Monica Alexander's Blog, page 6

Work of Art Available 3/16!

I am super-excited that tomorrow is the day Work of Art will be available on Amazon and Smashwords.com! I just love the way the story turned out since the idea I originally had when I thought about writing Ryan’s story changed a lot through the writing process as my ideas usually do.

This book has sort of been a long time coming since when I wrote Just Watch the Fireworks back in 2011, I always wanted to give Ryan a happy ending. I sort of put him through the ringer and vilified him, and he definitely deserved more. Hopefully you will see when you read this book that Ryan is a really sweet, caring guy who was a victim of circumstance in a lot of ways. Now it’s his chance to find his happy ending, but because of all he’s been through, he doesn’t exactly have a straight line to follow to that happy ending.

And for Harper, a new character, who’s edgy and tough and incredibly guarded, she knew Ryan once upon a time when life was simpler and she wasn’t so jaded. But now they get a second chance to know each other again, and who knows what will happen. There will definitely be some surprises along the way.

Ordinarily, I share the playlists for my books in advance, but in truth there are some songs on this playlist that, if you know them, they’ll completely give away some of the secrets that are later revealed. So I’m holding back in order to maintain the integrity of the story, because honestly, what good are revelations if you already know what’s coming. That’s no fun.

Hopefully you will be surprised and will like the way the story flows, twists, and turns. And hopefully, by the end of it, you will love Ryan and Harper, because they are really two of my favorite characters.

And lastly, I have to thank my friend, Cheryl, who helped me edit this story. If not for her, there would have been quite a few errors, so I truly thank her for the time she took to read the book, not once, but twice to make sure it was flawless for all of you.

Enjoy!

Work of Art

Just Watch the Fireworks

Oscar Nominations

I enjoy movies, but I don't always see the most eclectic films. For example, in 2012, I saw the following films in the theater:

"The Vow"
"The Hunger Games"
"Snow White and the Huntsman"
"Pitch Perfect"
"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2"
"The Bourne Legacy"

See a pattern? Yeah, my movie choices are about as deep as the books I read, but hey, I like an escape when I read or watch movies or TV. That's just me.

But I have to say I am quite impressed with myself this year since I can't remember the last time I saw a movie that was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars before the awards show aired. And truth be told, the only Oscar nominated movies I've seen in the past three years are "The Social Network" and "The Descendants", but I saw them way after they left the theaters.

But in 2013, I'm off to a rockin' start. I saw "Silver Linings Playbook" which was a completely fabulous indie film. Bradley Cooper was insanely good. I loved Jennifer Lawerence, and Robert DiNiro was incredible. The plot was fast-moving, the characters endearing, and there was a love story. Amaze! And tonight, my husband and I saw "Zero Dark Thirty" which I probably wouldn't have picked out, but he wanted see it, and I was intrigued. And I loved it! Jessica Chastain was phenomenal, and the story was completely compelling. And truth be told, I would have seen "Argo", but I just sort of ran out of time, so it'll be an On-Demand movie we watch as soon as it comes out.

So the moral of this story? Maybe I should pay more attention to movies that are nominated. Now, I'll probably never be in to sleepers like "The Kings Speech", but I think I should give some of the others a chance.

Tomorrow's Publishing Day!

I love publishing day! It's truly one of the coolest things to see the book you've worked so hard on finally be available for others to read. It rocks. I'm not gonna lie :)

So, in honor of my newest book, Searching for Neverland, available on 1/16, I figured I'd share the playlist I put together for the book. Enjoy!

Also, since many of you have been asking for more Zack and Emily from the Broken Fairytales series, I can share with you that they actually appear in two scenes in this book. Yea! Now don't get too excited, and please don't buy the book just for those scenes, because they're truly just scenes and nothing earth-shattering happens, but I missed writing about them and the boys of Liar's Edge, so I added them in just for fun.

