Every Life Deserves A Soundtrack

by Maureen O. Betita

I’m going to approach this a little differently than the normal Monday playlist stuff. I mean, I do use music to write by. (Geez, that new Evanescence CD had to songs on it I swear...she lifted it from my books!)

But! I want to talk about soundtracks. Not to my books. But my life.

This came up some time ago on Facebook. I’d been watching Mama Mia and laughing at the songs and dancing – nope, not gonna debate who could sing and who couldn’t… I just enjoyed the energy of the movie. I mean, come on! It’s fun!

I went on Facebook and said I wished I had a soundtrack, trying to be funny.

And numerous people went on to inform me that the soundtrack for Mama Mia was easily available.

*head slap*

Not that soundtrack! I mean MY soundtrack! I want a team of dancers to follow me around, breaking into appropriate moves for when I score a great deal at Macys, or succumb to that cupcake in the display case at Starbucks…or finish a manuscript.

And the orchestra, don’t forget them. Or band.

(Some days are orchestra days, some are band days, I think we can all agree with that.)

I’ll need a dozen talented songwriters to capture the true essence of my life and be able to write evocatively of my anguish over…uh…how cluttered my house is! Or the victory of creating a pair of pirate pantaloons in my sewing class.

It would be very helpful if there were signature bars for certain people in my life. I’d never have to worry about running into anyone I didn’t want to see. I’d hear the music and duck out.

I especially want this team of experts to wander around the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention with me. And any book event I attend. They can inspire the participants into dance and song and buying my book!

Yeah!

A soundtrack to my life.A living soundtrack. Remind me to see to it when the mega lottery ticket comes in with my numbers on it.

Oh, must buy a ticket for that to work, right?

This is where the trombone plays something to denote the joke… ;-)

Liz’s Soundtrack

There was a commercial once, for something, that was awesome. It was people walking with music in their ears—one guy had a boombox on his shoulder, some other guys had the car stereo cranked, I think it was for Sony, or maybe ITunes. Just goes to show you how much it stuck with me I guess. But the tag line:
SOUNDTRACK TO YOUR LIFE!
DID stick.


Because that’s how I live. I am never ever (ever) without music. Be in Itunes, Pandora, Sirius/XM I have it on at home (and I LOVE how my new blue ray DVD channels Pandora through the TV), in the car, at the computer, walking the Muse Dogs, driving around between soccer practices and games, there is music playing.


I bounce around but hands down my best Pandora station is “Mumford and Sons.” Not because I’m such a huge fan of this particular group. The way Pandora works is that you set up a station, add song seeds, thumbs up and thumbs down various songs and the scary thing creates what is absolutely exactly what I love to listen to 9 times out of ten. I’ve added Foo Fighters, Vampire Weekend, Cake, Marshall Mathers, Avril Lavigne and Adele to this station and now, it rocks.


I’ll scroll through a few songs that really rev my creative engine, and some that I “assigned” to my Turkish Delights trilogy.


First and foremost I LOVE THIS SONG:

I got to see His Dave-ness at the Palace at Auburn Hills and was playin’ in the mosh pit, not more than 20 feet from the man. It was one of The Best Rock Shows Evah.

For Emre and Elle’s story, the first of the Turkish Delights stories, this song kept popping up, and I think it says a lot:

The last line is so incredibly beautiful:
Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.
Turkish Delights is a Full On Romance (with a healthy bit of steam). And this song just spoke to me while I wrote it.


Caleb, Elle’s assistant has had love, and lost it. He seeks more and does eventually find it but after a long period of intense unhappiness. When I wrote his and Tarkan’s first encounter it was one of those I had to stop and, ah, take care of some personal time for myself it was That Hot. Tarkan is Emre’s twin brother. He and Caleb shared a great love, that started with a Huge Lust.
This song, a remake of a pop song, says It All…

Uh huh. Those boys are very very hot.


Finally, when it came time to tell Lale’s story, Tarkan and Emre’s younger sister was real serious bad ass—or at least she thought so…..I have a couple of songs for this story as it’s a tad bit longer and in depth.
At first, Lale (pronounced “Lah-Lay”) is all:

And Andreas, the Greek former NFL Dom stud VERY much is looking for:

These two seemed destined … to clash.
They do.


But finally, THIS is Lale’s Theme Song:

“You’ve already won me over, in spite of me.
Don’t be alarmed if I fall
Head over feet.
Don’t be surprised if I love you
For all that you are
I couldn’t help it.
It’s all your fault.”
That is Lale and Andreas.

