Saturday, December 28, 2013

Review: Chanson de l'Ange Book One: Orphan In Winter - Paisley Swan Stewart

Chanson de l’Ange by Paisley Swan Stewart is a 3 volume epic retelling of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. Drawing inspiration from The Opera Ghost in all his incarnations through book and film; and remaining faithful to key story elements from the classic original, the author weaves a haunting tale of Christine Daae’s companionship with the mysterious Angel of Music.

Book One~Orphan in Winter: opens with the tragic death of ten year old Christine Daae’s father, ushering in dramatic changes when she is left in the care of Madame Louise Giry. Christine makes her new home in the The Paris Opera’s conservatory where she encounters a bohemian world of singers and dancers, and where she is visited by the unseen Angel of Music.


MY RATING: 5 STARS

FINALLY! Years and years of patience have been rewarded! I haven't even been waiting as long as some readers, and certainly not as long as the author herself. Ten years of love and labor are richly paid off. Congratulations, Swannie!

Book one sets the stage for what is bound to be an amazing journey into the world of The Phantom of the Opera. One of the things I missed in Gaston Leroux's original was more detailed characters. There is solid framework in the rather short novel (too short for my liking!), but Erik, Christine, and Raoul remain archetypes. I wanted deeper psychological profiles, and Paisley didn't disappoint me. The focus of Orphan In Winter is the beginning of Christine's relationship with the Angel of Music and her slow entrance into adolescence and adulthood, so I'll start with her.

Christine is usually portrayed as an insipid, insufferable child, complete with the trademark Sarah Brightman vacant stare. Paisley brushes that aside, showing us a lost little girl grieving her father and so desperate to have him back that she clings to his final promise to send an angel to watch over her. The Angel appearing while she is still a child makes her seem less gullible and more like a kid believing in Santa...and when Santa remains a constant presence for seven years straight, it's no wonder she still believes in him. She inspires empathy and love--I would call her one of the few Christines that have inspired such feelings apart from the original. She is fanciful, not simple, and her slow awakening to womanhood is remarkable.

Which brings me to Erik. Very well-written, capturing all the power, mystery, and tragedy of his character. He is a complex man, to say the least, and difficult to write, and it spells disaster for any writer who fails to pull him off...fortunately, Paisley did. His eroticism and masculinity were thrilling indeed, but I was even more moved by his changing feelings for Christine. He becomes her benefactor on a whim, like he has nothing better to do, then comes to care for her as a guardian until his love becomes the obsessive, consuming passion that drives him onward. A gripe I always had with the '04 movie's attempt at a backstory was how it contradicted what the audience already knows about Erik, and I appreciated how neatly Paisley sorted out that tangle. I would have liked to see more of his dark side, since he is by no means a selfless, benevolent, rational man, but the story has only just begun...

Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny. I can't clear out of here without saying something about him. Oft abused, usually the victim of horrific character assassination by extremely biased writers that refuse to give him any credit whatsoever. I was ready for all of that when he showed up in the last half of the book, but I was delighted with the accurate portrayal! A sensible, caring, impulsive young man head over heels in love with his childhood playmate. After seeing him trampled so many times I've taken to carrying pom poms for him, and I'm glad he wasn't written into an abusive/alcoholic/unlovable loser we've seen so often (by simple virtue of his not being Erik! What gives?)

To wrap up my discourse on characterization, I applaud Paisley's portrayal of the Girys! They were precisely what I've imagined, and I love that they play a key part!

The rich detail and stunning imagery are wonderful, but what I loved most about Orphan In Winter was the budding romance paired with the disturbing aspects of Erik and Christine's relationship. It's complex, as it should be. She has known him as an invisible Angel. He's been a father figure to her, and so twined with the memory of her father that any idea of a romantic relationship seems, well, disturbing. Music remains the binding force between them, and Christine's song "The Bleeding Rose" serves as a brilliant theme, tied to her past and foreshadowing the triangle to come. Ending with Christine's debut in Faust was absolutely breathtaking, and thank God I had Book Two ready to pick right up!

Chanson de l'Ange outstrips most Phantom retellings I've read. There is a genuine love and understanding of the story that is too often lacking, making it all the more amazing when you find it. I put it on the shelf directly next to Gaston Leroux with select other retellings, and there it will stay. If the other books are half as good, they will have earned it!
 


***

Your humble book nerd,
Angels

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Leroux Readings

Ah, my dears, I have some jewels for you! Recordings of readings from Leroux by YouTuber MaskedLion! I can't even describe them, you just HAVE to listen!

Dying of Love monologue



Dressing Room Confrontation (all right, so this is from Kay, but it's still good!)


The Unmasking Scene (you'll have to settle for a link. Sorry.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuyLzYvaq8o

Your pal,
Angels

 

Friday, November 29, 2013

Review: Manifestations of a Phantom's Soul, Volume 2 - Michelle Rodriguez

I'm slacking over here, I know...forgive me!

Continue a journey through the catacombs of the opera house in the epic love story of The Phantom of the Opera. Published author Michelle Rodriguez brings you 10 more of her most loved stories, previously posted for the “phans”, and a few from her vaults. There is something for everyone on the pages of Manifestations of a Phantom’s Soul, volume 2 as a man seeks to prove he is more than the portrait of his face and that love can transform a soul.

MY RATING: 5 STARS

I can't say anything about Michelle's writing that I haven't said before, and yet I can't say enough in praise of it, either. She consistently remains among my favorite authors, and this collection is excellent proof why, with her best and most daring Phantom retellings to date. As with the original Manifestations, I'll break this review down with a few comments on the highlights of the collection.

"Haunted" - a previously unpublished story that was definitely a surprise. Michelle crosses territory not usually covered and puts in it a bittersweet light. The outcome is bleak, but she rarely leaves off without some ray of hope, and this is no exception. I appreciated Erik's view on how faithful music always is to him, and yet it's still a cold comfort without Christine. This line in particular got me: "But he beckoned insanity and convinced it to possess him to every corner and fingertip. When she nodded and set her hand in his, it felt real, and he knew he was crazy and welcomed it."

"Ordinary" - another unpublished one, another bittersweet one that ends with hope, and another of her famous filler fics. This one flip-flops the original obsession angle, putting Christine in Erik's shoes and makes him her obsession, which intrigued me right away. The masquerade theme made this one, just as it made "Monsters and Masks" in the previous Manifestations, and Christine's earthbound angel costume felt perfect in the light Michelle painted the story. I loved the imagery of an angel chasing Red Death across a crowded dance floor, and the story opens up some interesting questions about what it would truly mean for Erik to be ordinary. Exquisitely done!

"Captivated" - holy flying sheep in a ship wreck! This one is more territory that is very, very, VERY rarely covered, and I give Michelle a standing ovation for going there. Not many Phantom writers dare to, whether out of blind love for the characters or fear of backlash from readers, and it's about time we took the blinkers off! There's some intense moral complexity in this one...Erik's actions as a captor are, on the surface, despicable, and yet his motivations are desperate enough to inspire pity. The decisions he makes are appalling, and yet there is always the chance of redemption in his love for Christine. And in the end, it's love and nothing less that matters. Love through desire, and desire through love...yes, you can read between the lines and tell that this one definitely isn't for the faint of heart. But if you like steamy, kinky stuff, forget Fifty Shades of Grey! Don't even give it a thought! This is what you should be reading!

"Forget Me Not" - an amnesia story, as you might have guessed from the title, and one of the most haunting Michelle has ever written, in my opinion. A classic fanfiction twist, and I have to call this one my favorite rendition. If "Ordinary" and "Haunted" are bittersweet, then this one is doubly so. Again, Erik's actions are deplorable, but his motives still drive it home. This is a man desperate for his beloved to love him in return, and it drives him to do desperate things. This one is probably the most tragic Michelle has ever written, because it might have ended happily! If not for another lie, it would have! I don't really blame Christine for her reaction, but my heart still breaks!

