I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the WITCH FIRE by Brian & Juliet Freyermuth Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Author: Brian & Juliet Freyermuth
Pub. Date: November
1, 2023
Publisher: Middark
Press
Formats: Paperback,
eBook
Pages: 321
Someone is gathering belief, working like little Worm himself, digging under the cities of logic and reason.
That’s the ominous warning Coyote gives Nick after a monster attacks him and his girlfriend, Thelma. Someone has been testing the waters for months now, from the demon attacks to the horror of the Green Man. And now someone has attacked his mother and put her in a coma, and only Nick can save her.
But to do that he must scour the City of Sin for a man who is a myth, even among the many real gods and goddesses of the world. One whose name was whispered in the shadows as Nick fought demons and ancient gods over the last few months: Evan Constantine.
But not even Constantine, crazy goddesses or hulked out demigods can prepare him for the one thing that scares him more than anything.
Family.
Witch Fire: A Novel of the Sundancer Mysteries Soundtrack
How the songs I listen to set the tone of the scene
by Brian Freyermuth
From building tension or making you cry or making you laugh; the right music makes everything better. It’s no different when I sit down to write. Pulling up Scrivener and putting on my headphones, I always look for just the right music to set the tone for the piece I’m about to write. I like to think these songs dissolve into the story, drenching it with the emotion that’s playing in my ears.
So here are the top ten albums and songs that heavily influenced the writing of Witch Fire, but be warned. My musical tastes are a bit all over the spectrum:
1. In Flames – I, the Mask
The Swedish metal band In Flames has become a bit of a staple in the Sundancer Mysteries. Both Demon Dance and Mind of the Beast had different albums on repeat, and I, the Mask is no different. Their mix of a melody and hard screams are great for scenes of Nick fighting for his life.
Songs to listen to: “I, the Mask”, “We Will Remember” and “Stay With Me”
2. Gojira – Magma, Fortitude
This was a pleasant surprise. My son’s brother-in-law, Tim, introduced me to this metal band from France, and I was pretty skeptical at first. A hardcore band who had heavy environmental themes and wanted to save the whales? But man I fell hard. I started with Fortitude while writing, and quickly moved backwards through every album they made. The two albums that stayed on the most while writing were Fortitude and Magma.
Songs to listen to: “Another World”, “Grind”, “The Shooting Star” and “Ocean Planet”
3. Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew
Okay, time to slow the pace down. I was a huge fan of Steven Universe, so when I heard that the actress who played Blue Diamond had an album I immediately looked it up. Lisa Hannigan has one of the most unique voices, and her melodic, Irish inspired melodies were perfect for the scenes of Nick with Thelma. There is a sweetness and innocence to her songs, yet the lyrics are so much more.
Songs to listen to: “Venn Diagram” and “An Ocean and a Rock”
4. Ad Infinitum – Monarchy
Imagine a band where most of the band members wear plague masks, while singing a concept album about the French Revolution. You really couldn’t get more 2020. The lead singer does opera and harsh screaming, sometimes in the same song and it just works. Again, an amazing album if your main character is throwing punches on the Vegas Strip.
Songs to listen to: “Infected Monarchy”, “Live Before You Die” and “Tell Me Why”
5. Insomnium – Shadows of the Dying Sun
Sadness is a part of every book. From the drama of a family member in danger, to a hopeless and bleak Dark Night of the Soul. Or even just recounting painful memories. This is where Imsomnium comes in. Like Gojira above, I came late to the party with this Gothic Metal band from Finland, but I’m glad I did.
Songs to listen to: “Revelation” and “While We Sleep”
6. In This Moment – Mother
On to American hard rock. If the old band White Zombie and Janice Joplin had a child, that child would be Maria Brink, the lead singer of In This Moment. The band started out hard rock and pop and developed into something darker and much angrier. (Kind of like a female Hulk.) Best used with Ad Infinitum and In Flames to get the blood pumping.
Songs to Listen to: “We Will Rock You”, “Born in Flames” and “Mother.”
