Best Music for Writing Inspiration

It really should be no surprise that epic music has inspired me and kept me writing as I was working on Remnant: The Clans of Arcadia since Remnant is filled with magic, far away lands, and a fight against good and evil, it only makes sense that Celtic Thunder had a hand in my inspiration.

Specifically, the Isle of Innisfree, Turning Away, and Hunter's Moon from the Mythology album have been played over and over and over again. I absolutely love these pieces. There's just something about music that takes my mind to other places. Perhaps it's because I was a musician for so long that I feel the music more than hear it. With Celtic Thunder, feeling the music is pure joy.

Another group that I've found inspirational is not as well known as Celtic Thunder. They are Valentine Wolfe. They sing chamber metal. The vocalist, Sarah, has a haunting voice, and Braxton is simply amazing on the bass cello. I haven't been able to buy their newest albums yet. But, the album I did buy is called, Once Upon a Midnight, and it's fantastic. It features the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe. What could be better for influencing a writer? Honestly, I hope some day I can get Valentine Wolf to perform a book trailer for The Collision of Fire and Ice. How cool that would be!









These groups are only two of the ones that have influenced my writing. I will post more later. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.


--Arwen, author The Collision of Fire and Ice, and The Louvre Still Stands



Let me know what music influences your writing in the comments below! 

Best Music for Writing Inspiration

It really should be no surprise that epic music helped to inspire me and keep me writing as I was working on Remnant: The Clans of Arcadia. Remnant is filled with magic, far away lands, and a fight against good and evil, so it only makes sense that Celtic Thunder had a hand in my inspiration.

Specifically, the Isle of Innisfree, Turning Away, and Hunter's Moon from the Mythology album has been played over and over and over again. I absolutely love these pieces. There's just something about music that takes my mind to other places. Perhaps it's because I was a musician for so long that I feel the music more than hear it. With Celtic Thunder, feeling the music is pure joy.

Another group that I've found inspirational is not as well known as Celtic Thunder. They are Valentine Wolfe. They sing chamber metal. The vocalist, Sarah, has a haunting voice, and Braxton is simply amazing on the bass cello. I haven't been able to buy their newest albums yet. But, the album I did buy is called, Once Upon a Midnight, and it's fantastic. It features the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe. What could be better for influencing a writer? I hope someday I can get Valentine Wolf to perform a book trailer for The Collision of Fire and Ice. How cool that would be!









These groups are only two of the ones that have influenced my writing. I will post more later. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.


--Arwen, 



Let me know what music influences your writing in the comments below! 

Dream Cast of Characters for Blue Springs, Kansas by Arwen Chandler

So, a great story deserves a great cover. I finally broke down and bought an image for this book. I think it is a much better cover than any other I've had for Blue Springs, Kansas. Hopefully, it will catch a few eyes. It is currently in the process of going live, so hopefully it will be on Amazon in a few hours. Fingers crossed that it will drive some sales my way.

So, in honor of my new cover, I thought I'd share my dream cast of characters for Blue Springs, Kansas.


About Blue Springs, Kansas:

"For years rodeo photographer Laura Garrett never felt more comfortable than behind the lens of a camera or when Clark was at her side. All this changes one night on the way to the rodeo semi-finals in Montana. Suddenly Laura finds herself stranded in the small town of Blue Springs, Kansas. Will she find the strength to carry on, and should she really eat that piece of pie?"

My Dream Cast of Characters: 

Hailee Steinfeld as Laura Garrett: Hailee Steinfeld was amazing in True Gritt. I loved her portrayal of Mattie Ross, and I know she'd do a great job playing Laura. Laura is serious about her photography and is a devoted girlfriend. She's also one tough cookie.

If you haven't seen Steinfeld in True Gritt, you really should watch it.  As a side note, we lived in Northwest Arkansas for a long time, and when True Gritt came out we had just moved to Texas. I didn't want my kids to watch it, because I knew it would make them homesick. The setting is dead on, unlike the original True Gritt. It's one of my favorite movies.

Alden Ehrenreich as Clark Baker: Clark is a rodeo cowboy, good-ole-boy type. He wants to keep his relationship with Laura, but also wants to have his fun when she's not around. Clark has a way of getting under a woman's skin, and making her ignore his bad qualities. Alden Ehrenreich would make an excellent Clark, because he can pull off that bad boy you want to hate, but can't help love type. He's also easy on the eyes.

If you're not familiar with his work, I would recommend watching Beautiful Creatures.