Searching for Neverland Playlist

Carry On – Fun.
Somewhere in Neverland – All Time Low
Anthem for the Young at Heart – Amber Pacific
45” – Gaslight Anthem
SOS – Rihanna
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More “Touch Me” – Fall Out Boy
The Reckless and the Brave – All Time Low
Two Step – Dave Matthews Band
The Mistake – AM Taxi
22 – Taylor Swift
I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift
Chelsea Dagger – The Fratelli’s
27 – Fall Out Boy
The Space Between – DMB
Caught Between – Thirsbusters
Candle (Sick and Tired) – White Tie Affair
You Don’t Know Your Beautiful – One Direction
Blow Me (One Last Kiss) – P!nk
Lay ‘Em Down – Needtobreathe
Ho Hey – The Lumineers
Heart Song – Paramore
Gone, Gone, Gone – Phillip Phillips
Bittersweet – Ellie Goulding
It’s Midnight Cinderella – Garth Brooks
Thief – Our Lady Peace
Demons – Imagine Dragons
Here’s to Us – Halestorm
Unstable – Anberlin
After the Storm – Mumford and Sons
Jump – Liar’s Edge
Without You – Liar’s Edge
Normal Life – July for Kings

Goodbye 2012

As 2012 has comes to a close, I figured it would be fitting to post a year in review – with books – since books have pretty much dominated my life this year. I published four of them (still can’t believe that! Holy crap!), but I also read a ton. And there were many, many books that I read months ago that I still think about today that resonated with me and even, in some cases, made me think about things just a little differently. More than anything, I love getting caught up in a novel and the characters and feeling that pull that comes with just needing to know what happens next. And in 2012, there were a few books that did just that to me. So without further ado, here are the books that resonated with me this past year (they are in order of faves). And, if you don’t see one listed here that you loved, let me know! I love recommendations, and it’s quite possible that I missed an amazing story that you happened to uncover. Share it!

1. Easy – Tammara Webber: I was not alone in my love of this book – it won a GR Choice Award this year. And how can you not love Lucas with his tattoos and his broody nature and his awesome intelligence. He was a fantastic male lead. But this book also had depth and hard-hitting issues and I couldn’t put it down. Simply fantastic.

2. Something Like Normal – Trish Doller: This book made me think. And I read it while I was on vacation! You don’t want to think while on vacation, but I totally did. And I also fell in love with Travis Stephenson. The author made you feel what it was like to be a Marine fighting a war in the Middle East, and you hated it, but you respected it so much. And it really made you wonder what all those soldiers coming home from war really deal with. I loved the characters and the story and just didn’t want it to end. And there was a super-cute love story to top it all off.

3. Sinners Series & Sole Regret Series – Olivia Cunning: So yeah, I just completely combined two series’ together because I just loved them both equally. So far there are three books in the Sinners series (Backstage Pass, Rock Hard, Doubletime) and three books in the Sole Regret Series (Try Me, Tempt Me, Take Me), and I discovered them both relatively late in the year, but oh my God, I loved reading about these bad boys of rock and roll. They are fantastic and hot and freakin’ hilarious. I am anxiously anticipating the next books in each series.

4. Moving Neutral – Katy Atlas: Books, music and fashion are three of my favorite things, and Moving Neutral delivered all of them. The book itself – loved reading about Blake, Casey and the Moving Neutral Drama Tour – brought the first two, but then I was introduced to Katy Atlas’ fashion blog, which was awesome in its own right. This was one of those books where you felt really connected with the characters, and you felt like you were living their story alongside of them. Read it if you haven’t yet, it’s a great, fun, light read about a band dealing with a whole lot of craziness and a girl who runs away from home to follow them and happens to fall in love with the lead singer.

5. Beautiful Disaster – Jamie McGuire: Who didn’t love this book? Seriously! This was one of the first books I read, outside of Fifty Shades, that had a true bad boy lead, and I loved Travis. He was a train wreck, but he was so endearing. And the twists and turns the story took were phenomenal, but at the same time it was completely relatable. Highly anticipating the release of Walking Disaster in 2013.

