Bill Kieffer's Soundtrack for COLD BLOOD: Fatal Fables

Things you might not know about Bill:

"Gosh, I spent the last two years talking about my bisexuality and the boyfriend that thought of himself as a goat because he inspired my book, The Goat: Building the Perfect Victim. So, that's pretty common knowledge by now. Besides, my idea of what is crazy might be a little different than most people's. I picture myself as a rough draft horse, after all.

"I've also admitted to having a tea queue because I like to buy a variety of teas and I worry that they will go stale before I get to them. That's sorta obsessive isn't it? 

"Ah, I know. I play D&D with friends out of state every fortnight. My character is a minotaur named Ferdinand. Last week, Ferdie died because I did something stupid and a demon cut him up and tried to serve the steaks to the other party members. Ferdie worships the goddess of love and beauty, Sune, and he's spent the last decade trying to become a good person that a human woman could love.Well, my DM made some rolls and Ferdie was able to be reincarnated as a Dwarf.

"He's thrilled that he's finally human now and the other party members haven't yet explained to him that Hill Dwarves aren't human, either. So, that's my idea of fun."

If readers were listening to music as they enjoyed your book, what song would be playing with the opening scene? Why?

COLD BLOOD is actually six stories, all based on Brooklyn Blackie's world. For any introduction to Aesop's World, with its mix of blood thirsty "Cartoon Animals," I recommend Caravan Palace's "Lone Digger." The song's not a perfect match, but I think the video captures the spirit of what I'm going for.

For the first story, Shepard, I like Disturbed's "The Vengeful One" despite the fact the song is so wrong for the period, the MC is a violent, vengeful dog that would probably agree with every line of the song.

What song do you think best illustrates your protagonist’s emotional state during the first part of your book? Why?

Brooklyn Blackie is the victim in the first story and the MC in most of the remaining stories. PostModern Jukebox does a version of "Creep" that would probably touch his soul and cause him to howl along with Haley Reinhart.

You know, with enough whiskey.

There are often significant turning points in a story that advance the plot. This can coincide with an emotional shift for a character. Do you feel like there’s a song that illustrates a defining turning point for your character? If so, which one and why?

Most of the stories in this collection find Brooklyn Blackie with heartbreak and feeling sorry for himself, at least until he fixates on punishing the guilty, which he does with great violence, often with little concern for himself. I think Alice Francis' "Shoot Him Down" would appeal to him in those moments. It certainly fits in The Unappetizing Menu well when Brooklyn discovers a father-figure at a crime scene, seeming supporting the distasteful crime.

Are there other songs that you imagine would be really fitting for specific scenes in your book? If so, feel free to share the songs and a little about why these songs would be fitting for your soundtrack. (For example, they can illustrate the emotions of your protagonist, antagonist, or another character, or fit thematically with an event in the story or the plot.)

Brooklyn came back from their version of WWII a changed man, who was at times haunted by what he'd seen in Europe. The people that he left behind had changed, too. There are times when he feels that as a disconnect, although I only hint at it in most scenes. Postmodern Jazz captures this with their version of "Somebody That I Used to Know."

What song do you imagine playing at the climax of the story? 

Mozart meets Metalica, because let's face it; Brooklyn isn't playing with a full orchestra.

What song would be suitable for the conclusion of your novel?

The last story takes place in the 80's with the rise of hip hop music. Almost any Puff Daddy song would do well, but "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" comes right to mind. Somebody does lose their mind.

Do you have any special events coming up? Where can people catch up with you in person or on a podcast?

Sadly, I do not get out too much. I sound like an idiot in person. But if you know someone interested, I'm game.

Bill Kieffer is actually a 6 foot tall anthropomorphic draft horse known as Greyflank. He is a member of the Furry Writers Guild and publishes about three short stories in various anthologies. Recent publications include half a dozen short stories in various anthologies and The Goat: Building the Perfect Victim, which was released in October 2016 and won the Cóyotl Award the same year for best novella.

Out now - Cold Blood: Fatal Fables from Jaffa Press.

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Check out Bill's Q&A about Cold Blood: Fatal Fables here. Plus, Bill shares what's on his TBR mountain and talks about his writing space here.