Emotional Creature, Kevin Hearne talks music and writing

As emotional creatures (unlike, say, the Weeping Angels), we are influenced by music and, to some extent, driven by it. The argument that a single artist or song can make a person commit bunnycide or something else terrible is ridiculous—the capacity to commit bunnycide is a preexisting condition—but it’s probably not so ridiculous to state that some songs might put you “in the mood” to pursue certain behaviors over others. If you are inclined to bang your head, Pantera is far more likely to spark such behavior than the musical stylings of James Taylor.

Looking at it the other way, there are some behaviors I simply cannot consider if certain songs are playing in the background. I cannot wash dishes while listening to “Let’s Get It On,” for example. It would ruin both dishwashing and getting it on for me.

Likewise, my writing is influenced, for good or ill, by whatever music might be playing in the background.

Typically I’m fond of instrumentals because the words of lyrics can and do impinge on my subconsciousness, replacing my normal word choice with those of a wee skinny lad with obscenely tight pants. But once in a while I rock the hell out because I need the aggression to write fight scenes and make all the inside bits go ’splody and become red chunky outside bits.

The best example I can provide is what I do when I need to write a fight scene. I’m not much of a fighter. Like, I can wrestle a marshmallow into submission. Scrambled eggs don’t stand a chance with me. But real dudes? I don’t want to think about it. Unless, of course, I’ve got some heavy metal playing. Speed metal stuff. Megadeth, DragonForce, that kind of thing. Play enough of that with the knob turned up to 11 and you’ll pull out your hand-and-a-half bastard sword and get medieval on someone. And if you don’t have any medieval weapons handy, you’ll find yourself surfing the net looking for double-bladed axes and drinking horns and maybe a nice set of boiled leather armor.

Music helps me tap the emotions I need my characters to feel—and so I play it.

You can purchase Kevins books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Book Depository.

Kevins website~

.kevinhearne.com 

on twitter

@kevinhearne

Are you ready to be Hexed?

Once I read Kevin Hearne's fantastic book Hounded, it reawakened my love for Arizona and all deserts high and low.( I lived in Northern Arizona for a time)When connecting with Kevin on Twitter we compared notes on where to get the best coffee, ale and fish & chips. Now with Hexed out( book 2) Kevin has introduced us to more of the adventures of Atticus O'Sullivan. Luckily for me, as well as YOU, Kevin has introduced me to Atticus hisself, and he has agreed to do a interview with yours truly.
A little back story if you will allow, Atticus is a 2100 yr old Druid living in the body of a 21 year old man..yeah you heard me! He runs a metaphysical bookstore in Mesa, Arizona, and between drinking the occasional ale or shot of whiskey, he fights off just about everyone. Excitement or trouble is his middle name..

So Atticus thanks for stopping by~

It's my pleasure, Synde. Thanks for the beer.

So tell me, over the ages what Musicians have you really favored?

Well, quite recently I've been enamored with Rodrigo y Gabriela. Before that, there was an underground punk band in California in the 90s called Chewbacca's Sister that I used to dig. I was talking backstage with their drummer after one of their shows, his name was Wauuugh! or something like that, and he told me about this crazy cyberpunk band called Hiro Protagonist and the Nam-Shubs. They came on stage wearing swords and when the show was over they'd hack apart their instruments with them. But you're probably wondering about really old acts, right? I have to say Mozart was probably the best ever. He was a true genius and wanted to party all the time and get stupid because that was the only way he could stand to be around other people. They bored the shit out of him otherwise. He was the only guy who ever beat me at memory games. Before him, well, my own bias runs to individual bards, guys that history has forgotten because performers weren't the celebrities then that they are now. I could tell you their names, but what would be the point? They're unpronounceable to modern English tongues and the Internet doesn't accurately represent the fadas over the vowels anyway. But they still live on in me.

Why a metaphysical bookstore? What do you enjoy most about owning/running one?

It's a way for me to hide my own rare books in plain sight. At night, when everyone's gone, I sometimes take 'em out and pull a Gollum, muttering "Yesssss, Precious," and other terms of endearment. Besides that, I sort of feel it's my duty to give people somewhere to go if they're looking for something outside the mainstream. And people who are willing to think independently, well, those are the kinds of people I'd like to meet anyway, so the store gives me a way to do that.

What God/ Tuatha De Dannan is the biggest pain in the butt?

The universal answer to that, no matter who you ask, is probably going to be Thor. He's let that prophecy about Ragnarok go to his head; if he can only die at the fangs of the world serpent, then nothing else can touch him, and he can do whatever he pleases. I think Leif might have a legitimate beef with him.

It seems you are always getting "entangled" with witches, why?

Well, it might seem that way recently, but that hasn't always been the case. During those witch-hunting years, you know, they stayed out of everyone's hair and let the random burnings and dunkings take out their innocent neighbors. The only reason they're so bold now is because this age of science is so skeptical of their existence.

coffee or tea?

I'm a tea kind of fella. There are some interesting compounds in coffee, mind you, but I was a tea guy for seventeen centuries before I had my first cup of coffee.

cider or ale?

Ale, for sure. But there's a great compromise if you can't decide. In Arizona they call it a Snakebite. It's half Guinness and half cider. The Guinness sits on top and it looks like a potion.

So why Kevin, what made you tell your story to him?

Eh. He's an Irish guy who likes baseball and dogs and comic books, so why not? I met him down at Rula Bula and we got to talking, and I found out he knew how to spell and everything. It's not much more complicated than that.

What's next for Atticus and company..what do you have up your sleeves besides tattoos?

Well, I have an apprentice to train, and that's my number one priority. Granuaile is brilliant and I think she'll be a magnificent Druid if I can just make sure we both live that long.

Thanks so much for stopping by..we all really appreciate it..
say hi to Oberon for us..!

I will give him a belly rub on your behalf. I was grateful to receive your invitation, Synde. May harmony find you.




~You can purchase Hounded and Hexed at the following~
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

and you can find Kevin here and Atticus here~
twitter- @Kevin Hearne
www.kevinhearne.com