Music Gets Me In The Mood - Guest Blogger Antonia Tiranth

Music Gets Me In The Mood

Firstly, hi everyone! My name is Antonia Tiranth, I'm a newly published author. My first book, The Quickening, was published in Februrary, which is the first in a series of books called The Tales of the Rikashi. Book Two, The Gathering will be released on July 27, 2009 and book three, Black Velvet, co-written with Delilah K. Stephens on November 20, 2009. I'm very excited to be here!

So what does my blog title mean? No, I'm not talking about getting in mood. I'm talking about writing. I've found I can't write unless I have some music on and it can't just be any music. Trust me, I’ve got some Bach and Beethoven on my iPod and I just stare at the computer screen when it comes on. Specific songs put me in the mood to write specific characters or stories. Take this scene for instance:

The smell of bacon woke me, making my mouth water before I was even fully awake. I looked at the clock on the bedside table. Eight o'clock. Five hours of sleep, not too bad, although I was still tired. My muscles ached. I stretched, ignoring the protests of my body, shifting as I did. There was bacon cooking. I wasn't about to go back to sleep.

The knowledge we needed to get moving before it was too late to help my brother propelled me out of the bed. I pulled on my jeans and went to the kitchen, from which the heavenly scent was emanating. As I got closer I could hear soft music.

Josephine stood at the stove, a sizzling pan before her, spatula in one hand, swaying lightly to the Madonna tune coming from the radio nearby. I stood in the doorway watching her. The song ended and another began, this one I didn't recognize but it was a catchy tune and obviously she liked it. Her dancing became more pronounced, hips swaying with the rhythmic beat.

The second song Jo is listening to is The Joke by Lifehouse. It was the song I was listening to when I was hit over the head by her. Of course, the words don't necessarily personify her, its more the music and the feel of the song. Sometimes its not even the whole song that fits the scene, character or story. These few lines from Revolution Deathsquad by DragonForce are what provided some of the inspiration for my second book:

Cry out for the fallen heroes lost in time ago
In our minds they still belong
when the sands of time are gone

Rise over shadowed mountains blazing with power
Crossing valleys endless tears in unity we stand
Far and wide across the land the victory is ours
On towards the gates of reason
Fight for the truth and the freedom
Gloria!


Searching through the memories to open the door
Living on the edge of life like never before


But then sometimes, a song fits a character so well, it becomes their personal theme song. The song Black Velvet, not only gave Del and I the title for Book Three is what brought Jett knocking on her door.

My usual playlist for writing my Tales of the Rikashi contains Kamelot, Lifehouse, Goo Goo Dolls, DragonForce, Dreamevil, Alanah Myles, Epic and a few others. Sometimes, I can't even get my muse to come around without the right music on. ^.^ Its a good thing I have an iPod or I'd be changing CDs all day. So keep your ears out when you are listening to the radio, you never know when your muse might be tickled by a particular line or sound.


Come visit me on my blog, my twitter, or my facebook. I'll look forward to talking to you and you never know when I might be giving away buttons or even t-shirts ^.^