A Dream Within A Dream: Game of Shadows Blog Tour: Playlist + Giveaway

Game of Shadows

Author: Erika Lewis
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Publisher: Tor Books

Description:

Ethan Makkai thought that seeing ghosts was the worst of his problems. Between his ethereal gift and life with a single mother hell-bent on watching his every move, he feels imprisoned. When Ethan sees a chance to escape, to leave the house by himself for the first time in his life, he seizes it, unaware that this first taste of freedom will cost him everything.

Ethan is thrown into a strange and eerie world, like nothing he's ever seen. He's assaulted by dive-bombing birds and rescued by a stranger who claims to be his bodyguard. His apartment is trashed, and his mother is kidnapped to a place Ethan never knew existed—a hidden continent called Tara.

Travelling to Tara in search of his mother, Ethan discovers that everything he knows about his life is a lie. His mother is royalty. His father is not dead. His destiny is likely to get him killed.

Confronted by a vicious sorcerer determined to destroy the Makkai family, Ethan must garner strength from his gift and embrace his destiny if he’s going to save his mother and all the people of Tara, including the beautiful girl he’s fallen for.

Praise:

“A fantastical journey that I didn’t want to end!” ―Sherrilyn Kenyon, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“It’s impossible to put this riveting page-turner down!” ―Stan Lee, author, editor, actor, and former president and chairman of Marvel Comics

“This book’s got heart . . . a wonderful adventure.” ―R. A. Salvatore, New York Times bestselling author of The Hunters Blades novels

“One of those thrilling tales you can’t put down . . . the perfect blend of imaginative world-building and nonstop action wrapped up in a compelling mystery.” ―D.J. MacHale, New York Times bestselling author of Pendragon and The SYLO Chronicles

“We were hooked. This is an adventure story for the ages.” --John Barrowman & Carole Barrowman, authors of the Hollow Earth trilogy & Conjuror

“Riveting from the start.” ―Steven Gould, author of Jumper

“Lewis has created a whole new world that is at once exciting and affecting. . . . She weaves a web of mythology that is both reminiscent of the Celtic world and redolent of the unique creation of a rich and fertile imagination.”―Dara Hellman, Lecturer, Celtic Studies Program, University of California, Berkeley

The Playlist for GAME OF SHADOWS is as diverse as the landscape. Below, I’ve pulled some of the realms and journey’s music. Also, each time a new character was introduced, I liked to find songs that spoke to what that character was all about emotionally at the time.

In truth, I don’t write to music. I find the lyrics distracting when I’m trying to get my own words OUT OF MY HEAD AND ONTO THE PAGE!

But to start things off, Ethan’s life in the open of the story is what I like to call controlled chaos. The chaos from the ghosts who showed up unannounced, and his mostly failed attempts to keep from looking insane when they spoke to him. I used Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” melody as a metaphor, and to set the mood. Ironically, Ethan used this tune, with the volume cranked, to irritate the ethereal eardrums enough so they would vacate. It was a win-win.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDwotNLyz10

Now let’s jog back to the feel of the people and realms.

Landover is a place where everyone is welcome in Landover, so long as you come with in peace. A place open to REFUGEES and IMMIGRANTS, but has a history or war with its neighbor. So I picked a couple of songs that set the somber mood of the people at this point and time, as well as created calming effect that reflects these simple farming people in the realm. This song is called Annan Waters, and is by Kate Rusby. I love Kate Rusby, her voice so inviting and haunting. Take a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joj4BqEfhis

Gransmore. The land of Fomorians, a once angry, deadly race, they now pride themselves on lavish parties and fun. This is the song I heard playing when Ethan, Lily and Christian road into Brimouth, into the middle of the birthday celebration for the queen. They, sadly, are a much less welcoming realm than Landover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6ICnU37BGk

Primland: A mystery to all at this time, Primland is a realm lost in the mist left behind by the evil sorcerer, Sawney Bean. Always on the brink of war with Landover, Primland is not to be ventured into on purpose or by accident. When Ethan accidently does cross the border, I used two things to guide the moment: The ravens attacking and ominous haunting sounds. If you can play them at the same time…perfection!

Ravens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi9EAz9LaaI

The mist of Primland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eegs84CdzTc

Kilkerry: A realm of Faoladhs, the “werewolves” of Ireland, they don’t shape-shift. They stand upright, but have a wolf form. Free-running over rocky, barren terrain, the Faoladhs needed a backdrop of music that was as exhilarating as they are as a species, with a Celtic flair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ8l2cX7w3I

Algidare: This was the hardest of the realms. Bugganes are an ape-like species, highly intelligent, violently fearful of visitors of any kind. I targeted music/sounds for setting with them, the wind swept snowy mountains, and the tropical lakes.

Combine these two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBUtBrk7yzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAfCFAHWhig

Then transition to this abruptly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxNysxRT0Go

And then to this:

Power Trip’s “Nightmare Logic”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al7rzFSjdgs

Between realms. With the race across Tara in search of Caitriona, it was important to find something that was a modern mixture of a Celtic beat. I found it in a simple search online. I could imaging the pounding of the horses hooves across the luxurious fields of Gransmore. It’s called the Celtic War March.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCrU3G2cHyA

On the characters, I’ll stick to Ethan and Lily or this post will never end.

Lily’s theme song for Ethan:

Ces Cru with Mackenzie Nicole:, Hero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdUVt6mOY4k

The irony is that it’s his song for her too…

And then one last, because I can’t help but show my age a little. Sawney Bean’s theme song for every woman he meets.

Pat Benatar, “Shadows of the Night”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHeZZ00ku7k

Erika Lewis graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Math. And what do you do with a degree in Math? You become a writer of course… eventually…

She moved to the west coast following her dream to work in television. And after fifteen glorious years developing and producing for truly awesome places, like Sony Pictures Entertainment, Fireworks Television, 20th Television, that’s a division of Fox if you didn’t know that, and then at G4, where she could finally be free to be the nerd she had always been. She had more collectible toys in her office than even the famed executive producers of ATTACK OF THE SHOW and XPLAY. At least that’s the way she remembers it.

So how did this circle back to the beginning of this bio? A Math major becoming a writer? Because she’d actually always been a writer, she just never told anyone. She would write and write, edit and edit, then realize that it wasn’t good enough and go back in for yet another pass. And when she finally had several projects she really loved, that’s when she knew it was time to unleash them to the world.

Her first project, a graphic novel, THE 49TH KEY, is currently being featured in Heavy Metal Magazine, and will be released in trade in summer, 2017. Along with her amazing partner, Jessica Chobot, she’s currently working with LINE Webtoon and Legendary Comics on FIREBRAND, an ongoing comic series. Her first novel, GAME OF SHADOWS hits the bookstore shelves February 28th, 2017 from TOR/Forge Books, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers.

There are several other really exciting projects that you will be hearing much more about soon, but if she leaked them now, she’d get in big, big, big trouble. She resides in the sunshine state of California. When she’s not chained to her laptop, she’s usually playing with her big fluffy Golden Retriever, or running, or at one of the bookstores or comic shops by her house. And always drinking coffee.