"A Twist In My Story" - an oldie, but a goody. I love angry Christine! You never see enough of her in other retellings, as most authors opt for the bland, one-dimensional airhead (thanks a freaking lot, Webber). Christine as Leroux wrote her had backbone, and she was rightfully furious that Erik had deceived her by pretending to be the Angel of Music, and I'm so glad Michelle explored that aspect in greater detail. It hurts to see him trying so hard to make up for the lie and getting nowhere, but I'm 100% on her side in this one. It takes a monster to manipulate someone like that, and his further actions do nothing to atone for it. Under close examination and after deep thought, I'm going to call this one my favorite of the book. Nice psychological insight, and more of the music that binds these two together, no matter how irritated Christine is by that simple fact. Brava!

"Let It Bleed" - no, wait, this might also be a contender for the favorite...Too many people shy away from an Erik that's this aggressive, but I love it! His duality is summed up perfectly here, with anger and rage followed by tenderness and repentance and topped off with a little of his trademark self-loathing. The aspect of the original story that always attracts me is the symbolism of mirrors, and Michelle uses it to good effect here. She brings her story full circle, from a monster reflected in a mirror to a man in need of forgiveness and understanding and back to his determination to be a monster if it means he can have the woman he loves. Christine's line from the musical comes to mind: "It's in your soul that the true distortion lies." Erik in a nutshell!

So, bottom line; if you like The Phantom of the Opera and you want more, you need to give this one a shot. Everyone is guaranteed to find something to love here, and definitely something to think about. The face doesn't make the man. It's what's in his heart and the choices he makes that reveals a flawed but beautiful human being. A worthy addition to any Phantom collection, and I'm already eager for a third volume!
 


 ***

Your humble book nerd,
Angels

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Lyrics of the Week: Neon Moon

This week's ditty is a little depressing, but it's still a good song.

Neon Moon - Brooks and Dunn

When the sun goes down on my side of town
That lonesome feeling comes to my door
The whole world turns blue

There's a rundown bar cross the railroad tracks
I've got a table for two way in the back
Where I sit alone and think of losing you

I spend most every night beneath the light
Of a neon moon

Now if you lose your one and only
There's always room here for the lonely
To watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams of a neon moon

I think of two young lovers running wild and free
I close my eyes and sometimes see
You in the shadows of this smoke-filled room

No telling how many tears I've sat here and cried
Or how many lies that I've lied
Telling my poor heart, she'll come back someday
Oh, but I'll be alright as long as there's light
From a neon moon

Oh, if you lose your one and only
There's always room here for the lonely
To watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams of a neon moon

The jukebox plays on, drink by drink
And the words of every sad song
Seem to say what I think
And it's hurt inside of me ain't never gonna end

Oh, but I'll be alright as long as there's light
From a neon moon

Oh, if you lose your one and only
There's always room here for the lonely
To watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams of a neon moon

To watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams of a neon moon
Oh, watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams of a neon moon


Your pal,
Angels

NaNoWriMo 2013

I'm behind on the post, but not on the event! National Novel Writing Month is here again! My goodness, where has the time gone?

Since I'm already in the middle of a novel (about 170 pages into it, so far), I'm going to skip that part of the challenge, along with the 50,000 word count. That just ain't happening. And I'm not going to be stupid enough to try and edit three novels in thirty days ever again, either. I thought I'd shake it up this year...one poem a day, every day for two weeks, then a short story per week for two weeks. I'm alternating between the two, and I've already got my first two poems done.

Wish me luck for the rest of the month, and for my fellow scribblers, the best of luck to you!

Your pal,
Angels

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Book Trailer: Bellman and Black - Diane Setterfield

Now, here's an example of where I think a book trailer fell flat. It's fast and sleek, but...it doesn't tell you anything! If I hadn't read the summary first, I would have been perplexed! Let's try an experiment. Watch this:

Bellman and Black - Diane Setterfield



Now tell me if you want to read the book? Of course you don't! You don't know what it's about! To spare you the confusion, here's the blurb: "Bellman & Black is a heart-thumpingly perfect ghost story, beautifully and irresistibly written, its ratcheting tension exquisitely calibrated line by line. Its hero is William Bellman, who, as a boy of 11, killed a shiny black rook with a catapult, and who grew up to be someone, his neighbours think, who "could go to the good or the bad." And indeed, although William Bellman's life at first seems blessed—he has a happy marriage to a beautiful woman, becomes father to a brood of bright, strong children, and thrives in business—one by one, people around him die. And at each funeral, he is startled to see a strange man in black, smiling at him. At first, the dead are distant relatives, but eventually his own children die, and then his wife, leaving behind only one child, his favourite, Dora. Unhinged by grief, William gets drunk and stumbles to his wife's fresh grave—and who should be there waiting, but the smiling stranger in black. The stranger has a proposition for William—a mysterious business called "Bellman & Black . . ."

I think it sounds good, but who in the world made that video?!

Your pal,
Angels

Friday, November 1, 2013

CHANSON IS HERE!!!!

All three books of Chanson de l'Ange were officially released last Wednesday, and my copies arrived today! WOOT WOOT!






Who's ready for a read-along?

Your pal,
Angels

30 Week Phantom Challenge: Week 5

What is your favorite part of the stage version?

NOT A FAIR QUESTION! Who has just ONE favorite part?!

 I'll break it down in Act 1 and Act 2. First one is definitely "Music of the Night." Not only is it one of my favorite songs, period, it's one of the most beautiful scenes in the whole production in either the show or the movie. And I think my favorites IN the scene are Gerard Butler and John Owen-Jones. Both have such magnetic auras, they command your attention, and while they have very different voices, they both give me shivers.






Act 2..."The Point of No Return" all the way through the Final Lair. It's impossible to break that one down. So much passion and drama, and oh my Lord, the feels! The feels! As for favorites, I'm sticking with GB and JOJ. Hugh Panaro is high up there as well, but Gerry and John have the ability to tear me apart and leave me a blubbering, emotional wreck.




Your pal,
Angels

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween!

We've got tornadoes and other nasty weather in the forecast, but we can still have fun over here, right? It's not Halloween without Hocus Pocus!

I Put A Spell On You - Hocus Pocus



Happy Halloween! Stay safe!

Your pal,
Angels

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

TV Spot Wednesday

A two-fer for Halloween!

GEICO witch in a broom factory



Snickers horseless headsman



Happy Halloween!

Your pal,
Angels

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Lyrics of the Week: All the Love a Heart Can Hold

This week I'm focusing on one of many favorite songs from a favorite (and underappreciated, so far as I'm concerned) artist, the lovely Sherrie Austin. We met her at a CD signing for the release of her second album, and she was lovely!

All the Love a Heart Can Hold - Sherrie Austin

I was a lonely woman
Mine was a faithless heart
Broken, cold and empty
Hiding like a lost child in the dark

Your touch was a revelation
A light so my eyes could see
Love like a new religion
Made a true believer out of me
Its power brought me to my knees
Amen, I can live again, laugh again

You got me feeling a wild as a mountain fiddle
High as that old moonshine
Sweet as honeysuckle on the vine

I want to sing like a gospel choir
Hang on the highest note
Emotion overflowing in my soul
You give me all the love that a heart can hold

Maybe, I've got an angel watching over me
Or maybe the Good Lord sent you
Or maybe you're just some kind of destiny
My sweet little 'meant to be'
Amen, I can laugh again, dance again

You got me feeling a wild as a mountain fiddle
High as that old moonshine
Sweet as honeysuckle on the vine

I want to sing like a gospel choir
Hang on the highest note
Emotion overflowing in my soul
You give me all the love that a heart can hold


Your pal,
Angels

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Les Miserables - Breath of Life

I swear, I'm going to get my review up soon, and it's going to be nice and long! In the meantime, enjoy this video.

