A Dream Within A Dream: Two and Twenty Dark Tales Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaway!

TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS OF MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES. THIS AIN’T YOUR TODDLER’S MOTHER GOOSE BOOK!

Fairy tales sung sweetly can take us back to childhood, but just beneath those same sweet tales, is a hint of something dark…

Month9Books, a new publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens launches in October 2012, with the release of TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS OF MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES. This unique collaboration’s proceeds (from the first 5,000 copies sold) will be donated to YALITCHAT.ORG, an organization that fosters the advancement, reading, writing and acceptance of young adult literature worldwide. TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS OF MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES features some of today’s most admired young adult authors, including: Michelle Zink, Lisa Mantchev, Sarwat Chadda, Nina Berry, Leigh Fallon, Suzanne Young, C. Lee McKenzie, Angie Frazier, Jessie Harrell, Gretchen McNeil, KM Walton, Heidi R. Kling, Nancy Holder, Karen Mahoney, Suzanne Lazear, Pamela van Hylckama Vlieg, Shannon Delany with Max Scialdone, Leah Cypess, Sayantani DasGupta, and Georgia McBride, founder of Month9Books. Francisco X. Stork, author of the critically acclaimed MARCELLO IN THE REAL WORLD, provides a foreword that is nearly as riveting as the stories themselves.

When asked why they wanted to be a part of TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS of MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES, the authors had a lot to say!

“I'm so excited to be working on Month9Books's epic anthology. I've been a Tudor© nerd since before the Tudors© were cool, and this nursery rhyme is about the accession of the Scottish king, James VI, to the English throne (as James I.)”

-- New York Times Bestselling author, Nancy Holder

"As soon as I heard the anthology's theme, I knew there was no stopping me! I love anything to do with folklore, so immediately latched onto 'One for Sorrow' as my story's basis. I've wanted to write a crow story for a long time, and this was the perfect excuse!"

-- Karen Mahoney, author of The Iron Witch and The Wood Queen, Flux Books

Music and Writing: To use or not to use and how it affects you.

By Jessie Harrell

I don’t know if it’s because my mother forced music lessons upon me starting in fourth grade, or whether my connection to music is innate, but there’s something special about music that moves my soul. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an expressive classical piece (like Wagner’s Elsa’s Procession to the Catherdral), an up-tempo hit that makes me want to dance (like Maroon 5’s Payphone), or a song that breaks my heart (like Matchbox 20’s new song, I Will). If I connect to the song, for whatever reason, it’s not likely I’ll ever forget it. In fact, I’ll probably want to listen to it over and over again to feel whatever emotion the song stirs in me.

It’s probably because music elicits such an emotional response in me that I find it almost impossible to write without it. (Or maybe I just don’t like silence.) But in my writing, music leaves a prominent footprint. For instance, in my piece titled “I Come Bearing Souls,” in Two and Twenty Dark Tales, cello music opens and closes the story. In the manuscript I’m currently working on, you’ll find references to Muse, Joshua Radin and Snow Patrol. And in my novel, Destined, I have a full playlist that heavily inspired my writing. (You can hear it here: http://www.jessieharrell.com/jh/Destined.html )

One reason I think I rely on music while writing is because it helps set a mood. It’s sort of like how a horror movie needs a spooky soundtrack to be truly creepy. Novels need an undercurrent, a mood, running through every scene to truly connect with the reader. For me, when I have “mood music” playing in the background, I’m just better able to write a scene that conveys the mood I’m going for.

If you want to hear some of the songs that inspired my twisted take on “Hey Diddle, Diddle,” check out these songs:
* The End Where I Begin, by The Script
* Just Breathe, by Pearl Jam
* Viva la Lida, by Coldplay (the uptempo strings are great for action and a sense of movement)
* Uprising, by Muse

So now that you know how I feel about music, I’m curious what you readers think about musical references in books. Do you like it when authors name a specific song or band? Does it bother you for any reason?

A big thank you to author Jessie Harrell for sharing her thoughts on music and writing today on my blog! I always love to get inside an author's mind and get their thoughts!

About Month9Books:

Month 9 Books is a publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens… where nothing is as it seems. Month9Books will donate proceeds from each of its annual charity anthologies to a deserving charity. Individually, authors may donate his or her advances and royalties to a charitable organization. Month9Books will also release 10-12 non-charitable titles annually. TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS OF MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES is Month9Books’s first release. Month9Books is distributed by Small Press United, a division of IPG. You may visit www.month9books.com for more information.

Links: