THE ARONEE DESERT...

The wind in the Aronee was steady, lifting the purple grains off their dunes and flinging them about in unexpected patterns... No imaginary landscape could have been more fantastic and surreal than this dry, raging sea.
— THE RUBY PRINCE by BETH BROWER

{I'VE BEEN CREATING MOMENTS FROM QUEEN'S GAMBITRUBY PRINCE, AND WANDERER'S MARK. AS WELL AS SOME OTHER BOOKS I'VE WRITTEN. IT'S SATISFYING, AND INTERESTING. I HAVE THESE IMAGES IN MY MIND AND I TRANSLATE THEM INTO THE WRITTEN WORD. NOW I AM MOLDING THEM BACK INTO COLOR AND FORM, SOME ABSTRACT MANIFESTATION OF WHAT IS SO CLEAR IN MY THOUGHTS. I'LL KEEP WORKING ON THE ART, AND CONTINUE FORGING THE WORDS, FOR THERE ARE MANY MORE STORIES WAITING.} 

SOUNDTRACK FOR THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT & THE RUBY PRINCE

{SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOKS YET}

I write, walk, think, and drive to music. This spills over into my writing, and so most of the books I'm working on have their own playlist. Some of these songs became part of the soundtrack while I was still in the first draft. Some found their way in while I was writing the second, or third, or even the seventh. A few came after all the words were set on the page. All of the songs either matched a scene, or a setting, an emotion, or the intangible ties between characters. Maybe this is the soundtrack for you. Maybe it isn't. If there is a song that you feel resonates with your reading of the book, please let me know! I'd love to hear. 

 

TRACK ONE - The Blood of Cu Chulainn by Jeff Danna & Mychael Danna                                    

{My title? The Queen's Gambit} 

*If there was a movie trailer for The Queen's Gambit, this would be the song. I have listened to this hundreds of times while driving through the mountains to work, thinking of Aemogen. 

TRACK TWO - The Cry of The Celts by Ronan Hardiman 

{My title? The Battle Run.}

TRACK THREE - Smaointe... by Enya

{My title? Eleanor tells of Edith and Shaamil}

*This song most clearly ties into the scene when Eleanor and Wil are on the cliffs by the Fortress of Anoir, and their conversation there. It becomes the theme for the things they discussed, and winds through all three books. 

TRACK FOUR - Celtic Lands clip {from 1:33 - 2:57} clip by Kurt Bestor

{My title? Wil falling for Eleanor falling for Wil falling...}

*The edit is important. It's just that moment, in the middle of the song. I made myself this clip of just of this section so I could listen to it on repeat. Over and over. And over.

TRACK FIVE - Lord of the Dance by Ronan Hardiman

{My title? Aemogen Gathers}

*In my mind, this is the song for the ceremonial dance that Edythe leads at the end. 

TRACK SIX - Gypsie by Ronan Hardiman

{My title? I Must Go}

*"The gift of a dance."  If you've read the book, you know. 

TRACK SEVEN - World Spins Madly On by The Weepies.

{My title? The Regrets}

*The rain that came after the dance...both of them waking in different places, and the cold, misty morning reality of what that means. 

TRACK EIGHT - Desert Rose by Sting

{My title? The Ruby Prince}

*If there were a movie trailer for The Ruby Prince, this would be the song. 

TRACK NINE - Ancient Lands by Ronan Hardiman

{My title? The Deserts of the North}

TRACK TEN Light of Life by Harry Gregson-Williams

{My title? The Allure of Zarbadast}

TRACK ELEVEN - Exile by Enya

{My title? The Distances}

*Eleanor's theme throughout. 

 BONUS TRACK

Invisible by U2

*Basaal has some theme songs. This is one of them.    

{The rest of the soundtrack will be posted with the release of The Wanderer's Mark!}

What do you think? Do any of them work for you? Do you give books you read songs or soundtracks? Let me know!