Les Mis - Breath of Life


Yeah, I still can't stop listening to this song. I love the use of colors, effects, and juxtaposition, along with the timing. And do you notice how the video tells the story as it goes along, based on what clips are shown? It's not random, but done in an orderly fashion. Bonus points!

Your pal,
Angels

Friday, October 25, 2013

Book Trailer: Manifestations of a Phantom's Soul - Michelle Rodriguez

This next one is coming to you from me. Not just in the blog, but on the whole. I made it!

Manifestations of a Phantom's Soul


I'm reading Volume Two at the moment, and it's amazing!  Expect a review soon!

Your pal,
Angels

30 Week Phantom Challenge: Week 4

Who is your least favorite character overall?

 That would be Joseph Buquet in any version he pops up in. He's only mentioned in the novel as the stagehand who hanged himself in the cellar (correction: discovered in the cellar, because we all know what really happened, don't we?). In the musical, he's a gossip in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't buy how Joel Schumacher tried to play him off as a sleaze in the movie so it seemed like he deserved what he got, when he got it, and while I've heard theories that Buquet in the movie was a threat to the girls of the ballet--and for some reason, Christine in particular--again, I don't buy it. I just don't care about him. He's such a minor part of the story, hardly more than a plot point when you think about it.

Your pal,
Angels

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Lyrics of the Week: The Red Stokes

Forget Bryan Adams. Forget even the Phantom of the Opera. THIS is beyond question my favorite song I've ever heard. I've heard a lot that compares to it, but THIS is the song.

The Red Strokes - Garth Brooks

Moonlight on canvas, midnight and wine
Two shadows starting to softly combine
The picture they're painting
Is one of the heart
And to those who have seen it
It's a true work of art

Oh, the red strokes
Passions uncaged
Thundering moments of tenderness rage
Oh, the red strokes
Tempered and strong
Burning the night like the dawn

Steam on the window, salt in a kiss
Two hearts have never pounded like this
Inspired by a vision
That they can't command
Erasing the borders
With each brush of a hand

Oh, the red strokes
Passions uncaged
Thundering moments of tenderness rage
Oh, the red strokes
Tempered and strong
Burning the night like the dawn

Oh, the blues will be blue and the jealousies green
But when love picks its shade it demands to be seen

Oh, the red strokes
Passions uncaged
Thundering moments of tenderness rage
Oh, the red strokes
Fearlessly drawn
Burning the night like the dawn

Oh, the red strokes
Passions uncaged
Thundering moments of tenderness rage
Oh, the red strokes
Fearlessly drawn
Burning the night like the dawn

Steam on the window, salt in a kiss
Two hearts have never pounded like this

***

Your pal,
Angels

Friday, October 18, 2013

Advice From the Phantom...

A good friend made a video to promote Manifestations of a Phantom's Soul, Volume Two, about how Michelle Rodriguez's stories aren't just for the ladies...this is her giving her older brother a hint!



Your pal,
Angels

30 Week Phantom Challenge: Week 3

Who is your favorite minor character?

Wait! From which version?


From the musical, it's Meg for me. She was so sweet and adorable, and I smile every time she says what's on everyone's mind: "He's here, the Phantom of the Opera!" There's fear in the delivery in the stage version, but she was still spunky enough to sneak down into the Phantom's lair and discover that mask. I like that quality, and I like how it's amplified in the movie. Movie!Meg always seemed full of possibilities to me. If she's curious enough to go poking around in creepy secret passages, what else might she know about our dear Phantom? Questions, questions, so many questions!




From the book, the Persian gets my vote. It doesn't seem fair to call him a minor character since he played such a big part, but he's hardly mentioned throughout the first half, and I want to talk about him, dang it! He's the voice of reason, the real hero of the story, and he's just as mysterious as Erik himself. I love his nobility, and how he was willing to risk his life to help Raoul rescue Christine. I hate that he's so overlooked! While my opinion of Susan Kay's book has changed drastically since I reviewed it, the Persian still remains one of my favorites in that, as well. He's true to the original: nobody's fool, the only friend Erik ever had, and the most straight-up guy of the piece. He's awesome!

Your pal,
Angels

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

TV Spot Wednesday

Today's commercial is in honor of Columbus Day, and it's no surprise that we missed that on here too. To be honest, though, I always thought it was kind of weird to celebrate what was really a geographical miscalculation, the subsequent exploitation of the locals, and the introduction of foreign diseases to what was a relatively pure country, but what the heck.

Geico Christopher Columbus



Your pal,
Angels

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Book Trailer: In the Shadow of Blackbirds - Cat Winters

Found this on GoodReads. I added the book to my reading list (no telling when I'll actually get to read it) and I liked the trailer. It was simple, to-the-point, and rather eerie, which fits the ghost story element. If I could only do things like this for my own trailers!

In the Shadow of Blackbirds trailer



Your pal,
Angels

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Lyrics of the Week: Water From the Moon

One of my favorite Celine Dion songs, from my ultimate favorite songwriter on the planet, the incredible Diane Warren. This one is also on a playlist, as it moved me to inspiration!

Water From the Moon - Celine Dion

I've looked everywhere I can
Just to find a clue
Oh to get to you
And make you want me
And I've run circles around the sun
Chasin' after you
Oh but it's no use
Can't you see that I'm going out of my mind
Trying to find a way to get through to you
Oh you don't know how hard I try
And I try and I try
What do I gotta do

Do I gotta get water from the moon
Is that what I gotta do
To make you love me
Make you love me
Do I gotta turn the sand into the sea
Is that what you want from me
I've done everything that I can do
But get water from the moon

I've reached high up in the sky
Tryin' to steal the stars
Oh to win your heart
But even that's not enough
And I've searched every book I know
Just to find the words
Oh to touch your world and get some love out of you
I've already given all I can give
And I don't know what's left to try
And I try and I try
What do I gotta do

Do I gotta get water from the moon, , ,

Love me, how do I make you love me
How do I make you see that I'm going out of my mind
(Solo)

I try, and I try, and I try
(Chorus)
 
 
Your pal,
Angels

Friday, October 11, 2013

30 Week Phantom Challenge: Week 2






Who was your first Phantom? When and where?

Technically, the original Leroux was my first Phantom, and I still love the freaking crap out of him. You already know the story, I was sixteen, blah blah blah, but that one always felt like destiny. There wasn't a bargain book bin at Walmart for the longest time, then one day it magically appears along with the book that changed my life. My first Andrew Lloyd Webber Phantom was Michael Crawford, in listening to the original cast recording (first on last.fm, then on YouTube). My first film Phantom was Gerard Butler, and he remains my favorite.

Your pal,
Angels

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

TV Spot Wednesday

Yes, I plan on bleeding this thing dry!

Halls drill sergeant



Your pal,
Angels

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Writing Tip: Keep A Journal!

Guess what next month is, scribblers? NaNoWriMo! Here again, already! I'm still trying to figure out how I'll take part, as I'm already up to my elbows in a novel I have no intention of finishing in one month, but I thought I'd help anyone taking part with another tip.

Journals!

I've started keeping journals while writing for several reasons, and here they are:

#1: I can track my progress.
 At the end of the day, I record what page I've finished the day's work on. This is mainly to help me realize that I am going somewhere, which is a morale boost when I'm stuck. I might be in the middle of writer's block, but even one page means I'm still moving forward. It also keeps me motivated; seeing that I've written ten pages one day helps push me to write even more the next. That's how you get stuff done!

