Happy Monday, angels! It's the beginning of a new week (hooray!) and today I have a treat for all of your pretty little ears - the song I've officially dubbed as the theme song for Book Three of the Captivated Series. And yes, I'm still hard at work to bring you a killer conclusion to the series, but I had to take a break from my writing dungeon to share this with you.
Why is this song so perfect, you ask? Because it's about deciding not to run from the dark anymore and face it head on. How incredibly perfect, right???
So have a little listen below, and don't forget to hop on over to my Facebook page and check out the giveaway for it (you'll have to scroll down a bit)! GAITS is offering over a free download of the song! How amazing are they?
Happy Monday, Angels! Okay... so there's this song I found on You Tube by Ruelle that I've officially dubbed as the theme song for Lilliana. Just LOOK at these lyrics:
Like lead in my veins,
Darkness is sinking
Darkness is sinking me
Commanding my soul
I am under the surface
Where the blackness burns beneath
WHAAAAT? How amazingly appropriate for Lilliana's journey. Now have a little listen below ;)
xoxo
SJ
Deep End by Ruelle
(Written by Jeff Bowman, Ruelle, and Josh Williams)
Happy Monday, Angels! As we gear up for the release of Lilliana, I wanted to share a song that fits pretty dang perfectly with a small piece of who Lilliana is. We see touches of it in Iris, but this time around we're getting up close and personal with not only who she is as a person, but what she's been going through in the wake of losing her sisters, as well as with some of her vices... like men and alcohol. Devastation has a way of making us want to escape into something else, even if it isn't the healthiest. Miranda Lambert even has blonde like Lilliana and has that 'bad girl' air about her. Too perfect! So have yourself a little listen below and check back on October 1st for when Lilliana is officially released...
Love to all
xoxo
SJ
Another vice, another town, where my past can't run me down
Another life, another call, another bed I shouldn't crawl out of
Happy Monday, Angels! As we gear up for the release of Fight for Methis Valentines Day, I wanted to share some songs that go pretty dang perfectly with the novel - Powerful and Fix You. The lyrics in both pretty much sum up the feel of it - Kat and Gabe's connection as well as dealing with loss and change after trauma. Not to mention, Ellie Goulding has telekinesis in the video.... how friggen perfect!!!
So plug your headphones in, turn up the volume and have yourself a little listen :)
xoxo
SJ
Powerful by Major Lazer featuring Ellie Goulding and Tarrus Riley:
Have you ever wanted something to hurry up and be here so bad that you just couldn't friggen stand it?? And I'm not talking about Christmas. lol Though I am looking forward to that too!!! I'm talking about the release of Fight for Me on Valentine's Day 2016. So what have I been doing until then? Editing, editing and more editing to make sure it's as close to my version of perfection as possible until Lana gets a hold of it. And while I'm editing, I love listening to music during the process.
The most recent song that's captured my attention is one that fits perfectly with this novel - Stand by You by Rachel Platten. If you've read Captivate Me and know anything about what happened to our sweet baby angels at Midland Pines High, you know they've been through hell, so what else can they do but stand beside each other in Book Two? Have a little listen below. Also, to pre-order your copy of Fight for Me, find links below that.
Love to all xoxo
SJ
Fight for Me Pre-Order Links
(Young Adult Paranormal Romance)
***On sale for .99 during pre-order. Release Day is Valentine's Day, 2016 ***
One of my favorite things when releasing a novel - releasing the list of songs that inspired me as I wrote!!! Here are my picks for Spectacle, and did I mention? It officially releases next Monday! Find links to purchase your copy here.
It’s Monday (unfortunately), and if you’re a nine-to-fiver like me, you need something to propel you through your first day back to work. My Mondays usually consist of sifting through emails, voice mails, attending meetings etc etc, so needless to say they’re hectic, and who better to soothe me than The Weeknd? Ironic, huh? The Weeknd gets me through my Mondays. Hehe Okay, sorry that was cheesy.
ANYWAY… let’s take a minute to appreciate one of my new favorite songs hot off the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack - Earned It, by (you guessed it) The Weeknd!!!I'vehad iton repeat all day long, and ooooooh is it delicious and smooth and sexy. *sigh*
Oh, how I miss the Walking Dead!!! February 8th feels like forever away. While we wait, here’s a song from the first half of Season Five – Bad Blood by Alison Mosshart and Eric Arjes. PS- I’m still broken up over the last scene with Beth. PSS – It’s okay, Daryl, I’ll console you! ;)
Morning, Angels!!! I'm feeling in the holiday spirit this morning, so for my Music Crush Monday I'll be sharing some nontraditional songs I LOVE. The first is called "Mary" by Patty Griffin. I originally heard this song on the Sons of Anarchy soundtrack, and the words are so poetic and beautiful I fell in love with them immediately. As you can guess by the title, it's of course about Jesus' mother, and really, it would be better suited for Easter since it's ultimately about her losing him, but I can't wait that long so I've decided to share it now. lol
For the second song, we're all (hopefully) familiar with the song "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen (my favorite rendition is Jeff Buckley's). Well... there's a Christmas version out by a band called Cloverton and it's nothing short of amazing. Gave me chills!!!
