Friday 3 November 2023

Author Brian Freyermuth on the Importance of Music for Scenewriting

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:

Title: WITCH FIRE (The Sundancer Mysteries #3)

Author: Brian & Juliet Freyermuth

Pub. Date: November 1, 2023

Publisher: Middark Press

Formats:  Paperback, eBook

Pages: 321

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon

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.

 

Website



Brian:

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 giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

11/1/2023

Jazzy Book Reviews

Excerpt/IG Post

11/2/2023

 #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Blog Spotlight/IG Post

11/3/2023

Writer of Wrongs

Guest Post

Week Two:

11/6/2023

melissathereadingnerd

Guest Post/IG Post

11/7/2023

Two Chicks on Books

Guest Post/IG Post

11/8/2023

Rajiv's Reviews

Review/IG Post

11/9/2023

Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's

Review/IG Post

11/10/2023

jlreadstoperpetuity

Review/IG Post

Week Three:

11/13/2023

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/Guest Post/IG Post

11/14/2023

The Momma Spot

Review

11/15/2023

@anitralovesbooksanddogs

IG Review

11/16/2023

Callisto’s calling

IG Review

11/17/2023

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

Week Four:

11/20/2023

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post

11/21/2023

GryffindorBookishNerd

IG Review

11/22/2023

Confessions of the Perfect Mom

Review/IG Post

11/23/2023

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

11/24/2023

the original B00K nerd

Review/IG Post

Week Five:

11/27/2023

Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Review/IG Post

11/28/2023

jaimes_mystical_library

IG Review

11/29/2023

@froggyreadteach

IG Review

11/30/2023

@lexijava

IG Review

11/30/2023

Review Thick And Thin

Review/IG Post


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