#2: I can record all of my ideas in one place as they come to me.
Isn't it genius? I used to have a separate notebook made up of loose pages that had notes for every single story I was working on. That worked fine, but as I got more and more ideas it was harder to keep them all organized, and sometimes pages went missing, and other disasters. Trust me, this works much better! In the middle of working, I can have a sudden epiphany, be it related to plot, character, theme, or even a good bit of dialogue, and I can jot it down knowing all I have to do is flip back to the page in the book already dedicated to the story I'm working on. It's come in handy several times already!

#3: I have a way to remember the journey itself.
This reason is purely sentimental. My stories are my children, and where parents can take pictures of their kids as they grow, I can write down everything about mine as it grows. Every idea, struggle, and emotional upheaval is written so I can go back and remember everything about writing a particular book. Kinda dorky, but it is what it is.

#4: I have a place to work through writer's block.
This has been a life saver! If I'm stuck, just muddling through the problem helps, and I can dump all my random thoughts out on one page and sift through them later until I find gold. Make sense?

There you have it! Happy scribbling, and good luck!

Your pal,
Angels

Artist of the Month - October 2013

And I'm a week behind with this one...so what? I'm here now, and this month's artist is...

*drum roll*

Sugarland

If I remember right, there was some trouble years ago with this group. They started out a trio (Jennifer Nettles, Kristian Bush, Kristen Hall) but went down to a duo in 2006 when Kristen left, then there were lawsuits and ugly stuff...but let's talk about the music. Their first big hit was "Baby Girl," which has since been played so many times I'm nearly sick of it. Actually, that's the way I feel about half their songs; the stations play the same ones over and over again and suck all the goodness out of them. Which really sucks, because they're a great group and Jennifer has one of the best voices in country at the moment. So if I'm sick of them, why are they this month's feature? Because the songs I love, I really. Freaking. Love.

Want To



Tonight



Just Might (Make Me Believe)



Already Gone



Stay



Stuck Like Glue





Happy listening!

Your pal,
Angels

Monday, October 7, 2013

Lyrics of the Week: Your Love Will Kill Me

I'm a day behind, so what? I was on vacation!

Your Love Will Kill Me - Daniel Lavoie


I feel a wave of passion
Move through my heart with such pain
I have no time to reason
So I just let passion reign

I let go so easily
On a night as warm as sin
Midnight swimmer, midnight sea
I will not come back again

Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me
And you will bear my curse
As long as my life will be

Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me
And I saw it would be
When I looked at you
When you look at me

Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me

My sin and my obession
Crazy desire you bring
I know there's no salvation
I see our bodies burning

Your gypsy dreams all haunt me
I live to see your dances
Please raise your eyes and want me
Please give me all the chances

Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me
And you will bear my curse
As long as my life will be

Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me
And I saw it would be
When I looked at you
When you look at me

Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me

You brought the spring time to fill
My heart in its winter chill
I lost my strength and my will
And now my tears start to spill

I never knew such desire
Just looking into your eyes
And now the soul in me cries
And now the night is on fire

Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me
And you will bear my curse
As long as my life will be

Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me
And I saw it would be
When I looked at you
When you look at me

Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me

Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me
Your love will kill me



Your pal,
Angels

Friday, October 4, 2013

30 Week Phantom Challenge: Week 1

This ought to last us a good LONG while! This was originally posted as a 30-day challenge on Facebook (link to the page can be found here) last month, but I thought I'd borrow it and do it over here. Basically, it's an invitation for phan participation. Once a week, I'll post a new bit, and if you love Phantom and you read this blog, you're welcome to chime in! :D

Now let's get this show on the road!






Question one: How did you first learn about the Phantom?

I found sheet music for "All I Ask Of You" when I was fourteen and had no clue who the characters were (was Raoul supposed to be the Phantom?) Then I read Gaston Leroux's book when I was sixteen and started listening to Michael and Sarah and Steve on the OCR, but it wasn't until I saw the 2004 movie that my love for the whole thing was cemented. It was a work-in-progress for years, but when it finally hit me there was no going back. Frankly, I'm glad I learned about Erik, and not just because I love the story. If I hadn't gotten involved in Phantom, I wouldn't have met some great friends, my appreciation for music would be a WHOLE lot different, and I wouldn't even be the writer I am today. So, is it an obsession? Maybe so, but I'm hardly complaining!

Your pal,
Angels

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Lyrics of the Week: Gravity

The first time I heard this song was on So You Think You Can Dance. The routine was amazing, and the song blew me away. It actually landed on a playlist for one of my books, it moved me so much!

Gravity - Sara Bareilles

Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.
No matter what I say or do, I still feel you here 'till the moment I'm gone.

You hold me without touch.
You keep me without chains.
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your reign.

Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me and all over me.

You loved me 'cause I'm fragile.
When I thought that I was strong.
But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone.

Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me and all over me.

I live here on my knees as I
Try to make you see that you're
Everything I think I need here on the ground.
But you're neither friend nor foe though I
Can't seem to let you go.
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down
You're keeping me down, yeah, yeah, yeah
You're onto me, onto me and all over

Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long
Your pal,
Angels

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Who Did It Better? (the Carmen edition)

Brace yourselves, folks!





Well, it ain't Phantom, and it isn't even Andrew Lloyd Webber, in fact. It's Bizet, and one of my favorite arias of all time! (But I'll be honest, the first place I heard it was in The Aristocats...) I present to you, "Habanera!"

Maria Callas


First of all, isn't that amazing? Covent Garden in 1962? As for Maria, she is known as the definitive Carmen, but I'm still not so sure about her. Not to sound snarky, but I feel the same about her as I do about Sarah Brightman. I think she has a beautiful voice, but I don't always like what she does with it. Her diction is unclear at times and she occasionally has "Kermit-the-frog-itis," if that makes any sense. The music sounds trapped! It's not flying and soaring the way it ought to! I like the control of her high notes, but it feels like too much control for me. Again, I want to hear those babies fly!


Angela Gheorghiu


I have an mp3 of this performance, and I LOVE it! Such a full, rich voice, and a gorgeous rendition! Again, I just wish there was better diction here, as I would love to understand the lyrics...I always want to sing along when I hear Angela, and there's just the right kind of snap in her voice that drives home the character for me, yet enough ease of movement to make you understand why she's such a troublemaker. So sexy! Her refrains sell it for me. The precision of the softer, more restrained lines, and then the power immediately after. That's what I was missing from Maria Callas!


Anna Caterina Antonacci


How about a video from an actual performance this time? I think it gives a better idea of what Carmen is all about. Not the opera, but the gypsy...how free, untamed, and harsh. Which also sums up Anna Caterina's voice for me. Free and harsh. She makes it sound easiest of the three, which is how it should sound. And finally! Impeccable diction! What I'm not such a fan of in her voice is how grating it sounds at times. As for her expressions...well, operatic, to be sure!


So, there we have the three contenders, with pros and cons for each of them, and it's time to pick a winner. And I think I'll go with...

Angela Gheorghiu! What do you think?

Your pal,
Angels

Friday, September 27, 2013

Interview With Michelle Rodriguez

To promote her latest publication, Manifestations of a Phantom's Soul, Volume Two, I decided to have a little chat with Michelle Rodriguez. Feel free to eavesdrop!


Michelle Rodriguez, author of "Opera Macabre" and "The Opera Ghost Unraveled"

To get the awkward question out of the way, what would you say is your least favorite part of writing?

