Tasty Bits
Here you will find fun and intriguing excerpts from the Mountain Lords saga, and its spinoff series, The Wanderer. Also, you will find extras, such as the poetry, songs, and ballads I developed for the novels. I always wanted for their to be music and poetry in my novels. At first I did not have the confidence to craft them, but with time and dedication and practice, I like to think I'm ready to include them more and more (and hopefully with ever improving skill).
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(To the left is a character image of Tarmina Strings, a wandering musician who gets credit for a few songs and ballads you will find here, and who makes a brief appearance in "Mountain Lord", but gets more space in two upcoming novels.)
Excerpts from the Mountain Lords
and The Wanderer series
Mule Drive Song
This song was something fun I developed for the novel, "Warrior of the Red Desert", and it appears in an early chapter to help make the long journey into the desert more interesting. It is based on songs from "Sons of the Pioneers," as an homage. I have often listened to their music since I was a child, putting on a vinyl record to do so. Hearing their songs brings to me a simple comfort, and with this song, in the scene in the novel, I try to capture that feeling. In preparation for this I not only listened to their music for a solid week but downloaded the lyrics of a few favorites to get an understanding of the style and structure. Hopefully, I did this homage justice.
“In the heart of the valley where the wild deer run
There’s a mule caravan under the bright midday sun
Our leather creakin’ as the dust rises high
Travelin’ through the canyons where the peaceful waters sigh
Oh, mule caravan, journeyin’ on our way
Through the rugged terrain ‘til the end of day
With a whoopie-ti-yi-yo and a prayer, we never walk alone
In the heart of the valley where our spirits are grown
On the trail we follow through the whisperin’ pines
With a song on our lips, and the stars as our signs
Each mule knows the way, through the mountains so high
They’re bound together ‘neath the endless western sky
Oh, mule caravan, journeyin’ on our way
Through the rugged terrain ‘til the end of day
With a whoopie-ti-yi-yo and a prayer, we never walk alone
In the heart of the valley where our spirits are grown
We carry dreams and mem’ries in each laden pack
From the heart of the valley to the harden track
Storm cracks in the distance echoin’ His call
The mules keep on movin’ through it all
Oh, mule caravan, journeyin’ on our way
Through the rugged terrain ‘til the end of day
With a whoopie-ti-yi-yo and a prayer, we never walk alone
In the heart of the valley where our spirits are grown
So here’s to the mules, with hearts pure and true
In our caravan, we’ll always see it through
As long as the mountains stand and the rivers flow
The mule caravan will keep on, wherever we go.”
A love song/dance reel
This song appears in the novel "Mountain Lord", in the chapter 'Date Night', and is played by the character Tarmina Strings (I did not give her the song credit, so we don't know if she wrote it or is just playing it). It is intended to be in the style of an Irish dance reel, but of course adapted to the world of the series. That chapter was one in which the two main characters, Areth and Moltiva, have an opportunity to reconnect again as a married couple after some very trying hardships. It's not exactly a humorous or too light hearted of a chapter because I did not want to steal the emotional impact of what had come before. But, in their grief, Areth and Moltiva still find peace and strength in each other, and take to the dance floor with this song. The lyrics are, of course, a reflection of them and their relationship. The abridged song appears in the chapter, which already had parts of the ballad, "Black Knight and the Golden Spear", and that's what you see here. The full song appears in the back of that novel.
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In a land of green where the mountains rise
I found a love that takes me by surprise
Stronger than the cliffs, higher than the peaks
My love for you never fades nor is weak
Our love’s greater than the mountains
Standin’ tall and strong through all the fountains
Ever twined, our hearts’ll ever thrum
United as one, beatin’ like a drum
Through storms and gales, we’ll stand together
Facin’ the world as one through any weather
Our love will conquer, no mountain too high
In this green land our love will never die
Our love’s greater than the mountains
Standin’ tall and strong through all the fountains
Ever twined, our hearts’ll ever thrum
United as one, beatin’ like a drum
So we’ll dance through this life, hand in hand
With love as our guide, an’ we’ll ever stand
In this green land where the mountains rise
Our love will soar beyond the endless skies!
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Ballad of Areth Adelbern
I had gotten into making epic, heroic ballads for my novels, which meant re-reading the Prose Edda, Song of Roland, Aurthurian Romances, and a lot of other such material to get my head and writing skill into it, for about eight or nine months before I started my first attempts. One of the first was a ballad for the main character Areth Adelbern for the novel "Mountain Lord", which was coming up fast at that time. The purpose of the ballad was as a recap of events from the previous novel to remind the readers of previous events.
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The Ballad of Areth Adelbern
In lands wild with ancient lore,
A tale unfolds of battle’s roar.
Lord Trench, a tyrant, cast his blight
On Areth’s home with cruel and might.
Lord Rikard Trench held the land
With iron fist and armed command,
But Areth rallied, fragile in hope,
To end this darkness, an end beyond scope.
With sword in hand and heart aflame,
Areth Adelbern, of noble name,
Gathered his army strong and bold,
To save his realm, a story to be told!
Through valleys broad and mountains high,
His dragon army marched as to fly,
Their armor ablaze with righteous might,
A fearsome force, a glorious sight!
Through canyons deep and mountains high
They marched, their prayers aloft to the sky.
Each step a vow, each heart a flame,
Off to shatter Trench’s wicked reign.
At last they reached the fateful field
Where Trench’s force, fierce and skilled,
Awaited in rank, a formidable foe,
But Areth’s resolve, failure never know.
With thund’rous charge, the battle engaged,
Swords clashed and warriors raged,
Areth led the charge, his valor bright,
Inspiring men with his might!
The clash resounded to make earth quake,
Arrows flew, sword and spear did shake,
But Areth’s resolve remained steadfast
For home and freedom he would last.
Hour by hour the conflict swayed,
As hope and fear within them played.
But Areth’s hope never waned,
He fought with passion unrestrained.
At length, the tide did turn,
As Trench’s forces, weary and torn,
Retreated, broken and in flight,
Their leader fled, their strength not in sight.
Lord Trench hid, his reign close to done,
As Areth’s forces won the sun,
His home was saved and onward path paved,
Areth Adelbern raised his banner unclaved.
With victory at hand Areth rode tall,
His army marching to battle’s final call,
To claim the county, a new birthright won,
Forever to save home from darkness run.
To here he claimed rightful lord,
Fully peace returned, a bitter accord.
So let us sing of Areth Adelbern,
The hero who led his army with stern.
A ballad of courage, valor, and might,
A tale that echoes through the darkest night!
Coming Soon
As we near the pre-sale of "Mountain Lord", I will post a chapter excerpt from that novel!