Hexborn Playlist: Music to Read By

Hexborn is out today!  To celebrate, and to enhance your reading experience, I'm sharing with you some music to read by.

I love all kinds of music.  I'm a singer, and while I'm in the process of writing and editing a book, I often run across songs that touch me and speak to a particular aspect of the story I'm in the midst of creating.  Gradually, I accumulate a list of songs that go along with the novel in some way.

This time, the list was also influenced by the sudden death of my father last fall.  Since he died, I've been listening to a lot of blues and bluegrass, two genres he exposed me to as a child.  You'll see that this Hexborn list is heavily composed of bluegrass and alternative country with a few Blues songs and a couple of more pop tunes.  The bluegrass emphasis is appropriate to the story, since Shiloh, my main character, comes from a small mountain community.

I'll highlight just a few songs for you here.

I chose "Grinnin' in Your Face" by Son House because I adore Son House and because Shiloh, my main character, is the victim of a lot of insults and gossip.  She is bullied because she was born with a medical condition that renders her unclean in the eyes of her neighbors.  She does her best not to allow it to get to her, as advised by Son House in this tune, and she is comforted by the steadfast support of a few treasured loved ones.

"The Water" always makes me cry these days.  To me, it is a song about death and dying.  Shiloh is mourning both her father and her mentor when the book begins, and as I am mourning my own dad, it really speaks to me.

"Love is All" always brings to my mind the character of Silas Hatch, aka "the Hatchet."  He's a man who has hardened his heart in order to be able to fulfill what he sees as his duty, but there is enough of that heart left to contain some very strong loyalties and sentimental ties.

You can listen to the whole playlist on Spotify, but if you don't have Spotify, here is a list of songs and artists:

• "Jolene" by Rhoda Vincent
• "Dance Upon Your Grave" by The Brothers Comatose
• "Troubles" by Anne and Elizabeth
• "Heaven's Gate" by Dawn Landes & Piers Faccini
• "Twitch and Tug" by Hugo
• "Once Was Lost" by Old Bear Mountain
• "Sing to the Mountain" by Elephant Revival
• "Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor" by Mississippi John Hurt
• "Blue Ridge Mountain" by Hurray for the Riff Raff
• "The Body Electric" by Hooray for the Ridd Raff
• "Love is All" by The Tallest Man on Earth
• "The Captain and the Hourglass" by Laura Marling
• "Wrong Black Mare" by Brown Bird
• "Little Sadie" by Doc Watson
• "From Finner" by Of Monsters and Men
• "Hit 'Em Up Style" by Carolina Chocolate Drops
• "The Water" by Johnny Flynn & Laura Marling
• "Spirits" by The Strumbellas
• "The River Song" by Old Bear Mountain
• "Grinnin' in Your Face" by Son House
• "Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac
• "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes
• "Can't Catch Me" by Avicii

I hope you enjoy listening as you read!  Grab your copy today, in either ebook or paperback.

Five-Star Review for Hexborn from Readers' Favorite

I'm thrilled to share this early, 5-star review for Hexborn, courtesy of Carol Beth Anderson from Readers' Favorite.

Hexborn: The Hexborn Chronicles Book 1 by A.M. Manay tells the riveting story of Shiloh Teethborn, a sixteen-year-old orphan. Shiloh is hexborn, accustomed to being an outcast due to the physical evidence of curses she received before birth. But not everyone rejects Shiloh. She has magical abilities, and the chief minister of the kingdom, Silas Hatch, thinks she will be of value to the king. Silas takes Shiloh from her small-town life and brings her to the capital to live in the palace, attend classes in magic, and serve the royal family. It doesn’t take long for Shiloh to attract attention, thanks to her considerable power. She must quickly learn to navigate the rocky paths of politics, relationships, and society. At every step, Silas is there to help her—but can she trust the man known as “the king’s hatchet”?

It’s been some time since I’ve found myself so intrigued by a new fantasy realm. The magical setting of Hexborn is drawn with vivid color and depth, and it’s populated by nuanced, fascinating characters. Shiloh’s vulnerability and strength join to make her immensely likeable, a character worth rooting for. Beneath the stories of intrigue and relationships, Hexborn presents deeper messages about prejudice, both societal and personal. I’m already eagerly anticipating the release of the second book of the series. When I’m lucky enough to discover an independent author with such storytelling prowess, I get a thrill out of it. This was one of those times. Discovering A.M. Manay’s writing was a delight, and I’m looking forward to reading her other novels. Go ahead and grab that pre-order if you haven't already.  Hexborn is going places!

Wednesday Work-In-Progress: Plotting with Silas

With Hexborn about to drop in a few short weeks, here is a peek at the untitled sequel currently in progress . . .

***

“I don’t know. Tunneling is inherently dangerous work,” Shiloh replied, worrying at her bottom lip. “And this would be a really long tunnel.”

“So is an attack on a superior force,” Silas pointed out. “And we don’t know how much they know about what happened at the Citadel. They could be ready for us, expecting us to show up here for Loor. Hell, they could have already moved Mosspeak, Penn, and the princess somewhere else. And I don’t think you’ll be able to catch them by surprise like you did the priests.”

She nodded. “It only worked because none of them bothered with wards inside the walls. Their arrogance was the key. But these men will be expecting me, most likely.”

“Agreed,” her husband replied.

“We need some information before we act, don’t we? Before we break everyone out and make a run for it?” Shiloh argued. “The Gernish troops need to think everything is fine for a few days at least, if we’re to have any hope of getting away clean. They might have some people inside the castle, too. We need to know how many, how often they report in.”

“Fair enough,” Silas replied. “We do need to know their patterns, how much information they have about what is going on in Fountain Bluff and in the kingdom at large.”

“We need a spy,” Shiloh concluded. Her eyes ran over the company until they landed on Jivan.

“You really think so?” Silas asked, following her gaze. “You trust him? He could walk in there and give us up in the first five minutes.”

“He’s a good boy. Kind. I saved his mother’s life. She almost died of Red Fever up at Northgate. And he’s got it pretty bad for Hana,” Shiloh countered.

“I killed his father,” Silas pointed out.

“I don’t get the impression that they were close,” Shiloh replied. Silas eyed her skeptically. “I know, it is a risk,” Shiloh acknowledged. “But he grew up in Gerne, and he wore the gray. They’ll be predisposed to trust him. He can tell them he barely got away with his life, ask them for help. Keep his ears open for a few days, then slip away. If he is willing. I feel bad about sending someone so young into danger.”

“I don’t like the idea of sending him in alone,” Silas argued. “I don’t know him enough to trust him. I do know him enough to be worried about what they’ll do to him if they make him. He’s still a boy.”

“I agree with you on the latter point,” Shiloh acknowledged. “I could use a concealment spell, go in myself, invisible.”

“No,” Hatch pushed back. “You haven’t regained much strength since your display of force last week. You’re liable to fall ill any day. And if it overtakes you while you are among those pigs . . .”

“Well, your concealment spell is rubbish, so what are we supposed to do?” Shiloh countered.

***

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