Endings!  For so many reasons.  There’s the difficulty in coming up with a satisfying and complete experience for the reader.  And then there’s the fact that you basically have to wrap up a few hundred page novel in a couple of paragraphs and let go.  Sometimes that final ending paragraph can take me hours.  And then it’s done, and at least for my original works, I always have a hard time letting the characters go and live their lives.  Enduring every trial with them, every heartache and triumph, they become friends and are real.  I was the one with my heroine when she cried her heart out for a lost love and the one watching that blissful moment when she found her hero all over again.  I imagine it similar to what a parent feels like when their children grow up and leave.  …Ask me in about 10 years, and I’ll let you know if that’s an applicable comparison! :)


You posted your first Phantom story online in 2010--I adore that one, by the way!--but you've been writing them even longer than that. What is the best part about writing Phantom stories? What makes you keep writing and sharing them?


Phantom was one of the first stories I felt a passionate connection to.  I was desperate for there to be more, and I still feel that way today.  That yearning for closure has never gone away, like it’s still an ellipsis that I can finish.  Maybe it’s because none of my fictionalized endings are the real ending and I’m still looking for a perfect fit.  And then there are the fans.  They continuously inspire me and push me to give them more.  They’re longing for that perfect ending as much as I am, and I love that I can eagerly take them on my creative journey with me.

The best part about writing Phantom stories for me is that they feel like home.  For every adventure I go on in between Phantom tales, whether it’s among vampires or demons, I can always go home to the Paris opera house and find my friends.  They are the versions of the characters I’ve created in my head, and every time I need them, I can find them and breathe life into them again.  There are no other characters I’ve written who I can return to; once their stories are over, I have to let them go.  But Erik and Christine are characters I’ve been able to hold and keep.  That’s pretty amazing!  I never have to grieve giving them up.


I'm always blown away at the emotion of your work, and the roller coaster rides you take your readers on. As exhilarating and exhausting as it can be to read, it's got to be even more so to write! How do you put so much feeling into your writing?

You’d think writing my stories would make me an emotional basketcase, but for me, it actually is a stress reliever!  Yes, there have been many times where writing a particularly aggressive or depressing scene has left me lashing out irrationally at my husband and in a stellar mood all day, but if I can go back and reread it and feel all of those things again, then it’s worth it.  The “how” part of the question doesn’t really have a definite answer.  I just write.  And whatever comes out often surprises even me.


It happens to the best of us on occasion; how do you cope with writer's block?

For each of my novels, I have a playlist of songs that either inspired the story or go with the mood of it.  Music, to me, is my greatest source of creativity.  So when those moments come, and of course they always must, I put my headphones on, hit play, and let my mind wander.  I immerse myself in the very things that brought me the story to begin with and try to find its spark again.  I also make it a point not to take a break from writing even if the words are stuttered and having a hard time finding my pencil.  I may write only a paragraph or two that particular day, but it keeps the characters in suspension in my mind instead of letting them go.  I feel like if I step too far away, I’ll lose the feeling of the piece as a whole.


The writing process doesn't end with the first draft...how do you know when a story is ready to be posted online or published?

First of all, as many of you know, I’m a stickler for doing my first drafts by hand.  Pencil and notebook all the way!  I adore a good pencil and maybe it’s because of the implication that it’s never final.  My first edit comes as I painstakingly type every word onto the computer.  It’s a tedious job, but I pick out things that seem awkward when I’m typing and make changes.  Then once every word is typed, I take a break from the story for a few days or weeks before I do another round of edits.  Sometimes that’s the last one before posting.  If it feels good, I let it go as is.  I don’t like to change more than sentence structures or words because I feel like it breaks the flow of the language, and to me, that’s as important as the story itself.

For publishing, I turn into a crazy person!  I start to nitpick because I feel like it’s my last chance.  Again, I’m doing little more than changing sentence structures, but my inner perfectionist takes control.  I literally cannot read a single book I’ve published!  I’m too afraid I’ll find things that could have made it better.  Crazy, I know.


I think you do some pretty amazing things with your stories, from the words you use to the myriad twists you've put to the original Phantom story. What would you say sets you apart from other Phantom writers? Don't be afraid to toot your own horn!


I was going to say my inability to “toot my own horn”, LOL!  I actually think that keeps me striving to exceed my own limits.

I don’t restrict my writing or the crazy workings of my imagination.  Between my pencil and paper, I never doubt and am the most self-confident person in the world, and yet the instant the last letter is printed and it’s just me again, I become the absolute opposite.  I think that’s a testament to how much of myself is in every word I write.  I pour my heart and soul through my characters and never put bars in between.  Because of that, it’s always an obstacle when it comes to posting and putting my stories out there for the world to share.  I have to keep reminding myself why I do it: that I’m not looking for judgment, just to give others something I have such passion in.  I crave that happy ending for Erik as much as every one of my phans, but I want it to feel real and earned.


To other writers looking to take on Erik's story, what do you think is the most important thing to keep in mind when writing about the Phantom? He's one of the most beloved characters of literature, after all.

I think people have to remember that he’s not the hero.  He can grow into being the hero, but he doesn’t start out that way.  I know people like to romanticize the character and give him a fairytale story, but I like the reality in him: the darker parts, the sins on his soul.  As a character, he’s a writer’s dream because he needs redemption.  I love giving him a passion to be redeemed for his transgressions through love.  Love is the ultimate gift and something he’s always been denied.  It’s something that can turn any villain into a hero and transform.



There are twelve stories in
Manifestations of a Phantom's Soul, Volume Two, including a few never posted online. If you had to pick just one, which one is your favorite?

That’s like asking me to choose which of my children I love most, LOL!  But if you’re going to twist my arm, I will say that I have a special love for “A Twist in my Story”.  I feel it has been the most overlooked of all my posted stories, and it’s one I’m the most proud of.  People don’t like an angry Christine, especially in a story where Erik is doing everything he can to win her affections.  She hates herself for caring about him as much as she hates him for what he is.  I think that story is very real even if cruel at times.

I also love “Let It Bleed”.  Every level of Erik is in that story: dark, angry, passionate, tender, sorry.  I’ve always wanted to expand it into something longer (future project?)


Which one was the most difficult to write?

Most people would expect me to say “Captivated” just because of the subject matter, but actually, that one always made sense in my mind.  I knew where it was going and how it would get there.  The hardest one for me to write was definitely “Forget Me Not”.  Most of you know I am a hopeless romantic, and I want happy endings.  But no matter how I tried to interpret that story, it could not have a happy ending.  I obsessed over finding one.  That was one of the few stories I did take a break from and leave unfinished for awhile because I didn’t want to end it the way I inevitably did.  But there was no other path that made sense.  Any other would have taken something away from the power of that story and ripped the symbolism apart.  It had to be tragic, and writing it was like torture to me!  Do you ever wonder why I don’t write death scenes?  LOL!  “Forget Me Not” was close enough to that in my book!



You've been writing about the Phantom for years now, and I don't think anyone who reads your work denies the love you have for the story. How has writing Erik and Christine changed you? Not necessarily just as a writer, but on the whole?

I had to really think about this question for awhile because it hit me a bit deeper than expected.  Writing Erik taught me how to deal with my son.  It’s amazing the life lessons you get from the most obscure places.  My son is 7 years old, and he is autistic.  When he was younger (and still now to a lesser degree), he had these awful tantrums that would go on for hours at a time.  He’d be so consumed that he wouldn’t even realize what was going on around him.  He’d shake so hard, and I often had to stop him from banging his head against any solid surface.  I’ve said how alike my son is to Erik.  He’s a genius who runs on passion; he needs to feel like he is in complete control of his world; he has a deficiency that sets him apart from others constantly.  Writing Erik often put me in Christine’s shoes, dealing with his temper and his genius, and I had to learn from her perspective how to have patience and tolerance and love through the hardest and most difficult situations.