Lastly, there's a song by Kevin Ross called "This is My Wish." You've probably heard a snippet of it on the Glade commercials, as in Glade candles. I liked it so much I looked up the entire song and wasn't disappointed!!! Once you get past the first few seconds of cheesy product hawking in the beginning, it's so worth it. He has a beautiful voice.
Hope you all enjoy these songs, and may everyone have a wonderful, love-filled Christmas. Love to all!!!
Morning, my lovelies! Sorry I've been out of touch for a month. Bad, Susan... bad!!! In all honesty, I've been knee deep in my newest project (something I'll reveal soon :D) and working on promoting my first two books of the Captivated Series. Not to mention holiday stuff, kid stuff, and other kinds of "stuff" I'm sure you all can relate to. lol It never ends!
Anyhow, speaking of Captivate Me, I heard this song on the radio this morning and instantly thought of Kat and her friends. Love it!!!
Enjoy :)
God Made Girls
Raelynn
"He needed something soft and loud and sweet and proud, but tough enough to break a heart. Something beautiful and breakable that lights up in the dark."
Two words - Ed. Sheeran. He's been on the music scene awhile, but I have to admit I'm only familiar with the songs they play on all the popular radio stations in Atlanta. After listening to an Ed Sheeran playlist on YouTube, I'm starting to berate myself for not checking out his other work sooner. Or at least buying his album! Because after all, some of my favorite songs are the ones they choose not to release as singles. The two Ed Sheeran songs I'm digging right now? Check them out below. :)
...is only a week away!!! To celebrate, here's one last excerpt! <3 PS- try and guess who Iris and Kai are stalking ;)
And because it's also Music Crush Monday, I'll share with you again my pick for Iris and Kai. It fits them so well!!!
Love to all xoxo
SJ
EXCERPT: Chapter Twenty-Two
I still remember the
feeling it gave me when I’d heard him sing the first time; the boy had a voice
that could stir emotion inside a walking corpse. Bring someone back to life. We
were headed home when his voice, accompanied by the strumming of a guitar,
wafted down from an apartment building. I paused, tugging on Kai’s hand to
stop. A voice like that could only belong to some divine entity, or an
offspring thereof. It both excited and unnerved my dark soul.
We pinpointed the
window it came from and decided to show up again in the morning. We’d wait for
him to emerge so Kai could read his aura.
Unsurprisingly, when the boy left the next day heading for his first day of school, Kai confirmed my
suspicions. Silvery threads were woven throughout his aura. He was tall with light brown hair and soulful, sparkling eyes. But he had a way about him,
something almost sad and tired to be so youthful and drop dead gorgeous. Like
he was trudging through life. Going through the motions. I could tell life in
general weighed on him. He needed a change.
A spark of hope ignited
inside me. This was the one.
Cloaked in a spell, we
followed him that day through the halls of Centennial High. We assumed since he
was posing as a senior that he was beginning a new decade in this town. Then it
would be off to college, if he chose, or he could continue to work at his dead
end job until it was time to move on again.
No wonder he was so
sad. He’d probably just moved here over the summer, and this was the beginning
of his next ten-year sentence.
The boy mostly kept to
himself, ate by himself… but by choice. It was obvious he had every girls’
attention; though it appeared their curiosity about the mysterious model-like
boy was in no way reciprocated. I think if he could have camouflaged himself to
blend in with the walls, he would have.
After school, he went
to a typical high school kind of job – Frederick’s record store. Fitting
considering his talent. I couldn’t imagine they paid much, but he had to make a
living somehow. My guess was his parents, or parent, had passed some time ago.
He was on his own.
Here, being surrounded
by other music-lovers, he seemed to have perked a little. He even whistled as
he organized a new shipment of vintage records. He inspected one before tucking
it away – a Beatles’ album – and smiled to himself, changing the tune of his
whistle to their song “Yellow Submarine.” Working here must have been the
highlight of his day.
At his apartment that
evening, we were able to pick the lock and sneak in. Luckily he was showering
so we were able to take our time looking through his things. Unframed,
hand-painted art hung above his threadbare sofa. They looked amateur at best;
probably local artists. No other pictures were anywhere to be found - a good sign.
He had no attachments. The contents of his fridge confirmed his bachelor
lifestyle – Chinese leftovers and beer bottles littered the inside.
While Kai and I waited
around to get a blood sample, the boy's doorbell rang. I threw Kai a puzzled
look, mirroring the one the boy wore. Late night visitors couldn’t have been
the norm.
