Lynn Lamb - Dissonance of the Dead - Author Interview

Lynn Lamb has just published the second book in her Opus of the Dead series, Dissonance of the Dead. The sequel to Lullaby of the Dead, the latest novel features characters from that universe as they journey beyond the haunted house they’ve been occupying – some of them for centuries. They have much to learn about modern ways of living.

Tell us a little about some of the characters in the series.

We’re continuing on with a few of the characters from the previous book. Landry Sinclair, the narrator of the series, has grown a lot since the beginning of Lullaby of the Dead. She has emerged as being much more conscious of her personal foibles in her dead state than she was when she was alive.

We also have Topanga, her love interest, who is important as the mentor of the group. Now he is trying to grow the gifts of those who have left Nashton House and help them find their true selves. He is very much still the instructor. He knows how the world works outside the milieu of Lullaby, and that assists the other characters as they leave Nashton House because they have no clue how to function in the land of the living.

Serine still has a lot of problems in terms of temperament and her ability to communicate with others. She has a goal in mind—to find her son—and she’s pretty relentless with it and a little nerve-racking to the other characters with agendas of their own. She’s a tough cookie, she doesn’t go off-track, she knows what she wants and goes for it.

Topanga is also sensitive to the fact that Serine and the others are also on their journeys. Landry isn’t the only one trying to find her way.

Can I suggest that the message of the books could be that we can only ‘pass on’ when we find out about our true selves?

Maybe what we’re supposed to be doing out here is to complete our problems from life, and to grow beyond them.

Is madness a theme? I mean in relation to Nashton and some of the other characters?

Absolutely. We find several characters dealing with mental illness in one form or another. We see characters trapped in issues they haven’t come to peace with in their lives.

There’s an element of dysfunction and brokenness. There’s more than one or two characters who are this way – and I think it ties into the notion of putting the past behind us, and being able to move past our experiences and regrets. It’s probably prevalent too in the series, given that many of the characters met violent, sudden ends.

I love what you say about being broken. The story really is about healing from within. Not just for the characters who are broken. The theme of healing through nature is prevalent.

I’d describe it as yogic. There are elements of mindfulness and meditation that you draw on.

I agree. When the characters find themselves trapped in a horrible scenario whereby they’re unable to move, they start to take energy from the living things around them. They find that everything is connected. So with the trees, for example, once one tree goes, the forest goes. It’s like the domino effect. Similarly, once one of them falls, they all fall. They draw on each other’s energy. They know that they can’t do it alone. They need to stay connected. In life, nobody is an island. We do give and take energy to and from each other.

In Lullaby of the Dead – everything was indoors, with windows and doors. In Dissonance, which takes place outdoors, everything is split into elements – fire, earth, water and air.

Interesting stuff. And it plays into character development too, perhaps – there’s a freedom the characters enjoy, relative to the confined quarters of the first book.

You can follow Lynn Lamb on Twitter. Lynn Lamb’s Opus of the Dead series features Lullaby of the Dead and Dissonance of the Dead. Get them at Amazon today.