J. H. Bográn, born and raised in Honduras, is the son of a journalist. He ironically prefers to write fiction rather than fact. José’s genre of choice is thrillers, but he likes to throw in a twist of romance into the mix. His works include novels and short stories in both English and Spanish. He has also worked on scripts for motion pictures and domestic television in his home country.
He’s a member of The Crime Writers Association, the Short Fiction Writers Guild and the International Thriller Writers where he also serves as the Thriller Roundtable Coordinator and contributor editor for their official e-zine The Big Thrill.
POISONED TEARS is his third novel in English and has already garnered positive reviews and recommendations. Jon Land calls it “a splendid piece of crime noir,” while Douglas Preston says it’s a first class roller-coaster ride.
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Music is an essential part of my life. At one point, I blogged about how my life is so much like a movie I even have the soundtrack! I guess it must be because of my passion for stories—which would also explain why I write—but I find some of the messages delivered by lyrics as fascinating and quite powerful. As writers, I truly believe there’s much to be learned from powerful lyrics that are able to encapsulate an idea, a thought, or a feeling in very few words. Please allow me to share some of my favorites with you.
“You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette
Does she know how you told me you’d hold me | Until you died, till you died |But you’re still alive.
This complaint to a former lover about a broken promise is exceptionally powerful. To me, it speaks of how easy we make promises we can’t keep and how the spurned lover feels when realizing the deception.
Along the same lines, you can also feel the unrequited love in Adele’s hit “Rolling in the Deep” when she claims:
Think of me in the depths of your despair.
Or take a moment to thing about “Numb” by Linkin Park
Every step that I take is another mistake to you.
Here’s another complaint to a lover. This time includes a feeling of self-defeat that is both disturbing and sad.
But not all songs are about lovers current or old, some are just plain stories that even include a moral. Look for instance at Kenny Roger’s song “Coward of the County” where a father imparts the following advice to his son:
Promise me, son, | Not to do the things I’ve done | Walk away from trouble if you can |
Now it don’t mean you’re weak | If you turn the other cheek |
And I hope you’re old enough to understand | Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man
After a lifetime of being obedient to his father’s last wishes, the man comes to find his loved-one raped by three other men. What choice does he have?
“Papa, I should hope you understand |Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man”
Almost every time I get to check the news I see nothing but trouble in all parts of the world. Invariably, this line from the tune “The Miracle” by Queen comes to mind with a little bit of hope as it reminds me these news are not so new anyway but also, that there’s hope in some of the other things that are permanent:
Super powers always fighting, |But Mona Lisa just keeps on smiling.
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