6. What I Didn’t Say – Keary Taylor: Okay, so a hot teenage guy has a t-post go through his vocal chords, and he loses the ability to speak. What?! And the book is told from his perspective! This book was fantastic in so many ways. It was simple, but it was so complex at the same time. You felt for Jake, so much, and what he dealt with was beyond heart-wrenching, but there is also a love story, and you realize in the end that had Jake not gone through what he did, he wouldn’t have gotten Sam.

7. Rock Me – Cherrie Lynn: This was the last book I read in 2012 – finished it tonight in fact, and I cannot believe I left it on my to-read list for so long. What was I thinking?! Seriously, who wouldn’t fall flat out in love with Brian Ross? He was so bad, and yet he was so sweet and caring and kind, but then he was sexy and smoldering and all tattooed and hot. You really felt the connection between him and Candace and wanted so badly for everything to just work out for them.

8. All The Wrong Reasons – JL Paul: Did I mentioned that I’m a sucker for rock stars? Well take a rock star and give him a soft heart, and I’m done. That was Lucas in this book. He couldn’t help being a nice guy, but he was fun at the same time. I loved his and Irelyn’s story.

9. Wishing for Someday Soon – Tiffany King: This was one of those stories that was just sad. Katelyn and her brother Kevin just have a crappy life. You feel for them, but Katelyn is so strong and so fearless that you know she’ll persevere. Then there’s Max, and he’s just so sweet. The fact that you just knew everything was going to turn out okay kept you reading, because all you wanted was for them to get to ‘someday soon’.

10. Flat-Out Love – Jessica Park: Oh Flat Finn, you made this book awesome. This book felt like an indie film does where it’s coloring outside the lines just enough to be super-original. The characters were far from perfect, and not in a contrived way, but so realistic – and you loved them for it. The quick-witted humor was fantastic, from the Facebook posts to the one-liners to the quirky sister who said the oddest things. And Jessica Park introduced us to In Like Lions – a completely amazing Boston band. Thank you!

11. The Dark Duet Series – CJ Roberts: These books scared the crap out of me, but at the same time I couldn’t put them down! Talk about tortured souls and horrid experiences and generally unfathomable situations. Caleb was a nightmare, but he was also Livvie’s saving grace, and there was something so beautiful about that. But you also had to get through the immeasurable to get to the love story/HEA you knew was hiding in the dark the whole time – and it’s why you kept reading, because you knew that if you could just endure the things that made you cringe twice (and sometimes like nine times) everything would end up okay. And looking back, these were really, really well-told stories.

12. The Vincent Brothers Series – Abbi Glines: I adore everything Abbi Glines has written, but I really liked this series the best. Sawyer and Beau and Ashton were fantastic in the first book, but add Lana to the second one – because Sawyer needs his HEA – and it just made it that much better. I feel like her characters are so relatable and down-to-earth – faults and all.

"Forcing Gravity" Playlist

So this is new for me, since I've never published a playlist for one of my books prior to the actual release of the book before, but since I've had a lot of people tell me recently they really enjoy seeing what music I pair with my stories, I figured I'd share in advance. And maybe do a little teasing for Forcing Gravity at the same time since I'm publishing this Friday (11/16)- yea!

I love the so much story, and I'm hoping you all will too :)

So, without further ado, here are the songs I hear when I read Forcing Gravity. Enjoy!

It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Runaways – The Killers
Disturbia – Rihanna
The (Shipped) Gold Standard – Fall Out Boy
Handwritten – The Gaslight Anthem
Long Way Down – Goo Goo Dolls
Anna Sun – WALK THE MOON
Eyeoneye – Andrew Bird
Everybody Talks – Neon Trees
Your Touch – The Black Keys
Domino – Jessie J
Wide Awake – Katy Perry
Red – Taylor Swift
Disaster Road – Needtobreathe
Injection – Rise Against
Innocent – Taylor Swift
Between the Raindrops – Lifehouse (featuring Natasha Bedingfield)
Push and Shove – No Doubt
Whirring – The Joy Formidable
Drop to Hold You – Matt Nathanson
LOST IN THE ECHO – Linkin Park
Ghosts That We Knew – Mumford & Sons
State of Grace – Taylor Swift
California – In Like Lions