Your newest Phantom story, "Rib-caged Hearts," is in progress online and you have the third book of the Angel and Demon Chronicles coming out later this fall. Any hints what your next project might be?

Oh gosh!  I wish I could say ‘catch up on some sleep’, but that’s not even an option, LOL!  I would like to publish one of my other Phantom novels this winter and then another of my vampire novels in the spring.  I’m also considering doing a third volume of “Manifestations of a Phantom’s Soul” next summer or fall.  Maybe it should be a yearly thing, LOL!

I also have plans to return to writing a new vampire novel and a long, DARK Phantom story, for those who love the darker ones.

On top of that, I will be performing in another opera production and 2 solo vocal recitals this spring.  And by then the baby should be walking!  As if things couldn’t be crazy enough!

***


To read "Rib-caged Hearts," go to:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9683651/1/Rib-caged-Hearts

To visit Michelle's website, click here:
http://michellegliottonirodriguez.webs.com/

And don't forget her Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Gliottoni-Rodriguez/313983835292688

Michelle's published works are available on Amazon.com, and to read my reviews, visit "The Bookshelf" page of this blog. Manifestations of a Phantom's Soul, Volume Two is now available for purchase. Be sure to get a copy! It's a must-read for any phan!

Your pal,
Angels

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Review: Wake Unto Me - Lisa Cach

A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.

There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School.

And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.



Nice cover, right?

MY RATING: 3 STARS

 I think it took me so long to review this because I felt so ambivalent about it. I wanted to like it, but...well...

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book. In fact, it was pretty good (I don't regret spending money on it, at least). But it grossly misrepresented itself. I thought I was reading a love story with a ghost, and what I got was a weird, paranormal mystery with plots and subplots and anti-plots and un-plots and re-plots and a lot of "What the flaming ostriches is going on here?"

Lisa Cach can write, or I would never have made it through this. But her descriptions tend to wander off without adult supervision and I had to skim several paragraphs about the historical details and layout of Chateau de la Fortune. There are a TON of secondary characters that probably should have either gotten bigger roles in the action or been dispensed with. The greater part of the book was so intricately laid out that the ending felt too easy and fell flat. This either should have been longer, or had a sequel to go along with it.

And that's pretty much it. I really don't have a lot to say about this one. Again, it wasn't bad, but it just didn't do much for me.


Your humble book nerd,
Angels 

Kitten VS. Robot Dog and Adult Cat

This is just cats being cats...or should I say kittens being kittens? And who doesn't love kittens? Honestly?



Your pal,
Angels

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

TV Spot Wednesday

Here's another one of our favorites.

Am I the only one who feels like I'm just throwing this stuff out for the heck of it?

DISH Network iPad and Hopper



Your pal,
Angels

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Lyrics of the Week: September

Heck, why not? It's a beautiful song, and it's the perfect time of year for it! Beautiful, but bittersweet...I spent the autumn it came out writing increasingly depressing poetry in the basement, listening to it over and over again on the radio. It's odd, but I wouldn't mind going back to that autumn. Parts of it sucked, but others...well, they turned into cherished memories, and that's explanation enough. I started to figure out who I am in that basement listening to this song!

September - Daughtry

 How the time passed away? All the trouble that we gave
And all those days we spent out by the lake
Has it all gone to waste? All the promises we made
One by one they vanish just the same

Of all the things I still remember
Summer's never looked the same
The years go by and time just seems to fly
But the memories remain

In the middle of September we'd still play out in the rain
Nothing to lose but everything to gain
Reflecting now on how things could've been
It was worth it in the end

Now it all seems so clear, there's nothing left to fear
So we made our way by finding what was real
Now the days are so long that summer's moving on
We reach for something that's already gone

Of all the things I still remember
Summer's never looked the same
The years go by and time just seems to fly
But the memories remain

In the middle of September we'd still play out in the rain
Nothing to lose but everything to gain
Reflecting now on how things could've been
It was worth it in the end

We knew we had to leave this town
But we never knew when and we never knew how
We would end up here the way we are
Yeah we knew we had to leave this town
But we never knew when and we never knew how

Of all the things I still remember
Summer's never looked the same
The years go by and time just seems to fly
But the memories remain

In the middle of September we'd still play out in the rain
Nothing to lose but everything to gain
Reflecting now on how things could've been
It was worth it in the end

Your pal,
Angels

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Book Stats! So Far...

Why not a little something about writing today? It's been awhile! And it seems appropriate, considering that today is Stephen King's birthday! (Just thought I'd throw that one out there...) I was just thinking about numbers a few days ago, and this is how things stand so far in my time as a still-unpublished writer. It's amazing what little details you remember about every project!

- I've written four books in the past three years. That's about one book every sixteen months! The average time for finishing a novel is about six to eight months, but I'd say my current average isn't that bad considering I get about two and a half hours of writing time a day, and that's on a GOOD day.

- My first book was written in one year exactly, starting on Halloween and ending on the very next Halloween. It was about 303 pages long from start to finish, with twelve chapters plus one epilogue. There was a move during that time, so my memories are of writing the first chapter sitting on the washing machine in the utility room of one house looking out onto the backyard and writing the last chapter sitting at the foot of my bed in another house looking out onto a different backyard. The fall season had a huge influence on this one (the action takes place between August and October), and even now autumn makes me want to get back to that story and those characters.  Unfortunately, I can't count this as a finished product because it needs drastic revision. Surprise! It's the Gargantuan Novel Re-Write! I'll get it right one of these days, I swear I will!

- Second book, written in eighteen months and finished on my sister's twentieth birthday. She started reading this one as I wrote it, then I took it over to finish it and wouldn't let her have it until I was done. In that time, she got sidetracked from it and STILL hasn't finished reading it! This one was 350 pages long and called for extensive research on medieval methods of smithing. I hit the 100-page mark about six months into it, the second Christmas after I started it. This was the first thing I ever stayed up late to write, and that's a practice I haven't let go of. It's also the first time I tried writing in first person and actually stuck to it, though I alternated the perspectives between chapters. I first got into Phantom of the Opera in the process of writing this one, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't have a tiny bit of influence on it.

- My third book was written in a whopping eight months! To the day! Started February 7 (after a false start on chapter one) and ended October 7, at seven-fifteen in the morning! The hand-written draft ended up being 403 pages long, and I reached 100 pages three months into the project, cutting the old record in half! I used third person limited perspective in this one (and I'm only just returning to that POV) to give myself a challenge, and while I started using music as a point of inspiration during my second book, it was only while writing this one that I adopted the idea of playlists to keep the inspiration going. I stayed up late writing this one as well, and got through writer's block by the use of lucid dreaming. At this point in my writing, I was searching for tips anywhere I could find them and I came across the idea of character interviews to flesh out the people in the story, so I spent a solid two weeks getting to know the people I was going to be spending the next few months with. And guess what? Those three characters are still rattling around in my head! *wink wink*

- The fourth book was started in July about halfway through the third book, and I have no stats for this one. I typed it as I wrote it and I didn't track the progress. It's definitely my best writing, especially since I spent this summer on a second draft (ending with a page count of 337), and without a doubt my favorite project so far!

- The fifth book...ouch. It was finished in six months, but it's only 102 pages long--if that even counts as a book...how about novella? And it took every last bit of those six months to write those one hundred pages! That was the absolute WORST time I've ever had writing, and if I didn't have fantastic support from my audience and a beyond-excellent beta reader, I wouldn't have finished it! The usual blood, sweat and tears went into writing it, along with anxiety, depression, insomnia, stubbornness, anger, misery, and a few manic episodes when I broke down into hysterical laughter before falling down in exhaustion. I'm *cough* told that it's my masterpiece...