Turkish Delights

Blue Cruise

Tulip Princess

All part of the 1NightStand Series

I need music to get me in the mood…

by Jessica E. Subject

Did I get your attention? So maybe it’s not what you’re thinking, but stick around.

Okay, I have a story idea in my head, maybe even on paper, and I’m about to start writing. But there’s one thing I have to do first:

MAKE A PLAYLIST!

Why? For me, the songs I chose evoke the same emotion in me that I wish to evoke in my readers during a specific scene. Sometimes I even have more than one song for a particular scene, as is the case with Unknown Futures (coming soon to Decadent’s 1 Night Stand series).

I go through my selection of music to chose the ideal songs, create a playlist on my phone and burn a CD with the same songs, to play while I’m driving. The playlist inspires me while I’m writing and keeps me motivated during the editing process.

Songs can enhance scenes of seduction, betrayal, discovery, and passion. When writing Never Gonna Let You Go, another science fiction romance coming soon to Decadent, I turned to one band in particular for inspiration: The Veronicas.

I love most pop and dance music – it gets my heart pumping and the ideas flowing. The Veronicas’ songs are no exception. Here are some of the songs by The Veronicas on my playlist for Never Gonna Let You Go:

Take Me On The Floor: http://youtu.be/jEiGbXvF_Rw

Untouched

All I Have, Goodbye To You, I Can’t Stay Away, I Could Get Used To This, This Is How It Feels

And now a question for you:

Readers – Do you chose the music you listen to based on your mood?

Authors – How do you chose the music on your playlist?

Bio:

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories. Her debut novella, Celestial Seduction is available from Decadent Publishing.

Website/Blog: http://www.markofthestars.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jsubject

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-E-Subject-author/205759796126370

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4959083.Jessica_E_Subject

Google +: https://plus.google.com/100079570422204018357/posts

Happy Halloween – Casea's Scary Playlist

For those of you who don't know me, I hate scary!  I don't like scary books. 

I don't like scary movies.

I don't like haunted houses or even costume shops.

Fear is not an emotion I get pleasure from.

However, I do, on occasion, indulge in scary music. (as long as it's not too scary) 

Here is my Top 10 list of personal favorite scary songs. Take a minute listen to a couple. Enjoy a candy treat.

Ghostbusters

The Time Warp

It's Halloween

Rapture

Thriller

Devil Woman

A Witches Invitation

Somebody's Knocking

Rebel Yell

Spooky

Happy Halloween!!

Blurb:

One Knight in Brooklyn

After signing up for a one-night stand through an exclusive matching agency, hopeless romantic Marianne Caldwell is swept away to a medieval land where she hopes to spend the night with a worthy man of honor.

Unsure of how she got from the Castillo Hotel in Las Vegas to a castle in the English countryside, Mare finds Robert, whose stunning physique and winning smile immediately convince her he's the Robin Hood she's been seeking.  But despite his efforts in saving her from a corrupt sheriff, his Jersey Shore accent and coarse ways unravel her romantic visions.

With her fairytale fantasies coming unhinged, Mare must decide if Robert is just a crass car salesman from Brooklyn or the chivalrous knight she's looking for. 

BUYLINKS

You can find me at my blog:  http://caseamajor.wordpress.com/ or any of the following places. 

FACEBOOK / GOODREADS / THE ROMANCE REVIEWS /

MANIC READERS/ AMAZON PROFILE

Almost Perfect Playlist

by Jenna Jaxon

ALMOST PERFECT PLAY LIST

I may be one of the few writers who doesn’t listen to music when I write.  But when I was writing Almost Perfect, I had lots of different songs running through my head.  I couldn’t stop some of the songs—until I wrote another section of the story and another song would start to drive me wild!  And because this book references a lot of movies, sometimes I had whole soundtracks playing in my head.

The first song was innocuous enough—Happy Birthday to You.  My heroine, Pam, opens the story by packing for her one night stand—a birthday present from a friend.  So she’s packing and singing “Happy Birthday” to herself.

When Pam makes it to the island, I imagine it exactly like the island Jack Sparrow is marooned on in Curse of the Black Pearl.  Because Pam’s fantasy is a pirate adventure, I kept hearing the theme song from Pirates of the Caribbean, interspersed with Johnny Depp singing “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.”  Love Johnny Depp!

The thought of the island made the song “Almost Paradise,” by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson leap to mind.  The lyrics go so well with the story I had actually titled it Almost Paradise.  But when writing about it to a couple of CPs of mine I mistakenly typed Almost Perfect and everyone loved that, so I changed it.  But the song stuck.

