A Playlist for Dante Walker

He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big, red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.

Over the past couple of months, I've been getting to know Dante. I wouldn't quite call it stalking, but I've been to his website a few times, followed that "random chick" who wrote a book about him (Victoria Scott), and been keeping track of excerpts of that book on the web. Like I said, not stalking. I like to call it staying informed and quenching my thirsty curiosity.

What I've learned about Dante, so far, is that he's good with words, and he has a knack for getting "pretty little souls" on his side. Seriously, though. How can you not just turn to jello when he starts sweet-talkin' you, painting a picture of you... with him... in the woods with a homemade drive-in movie setup.... or on the beach... or just going for a ride in his favorite car... You're brain just kind of turns to mush and you're at his mercy, like play-dough in his hands, and he can mold you into whatever he wants. Like it says, "He makes good girls....bad." (Visit Dante Walker)

But even with all his confidence, he still has regrets and emotions that he buries. He's got another side, which I doubt he'd like to admit, that's a little more raw than the guarded, yet flirtatious, game he plays. I'm curious to see more of it...

He collects souls for the Boss Man. His favorite color is, without a doubt, red. He's a Taurus, which says a lot (sensual, stubborn, lover of beauty and pleasure, strong, and persistent in his tasks ~ ahem, collecting souls).  He doesn't like to read (bummer). He's got blue eyes. And he's single.

But he's also a demon. A dead demon. Who collects souls... *shrugs* Ah, who am I kidding? Minor details...

Everyone has a playlist, a list of songs that seem to be written for or about you... Even Dante... Or at least, he has this playlist that I've put together... We'll see if it's up to par...

Well, I'm sure you've seen the trailer for his - um, Victoria Scott's - book, The Collector. LOVE the Deftones in the background... 

The Collector by Nine Inch Nails ~ Well, the title kind of speaks for itself... and the lyrics

I pick things up

I am a collector

And things, well things, they tend to accumulate

I have this net

It drags behind me

It picks up feelings

For me to feed upon

It's kinda perfect...

Rogues by Incubus ~ The title itself reminds me of Dante ~ rogue. He's unconventional, doesn't ask questions as to why he's given the "assignments" he's given.. He just wants a way out..

I’m keeping an eye on the future/an eye on the past

& the present in my pocket/just in case I need a door…

.....

I’m keeping an eye on the pulse

an ear to the track & penance in a locket

I’m dropping from the highest floor.

When it hits ground I watch it smash to pieces.

Needles and Pines by Deftones ~ This song reminds me of Dante's talents for seduction...

Well I'm here if that's what you want

Here we are - You're pins - I'm needles - Let's play...

Here we are - You want this? - Then come on...

Tune out everyone in the crowd because now it's just me and you

Send the Pain Below by Chevelle ~ So, according to the synopsis, Dante has "emotions deeply buried." Why do you bury emotions? Either they scare you or they hurt, so you "send the pain below."

Follow by Breaking Benjamin ~ This song always makes me feel a lot when I listen to it, but looking closely at the lyrics... 

I'll follow you if you follow me

I don't know why you lie so clean

I'll break right through the irony

Enlighten me

Reveal my fate

Just cut these strings

That hold me safe

It reminds me not of Dante, but of the souls he collects... They'll follow him because he makes it so easy, and he'll "reveal" their "fate." 

Highway to Hell by AC/DC ~ Well...

Asking nothing, leave me be

Taking everything in my stride

Don't need reason, don't need rhyme

.......

Nobody's gonna slow me down

Like a wheel, gonna spin it

Nobody's gonna mess me round

Pretty much sounds like Dante.. He's gunna do what he's gunna do, say what he's gunna say... because he's awesome just the way he is, and no one's going to mess with him. That, and he's experienced the literal highway to hell. 

Buried Alive by Avenged Sevenfold ~ Dante's situation, in a nutshell... He's dead, but not really.. He does the Boss Man's bidding, "buried alive," looking for his ticket out.

I walk the fields through the fire,

Taking steps until I found solid ground

....

What's it feel like? Took the wrong route

Watch it fall apart now you're knockin' at the wrong gate!

For you to pay the toll, a price for you alone

The only deal you'll find, I'll gladly take your soul

Black by Kari Kimmel ~ This describes the souls Dante usually collects ~ the "fun ones," as he sees it. 

All the rules are changing now

You’re living in sin

Everything around you is caving in

All you’re holding on to 

Slipping like water through your hands

.....

Opposition all around

Feeding off your soul

Trying hard to swallow up you whole

And the demons all around you waiting

For you to sell your soul

Fight Inside by Red ~ After reading about what Dante had to say about his parents and seeing in the synopsis that he's not made up of just charm and confidence, this is how I imagine he feels about his situation and regrets.

Enemy, familiar friend

My beginning and my end.

Knowing truth, whispering lies

And it hurts again.

What I fear and what I've tried,

Words I say and what I hide.