The boy muted the TV
and set the takeout container he was eating out of on his makeshift coffee
table. Old books served as the base, and he’d placed a sheet of black
oval-shaped glass on top.
Shuffling to the door,
he threw on a t-shirt and ran a hand through his damp hair. He peeked through
the peephole, stiffened with surprise, and then sighed. Whoever it was, he
wasn’t thrilled about it. He opened the door anyway.
Don't forget to pre-order you copy on Amazon today! To see the list of websites hosting reviews and excerpts of Iris for the blog tour, click here!
Happy Monday! Wanted to spread the word that Iris is available for pre-order on Amazon for .99!!! SO excited that Amazon gives me this option now. Now if we can get Smashwords to get on board so I could offer this though B&N, Kobo, etc, as well, I'll be a happy author. lol
And because it's also Music Crush Monday, here's one of my favorites lately. In case you weren't aware, Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite writer/ directors, and this Iggy Azalea video seems a bit *ahem* Kill Bill inspired. lol Love it!!!!
Christina Perri has a way with her songs. You can feel what she's feeling when she sings them. You know she believes in what she's singing. She's either been there or going through it or knows someone who has or is. I LOVE that about her. I guess that's why her music resonates with me so well. All of my characters have traces of me in there somewhere, and when I write them, I pray it's evident.
My next Music Crush Monday is her song The Lonely, and the lyrics fit so well with the main character in my newest untitled project that I just had to share it. Of course, in the next month or so, I'll share more. But for now, I leave you with this hauntingly beautiful song. <3
Been listening to Kenny Chesney's "American Kids" over and over lately. I'm usually not much of a Chesney fan when it comes to country music, but this one has such a lighthearted feel-good kind of sound, it's infectious!!! Exactly what I need on Mondays. Enjoy :)
As you know, playlists are my thing. I have some for when I'm writing, editing, working out and cleaning. And even though I typically don't put together an official playlist for novellas, today I've decided to come up with a mini-playlist for Iris because, well... it's fun. :)
Enjoy!
xoxo
SJ
Latch by Sam Smith
(Kai's song to Iris)
You lift my heart up when the rest of me is down
You, you enchant me even when you're not around
If there are boundaries, I will try and knock them down
I'm latching on, babe, now I know what I have found
Dark Horse by Katy Perry
(Iris and Kai's song)
So you wanna play with magic
Boy, you should know what you're falling for
Baby, do you dare to do this?
'Cause I'm coming at ya like a dark horse
She's a beast, I call her karma
She'll eat your heart out like Jeffrey Dahmer
Be careful
Try not to lead her on
Shorty's heart is on steroids 'cause her love is so strong
Try by James Shealy/ Jimmy Real
(Kai's song to Iris)
You said yourself it's best to fall and crawl than never try at all
but has your heart been broken way too many times to open up and try
I won't elaborate, but the last few days have been SO overwhelmingly bittersweet... I'll let Sam Smith take it away with one of my favorite songs. His voice makes everything right. <3
Right now I'm in editing mode. I've sent copies of Iris out to beta readers and my editor-slash-miracle worker Lana Baker. When I get the copies back, I go into "the zone" as my man calls it... and when I go into "the zone," there's no coming back. Unless I have to pee. lol Even eating and sleeping take a backseat. So what happens in "the zone," you ask? I'm not even entirely sure, but I can liken it to trudging into a forest with a dense overgrowth of typos, missing words and inconsistencies, and using a machete to try and hack it into something pleasant and consumer-worthy. :)
Part of this editing ritual is something I haven't shared with many people, but now I'm sharing it with you. When I sit down at my desk and pull up the manuscript Lana has painted with a good deal of red, I crank up whatever rap artist I'm feeling at the time on Pandora and start swinging my machete (the figurative one). I guess it fuels me up and makes me feel tough! LOL
Recently, it's been either Eminem or Drake, so I'm posting one of my favorite songs from each artist below. Beware explicit language, of course.
In case you guys didn't know, I'm a bit of a music head. :) I come by it honestly; my father used to sing and my younger brother produces music in Nashville. I guess you could say we all have our own little talents. But talented or not, music touches every one of us in one way or another. It inspires and provokes. It lets our emotions breathe. Also... you all know how I LOVE making playlists for each book.
So with that being said, I've decided to share a song with you every Monday that speaks to me for whatever reason. It doesn't even have to be associated with my writing. It could be what's going on in my life at the moment or something that touches me just right.
Today's song is called "Peace" by O.A.R. I love their sound - a mixture of Passenger and Train, but unique in their own way. And the song itself.... beautiful. Who hasn't had trouble in their relationship but loves the other enough to make it want to work?
Everybody needs a place, somewhere that's warm and safe
For shelter from this crazy world we're in
But tonight I let the rain inside, I took away your place to hide
