- Rachel Rossano
Tattered Slippers Blog Tour: A Time of Mourning and Dancing by Abigail Falanga
The Floramancy Archives #1
Once, Toph knew his place in the world. As a respected captain in a victorious army, he had triumph and promotion to look forward to. But crippling injury stole his future and war stole his friend. Belonging nowhere and with nothing left to lose, Toph accepts a challenge that could end his life: discover a secret the princesses will do anything to hide.
Vicia is a princess, but powerless and in mourning. Her beloved brothers were killed in a war she’s beginning to question. Ever since, she and her eleven sisters have become mere treasure for her stepfather the king to use to barter. A chance meeting with a frightened faery gave a wild hope that they may recover what they’ve lost. But it will cost a dance—and a dangerous secret.
Soldier and princess must learn to rely on each other if they are to survive curses, slighted fae, and an enchanted lost land. Something dark and powerful lurks in the mists beyond the dance floor, conducting the steps… and time is running out.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089XT35DD
Add Book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53969528-a-time-of-mourning-and-dancing
Guest Post:
Melding Music with Story
Every night, for weeks and months on end, twelve frivolous and beautiful princesses slip through a secret door to dance the hours away. Wearing out pair after pair of delicate slippers, they meet twelve princes in a magical faerie castle hidden deep within an enchanted wood.
Dance is an integral part of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” of course. As I developed my retelling “A Time of Mourning and Dancing,” I knew I wanted dance to be just as formational to it.
But how to capture dance on a page?
For me, the answer was: Through music.
I love listening to music while I write and create my novels—especially soundtracks, which are nearly the ideal melding of music and story. Many soundtracks range among different moods and atmospheres, evoking place, action, and emotion. Sometimes I like songs with lyrics, though they can be distracting as I shape words into sentences. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention classical music, which formed an integral part of my “A Time of Mourning and Dancing” playlist.
Here are seven of the most inspiring albums and tracks from that playlist:
“Beauty and the Beast” (or “La Belle et le Bete”) by Pierre Adenot. This beautiful, moody, playful soundtrack was one of the inspirations for writing my book. It’s full of waltz tunes and interesting instrumentation.
Tchaikovsky. Because how could I not include Tchaikovsky? While I love many pieces from his classic ballets, the most important piece for me was “Pas de Deux” from “The Nutcracker Suite.” In fact, it fit perfectly with a scene near the end!
“God of War” by Bear McCreary. Atmospheric and with a diverse offering of sounds, this militaristic soundtrack captured the right feel for my main character Toph’s history and journey.
“The Other Side” by Woodkid is Toph’s theme song. Haunting and beautiful, it’s the song of a disillusioned idealist that fits him a little too well.
“Shatter Me” by Lindsay Sterling and Lzzy Hale is the theme song for my other main character, Princess Vicia, who is trapped in her life and forced to desperate measures to shatter her way out.
“The Shape of Medieval Music to Come” by Vox Vulgaris. This stunning album of late medieval music provided a more era-appropriate twist to my playlist. One of my favorites is “Cantiga 166” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glrBz3GrFsQ)
“The Dark Chrystal: The Age of Resistance” by Daniel Pemberton. The end of “A Time of Mourning and Dancing” became darker as the stakes rose. Monsters and magic and just an edge of horror. Unexpectedly, I found myself needing new music—and this album came along just in time. It’s wonderful! Beautiful and eerie and perfect.
All this and more helped shape the story “A Time of Mourning and Dancing,” into the unique dance of enchantment, friendship, romance, and magic it is.
Author Bio:
Abigail Falanga may be found in New Mexico creating magic in many ways – with fabric, food, paper, music, and especially with words! She’s loved fantasy ever since playing out epic adventures of swords, fairies, and monsters with her siblings, and loved sci-fi since her dad’s stories around the dinner table. Abigail has published nearly two dozen flash fiction stories across a variety of genres, having discovered that extra-short stories are a wonderful way to explore ideas without getting distracted by – Squirrel! But fantasy and fairytales are her first and truest loves. She's launching "The Floramancy Archives" - dark and epic fantasy reimaginings of classic tales, filled with plant-magic and portals, curses and fae.
Check out the other blog tour stops here.