Sylvain Reynard

NY Times Best-Selling Author

Reader Supported Listening

Dear Everyone,


A few weeks ago, I asked readers to tell me what songs they would place on the soundtrack to Gabriel’s Inferno. I was pleasantly surprised when I received tweets and messages from readers around the world, recommending various music. I’ve included references to several songs in the novel, but I was interested in hearing what the readers thought would make a good soundtrack.
The song that stood out amongst the recommendations was No Light, No Light by Florence + The Machine. Rebecca C. sent the song to me, which you can listen to here.

The lyrics that caught my attention: “No light, no light in your bright blue eyes. I never knew daylight could be so violent. The revelation in the light of day …”
I’m still meditating on the violence of daylight.

Readers recommended many different kinds of music and I found myself introduced to several new bands. Here’s a list of some of the songs:
“Sinister Kid” by The Black Keys. “That’s me, that’s me – the boy with the broken halo. The devil won’t let me be …”
“Broken” by Livingstone. “Broken in silence, I adore you …”
“Fix You” by Coldplay.
“If You Only Knew” by Shinedown.
“Arms” by Christina Perri.
“A Drop in the Ocean,” by Ron Pope. *I enjoyed listening to this song very much.
“Sigh No More,” by Mumford and Sons.
“In the End,” by Snow Patrol.
“I Love You,” by Sarah McLachlan.
“Cloudbusting,” by Kate Bush.
“Amazed,” by Lonestar.
Thank you to everyone who sent a suggestion. I invite more musical recommendations in the comments below.

In light of the Professor’s passion for museums (and their inherent seductive possibilities), I’ll be posting a series of entries on the museums of the world, beginning tomorrow.
All the best and thanks for reading,

SR

Music – “Bésame mucho”

Dear Everyone,



As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m interested in the way music can help an author set a scene. In two scenes in “Gabriel’s Inferno,” the song Bésame mucho (recorded by Diana Krall), plays an important role. However, the meaning of the song shifts with the narrative.


You can listen to the song on my playlist. Here are the lyrics by Consuelo Velazquez, a Mexican songwriter and pianist who wrote the song at the age of sixteen, before she had been kissed:


“Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta noche
La última vez


Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después


Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta noche
La última vez


Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después


Quiero tenerte muy cerca
Mirarme en tus ojos
Verte junto a mi
Piensa que tal vez mañana
Yo ya estaré lejos
Muy lejos de ti


Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta noche
La última vez


Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después


Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después


Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después.”


Here is the English translation:


“Kiss me a lot


Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
As if tonight was
the last time.


Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
Because I fear to lose you,
To lose you later on.


Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
As if tonight was
the last time.


Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
Because I fear to lose you,
To lose you later on.


I want to have you very close
To see myself in your eyes,
To see you next to me,
Think that perhaps tomorrow
I already will be far,
very far from you.


Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
As if tonight was
the last time.


Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
Because I fear to lose you,
To lose you later on.


Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
Because I fear to lose you,
To lose you again.


Because I fear to lose you,
To lose you later on.”


Although the translation might help, it’s probably unnecessary. The music speaks for itself and that’s exactly the kind of song I was looking for in these scenes.


Thanks for reading (and listening).


All the best,






SR






PS. I mentioned author Heather Huffman and her support of WorldVision in a previous post. She has moved her books to Booktrope.com. You can read “Throwaway” for free on that site. Please consider donating to WorldVision if you read one of her books. I highlight a charity every day on my Twitter account. Today’s charity is WorldVision.


I was fortunate to be interviewed by Miss Tamie of The Book Hookup yesterday. You can read the interview here. In it, I mentioned a book club that has compiled a drinks list for each chapter of “Gabriel’s Inferno.” I’ll be sharing part of that list with you soon.
Thank you to Didimarble for more information on Consuelo!

Music – Nine Inch Nails

Dear Everyone,



The musical reference in “Gabriel’s Inferno” that has generated the most discussion is the mention of Nine Inch Nails. Some readers enjoy Trent Reznor, (the creative force behind the band), and his music. Some readers don’t.