The Anatomy of a Series

When I started writing, I never set out to write anything more than stand-alone novels. But it’s funny, when you’re developing a story and working different characters and plotlines into the overall story you set out to write, sometimes the story takes on a life of its own and you find that you just don’t have enough room in one book for all the places you want to take these characters. The first time it happened was when I was writing Broken Fairytales. I’d written the general pieces of the story a few years back, but when I revisited them earlier this year and started to work in new facets that I wanted to incorporate, I realized I had three choices:

1. Write a really long book (Yeah, I know, long books turn a lot of readers away, so I didn’t like that option very much.)

2. Take out some parts that I’d come to love and felt the book couldn’t survive without and then flash forward and get to the HEA (I definitely wasn’t cool with selling the story short, so this option was out.)

or

3. Turn my stand-alone story into a series (Eek! So much pressure to make not only one book good but three books. Scary thought.)

I went with option three, obviously, but I chose that option because a part of me felt that there were other facets in the lives of Zack and Emily that I needed to share, that contributed to how they reacted toward each other and ultimately what led them back to each other. And there was so much more that I knew happened between the end of Broken Fairytales and the end of Buried Castles that I couldn’t leave out. I knew each character had their own unique story that I felt I had to tell, especially Zack, because in the original story, there wasn’t a lot of detail about what he went through while he and Emily were apart, and I felt that was such a key component in how the story fleshed out. So I did it, and I am more than happy with the way the story turned out. Now I’m looking at embarking on a third book (Shattered Crowns, out in 2013) that continues their story, and the eek! factor is definitely still there, but I’m becoming more and more comfortable with the concept of a series.

So much so that my next book, Forcing Gravity, that was completely meant to be a stand-alone, recently turned into at least a two book series. Oops. How did that happen? Well, I don’t know how it happened, but it did. I think I simply got to the end of the book, and although Jase and Logan’s story could stand alone, I felt like I’d left quite a few thing unanswered. I also realized I had so much more to explore with many other characters in the story. As I developed some of the minor characters, I kept thinking about what would happen to them next. So, I will be exploring those stories, and the continuing story of the Jase and Logan, in an as yet untitled sequel. I’m not sure if this is smart since I have no idea if anyone will even like Forcing Gravity, but I’m hopeful.

So that’s that. I’m not sure if additional series’ are in my future, but I think the moral of this story is that they just might be. At this point, any of the books I have in my queue to write could turn into a series. All I can tell you is, stay tuned, and thanks for reading.

Monica

"Aftershocks" Playlist & Descriptions

So, when I'm reading a book and there is a playlist that the author adds, I think it's really cool, because it adds another layer to the book. Stephenie Meyer was the first author I read who did this, and to this day, I still listen to the playlist for New Moon all the time, because it just fit so well with the book, which I pretty much have memorized at this point (yes, I love Twilight, and I'm not ashamed to admit it). So I decided to do the same thing - mostly because, like Meyer, I also tend to visualize my books and characters as if they were in a movie, and movies are just better with soundtracks.

But I thought I'd take it a step further and explain why I placed each song into the book. At times, it's simple, the song is playing in the background during the scene, and I probably even mention it in the book, but in other instances, it was more of a feeling I got from the song that made it fit, more like a soundtrack.

So, that being said, here is the playlist for Aftershocks. And, if you scroll down further, you'll see the same list with descriptions below each song. Enjoy!

