Music To Write By - A Guest Post from M.J Fifield

I have the awesome M.J Fifield here with me today as part of her blog tour for Effigy! Take it away, M.J!

Music To Write By, Part Two

Earlier this week, I talked about the music I write by, and how I create story-specific playlists for each book. Today, I thought I would continue that theme, by taking a closer look at some of Effigy's key tracks.

Music catches my attention first, but the lyrics ultimately determine if the song earns a spot on a playlist. Here are three songs which did just that:

—Do What You Have To Do by Sarah McLachlan. If you've happened to have read Effigy, this song pairs with a scene at the end. It might be an odd choice with which to start, but this was the very first song to make Effigy's playlist, and the only song that has survived every revision of said playlist (as the story evolved, so did the music). I find this entire song to be so freakin' gorgeous, and every single line applies so perfectly to the scene, but the key lyrics are:

What ravages of spirit/ conjured this tempestuous rage/ created you a monster/ broken by the rule of love

—My Skin by Natalie Merchant. It doesn't have a specific scene with which it pairs, but if Haleine Coileáin had a theme song, this would be it. Key lyrics include:

I've been treated so wrong/ I've been treated so long/ as if I'm becoming untouchable/ I'm a slow dying flower/ frost killing hour/ the sweet turning sour/and untouchable

—Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls. Effigy has a love story in it. As you can probably guess from the first song listed, it may not end particularly well, but there is a love story. This song is from the happier times. Key lyrics include:

And I'd give up forever to touch you/ 'cause I know that you feel me somehow/ you're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be/ and I don't want to go home right now

Do you ever come across songs which embody your stories, scenes or characters?

Thanks for stopping by today, and thanks to Kyra for hosting me today!

The survival of a once-mighty kingdom rests in the hands of its young queen, Haleine Coileáin, as it slowly succumbs to an ancient evil fueled by her husband's cruelty.

A sadistic man with a talent for torture and a taste for murder, he is determined to burn the land and all souls within. Haleine is determined to save her kindgom and, after a chance encounter, joins forces with the leader of the people's rebellion. She gives him her support, soon followed by her heart.

Loving him is inadvertent but becomes as natural and necessary as breathing. She lies and steals on his behalf, doing anything she can to further their cause. She compromises beliefs held all her life, for what life will exist if evil prevails?

Her journey leads to a deceiving world of magic, monsters, and gods she never believed existed outside of myth. The deeper she goes, the more her soul is stripped away, but she continues on, desperate to see her quest complete. If she can bring her husband to ruin and save her people, any sacrifice is worth the price—even if it means her life.

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About the Author:

Armed with a lasting love of chocolate, purple pens, and medieval weaponry, M.J. Fifield is nothing if not a uniquely supplied insomniac. When she isn't writing, she's on the hunt for oversizedbaked goods or shiny new daggers. M.J. lives with a variety of furry creatures—mostly pets—in New Hampshire. Visit her online at mjfifield.com.

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