Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex

Wanna' check out my Spotify playlists?

Music is an integral part of my writing process. From dreaming up the summary to typing the very last word (and all of the copious amounts of editing in between), I keep the same songs playing over and over again--lulling me into a trance-like state. (oh. and it drowns out my son's Daniel Tiger obsession--which, by the way, I fear is teaching him that as long as you're wearing a grandpa sweater, no one will notice you are just living life without pants).

My author playlist for Southern Solstice is heavy on melody and light on lyric (Ben Howard, Andrew Shapiro, Bon Iver) so it doesn't interfere with my own train of thought or give me tourettes while I'm helicopter... writing. 

The same playlist I used while writing is (IMHO) a great one to read the book to as well, BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Similarly to how a middle school girl might make a mix tape for her crush so that she can feel connected to him every. waking. hour. (Cue K-Ci & JoJo's "All My Life" and Savage Garden's "Truly Madly Deeply" because this was 1998 and those songs were MY EVERYTHING), I made character playlists for Larken, Jackson and Miles. 

So in review: give a listen to the Southern Solstice Author's Playlist while reading and then check out the character playlists. And then if you want to make a mixtape playlist for me, I'd be flattered (but please include more than Jamiroquai and Third Eye Blind because then I'll realize we aren't soul-mates after all and I'll ask for my mix tape back and go alone to the Homecoming dance where I'll meet whats-his-name and get a complex about my height).