Those Nights – Skillet
The Outsiders – Needtobreathe
Start a War – The National
Jejune Stars – Bright Eyes
On My Way Back Home – Band of Horses
We Are Nowhere and It’s Now – Bright Eyes
Mine is Yours – Cold War Kids
The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance – Vampire Weekend
Fake Empire – The National
The Last Night – Skillet
Percussion Gun – White Rabbits
We Could Run Away – Needtobreathe
July, July! – The Decembrists
Breathing – Lifehouse
Fed Up – Am Taxi
I Can Barely Breathe (Acoustic) – Just Surrender
Make-up Smeared Eyes – Automatic Loveletter
Keep Your Eyes Open – Neetobreathe
We Are Young – Fun.
Ships in the Night – Mat Kearney
My Life Would Suck Without You – Kelly Clarkson
There for You – Flyleaf
Dancing with a Gun – Jack’s Mannequin
Turning Tables – Adele
Better Than Revenge – Taylor Swift
Say You’re Mine – Kate Voegele
Drifting Further Away – Powderfinger
Here I Stand – Madina Lake
Sweet and Low – Augustana
All We Are – Matt Nathanson
The Life – Hinder
Airplanes – B.o.B. (feat. Hayley Williams)
Aftershocks (Acoustic) – Marga Lane
Heartbeat – The Fray
Sweet Sour – Band of Skulls
Count on Me – Mat Kearney

Aftershocks Playlist Explanation
*Spoilers below, so proceed with caution*

Those Nights – Skillet: This song is a great depiction of the relationship that Abby and Wyatt have. They were there for each other, and because of that they really didn’t need anyone else. It was them against the world, no matter what they were going through. Because each other, things never seemed as bad as they really were. Now that Abby doesn’t have Wyatt by her side, she’s remembering how much she relied on him.

The Outsiders – Needtobreathe: This song describes how Abby, Nicky and Luke feel about themselves when faced with everyone at school, but they’re okay with it. It’s also the song Nicky plays as they’re driving into school on the first day.

Start a War – The National: This song is what I hear playing in Abby’s head when Alexis tries to start an argument with her in the hallway before first period. She needs to just walk away, because she knows it won’t do any good to argue with her.

Jejune Stars – Bright Eyes: There is a line from this song that talks about putting your umbrella under your arm and walking into the green of the radar. I imagine this song giving Abby confidence as she walks into the perpetual storm of the lunch table where her old friends and Alexis are sitting. It also talks about nostalgia and looking through the portal of time. Abby remembers a lot about how her life used to be and the friends she used to have, but it’s just memory.

On My Way Back Home – Band of Horses: I chose this song because I mentioned Connor wearing a Band of Horses t-shirt which gives him and Abby a common ground – music. Since Abby was on her way back home when she saw him, I thought it was appropriate. It’s also a really pretty song in its own right.

We Are Nowhere and It’s Now – Bright Eyes: I thought this was the song that would be playing in the background when Connor and Abby drive to the football game together. It’s a little awkward, and they sort of feel like they’re in limbo with each other, floating above reality in their own little world.

Mine is Yours – Cold War Kids: This song fit in nicely when Connor meets Abby in her tree house for the first time and they kiss. Connor is letting her into his world, just a little bit, but no matter what he’s facing, she’s there for him – especially when his girlfriend isn’t . . .

The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance – Vampire Weekend: I liked this song for when they go to the movies. You really start to see the dynamic between Connor and Abby and how much better she is for him than Alexis. It’s then that you really know that they don’t stand a chance – they’re going to end up together.

Fake Empire – The National: This is the song by The National that Connor and Abby are listening to when Alexis tells him to turn down the volume on the music. It again shows how much more Abby and Connor have in common. I also felt it was appropriate because at this point, when she and Connor are alone, Abby almost starts to see it as a perfect world, even if she knows what they have isn’t real. He has a girlfriend, and Abby’s not her.

The Last Night – Skillet: I have always loved this song and the powerful feeling of love and friendship portrayed in the lyrics. Even though the genders don’t match the song, I felt like it was completely perfect for the story of how Abby saved Wyatt’s life. I imagined it resonating with them on the anniversary of his suicide attempt.

Percussion Gun – White Rabbits: This song was on the “Party Mix” Abby made for Connor that they listen to on the way to Alexis’s house. It is a fun, upbeat alt rock song.

We Could Run Away – Needtobreathe: When Abby and Connor leave Alexis’s house, she knows he needs to get away to get his mind off what Alexis did. They run away together, even if it’s just for a night.

