Themes That Rocked! Challenge Participant David Powers King and Soundtracks

The A to Z Challenge produces some amazing themes, and this year was no different.

Today please welcome Challenge participant, Cosmic Knight, and author extraordinaire, David Powers King!

Your theme was highlighting a favorite track from various science fiction and fantasy movies, games, and TV shows. What made you choose soundtracks?

DPK: Pretty much all of my writing had a soundtrack playing in the background, something I started when I did animation as a teen. I had to listen to something as I drew, so I found lots of different tracks so I'd never get bored with any one CD or composer. Needless to say I've amassed quite a collection, and thought I'd share my love of soundtracks by inviting others to listen while browsing other A to Z Challengers. I like taking interactivity and connectivity to the next level.

Which one was your favorite and why?

DPK: That's like asking me which molecule of air I prefer to breath! But if I have to pick one, I'd say my first post, The Reunion from A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. It's a very gentle piece that I adopted as the main theme for my first fantasy novel. I'd listen to it whenever I had a block or needed to de-stress, but more than anything it made me want to keep the story going.


Which letter was the most difficult?

DPK: To be honest: S. Because there's SO MUCH blasted awesome sci fi and fantasy that start with S, so I figured I'd go outside the predictable and choose something no one would expect. S.A.O. saved the day!

Which one got the best response?

DPK: *consults the hall of digital records*

Apparently my Firefly post had the most comments, but my Princess Bride post had the most Google+ shares. I'd say that's a fair illustration of just how popular both of those properties are to this day!


Many were from games – do you think people overlook video game soundtracks?

DPK: It wouldn't surprise me if people do, in general. Game soundtracks are said to be the most difficult to compose since the music has to be fluid with the game play. Not exactly the best driving music during those intense parts. But for writing, I really enjoy game soundtracks, as they tend to wander and be longwinded. Skyrim's soundtrack is almost four hours long, for example.

Do you have a soundtrack in mind for your upcoming book, Woven?

DPK: Like a soundtrack I adopted when writing it? It wasn't until Skyrim and Thor came out that I had the right match (in my head) to mesh with. And then I added Alan Wake for the paranormal angle. Ghosts need the attention, too.

This was your first time participating in the Challenge. Dude! What took so long?

DPK: *hangs head in shame*

Partly intimidated by the blogging everyday for a month, partly not thinking of a cool theme soon enough that I thought people would resonate with (see what I did there?), but mostly stepping out of my comfort zone. I've been in a blog burnout since last October, to be honest, and I saw the A to Z Challenge as a way to get out of my slump and back into the game. Achievement unlocked!

If you participate next year, any ideas what theme you might choose?

DPK: Woven will be out (or should be) before the next challenge, so if I do this again I may center the theme around ghosts or general influences from research or other inspirations that led to the novel's creation. Or something else entirely: Games. Anime. Animation. I still have a year to figure it out.

Yes you do! Thanks, David.


Co-host Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh is the author of Amazon Best-sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm, and his blog can be found HERE

Happy Mother's Day!

English: jkklglh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I'd like to wish all of you mothers out there the happiest of Mother's Days!

If your own mother is still living, thank her for all that she has done for you and tell her that you love her.

I've composed a very special Mother's Day message on my blog A Few Words.   I hope you will pay a visit.  Please share so that it reaches as many as possible.   It's an important message that many need to read. 

Thank you for reading and thank you to all mothers everywhere.

Arlee Bird
A Few Words







.

Today's Guest: jenn griffin: Survivor of Tina's Terrific Team #atozchallenge

Today please welcome my friend,  Jenn, who was brave enough to be my minion.  She survived working on Tina's Terrific Team!  This is an excerpt from her first novel, let it be, which is written but not yet published. Enjoy. 

She didn’t bother with make-up. The boy knew what she looked like. He must like her face well enough. She didn’t see the point in painting it. She didn’t possess that talent in normal situations. With her nerves, she would’ve wrecked her cosmetics in seconds.

In all the times she’d imagined dating him, she’d never considered it a possibility. Still, as she made her way across town to his apartment, she couldn’t tamp down the excitement she felt. Nor could she loosen the huge knot that had formed in her gut from worry that she’d screw things up before they’d even had a chance to begin.

You’ve known him for years, Isabel. You want to know him better. Yall are just talking.

Not my forte.

She sucked in a breath, then another as she turned into his complex, sat in the lot with the engine running. Waited for Christina Perri’s “Arms” to conclude. She shut her eyes, rolled her neck, her shoulders.

It’ll be fine. You can do this. “Yall are just talking,” she muttered as she shoved the door open, slid out and slammed the door.

Turned to find him waiting for her outside, seated at the base of the stairs that lead to his apartment. Smiling.

The knot in her stomach—the one that magically appeared every time she thought of him, saw him—tightened. She swallowed, tried a smile. Searched for something intelligent to say as she meandered over to him, but the damned knot had risen to her throat. “Hi.”

“Howdy.”

She sat next to him, folded her hands in her lap. “What’d you do that for?”

“What?”

Isabel glanced at him, then down and out, toward the parking lot. Took a breath. “You kissed me. I wanna know why.”

“I’d think that’d be obvious.”

“I’m not your type.”

“I have a type?”

“Everyone does.”

“No. Not everyone,” he said. “Take Matt, for example.”

Her lips curved into a sneer. “I’d rather not.”

“Isabel.” He sighed. “I’m curious. That a good enough reason?”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“We can date or whatever.” Irritation flickered across her face. “I don’t know what I’m doing, though.”

“Doing?”

She frowned. What the hell did I say that for? And how can I sound so ignorant and afraid?

Gray eyes peered into black. “Isa?”

“Nothing. Never mind. I’m hungry.”

He waited a beat, kept his gaze steady on hers, even as he rose and held out a hand to take hers and pull her up. But he didn’t take a step, didn’t make room for her. For the longest moment, they stood there, facing each other, eyes intent, her hand held lightly in his.

She lifted her other hand, placed it on his chest, near his shoulder, her thumb at the base of his throat. She felt his pulse, the warmth of his skin near the collar of his t-shirt.

But he didn’t try to kiss her. Instead he reached up, fingered the strands that fell near her temple, tucked them behind her ear, then stroked her cheek as he lowered his hand. Smiled and asked, “Who’s driving? Me or you?”

Isabel drew in a breath. Then another. Lowered her hand and pressed it to her stomach. Focus. “Mine’s a mess, and you know I’m a crap driver.”

“Me, then,” he said and stepped onto the parking lot, pulling her behind him. “We could grab some food then catch a movie,” he suggested as they crossed over to his truck. “How’s that sound?”

“What?”

He turned to grin at her, then lead her to the passenger door, opened it. Finally released her hand when she’d gotten settled.

The contact had unnerved her. But she found she missed it when he’d let go.

Jenn blogs at quirky pickings, a must read.  She's smart, serious and snarky.  She's also incredibly honest and generous, and just a lot of fun to know. I love jenn's writing, and am always eager to hear what she has to say next. Pay her a visit!  I'm proud to count jenn as one of my friends, not just a blogging buddy.

~Tina