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Rise of the Branded by Scott Keen
Scar of the Downers #2
Publication date: November 22nd 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Pursued into the wild by the soldiers of Ungstah, former slave Crik and the other freed Downers encounter the magical and terrifying nature of their world. They face spectral Shepherds, man-eating Rukmush, and the ancient giants of the earth. When two of their group are captured, Crik is distraught and powerless.

To kill any hope of escape for the city’s Branded, the army comes after Crik and his friends to make an example of them. The answers for Durgan, Crik and freedom for all Downers lie hidden in the dark recesses of the Northern Reaches, in the treacherous places Crik and his companions are about to enter.

Pick up Book 1, Scar of the Downers, at Amazon.

Guest Post

Sitting down to write, and opening your mind, in this case, to another world, is one of the hardest things for me to do. When my mind is filled with problems, worries, and other stresses that come with living life, it, as you can imagine, is difficult to escape into another world and write, no matter how badly you want to. So how do I assist my mind in leaving these things behind? Well, that’s what I’m going to discuss.

When I sit down to write with my cup of coffee next to me, I don’t just start writing. I must first find myself and my story. That seems pretty vague, doesn’t it? I always cringe when I hear the phrase, “find one’s self.” However, this is what I mean.

I must push aside all the other cares and stresses, all the other self-doubts and business. I must find that part of me that loved to write because it took me somewhere I have never been, but always wanted to go. What helps me to do that? Sometimes nothing. But what I usually turn to are these four things: reading a book, listening to music, watching a movie clip, or watching a trailer.

I have discovered that these external things help me to bring out the creative part of my brain while lulling the other part (the part that worries or is tired) to sleep.

What kind of book, song, trailer, or movie clip do I use you may I ask?

I’ve written many different types of stories in the past. I’ve written screenplays, stage plays, short stories, and novels. Though my two published books are fantasies, not everything I’ve written is fantastically based.

So, the answer to the question is this: It all depends on the story.

When I began writing a novel that was set in the present, I spent most of my time listening to modern music. Of course, that doesn’t mean I listen to pop radio. The music, of course, has to be somewhat evocative, and it must evoke the mood of the story.

While writing Rise of the Branded, it required me to choose different type of music. For the most part, it was instrumental, since words have a tendency to distract me. And what I have found is that some of the most evocative music out there comes from soundtracks. With that being said, here is a playlist of some of the songs that I used while writing Rise of the Branded.

• Age of Dragons by Sonic Machine
• Mercedes Lullaby by Javier Navarette
• Shineshine (Adagio in D Minor) by John Murphy
• Kanada’s Death Pt. 2 by John Murphy
• Elegy by Lisa Gerrard & Patrick Cassidy (most songs by Lisa Gerrard work well)
• Dust & Light by Twelve Titans Music
• From the Ashes Reborn by Twelve Titans Music
• Aftermath & Resolution by Tyler Bates
• The Bridge of Khazad Dum by Howard Shore
• May It Be by Howard Shore & Enya
• Forth Eorlingas by Howard Shore feat. Ben Del Maestro
• The Last Goodbye by Howard Shore & Billy Boyd
• The Steward of Gondor by Howard Shore & Billy Boyd
• Into the West by Howard Shore & Annie Lennox
• Lily’s Theme by Alexandre Desplat
• Theme from World War Z by The Evolved

This aided me in focusing on the writing task before me as well as finding the needed emotion of certain scenes.

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About the Author

Scott grew up in Black River, NY, the youngest of three children. While in law school, he realized he didn’t want to be a lawyer. So he did the practical thing – he became a writer. Now, many years later with an MFA in script and screenwriting, he is married with four daughters, two of whom he home schools.

Author links:
Website: http://www.scottkeenbooks.com/
Blog: http://www.scottkeenbooks.com/scotts-blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottkeensbooks/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13464631.Scott_Keen

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