And the final song that ran constantly through my head while I was writing the end of Almost Perfect was “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic.  I won’t give away anything, but suffice it to say, Pam’s love of movies makes this a natural song for the book.

I hope this play list gives you a little peek into the themes of Almost Perfect—a birthday, a pirate adventure, paradise, and lost love—and makes you want to read more.

I’ve got the music in me…

As a writer, I look for inspiration everywhere. Most of the time, I get it from songs. The more songs I put on my playlist, the more inspired I get to write about a character or story.

When I was writing my novel, Forget Me Not, I listened to a lot of Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks, partly because they were big at the time I started writing the book and partly because I’m a big fan of both. 

When it came time to do revisions I found more songs that inspired me to delve deeper into my characters. This song, by Christina Aguilera laid a strong foundation for my character Casey Martinez, and, in a way, tells her back story.

Hurt: Christina Aguilera

As the novel progressed and I looked closer at Casey’s relationship with Scott Weller, this song came to mind. These two characters are afraid to take a chance on love, Natasha Bedingfield’s song Soul Mate told their story. 

Soulmate : Natasha Bedingfield

Because this novel is a Latina romance, I end their story with this song. 

 Yo Te Amo Chayanne  

  

These three songs are my inspiration for everything I write. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Wendy Burke's Playlist Monday---The One He Chose

This is my first attempt at a Playlist Monday. Geez, with all my years in media - radio and TV - you would think this was easy. To be honest, it was, because when the list came to me, I wasn't really thinking about 'the list'! 

If you're not aware, the main character-Grace- in The One He Chose is the sister of a character in another 1 Night Stand story. Hopefully, you met, John, in Deanna Wadsworth'sBear It All.' Since John looks like Trace Adkins, I was pondering that character one day and did a search for Trace Adkins tunes and stumbled upon 'Still Love You.' It's the perfect song reflecting Grace's dead husband's continuing love for her. (And, who wouldn't want to cuddle up to Trace Adkins with that growl of his!)  '

So,that was the first song. The next two came to me as I was on my way to work one day and had 'The One He Chose' on my mind. I was flipping through my SiriusXM channels (it's a good thing radio 'buttons' are electronic now, I can't tell you how quickly as a teen I burned out the radio buttons on my mom's '68 Ford LTD!) and ended up on a country station. 

'I Am That Man' by Brooks & Dunn was playing. I'm embarrassed to say, all the time I spend in the car, listening to the radio, it was a song I hadn't heard! (and if I need a lanky red-headed hero some day, Ronnie Dunn IS IT!) Well, it hit me-the song is the obvious connection between my character Grace and ---- I'm not tellin', I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read the story yet!

After that was 'History In the Making' by Darius Rucker. Does he have the coolest voice or what? But the song also fit the connection between Grace and her 'mystery man.' (And, my husband is a huge Rucker/Hootie fan! Another reason to include it, huh?)

My hand slammed my forehead (as I was making a left turn!) and I grabbed the nearest piece of paper and started scribbling. (I can barely read it!) And so, the playlist was born!

I would be remiss if I didn't include the trailer for the actual story! 

So, please enjoy the playlist for The One He Chose!

      Wendy is a displaced Cheesehead, proud to have been born and bred in Wisconsin. She was a migrant worker for years in the radio business, until she landed in Ohio and refused to leave. When she isn’t writing for pleasure and publication, she is a TV newsroom assignment manager – a great job for her as she gets to tell people where to go and what to do! She shares her clean, yet perpetually dusty, house with her chef husband and two spoiled rotten cats. (One of who takes great delight in harfing up a hairball on Wendy’s pillow at 3AM.)Decadent Publishing has been a godsend for her as she can finally stop talking to the people in her head and allow them to speak for themselves!

     Find her at her blog, her writers' group, on Facebook - Wendy Burke author, and on Twitter @WendyBurke1994. You can send her an email too - wendyburke1994@bex.net.

 

Listening Old School

 By Deanna Wadsworth

As a digitally published author one might assume I would be tech savvy or at least a tech junkie. After all I have a Kindle and a smart phone and I am obsessed with both, LOL Love my computer and can't live without my DVR ever again. EVER

But the reality is I am very old fashioned in some things....those that know me IRL would say, DUH! Heck, I don't even own an Ipod or an MP3 player! But I have a collection of over 500 Cds.....from Lady Gaga to Griffin House to KISS to Andrea Bocelli.