Sexy Ladies + Let Me Talk To You (Prelude) by Justin Timberlake ~ LOL I couldn't help myself, I just had to do it. Dante exudes confidence and it's apparent that he has a certain affection for his female fans. He knows he's awesome, and he knows we think he's awesome too.

These dudes don't know me from Adam and Eve

That's why they can't mess up my flow

And when this beat drops, your heart stops

You feel it from your head to your toes

....

All my other people that dance around

When they hear me rocking the groove

Now it might sound cocky

But is it really cocky if you know that it's true

....

Let's put it on cruise control

Let me take you to the crib, let me ease your soul

 Counting the days til April 2nd :)

Enjoy!

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Excerpt: The Collector by Victoria Scott

Wowsa! I was so psyched to find that little number in my inbox saying that I had mail, because it just so happened to be an excerpt of Victoria Scott's highly anticipated The Collector. If you haven't heard of Dante Walker (where in the H-E-double-hockey-sticks have you been?!?) then you'll get to know him a little better here...

He usually exudes confidence and is completely sure of himself (from what I've seen), but I'm feeling a little bit of thoughtfulness here... Some wondering... I love when you see different sides to characters ~ subtle changes that let you know not all is what it seems...

Well, without further ado (and rambling), here's the promised excerpt.

ENJOY!!!

Apparently, Charlie Cooper doesn’t have a car. But don’t worry, she tells me, we can walk to school from here.

Thrilling.

It’ll only take a few lifetimes, what with her mad limp and all.

Charlie carries a brown lunch bag in one hand, and every few minutes she digs Skittles out of her pocket and pops them into her mouth. I have no idea how this girl survives high school. She’s a disaster. It’s kind of tragic. Why is she still alive while I’m a walking corpse?

I can’t stop staring at her mouth. It’s the only part of her that’s passable yet it never stops moving.

“Don’t you think?” she asks.

I meet her eyes. “What?”

She nudges me with her shoulder like we’re long lost pals. “Someone’s been daydreaming. Want some sugar?” Her open palm is a stained Skittle mess.

“I’ll pass,” I answer. I’m not sure how this chick stays so tiny. She eats like a hippopotamus. Deep in my pocket, I rub circles over my lucky penny. I’m trying to figure out how to corrupt this girl, and she keeps asking me questions.

Focus, Dante.

I narrow my eyes and do what I’m trained to do. At first, her body is exactly the same, short and skinny, like a weed that needs plucking. But then it changes. The familiar warm yellow light crawls over her skin and flickers.

Ah, soul light. If I could drink it, I would. The color of a human soul is the same for everyone. It’s the seals that make the difference. I count how many she has, then clench my hands into fists. There are twelve seals on her soul. Only twelve. And they’re not even big. Great. I’ve come to collect Mother Teresa.

Still, the fact that she has even twelve seals means Boss Man has probably had Charlie watched for some time, or at least the Peachville area. Looking at her, his reasons are lost to me. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve got to collect her either way. If I don’t and she dies, she’ll go to Judgment Day, and Boss Man obviously doesn’t want to take chances.

Inspecting her soul closer, I notice some of Charlie’s seals are dark blue, others green or orange or whatnot. Every collector can place seals, and you can tell who sealed a soul by the color. Most of hers are green. That’d be Patrick’s work. Naturally, I was the one to train him.

Her soul is clear of any of my red seals. But that won’t last for long cause Papa’s come to play. “How much further?” I ask.

“Just on the other side of this hill,” she chirps. “Like I was saying, I’m not sure if you’ll be able to enroll this late in the semester, but at least you can see the school and stuff.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.”

Charlie glances at me, and her eyes crinkle at the corners. “I think you’re nice, Dante.”

“That’s cause I am nice.”

She looks ahead and walks in silence for almost a full minute. It suddenly feels strange to be near her and not hear her speak. The massive trees hang in a canopy over the road, stretching to greet one another. Their leaves are dead.

Toothy Jack O’ Lanterns sit on porches and watch us pass. One looks like it’s mocking me, so I flip it off. Charlie sees me. She throws her head back and laughs long and hard. The sound startles me.

I wonder what it would feel like to laugh like that—with complete abandonment.

AHHH, the anticipation kills me... *sigh* Well, if this didn't satisfy you, you can always swing on over to visit Victoria Scott or even Dante Walker ~ why shouldn't he have his own site?  Get clickin' :) Your welcome.


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Spotlight: The Collector (A Dante Walker Novel) by Victoria Scott

He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big, red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.

I really wish I could get my hands on this one RIGHT NOW... The anticipation is killing me, especially when Dante Walker flaunts his stuff and completely melts any kind of coherent thought... NEED to get to know not only him better, but this Nerd Alert chick, Charlie Cooper, who hits all the right buttons to reveal the content of Dante's heart. 

mm mm mm... *salivating*

Visit 

Victoria Scott and Dante Walker 

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~