I'm working on my sixth book now, which is a return to third person perspective and my first foray into a modern setting. I won't say any more, but I've only been working on it for a month now, and I'm over seventy pages into the first draft! Do I smell a new record in the air?

Your pal,
Angels

Friday, September 20, 2013

The First Choice

Heck, why not post one of my own stories over here? It's my blog! And I'm still proud of how this one turned out! :)

The First Choice
a Phantom of the Opera story by Angels-Protégée 

Erik watched her from the shadowy catwalks above the stage, hearing the music pour forth from her crystal throat. He'd been watching her for weeks, months even. He couldn't help himself. She was everything he was looking for. After years of composing beneath the Opera, he'd decided the time had come to present his music to the world. He was a brilliant composer, easily the greatest composer on earth. He just needed a brilliant artist, a truly splendid singer…and there she was onstage.

Carlotta Giudicelli.

She'd been the prima donna for two seasons now and had already made a name for herself. She was world-renowned, this fearless Italian diva, and she commanded the audience's attention the moment she stepped onto the stage. She had talent, appeal, and an august personality. She was, in short, the perfect voice for Erik's music.

Which isn't to say she's perfect, plain and simple, he reflected. Her acting skills were rather shabby and, while she had terrific range, she lacked clarity, tone, and control in her highest notes. Most importantly, she had no soul, no spark to her to speak of. The ability to throw a world-class tantrum does not a diva make. But this didn't worry Erik. These were mere trifles that could be corrected with time and instruction. The potential was there, and that's what mattered.

But how to meet that potential and harvest its fruits? It was rather a nuisance, but that blasted deformity he was born with made any face-to-face encounter a tad unpleasant. He supposed he could always wear his mask when dealing with La Carlotta, but people seemed to find it menacing, for some reason…

Well, he'd cross that bridge when it arrived. First, he would have to approach Signora Giudicelli with his proposition: join forces with him, and they would make history. Women like Carlotta fed off praise and admiration and didn't take kindly to impudent proposals, however lucrative. He would have to tread carefully if he wanted to win Carlotta's favor.

He returned to his lair beneath the Opera, already planning how to woo her.

***

It wasn't the bouquet of roses in her dressing room that surprised Carlotta the next day, though they were lovely enough. It was the card that came with them that caught her attention. "With admiration and the greatest respects. E."

Carlotta read the card once more, studying the odd, labored handwriting and the expensive paper. She was used to her adoring public sending her flowers by now; indeed, she was quite used to much larger arrangements in such abundance her dressing room often resembled the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. But those flowers all had notes of gushing affection and lavish worship. This note was simple and terse. Six words, one initial, end of story. It was not at all what she was used to.

She set the card aside with a sniff and a toss of her head that nearly set the dainty hat perched upon her flaming tresses toppling. She didn't have time for such things. Rehearsal was due to start soon, and she planned to remind that pinhead Reyer exactly why she was the Opera Garnier's star soprano.

***

From his usual place in the shadows, Erik studied Carlotta as she performed her final aria of the day, finishing with an ambitious but unmoving cadenza. She must have gotten the roses…he'd set them on her dressing table himself, for Gounod's sake! Why did she look so detached and uninterested?

Maybe I should have chosen some other flowers, he decided. Something more impressive…and maybe with a little more flattery in the card…

He drummed his fingers thoughtfully, calculating his next move.

***

The next morning, there was an enormous vase full of lilies waiting for Carlotta when she arrived at the Opera. These too were accompanied by a note, again in that strange handwriting. "As enchanted as I am by your beauty, I am doubly bewitched by your talent. E."

Well, that was more like it! This E person was getting better at his game!

There was a knock on the dressing room door and Carlotta beckoned, "Enter."

The door swung open and her seamstress came in, carrying Carlotta's newest costume over her arm. "It's time for your fitting, signora," she said.

"Very well," Carlotta replied. "Come on, then, hurry up. I haven't got all day."

The seamstress helped her into the beaded, bejeweled gown and fussed about at her feet, adjusting the hem and checking that the train draped just so. She then examined the bodice, tutting softly at the straining seams. "I don't understand," she said. "This was made according to your measurements, signora, and I'm afraid I'll have to let it out after all."

"After all?" The seamstress gave a start at the snap in the lady's voice. "What do you mean, after all?"

"Nothing, signora," came the reply. "Only that—well, you're not quite so slender as in the past—which isn't to say that you're not still slender—"

"Are you calling me fat?"

"Not at all! I was merely stating—"

She never finished the sentence. With many indignant exclamations in her native tongue, Carlotta divested herself of the costume once again, dressed, and stormed from the room. How dare an ordinary seamstress insult her! She was Carlotta Giudicelli, star of the Paris Opera! She had brought the audience to its knees at La Scala and they had worshiped the ground she stood on at Covent Garden! She was treated with respect and admiration the world over, but not here in Paris.

She let out a final snort of contempt. French…

***

Erik gave a huff of annoyance as he watched Signora Giudicelli stomp about the stage, holding cast and crew hostage to her temper. How was he supposed to make his proposal to her if she were always in the midst of a tantrum? Had the lilies gone unappreciated as well?

He saw her launch a tirade against her seamstress. Ah, so she'd been made aware she was no longer the willowy goddess of two seasons ago. He shook his head. Carlotta was never such a shrew as when her pride had been wounded.

Now it was necessary to smooth those ruffled feathers with an even bigger gesture to capture her attention. French women had never struck him as low-maintenance creatures, but this fiery diva was of another caliber altogether.

He sighed heavily. Italians…

***

"What in the name of the pope is going on here?" Carlotta demanded later that week. A crowd had gathered in the corridor outside her dressing room, jostling each other to get a glimpse inside. She forced her way through and paused on the threshold.

Orchids. The entire room was filled with orchids. White, pink, yellow, purple, all heaped in baskets and spilling out of vases.

Well, she was accustomed to getting flowers from her devotees, but this had never happened before. Surely they couldn't all be from the same person.

She scoured the dressing room looking in every bouquet for a card, a note, something! Finally, in the vase nearest the vanity, she found one—just one.

You are a rare jewel, signora, and the crown of the Opera. I wait with breathless anticipation for you to grace the stage once again.

Fondest wishes,

E


Carlotta furrowed her brow. He was sparing with words, this E, but there was an elegance to them nonetheless. He must have very fine taste to appreciate genius when he heard it, though the orchids were rather overdone.

But a new thought occurred to her as she gazed around at the flowers. One would have to think very highly of a lady to send her so many at once, and orchids were so expensive! Who would go to such trouble and such cost for just anyone? Even for the "crown of the Opera?"

A possibility presented itself to Carlotta, a splendid, fantastical possibility. She had a secret admirer!

***

The orchid scheme had done the trick, so far as Erik could tell. When Carlotta appeared for rehearsal that day, she was smiling like a contented house cat. There was a certain sauciness in her manner that was a little grating, but she was civil, even pleasant. Maybe he'd finally started to make some headway.

Just in the nick of time, too—he had to do something about those high notes.

***

Gifts and trinkets continued to appear in Carlotta's dressing room over the next several weeks, always dazzling in nature and accompanied by notes of increasing warmth. She was flattered by the attention and intrigued by the mystery. Who was this E who held her in such regard? Not that it wasn't perfectly natural for her to be admired, but she'd been met with less admiration than was her due in Paris. No one placed any value on the labor and devotion she put into her career. It was a relief to run across a Frenchman who esteemed her so.

