Well, he wished me happy birthday on Korn’s Modblast chat last year (WHY did I not get a screenshot? Because I was too busy hyperventilating, that’s why), so I feel I would be remiss in neglecting to wish Jonathan Davis of Korn a very happy 39th birthday today.

Although I’m sure he’ll never see this, and even if he did, he wouldn’t nearly pass out in starstruck bliss–if only!–I still felt the need to gush. He’s my idol, my muse, my favorite voice of all time. So few vocalists can sing like an angel one minute and roar like a demon the next. Even fewer can rip my heart to pieces and put it back together again all within the course of one song. I’m listening to him at this very moment, in fact, and basking in his sheer awesomeness.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet him twice, and while I couldn’t do much but gape either time, the collective thirty seconds of my life I’ve spent standing in his presence are thirty seconds I will never, ever forget. I hope I get to add a few more to them once Korn’s U.S. tour begins this year. (Yes, I’m a stalker, but I’m the fun kind. Promise.) ;)

So, Happy Birthday, Mr. Davis, and I hope it finds you happy, healthy… and of course, unrelentingly naughty!

Music is a huge inspiration to me. I couldn’t work without it. Not only do certain songs help me dig down deep when I need to write a particularly emotional scene, but my favorite way to unwind is to turn up my iPod and drown out the world. This is usually when my ideas come to me, sometimes a new storyline, sometimes a breakthrough for a current one.

I had a lot of fun writing Brian’s story because he likes my kind of music. So I thought I’d run down a list of tunes that either appear in his book, or inspired his character.

“Deep” by Nine Inch Nails — The video is playing when Candace goes to Brian for her first tattoo. The lyrics, along with the toxic dyes in the video… hotness.
“My Curse” by Killswitch Engage — One particular line in this song inspired a whole scene.
“This Love” by Pantera — Dark, ominous, angry, kind of scary. If you’re a metal fan in Texas, you have to love Pantera. It’s required.
“Freak on a Leash” by Korn — Song is about how Jonathan Davis feels in the music industry, but it’s also how Brian feels when he’s dealing with family issues. There’s also a scene at a Korn concert. Since they’re my favorite band, and inspire me on a whole other level, I had to give them a shout-out.
“Dead Memories” by Slipknot — I meant to include this in a scene in which Brian is reminiscing about a past girlfriend (Candace’s cousin), because it sums up his feelings about it quite well. I never put it in, but it still makes the cut here. Maybe I’ll edit it in later.
“Two Weeks” by All That Remains — Mainly because I really, really like it. And because the story happens over a course of roughly two weeks, and it’s a rollercoaster. This is the song that’s actually playing in the reminiscing scene mentioned above.
“Bliss” by Syntax — Because Candace likes it. She thinks it’s sexy. ;)
“Cuts You Up” by Static-X — He’s pretty cut up and pissed off about it when this is playing…
“Oblivion” by Mastodon — Because sometimes I would hear a song and simply think, “He would love this.”
“Twilight Zone” by Golden Earring — Mainly for a fun, blowing-off steam scene I eventually deleted. It’s still a guilty pleasure!
“You’re Going Down” by Sick Puppies — Another I never mentioned in the book, but makes me think of a certain face-off that occurs…

So, there’s a general idea of what my soundtrack was like for this book. I must say, I’m really having withdrawals after finishing it! I miss seeing it open on my desktop. I have no plans to write Brian and Evan’s sister’s story at the moment, but I might have to someday, just to revisit these characters.