Gerard Butler as Patrizio: Gerard Butler could really pull of Patrizio's character. Patrizio is older than Laura, but still young at heart. He's also been around the block. He's been accused of being in the mafia, and in witness protection. His background is unknown to those around him, but the small town of Blue Springs loves him. He can handle himself in a fight, but he can also make a killer omelet.

Of course Gerard Butler is a diverse actor. He is remarkable in Phantom of the Opera, and just as remarkable in London Has Fallen. And, who doesn't love Gerard Butler?




Christine Baranski as Molly: Molly is a side character, but she deserves her own special actress, and Christine Baranski is it. Molly is a waitress who is infatuated with Patrizio, and is a harmless flirt. She's also kind and encouraging to her patrons. I love Christine Baranski! She is just an amazing actress, and would add a lot of depth and fun to Blue Springs, Kansas. I love Christine Baranski in Chicago, Mamma Mia, and The Big Bang Theory.

One of My Favorite Authors: Ursula K. Le Guin

I absolutely adore the Earthsea Cycle --six books in all. Ursula K. Le Guin's masterpiece has greatly influenced me as a writer, and I am certain that the sorcerer Ged is off somewhere visiting my characters living in Arcadia.

I began writing Collision of Fire and Ice in 2004,  after I fell in love with A Wizard of Earthsea. I cannot express how much Le Guin's novel inspired me to take up my pen, and truly I had never thought about the correlation until this moment. But, I think her work helped me to realize I wanted to create a world of my own, a world that I could escape in, and hopefully a place other people will enjoy visiting, too.

If you've never watched the following video, I whole-heartedly recommend watching it. I thought it was amazing!

Top 5 Stephen King Books

All writers have a favorite author, and it is no secret that Stephen King is one of mine. I was first introduced to Stephen King through the film, Silver Bullet. I remember watching it on Television with my best friend. I was enthralled. From that moment, I hunted down every Stephen King book I could find, and I have read many of them. Although, there are still some on my to read list. The following are my top five Stephen King reads. Let me know what yours are in the comments!

Thanks,

Arwen
--Write On!

5.  So,  Under the Dome felt like a different kind of Stephen King, and I love it! Not only is the book a grand-slam with its characters like Barbie, and Big Jim Rennie, it is a complete mind game. I cannot tell you how much I love this book. In fact, there are times that I go back and forth whether I like a character or not. It is such a great piece of fiction.

About Under the Dome:

"On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester’s Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener’s hand is severed as “the dome” comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact..." To read more click:here.

4. 11/22/63: A Novel amazing. I just love the twist and turns Stephen King takes with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He also addresses the desire we all have to go back and change the past. In fact, that is the entire story of the book. What will happen if the past changes, and can you really change it. This book is truly remarkable.

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Stephen King’s heart-stoppingly dramatic new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination..." To read more click:here.

3. Everything's Eventual is a great book full of exciting short reads. I think my favorite of the tales is The Road Virus Heads North. The reason this tale really came to life for me is because I am always shopping at yard sales, and while I know the painting is not real, this would so happen to me if it could.

One of my favorite things to do is tell my children ghost stories when we are on road trips, and The Road Virus Heads North has been requested on several occasions. It's just great.

About Everything's Eventual:

"King is in terrifying top form in these short stories, taking readers down a road less traveled (for good reason) in the blockbuster ebook “Riding the Bullet”; bad table service turns bloody when you stop in for “Lunch at the Gotham Café”; and terror becomes déjà vu all over again when you get “That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French...." To read more click:here.








2. The Gunslinger is one of my all-time favorites. It ranks right up there with Dune for me.  I love the way Stephen King draws the reader into the story as we follow Roland on his hunt for the man in black. The Gunslinger is one of those books that's hard to put down.

About The Gunslinger:

“A #1 national bestseller, The Gunslinger introduces readers to one of Stephen King’s most powerful creations, Roland of Gilead: The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil..." To read more click: here.





1. The first time I read this I was in high school. That was 27 years ago, and this book still haunts me. It was the first book that gave me a nightmare, and to date it is the last book that has given me one. The characters were realistic and chilling. I don't love having bad dreams, but the plot and characters truly resonated with me. This book ranks number one on my favorite Top 5 Stephen King book.

About Salem's Lot:

"Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem's Lot in the hopes that living in an old mansion, long the subject of town lore, will help him cast out his own devils and provide inspiration for his new book. But when two young boys venture into the woods and only one comes out alive..." To read more click: here.