Elsewhere in the theater, Erik was totaling up how much this investment had already cost him. He wasn't prone to being charitable, but he'd spent the better part of a month heaping expensive gifts upon the Italian diva and he'd never been so glad to receive his salary from the management. It had seemed to please her, and hopefully by this time she'd come to see that this mysterious benefactor had immense resources at his disposal. When the time came for them to go into partnership, the recollection of his wealth would be sure to guide her worldly hand.

He'd spent time enough softening her up. The company's new production of The Magic Flute was to open that night, with La Carlotta cast as the Queen of the Night. If the premiere was a success, she would be in a good mood indeed. Good enough, perhaps, to be easily won over.

It was settled. After the show, he would meet Carlotta face-to—well, not exactly face-to-face, but the closest he could get to it, at any rate.

He removed the mask he wore and studied it critically. In hindsight, he thought, maybe I shouldn't have made it so threatening.

***

Carlotta made her way back to her dressing room after the performance, basking in her latest triumph. Her public had adored her, as well they ought to. It was about time they acknowledged the hard work and dedication she poured into her art!

But wait, someone already had acknowledged it…her secret admirer, E. She wondered what new surprise he'd planned for her.

She brushed off everyone in the corridors and arrived outside her dressing room. There was a flutter of anticipation in her belly as she opened the door—

An exclamation of shock burst from her as she saw the man standing before the mirror. He wore a long black cape and an immaculate suit, and covering half of his face was a white mask.

"Who do you think you are?" she demanded. "What are you doing here? I demand that you leave this instant!"

"Please calm yourself, signora," he said, using the most entrancing, beautiful voice she'd ever heard. "Pardon my intrusion; I merely wanted to congratulate you on your performance tonight."

Carlotta raised her eyebrows but her tone was pleased. "Thank you very much, monsieur. Might I have the pleasure of your name?"

"You know me," the man replied, "as E."

A smile spread across her face. Her man of mystery in the flesh! She gave her very best curtsy and said, "I'm delighted to meet you at last, monsieur."

"The pleasure is all mine, signora," Erik assured her with his very best bow. He hoped she didn't plan on exchanging niceties all night. He wasn't good at this at all!

Carlotta batted her eyelashes coyly. "Is that all that brings you here, monsieur?" she asked. "You just wanted to congratulate me?"

"Not at all, signora. This is rather awkward for me to say, but I've been watching you for some time now, and I believe you're exactly what I need."

Imagine the surprise and amazement of Signora Giudicelli when she heard these words! She'd suspected the mysterious E admired her, but this was quite unexpected!

"Your voice, signora, is one of a kind, and your talent is undeniable. You have captured my attention in the most exquisite way."

Well, how enchanting indeed! Carlotta held her head a bit higher and asked, "In what way?"

Erik bowed his head to her and said, "I have a proposal to make you, signora."

If someone had thrown a pail of water in her face, Carlotta couldn't have been more dumbstruck. Proposal?

"If we are allied together," Erik went on, "we will go far. There could be no limit to what we could accomplish."

Allied together? Surely he couldn't mean—that they get married?

"If you will enter into partnership with me, signora," he said, "I can assure you—"

"Stop," Carlotta interrupted. Poor man…he was so smitten with her, but she was devoted to her career. She felt so sorry for him, but she would have to break his heart. "I think I see where this is going."

Erik paused, feeling wrong-footed and not caring for it at all. "You do?"

"I do, monsieur." She adopted her tragic heroine guise—which, admittedly, wasn't much different from any of her other guises and was still just plain Carlotta Giudicelli. "I'm deeply sorry, but I'm afraid I must decline your proposal."

"Why?" Erik asked. He'd been so sure she'd say yes!

"I'm committed to my art," she replied. "Perhaps if you were to come at any other time, I might…but I'm focusing on my career at the moment."

"Exactly," Erik agreed, trying to regain the flow of the conversation. "I'm here about your career."

Carlotta froze in place. "You are?"

"Of course. Why did you think I was here?"

An embarrassed flush crept into the diva's cheeks but she answered with as much dignity as she could muster. "I thought you were proposing marriage, monsieur."

For a moment Erik stood stock-still, blindsided by a revelation he most definitely hadn't seen coming. Then, very slowly, his face split into a grin and he began to laugh. He chuckled, then he cackled, throwing back his head in a fit of mirth that positively rankled La Carlotta. She drew herself up haughtily and demanded, "Does something amuse you, monsieur?"

Erik hardly had the breath to reply, but he managed to wheeze, "I'm afraid—you've misunderstood—my intentions—my dear signora."

"Clearly. And what are your intentions, may I ask?"

Still choking with laughter, he struggled to pull himself together and said, "I'm a composer, signora, and I need to give my music a voice. Not just any voice, but a spectacular voice. If you sing my music, we will both be famed beyond your wildest dreams."

She sniffed fussily. "I'm already famous."

"And yet you still go unsung in France! They don't recognize what a treasure you are! Work with me, and I promise you the entire world will eat from the palm of your hand."

Her annoyance at being made a fool of began to fade as Carlotta considered the proposal. This E was already very wealthy; he must be a very successful composer…but still, he needed her. Her, Signora Carlotta Giudicelli! And according to him, she needed him as well to get the acclaim she deserved…

She'd heard of things like this—shady businessmen duping singers into sham deal and making fortunes off the talent of others. She smelled something strange about this offer. "What's the catch?"

"There's no catch," Erik replied. "I would merely give you singing lessons and then you would—"

He barely had time to duck as she threw a vase of carnations at his head. It smashed against the mirror, cracking the glass so the reflections within looked fragmented and the flowers flew everywhere. What did I say? he quizzed wildly as she began to rant and scream in Italian. "Signora, please," he reasoned, "what's the matter?"

"Singing lessons!" she shrieked. "Singing lessons! How dare you! How dare you suggest that I, I, La Carlotta, receive singing lessons!"

"Please be reasonable, you need proper instruction, you must have more soul before you can be a truly great artist—"

She drowned out the rest of his speech with another wail of fury, advancing on him like a mastiff. This isn't how I'd planned this!

Carlotta seized a heavy hairbrush from the vanity—more ammunition. Before she had time to launch her missile, however, Erik vanished, leaving only the cracked mirror and shattered vase as evidence he'd been there at all.

She threw the brush down, still huffing in a rage. Singing lessons! The nerve! The impudence! She'd never been so insulted in her life!

French!

***

Erik watched from his usual place above the stage, gazing down at the rehearsal. It had been several weeks since the scene in Carlotta's dressing room, and he hadn't attempted to communicate with her again. That ungrateful harridan!

Just look at her down there, he groused, sounding like a banshee with laryngitis…How could he ever have thought she was a gifted singer? She was horrendous!

He needed a new voice, a new singer, someone who was the exact opposite of La Carlotta…Carlotta was loud and demanding, so he wanted someone soft-spoken and demure…Carlotta loved to be the center of attention, so he wanted someone from outside the spotlight…Carlotta had the waistline of a mature tree, so he wanted a mere slip of a thing…Carlotta was Italian, and he certainly wouldn't make that mistake again…

He scanned the stage as if willing this new talent to spontaneously appear. Not another redhead, that would never do. A blonde, perhaps? No, he preferred brunettes after all. And maybe it would be best if she wasn't a singer to start with…

His eyes fell on one of the chorus girls. She was slender and easily spotted with those thick, dark curls. Wait a minute, he knew her; he'd often heard her singing to herself backstage when no one was listening. She had an uncommon voice, to be sure—but what was her name? Colette? Corrine?

"Christine!" the ballet mistress barked out. "You're drifting out of the line again!"

Christine, that was it! Erik studied her appraisingly for several long minutes, then nodded to himself. She'll do.


*****

You know, this thing gets more hits on deviantART than on fanfiction.net! I wonder why...

Your pal,
Angels