7. Imagine Dragons – Origins
Enough of the dark and angry music, let’s have some fun. Like the band In Flames, Imagine Dragons is another of my go-to bands for the Sundancer Series. Even when tackling tough topics, their music uplifts and gets you going. Need a victory scene, even if it’s fleeting? Put on some Imagine Dragons.
Songs to Listen to: “Natural”, “West Coast”, “Zero” and “Birds”
8. The Lumineers – Cleopatra
Okay, this was an interesting band I found while working on Witch Fire. They are folksy like Mumford and Sons but have a darkness to them that translated well to writing some of the more lonely, quiet scenes. Their songs bring to mind desolate towns being swept away and forgotten. When we went beyond the Vegas Strip in Witch Fire, these were the songs that brought to mind the desperate, outer reaches of the City of Sin.
Songs to Listen to: “Sleep on the Floor”, “Angela” and “Ophelia”
9. Amorphis – Skyforger
And… back to metal. (I warned you this was an eclectic list). Another new band for me, this one takes progressive rock to another level. Full of sweeping rifts, growls, and soaring vocals, Amorphis was there to bring something epic every time it came into the playlist. I’m pretty sure this band could make burning a piece of toast into something truly epic.
Songs to Listen to: “Sampo”, “Silver Bride”, “Sky is Mine” and “Skyforger”
10. Long Night – Winter
And finally, the song that got me through the Dark Night of the Soul. There’s always that moment where everything seems lost. For these poignant, despairing scenes, I usually have one song on repeat that really sinks deep into the scene. With Mind of the Beast it was “Demons” by Imagine Dragons. And in Witch Fire it was the song “Winter” by Long Night. The sad, western twang and the gothic vocals all came together to create an amazing scene. It’s always darkest before the dawn, indeed.
Song to Listen to: “Winter”
There were others too, but way too many to list here. But these were my top playlists, the ones that sparked my muse for Witch Fire. I hope it sparks something for you as well.
About Brian & Juliet Freyermuth:
Brian and Juliet have been partners in crime for over a quarter of a century. The adventure started back in High School, when the two of them were driven to the prom by a mortician. (Although not in a hearse, their parents said no... they asked.) Now they take their love for writing and plotting a good murder to create the Sundancer Mysteries.
They love going to escape rooms with their son and his wife,
as well as going to art museums and traveling to far off places.
Brian Freyermuth is not only an author, but also the Game Design Director and Voice Over Director at Steel Wool Studios. He began his career in game design working on the original Fallout and has worked as a designer on games like Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, Minecraft: Story Mode, Ozaria, and Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach. He is a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America and Horror Writers Association and is the author of the urban fantasy Demon Dance and co-author of the sequels Mind of the Beast and Witch Fire.
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Juliet:
Juliet Freyemuth loves helping people discover their passion
and figure out how to pursue it. She specializes in working with creative
people to find their niche and locate the resources they need to reach their
goals. She’s also the co-author of the Sundancer Mysteries, where she uses her
degree in psychology and social and behavioral science to figure out how
goddesses, vampires, and other mythological creatures survive in a reality that
changes based on popular belief.
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads
Giveaway Details:
3 winners
will receive a finished copy of WITCH FIRE, US Only.
Ends December 5th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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11/1/2023 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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11/2/2023 |
Blog Spotlight/IG Post |
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11/3/2023 |
Guest Post |
Week Two:
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11/6/2023 |
Guest Post/IG Post |
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11/7/2023 |
Guest Post/IG Post |
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11/8/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/9/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/10/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
Week Three:
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11/13/2023 |
Review/Guest Post/IG Post |
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11/14/2023 |
Review |
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11/15/2023 |
IG Review |
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11/16/2023 |
IG Review |
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11/17/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
Week Four:
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11/20/2023 |
IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post |
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11/21/2023 |
IG Review |
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11/22/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/23/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/24/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
Week Five:
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11/27/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/28/2023 |
IG Review |
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11/29/2023 |
IG Review |
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11/30/2023 |
IG Review |
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11/30/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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