Evensong by Krista Walsh

Back in January, one of my good writer friends, Krista Walsh, released Evensong, the first book in her fantasy trilogy.  I had the pleasure of beta reading this beauty sometime last year, and thoroughly enjoyed the story!  Reading about an author was a very cool experience and I felt like I had a lot in common with the MC.  Haha!  Although ... you don't have to be a writer to enjoy this one. Now, as some of you know, I'm a huge fan of music.  I NEEEEEEED music to write.  In fact, if I don't have the right playlist prepared prior to starting a new book, I often find that I cannot connect to the characters.  So music is very important to me.  And I happen to know Krista is a fan of music as well (we often recommend songs back and forth ... in fact, one of her songs listed below is a favorite of mine) so I asked her to offer up her playlist for Evensong.

Before we get to that though, here's some info about Evensong!  Grab this one while it's only 99 cents!

Blurb:

Author Jeff Powell wakes up to find the impossible has happened. He is within his own novel—summoned into the fictional world of Feldall’s Keep by a spell he didn't write. One the House enchantress hasn't figured out how to reverse.

When the villain he's been struggling to write reveals himself, unleashing waves of terror and chaos, Jeff must use more than his imagination to save the characters he created—and the woman he loves.

Trapped within a world of his own creation, he must step outside the bounds of his narrative to help his characters defeat an evil no one anticipated, even if he must sacrifice his greatest gift. In the end, he has to ask: are novels really fiction, or windows into other worlds?

Grab a copy!

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Now on to the playlist!!

Evensong Musical Inspiration

When Keri asked me to offer my top 10 musical inspiration for Evensong I thought it would be easy! I always create a list of songs to listen to while I write. Trouble is, I wrote the first draft of Evensong for NaNoWriMo 2012, so I had to wrack my brain trying to go back in time.

Like my lovely host, a soundtrack is necessary for my writing process. All day I get distracted by the real world: my morning routine, remembering to take out the garbage, remembering to go to work, work, figuring out what to make for dinner … after all of that, it’s difficult to get grounded in the fictional world again. Music helps drown out everything except the words, the characters, the setting.

There’s pretty much no genre of music I don’t enjoy or derive some kind of inspiration, but with the Meratis series, I found myself leaning heavily on Of Monsters and Men. The tone, the lyrics, the whole feel of their album My Head is an Animal fit so well with Jeff’s situation that the two are permanently associated in my mind.

Each book has an OM&M song attached for it. Because I had to pick only one for Evensong, I opted for “From Finner”

Other songs that come to mind:

Artificial Nocturne – Metric

Stadium Love – Metric (went on a bit of a kick last year)

Angel – Massive Attack

Lux Aeterna – Clint Mansell (because I don’t believe anything I can write can ever NOT be inspired by this song)

If There’s a Rocket Tie Me To It – Snow Patrol

Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons

Pompeii – ES Posthumus (really, this whole album is fantastic to work to. Can’t praise it enough)

Teardrop – Jose Gonzalez

Stubborn Love – The Lumineers

 

About the Author

Known for witty, vivid characters, Krista Walsh never has more fun than getting them into trouble and taking her time getting them out. After publishing a few short stories and novellas in various anthologies, she has now released her own anthology, the serial collection Greylands.

When not writing, or working at her day job, she can be found reading, gaming, or watching a film – anything to get lost in a good story.

She currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

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At the local Second Cup coffee shop … but only if you come bearing a White Mocha

 

COVER REVEAL: Emergence by K.L. Schwengel

Happy Monday!  Today I have a treat!  A writer bud of mine will soon be releasing the second book in her Darkness & Light series and today is the cover reveal!  I had the pleasure of beta reading this beauty and I can tell you, if you're a fan of fantasy, you'll want to nab this one.  The writing is superb, with well-developed characters that you can't help but fall in love with.  *sigh* Bolin .... So, without further delay, here is the cover for EMERGENCE, book two in the Darkness & Light series by K.L. Schwengel:

BLURB:

The battle for Ciara's power has drawn the full attention of the Emperor and the Imperial Mages, forcing Bolin to put duty above safety and take her to Nisair. It won't be an easy trip, even with an Imperial escort and a Galysian elder accompanying them. Especially since Donovan has found himself some new allies, one of who wields a dark magic that has literally gotten under Bolin's skin.

For Ciara, coming to terms with the increasingly tangible manifestation of her power could destroy her. Even if they make it to Nisair--something that grows more unlikely by the day--there is no surety of safety for Ciara, or any of them. Not with Donovan willing to gamble everything to achieve his goals, or Bolin's uncharacteristically reckless behavior, the result of which is the attention of something that has everyone worried.

Loyalties will be tested, lives will be lost, and no one will emerge unchanged as they find things are not always so clear on the line dividing Darkness and Light.

 

About the Author:

K. L. Schwengel lives in southeast Wisconsin on a small farm with her husband, a handful of Australian Shepherds, Her Royal Highness Princess Fiona the Cat, and assorted livestock. Growing up as the youngest of nine children, and the daughter of a librarian, Kathi spent many hours between stacks of books, and secluded away in dusty archives, drawn to tales of medieval heroes and conquering knights. With so many characters and ideas spinning in her head, she had to get them onto paper or risk what little sanity she possessed. She has been penning wild tales of magic and mayhem as long as she can remember, but opted to follow her artistic muse first. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts and spending many years working as a freelance artist, grocery clerk, art teacher, graphic designer, stable hand, advertising account coordinator, dog trainer, and process technician (among other things) she answered the call of her writing muse. When not writing, Kathi trains and trials working Australian Shepherds, still paints, dabbles in photography, graphic design, and anything else creative her assorted muses send her way.

Kathi's work is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other on-line retailers in both paperback and e-book versions. Signed copies are available via her blog.

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