Since its Playlist Monday I thought I would talk about my love of CDs and LPs.....oh yes, I said it LPs.

For those who don't know, an LP is one of those funny big black disks that look like a Frisbee and where the word album and record originated from.

<---------------- You can even still buy them!!

A local store in Bowling Green, Ohio near where I live, FINDERS RECORDS carries an extensive selection. They even keep all the CDs and records in flat bins so you can shop old school. I can't tell you how cool that is.

Why LPs, you may ask?

Well, if you ever heard Johnny Cash's "At Folsom Prison" on vinyl, then you would understand. That sensuous static feels so raw you have to imagine its the way the man in black meant it to sound.

That's nothing to be said bad against downloaded music. But I like to have the CD in my hand...much like a book. I know it might be sacrilege to knock the digital revolution when I haven't read a print book in over a year *head smack* but when it comes to my music I am a purist.

I want the CD.

I want to read all the stories and acknowledgments in the little booklet inside the case.

I like to see the art on the disc itself.

It makes it feel like I am a part of it. Like I own a part of the music, too.

What about you guys? Did you ditch all your CDs once you loaded all the songs you love to your MP3? DO you still have 8-Tracks? LPs?

I would love to hear from you!!!

~Deanna

Deanna's latest m/m 1Night StandBEAR IT ALL is now available!

Travis hired 1 Night Stand hoping for a hot encounter with a sexy older, hairy man, someone to make him feel safe and cherished, and John looks custom made to order.

After losing his partner three years ago, John needs to learn how to open his heart and live again. He thinks a one night stand in the Caribbean might be the answer, but when he sees the young, thin and much smaller Travis, he thinks the agency sent the wrong man.

Can desire overcome misunderstanding when these two bear it all? Or will both men walk away from exactly what they need and desire?

If you want to win a FREE copy of BEAR IT ALL make sure you stop by Brenda Woody & Steve Tindle's blog today for your chance to win as part of Decadent Publishing's Book A Day Giveaway!!!

Ann Mayburn's (Kinky) Playlist

I've always loved dark, moody and powerful music for writing my intense sex scenes. The hard bass, the melody that tugs at your soul and stirs your heart, and the beat that drives your lovers body into your own. Whew, excuse me for a second while I take a cold shower.

For sex scenes with BDSM and D/s elements I always put on Nine Inch Nails. It is utterly, absolutely, perfect for putting me in the mood for a good, hard f...well, you know. ;) We're not talking making love with sighs and cuddles, or sex with a little slap me on the ass and call me Sally. No, I'm talking about the kind of sex that leaves you in a shaking, endorphin filled, sweating heap of satisfaction. The kind of sex that has such a rich spice you can only do it sparingly lest you burn yourself.

Yum.

In my upcoming 1 Night Stand story, Bound for Pleasure, Lara Hernandez has been given the gift of a strong and powerful Alpha male that will be her submissive for the night. Tycen is everything a woman could ever want and more. As a pro-football player he could snap Lara in half without breaking a sweat, but he holds all that magnificent strength in check for her pleasure, devotes himself to submitting to the beautiful Hispanic woman that lights his blood on fire with the wicked BDSM games that she plays so well.

Below is a list of some of the Nine Inch Nails songs I listened to while writing 'Bound for Pleasure'. Provocative, tempting, and on the edge of being dangerous. I hope you enjoy them, and if you're in the mood for a good, hard f...you know, I suggest you put on a Nine Inch Nails song, your kinkiest lingerie, and grab your honey for a mind-blowing romp on the dark and spicy side.

Nine Inch Nails
                      : Closer
                      : Head Like a Hole
                      : Sanctified
                      : Meet your Master (or in this case, Mistress)
                      : Suck
                      : Get Down Make Love
                      : Perfect Drug


On a different note, I would be totally remiss if I didn't urge you to listen to 'Hurt' by Nine Inch Nails and the remake by Johnny Cash. I personally love this song, and love the Johnny Cash remake of it even more. I know, it sounds really odd to hear that Johnny Cash covered an Industrial song, but good music speaks to people across the generations. Johnny heard this song and it struck a deep, dark chord in his soul. Many people consider Johnny Cash's cover of 'Hurt' as his epithet, and after watching the music video that he starred in and directed of the song I have to agree. At the time he made the video he was in frail health and knew his end was near. Seven months after making the music video he passed away. So grab a tissue before you watch it, this video always makes me cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go

Pat Kirby's Chaotic Playlist...wait, that came out wrong...

