Guest Post & Giveaway: "Vigilante of Shadows" by Miranda Stork

Using Music As My Inspiration

While I’m currently rewriting my fourth novel, as yet un-named(Scarlet Rain Series #2), I had a think about what I use to give me inspiration. Of course, I use people around me as inspiration for my characters, and there are quite a few of my friends who might recognise themselves in some of the characters….but which ones? ;)

And then of course the beautiful Scottish, Irish and Yorkshire landscapes come from either my travels to these stunning places, or where I live right now, in the case of Yorkshire. There is nothing like looking out of your bedroom window and seeing the hills down the road, disappearing into white wisps of cloud, covered in a quilt of green and red. I often go for walks to give me inspiration, to imagine better the cold wind whipping around someone’s ears, or the hot sun making you feel sleepy.

But what about those times when you can’t, or don’t need, to go out? What about when you know what you want to write, but your muse has packed her bag and gone off on another one of those fortnightly ‘muse’ holidays that it so often takes? Well, I use music.

Writing paranormal romance, fantasy, and horror, gives me quite a wide berth with music, which is good as I have a wide berth in tastes. On a night out, I like to hear dance music, but none of that ever makes its way into my writing playlist. Instead, it ranges from the soothing classical strains of Venus from the beautiful Planets Suite, by Holstz, to Amaranth by NightWish. For the more romantic scenes it could be a mixture of either, for any fight or battle scenes I get the metal going, usually along the lines of Disturbed, and for eerie-ness I make sure I have something like Forsaken by Disturbed, or Ride of The Valkyries. Then there are my naughtier scenes, but I can’t give away what I use for those! ;)

I find that it helps me to concentrate again, focussing my attention back onto my work and away from whatever else was distracting me before. I also find that it has a good effect on my writing, usually flavouring it in some way. Sometimes an entire chapter or book title can be inspired from one of my writing playlist songs. You think you’ve just read about how Filtiarn feels about Erin? Nope, that’s just Swamped by Lacuna Coil!

So how about you? Does any music help you if you’re writing? And which songs? 

Vigilante of Shadows

Scarlet Rain Series, Book One
Miranda Stork

Genre: Paranormal Thriller/Romance

Publisher: Moon Rose Publishing

Number of pages: 267

Word Count: 88,487

Cover Artist: Miranda Stork

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/vYI-jh8Fa48

Book Description:

Aodhan clutched uselessly at his head, groaning. He knew it was useless, because the voice was not inside his head. It followed him, skimming across buildings and land. It had followed him since he was sixteen, and it still followed him today, like a memory too horrific to be forgotten…

Aodhan is a shadow-demon, hardened and cold after years of being alone, after his love, his Entwined, was cruelly taken away from him. He has closed his heart to the world, and now spends his life ridding the world of men like those who took his beloved away, an immortal hit-man…

Arianwen Harris is a young DCI, working for York City Police. When a known criminal is found viciously killed, she finds herself trailing a hit-man who has seemed to escape clutches again and again…but she begins to find herself drawn to his dark charms and roguish good looks…

As their two worlds collide, Aodhan and Arianwen find themselves coming together to escape a far greater enemy, one that threatens to create a world far worse than the one they live in. As they battle to hold back the oncoming forces, fate has another plan; one to draw them together and heal their broken pasts together…

I was born in Guisborough, North Yorkshire in 1987 and have lived in various places around Britain, including Newcastle and Glasgow.

My writing is inspired by various writers, including the vivid characters of Charles Dickens, the imagination of Stephen King, and the gothic imagery of Anne Rice.

My love of horror began at an early age, when I was only three or four. I could read proficiently at the age of three, and devoured fairy-stories, but I always had a bent towards the darker stories, such as the Brother's Grimm's tales...Red Riding Hood was always a firm favourite, although I always felt sorry for the wolf, despite him having tried to eat everyone!

Amazon Author Page:

http://www.amazon.com/Miranda-Stork/e/B0082YW92S/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Blog: http://writermirandastork.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mirandastork

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authormirandastork

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4279057.Miranda_Stork

 10 Ebook copies and Swag packs, containing a signed poster, bookmarks, and postcards; open internationally.

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