Tuesday, April 24, 2012

A Musical Journey through THE FIRE LORD'S LOVER

I recalled a post I’d written on how the song, MAGIC MAN by HEART, inspired a scene in THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER, and got to wondering if other songs might convey the essence of other scenes or characters in my book. So grab your favorite drink, kick up your heels, and take a musical journey with me through THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER.

My heroine, Lady Cassandra Bridges, is a bit of a paradox. Her magical gift is that of the dance and she has several in her repertoire, including several dances of desire. And more than one death dance. Raised in a convent to keep her pure for her marriage to my hero, Dominic Raikes, she has taken her religious teachings to heart. But trained as an assassin by the Rebellion, she is also a lethal weapon. HALLELUJAH, beautifully sung by ALEXANDRA BURKE, is a wonderful reflection of Cassandra’s character.



Dominic’s father, the elven lord Mor'ded, fears his growing magical powers, and tests his son’s magical defenses, often by using those Dominic cares about. Half-elven himself, Dominic’s human side would rather face the black magical fire than watch his loved ones suffer, so he has learned to hide his human heart beneath his cold elven exterior. Here’s a song that might embody Dominic’s character when he meets Lady Cassandra and finds himself caring for her: HIDING MY HEART by BRANDI CARLILE.



There is a scene where Lady Cassandra and Thomas, a Rebellion spy, rescue the half-breed Cecily Sutton from Firehame Palace. Cecily has the magical gift of sea and sky, and a power possibly strong enough to threaten the elven lords (Cecily’s story is in book two of THE ELVEN LORDS, THE LADY OF THE STORM). I thought RIDERS OF THE STORM by THE DOORS might capture that wild midnight ride, where Cecily calls her magic of the storm to defeat their pursuers:


Dominic discovers a secret so evil that, for the first time in his life, he is driven to despair. He seeks out the tower of Ador, his father’s dragon-steed and Dominic’s only confidant. Although Ador’s motives are a mystery, the dragon often brings Dominic comfort, and on this pivotal evening he offers Dominic a ride on his back…something Dominic has always secretly longed for. Although Ador calls it a “star dance”, I think MOONDANCE by VAN MORRISON may capture the magical feel of that ride…and what passes between Cass and Dominic afterward.



Lady Cassandra shocks the court by employing two slaves as her personal maids. Both girls have a wee bit of magic. Gwen has a gift for finding things, and May can weave almost anything put between her fingers. When they combine their magic to help protect Cassandra against the elven lord’s wrath, their cloak of dreams may prove stronger than they can imagine. DREAMWEAVER by GARY WRIGHT, is a great reflection of that magical gift:



The elven lord constructed a secret garden within the grounds of Firehame Palace, a copy of the land that might be found in his home world of Elfhame. When he abandons it, Dominic takes it for his own and when Cassandra follows her husband there, they both reveal their hearts to each other for the first time. The rain pummels plants similar to small drums, the wind blows through flowers that emit a haunting melody, and I think all that BOLERO by RAVEL lacks is the sound of petals tinkling like wind chimes:



As Always,
My Magical Best,
Kathryne

2 comments:

catslady said...

All wonderful picks (couldn't listen to the Doors because of copyright rules but that's okay). I went to B&N but they didn't have your older books so I ordered them all on Amazon squeeee!

Author Kathryne Kennedy said...

So glad to hear you got them all, Catslady! And thanks a mill for commenting!