July, July! – The Decembrists: This was one of those songs I heard while I was writing Aftershocks, but it honestly wasn’t a song I even thought about for the playlist because it’s a happy, peppy song, but I guess because the suicide story was on my mind, I heard the line “the water runs down the drain, the blood runs down the drain” in a different way than I had before. It instantly conjured up images of the bathtub, post-suicide attempt, and I started to think about how Abby would feel hearing that lyric after seeing a mix of blood-soaked water and knowing it came from Wyatt. The song would never sound the same again, which is why she can’t listen to it anymore.

Breathing – Lifehouse: I felt like this song was the perfect one to describe how Abby was feeling the night she and Connor finally got together. She knew what they were doing was insane and a complete mistake, but all she could do was hold on tight and fall with him, because there’s no place else she’d rather be in that moment, even though she knew it was just a moment and it couldn’t last

Fed Up – Am Taxi: I loved this song as Connor’s alarm on his phone. It was just obscure enough that he would choose it and add it as his alarm because of the line “and she’s screaming wake up, wake up, is anyone else getting fed up, holding out for the wishing well to pull us from the wreck?”. That last line was applicable also because he and Abby wake up to a little bit of a train wreck after what they did together.

I Can Barely Breathe (Acoustic) – Just Surrender: This song fit Abby’s mindset perfectly once she gets confirmation that Connor is going to stay with Alexis. She can barely breathe, and she just wants him to take everything back, because it was a mistake. I liked that their indiscretion was bookended by songs about breathing – one positive, one negative.

Make-up Smeared Eyes – Automatic Loveletter: This gritty, raw confessional is so appropriate for how Abby feels after Connor leaves her house. She’s trying convince everyone that she’s fine, but she’s feeling a bit ripped apart inside. She knows that night will never leave her, but all she can do is move on since he doesn’t want to be with her.

Keep Your Eyes Open – Neetobreathe: This song was a perfect way to echo what Jack was telling her. She needed to let go of Connor, have fun and in time she’d be okay, as long as she kept her eyes open to all the great things around her. It was his way of reminding her not to focus on something so singular as one boy who rejected her. And if she does fall apart, Jack will be there to catch her.

We Are Young – Fun: This song was the perfect one to describe the weekend trip to Michigan. It was a complete departure from reality, but even though the three of them had been through hell and back, separately and together. At any given time, they’d supported the person who was falling, and no matter what happened, they would always carry each other home. It’s all about having fun, letting go and knowing your friends have your back.

Ships in the Night – Mat Kearney: Abby and Connor were ships in the night, feeling so far from each other when they were so close to each other. Neither wanted to give in to the other, even though they missed each other like crazy.

My Life Would Suck Without You – Kelly Clarkson: This is the essence of what Abby feels when she realizes she wants to forgive Connor and let him back into her life.

There for You – Flyleaf: When Connor opens up about his mom and his past, Abby realizes that no matter how pissed she is at him, she wants to be there for him. He’s grateful that she’s always been there for him.

Dancing with a Gun – Jack’s Mannequin: This song was pretty much perfect for when Abby puts her heart on the line and tells Connor that she wants to be with him. She knows she’s taking a huge risk, but she has to pull the safety and take a shot.

Turning Tables – Adele: This song speaks to Abby’s frustration with Connor being so indecisive. She decides to cut him out of her life because it’s too hard to be around him when he knows how she feels.

Better Than Revenge – Taylor Swift: I love the simplicity of this song. Once Abby is confronted by Alexis, she knows it’s game on. Regardless of how Connor feels for her, she knows she’ll find satisfaction in taking Alexis down by taking what’s hers. It’s the first time Abby is consciously trying to steal Connor from Alexis.

Say You’re Mine – Kate Voegele: Abby wants nothing more than for Connor to tell her he’s hers. When they’re that close, and he doesn’t seem to want to be anywhere else, she doesn’t understand why he can’t admit how he feels.

Drifting Further Away – Powderfinger: This is the song I heard in the background when Abby and Connor are standing on the front lawn. She knows they’re drifting apart, and as much as he wants her to stay, she knows she can’t. It’s too late. He made his choice.