Within the context of the story, Professor Emerson explains that he listens to Nine Inch Nails only when he is in a particular mood. In contrast, Julia never listens to them because she associates a particular song with a bad experience. (Warning: Some people might find the song disturbing and/or offensive)
A character’s musical tastes can shed light on what he or she finds beautiful or meaningful. The music a character avoids can be similarly illuminating, by drawing attention to lyrics or ideas that he or she finds distasteful.


In my conversations with readers, I’ve encountered varying musical tastes (as one might expect). As I pointed out in these discussions, not all my references to Nine Inch Nails are negative. For example, there is a scene in which Gabriel confesses that he has spent a lot of time listening to Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt, which was composed by Trent Reznor. Julia admits that Hurt resonates with her, as well. There is also a scene in which Paul claims to like a song that Trent Reznor recorded with Tori Amos.
In the comments section, I invite your remarks on musical taste in general and on Nine Inch Nails specifically. (I only ask that you don’t post spoilers for the story!)
I enjoy interacting with readers. It’s been a great pleasure to meet many of you through email, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.
All the best and thanks for reading,


SR
PS. If you’ve read “Gabriel’s Inferno,” would you consider writing a review on Goodreads or Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de?

Music – “You and Me” by Matthew Barber

Dear Everyone,


As a writer and as a reader, I’m interested in the way that music can set a scene, hint at a subtext, or offer clues to a mystery. I’ve explored some of these options in “Gabriel’s Inferno.”


In one scene, I envisioned “You and Me” by Matthew Barber playing in the background while the central characters talk over dinner. This song emphasizes the differences between the characters and the way they have chosen to live their lives. The song also mentions the contrast between virtue and vice.


Few contemporary songs include references to virtue and vice, but Matthew Barber is not your typical singer-songwriter. You can watch him perform the song here. (And you can purchase the song from the “Ghost Notes” album on iTunes.)


Professor Emerson confesses to having all Seven Deadly Sins: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, avarice, gluttony and lust. He thinks that he’s a magnet for a sin. On the other hand, the lovely Miss Mitchell is a paragon of the Seven Virtues that oppose those vices: humility, kindness, patience, diligence, liberality, abstinence and chastity. The virtues and vices are paired in this way because humility is the corrective for pride, kindness is the corrective for envy, etc.

Liberality is perhaps the virtue least familiar by name. It can be likened to generosity and it’s supposed to combat greed. We normally think of generosity in terms of giving to others, particularly in terms of donating money to charities or worthy causes.


Through Goodreads, I have been able to meet a number of my readers. The interface on that website is set up in a similar fashion to Facebook so that one can see updates on what one’s friends are reading, what their ratings are of particular books, etc. Recently, I saw that one of my readers was reading a series of books by an American author named Heather Huffman.


Mrs. Huffman describes her novels as stories about strong female leads who face difficult situations. She provides her books for free through Barnes and Noble for Nook readers or anyone who uploads a Nook application to their cell phone or PC or Mac computer.


Why would a novelist provide ALL her books for free?


Mrs. Huffman answers this question on the top of her website, where she states that she would prefer her readers make a donation to WorldVision or the charity of their choice, rather than paying for her book. In particularly, she encourages her readers to donate to WorldVision’s program to support and protect sexually exploited girls.

Mrs. Huffman’s work is a great example of the virtue of liberality. She donates her writing to charity and in so doing, inspires others to give of their talents to worthy causes. Donations don’t always have to be financial – one can donate time, things that one makes, or even one’s writing. One person can make a difference.


All the best,


SR


www.sylvainreynard.com

PS. If you read one of Mrs. Huffman’s novels or if you make a contribution to a charity or a worthy cause, would you let me know? I welcome your comments below.


Connect with Sylvain

About The Author

fluer-de-lisI am honoured to have had all three of my novels appear on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. I was a Semifinalist for Best Author in the 2011 and 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. {More About Sylvain}