"Lord, but I dislike poetry. How can anyone remember words that aren't put to music?" ~The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

I have a confession: I'm not a fan of poetry. So I was struck by the realization, when my husband I were discussing music, that lyrics are inextricably tied to my enjoyment of a song. Put the poetry to music and suddenly I'm a fan.

With early drafts of The Music of Chaos, when Regan O'Connell was still the typical bitter, urban fantasy (UF) tough girl, Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" and the rest of the Fallen CD, with its themes of loss and redemption, fueled my muse.

Then the story evolved, picked up a lighter tone, and I started to poke subtle fun at UF archetypes.  About that time, I stumbled on Oingo Boingo's "Just Another Day," which subsequently became The Music of Chaos's theme song.

It's just another day / There's murder in the air

It drags me when I walk / I smell it everywhere

It's just another day / Where people cling to light

To drive away the fear / That comes with every night.

Despite the dark lyrics, the melody is jaunty and light.  The perfect expression of the tone of The Music of Chaos. "Tonight is What It Means to Be Young," from the movie, The Streets of Fire, with its slow build to a driving beat and enthusiastic chorus, practically wrote some of the story's scenes.

Regan and Jason's uneasy love affair, one of the plot's primary conflicts, developed under the influence of "Haunted" (Evanescence) and "Sorcerer" (Marilyn Martin).  Regan's insecurities about the relationship are expressed perfectly by "I'm Not That Girl" from Wicked the musical.

I wrote a backstory event, the origin of Regan's antagonism towards the human Holders, fueled by the vengeance and loss of innocence expressed by the lyrics in songs like "In the Air Tonight" (Phil Collins) and "Into the Dark" (Melissa Etheridge).

Song lyrics have shaped my characters.  For instance, Talis, my dark elf, is an exile from his homeland.  The reason why--his prophetic visions--was provided by the song "Serenity" by Godsmack. While I was listening to "You Don't Know Me," Emmylou Harris's version, Talis told me (because I'm a nutty author whose characters talk to her) that he loved country music and this was one of his favorite songs.

Talis and Regan's friendship is summed up by The Pretenders "I'll Stand by You."

  

Breas is my unapologetic, angst-free vampire. Even Breas, however, has a smidgen of gooey emo under his tough shell.  "I Am a Rock" (Simon & Garfunkel) with lyrics that describe an intellectual who keeps his emotional distance from everyone, is spot-on Breas. With lyrics like, "Time will not heal a dead boy's scars," how can "For the Heart I Once Had" (Nightwish) not be about Breas?

And finally, one of the last, and somewhat bittersweet chapters, was written with Roxette's "Listen to Your Heart" in the background.

The Music of Chaos is now available now in ebook and paperback!
BUY The Music of Chaos HERE

Read Chapter 1 of The Music of Chaos HERE

Wings of a Butterfly Playlist

Writing my latest short for the 1NS series had seen a reconnect with some old loves, and discoveries of new. Here goes (part of) my playlist:

Baby - Justin Bieber feat Ludacris

 A constant staple, this bubblegum is laced with narcotic, I tell you. Funny thing, to date, I have not liked any other Bieber song.

Cuando Me Enamoro - Enrique Iglesias y Juan Luis Guerra

 Enrique returns from hiphop hell! Hurray for longtime fans who'd been there since his first eponymous album.

Si pudiera bajarte una estrella del cielo

Lo haría sin pensarlo dos veces, porque te quiero, ay

Y hasta un lucero, ay

If I could get a star from the sky for you
I would do it without second thoughts

[And] Because I love you
I would reach the stars

Niña Bonita - Chino y Nacho

A combination of upbeat tunes and sweet lyrics to keep this author amused.

Te queda pequeña la frase "Te quiero"

Por eso mis labios te dicen "Te amo"

The words "I like you" are not enough

That's why my lips say "I love you"

Nel blu di pinto di blu (Volare) - Domenico Modugno

Love this song in all its iterations from Gipsy Kings to Luciano Pavarotti, but Modugno's version suits the mood of Wings of a Butterfly.

Abhi Kuch Dino Se - Mohit Chauhan (from the movie Dil To Baccha Hai Ji)

Like Bieber's Baby, I need some pop to rein in sentimentality. A feel-good Bollywood pop number usually does the trick.

Amor Imposible - El Duo con Clase

Er, a song titled Impossible Love. How can it not be perfect for a story about two people meeting for a brief, perfect night and separated by time?

Loca - Shakira ft. El Cata

Dance, or die. Heh. 'Nuff said.

 If any of these intrigue you, they are all on YouTube. Have fun!