Here I Stand – Madina Lake: As much as she hates it, Abby knows she isn’t strong enough to keep Connor out of her life. Because of that, she goes to talk to him and gets her heart broken all over again.

Sweet and Low – Augustana: This song is so simplistic and almost achingly beautiful. I imagine it in the scene in which Connor realizes that he and Abby are meant to be together. If she’ll have him after everything they’ve been through, he’ll take care of her no matter what. It’s what she’s been waiting to hear.

All We Are – Matt Nathanson: This song speaks to the simplicity of Abby and Connor’s relationship and how easy it is for them to be together. They made things so hard for so long when it could have been so simple just to be with each other, just as they are.

The Life – Hinder: This is the realization that hits Abby when she learns about Connor’s accident. When the “real world crashes down” she sees her dreams turning into nightmares in front of her eyes.

Airplanes – B.o.B. (feat. Hayley Williams): With Connor fighting for his life, Abby needs a wish more than anyone. She needs him to be okay.

Aftershocks (Acoustic) – Marga Lane: Since I’m a bit of a music freak, I decided to see if there was a song with the same name as my book. There are actually quite a few, but this one really resonated with me. It was so beautiful, but more than that, listening to it I started to picture Abby sitting in the hospital, wondering if Connor was going to make it and suffering from deja vu, having just been in a similar situation with Wyatt just a year before. Everything is too fresh, and she feels trapped, wondering if she’s going to lose the boy she loves so soon after finally getting him. The aftershocks keep rolling over her, and she can’t seem to stop them. All she can do is survive each day and keep the faith that everything will be okay.

Heartbeat – The Fray: This song was perfect for the moment Connor wakes up. Everything comes back to life for Abby with that one beat of his heart.

Sweet Sour – Band of Skulls: This song is angry, but it’s also a little vengeful at the same time. I just pictured karma kicking Alexis in the ass when Abby and Connor learn she’s been lying about the baby. For them it’s a sweet moment, but for her it’s completely sour, just like her.

Count on Me – Mat Kearney: This is literally one of the happiest songs I have on my iPod. From the jaunty tune to the playful lyrics, I thought it would be the perfect end to a book that’s about knowing who you can trust and who will be there for you when the chips are down. Abby has all the people in her life that she can count on – Wyatt, Jack, Connor, Nicky and Luke. That’s all that matters.

What I'm Loving . . .

One of the things to know about me is that I love recommendations – for books, music, fashion, anything really. Sometimes I agree with the recommendation and sometimes I don’t, but what’s cool is that many times I find something I absolutely love, and I never even knew I was looking for it. So, I’m going to start share some things that I’m loving, because maybe someone out there might find something amazing that they weren’t looking for, or maybe they’ll just think I’m nuts and get a good laugh. Either way, we all win!

Music: This is what is consuming my iPod right now.

Imagine Dragons – simply an amazing sound, even though they only have one album out, it’s a good one. However, their second album is out on September 4th.
- My faves: Radioactive, Demons, It’s Time, On Top of the World

In Like Lions – major recognition to Jessica Park for putting this band in her book, “Flat Out Love”. As a former Bostonian, I was thrilled to support a local band that completely rocks.
- My faves: Shallow Cars, California, Far Away

Drive-By Truckers – I asked a co-worker for some music recommendations when I heard he was a music freak like me, and he told me about this southern rock band. They are fairly fabulous if you like rock with a little country feel to it.
- My faves: Self Destructive Zones, Gravity’s Gone, Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife

Linkin Park – I couldn’t go without including one of my favorite bands. I love, love, love their new album. As usual, they delivered an awesome array of songs.
- My faves from their new album: Castle of Glass, Burn It Down, Lost in the Echo

Needtobreathe – although my favorite band hasn’t put out an album this year, if you’ve never heard them, check them out. They’re music is incredibly soulful and fun at the same time. I was over-the-top thrilled to see them last November. They are amazing in concert!
- My all-time faves: The Outsiders, Something Beautiful, Keep Your Eyes Open, Let Us Love, Lay ‘Em Down

Like I said in the beginning of this post, I'm alwasy looking for recommendations, so if you have any bands you love that you'd like to share, please do!

