfectly. Here’s a few examples:

“I am a world before I am a man
I was a creature before I could stand.”

“My end
It justifies my means
All I have to do is delay.”

Of course, the list goes on. When I picture Damian and Catilen together, I reach for a song like Starship’s “Nothing’s Gunna Stop Us Now” (from 1987). And when I just want a general mood generator, I reach for something like Nightwish’s “Wishmaster” which is fantastic for putting a writer in a fantasy frame of mind! The bands I listened to most while I was crafting Island of Lost Forevers, and it sequel, were: Nightwish, Demons and Wizards, Rhapsody (another epic fantasy heavy metal band) and Kamelot. If nothing else, all their music kept me on track!

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The island is on a collision course with an alternate version of itself…

The island flourishes under Catilen’s rule. But Damian can’t escape the former lord’s shadow. It haunts him keenest in the form of Catilen’s seven-year-old daughter, Morulin. Damian wants to be part of her life, but fears rejection when she learns the truth about her father’s death.

With the island at her back, Catilen thought she could deal with any crisis. But when something tears the veil between worlds, she comes face to face with the man she spent the last eight years trying to forget. Worst of all, the island’s predicament has infected Catilen’s daughter with a mysterious ailment.

Catilen must put her personal strife aside, and stop Damian’s from consuming him, because saving the island’s inhabitants means making peace with Kenjiro Sentomoru.

Win a copy of both Island of Lost Forevers and Crossroads of Frozen Eternity signed by yours truly!

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