Monica

"Just Watch the Fireworks" Playlist

So, I am a bit of a self-proclaimed music freak, and if you’ve read my books, you know music plays a big part in the lives of my characters, just like it does mine. Whenever I am in the process of writing a book, the songs I’m listening to at that moment sometimes have a way of working themselves into my story. It’s amazing to me what you can hear in a song when a particular topic is on your brain.

I include my playlists at the back of my books, but I’m not sure how many people actually click through far enough to know that, so I figured I’d share them with you all here.

I was a teenager in the 90s, so my all-time favorite genre is the alt rock that was born during that decade. When I sat down to pen my first novel, I wanted my characters to have the same love for the genre that broke through so many molds and made a huge impact on those on me and my friends. I made sure there was a heavy mention of 90’s alt rock in Just Watch the Fireworks, but I also mixed with some of the music of today. Below you will find the songs I hear when I read Just Watch the Fireworks. Some I referenced in the book itself and others are just ones that resonated with me when I thought about what was happening to the characters and what they were dealing with at a particular moment. Enjoy!

Question – Old 97’s
Shell Games – Bright Eyes
Sweetness – Jimmy Eat World
Oh Well, Oh Well – Mayday Parade
Why Can’t We Be Friends – Smash Mouth
Come As You Are – Nirvana
Somewhere I Belong – Linkin Park
Song in My Head – Sherwood
Peaches – The Presidents of the United States
Burn it to the Ground – Nickelback
Time-Bomb – All Time Low
State of Love and Trust – Pearl Jam
Celebrity Skin – Hole
Seether – Veruca Salt
When I Come Around – Green Day
Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks
Days of the Old – Every Avenue
Good – Better Than Ezra
Till the World Ends – Britney Spears
All Around Me – Flyleaf
Like We Used To – A Rocket to the Moon
Holding a Heart – Girl Named Toby
Your Life and Mine – Just Surrender
Lie to Me – 12 Stones
Let Love In – The Goo Goo Dolls
Good Intentions – Toad the Wet Sprocket
Perfect Blue Buildings – Counting Crows
Murder of One – Counting Crows
No One’s Gonna Love You – Band of Horses
Shouldn’t Be a Good in Goodbye – Jason Walker
Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been – Relient K
Drop in the Ocean – Ron Pope
Found Out About You – Gin Blossoms
Stop & Stare – OneRepublic
Books and Letters – The Morning Light
Counting Stars – Augustana
I Can’t Not Love You – Every Avenue
Champagne High – Sister Hazel
All In – Lifehouse
Only Place I’ve Ever Called Home – Every Avenue

THANK YOU!

I just wanted to take a moment to tell you all how much I absolutely adore everyone who has read and enjoyed one of my books. I freakin’ love you guys! When I started out self-publishing almost a year ago, I never dreamed people would like my books as much as they have. I literally get all smiley and goofy whenever I get a positive review – to the point where I’ve walked around with my phone showing my friends, family and co-workers what a reader has said in a review.

So, I just wanted to tell you all THANK YOU and let you know how much I truly appreciate you taking a chance on an unknown, self-published writer. You don’t know how happy you’ve made me :)

And thank you to all of you who have given me book suggestions, including writing a third book in the Broken Fairytales series. I think you’ve finally convinced me to take this step. I love Zack and Emily too, so I’ll see what I can do to bring them to life once again. Although I think I’m going to explore some other projects first, after I take a bit of a break, since my last few weeks before publishing always drive my husband nuts. I think he feels a little neglected since I’m usually holed up upstairs, absorbed in my writing. I need to make sure I spend some QT with him before diving in to my next book, although I won’t wait too long. I’ll definitely put out one more book this year.

So, thank you, thank you, thank you. You guys are amazing, and I appreciate you more than you know.

Monica