Lost, The Sequel to Taken: Synopsis, Playlist and Character tidbits. KINDA SPOILY

 
I'm working hard on the sequel to Taken. It's going to be a lot darker, sexier and bloodier. The story is kicked up a notch so there's a bit more violence and language, but nothing I think is too bothersome for YA readers. I will admit that I'm toeing the line just a bit, but nothing graphic.
Synopsis: 
"Jackson Smith never wanted to become leader. He just wanted to get out of Wicker Farm, a town in the parallel universe he's trapped in. And now his new plan is facing tough opposition from the new man in charge, with potentially deadly consequences. The only things that keep Jackson going are his memories of the girl he loves, the girl he sacrificed his one wish for. But with maniacal marauders and a mysterious beauty standing in his way, he will need more than love to see his quest through to the end."
*

The road that is built in hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination. – Marion Zimmer Bradley
*I'm listening to a lot great songs as I write:
1) Thirty Seconds to Mars -- Hurricane: I absolutely love this song, especially the Unplugged version. It's such a dark and beautiful song, and I think it really captures where we start off in the story. My favorite lyrics:
Tell me would you kill to save your life?/ Tell me would you kill to prove you're right?/ Crash, crash, burn let it all burn/This hurricane's chasing us all underground
2) The Weeknd's --Life of the Party: It has a really steamy, seductive feel to it.
3) Lykke Li -- I Follow Rivers: The intro is so amazing. Using this to write a lot of mobile scenes.
4) Jen Wood -- Pills: Mood setting.
5) Grace Potter and the Nocturnals -- Paris (Ohh La La): Probably the theme song of one of Jackson's main companions, Valentina. She's pretty awesome and I can't wait for you to meet her.
6) Selena Gomez and The Scene -- A Year Without Rain: This is probably obvious. It's probably the sappiest scene in the book. It doesn't last very long. It's not that kind of story.
Character Tidbits:
"Lost" is going to be a huge psych journey for Jackson, and we're really going to see a young man becoming someone he never expected to be, and that's good and bad. The way everyone ends up in Miranda is enough to break them. Jackson didn't break in Taken...but there's still time. There's time for him to become a lot of things and for a lot of things to happen to him, too.
 I'm most excited about introducing Valentina. I like writing about kick-ass girls and she is one of them. She's very no-nonsense, and "shoot first, ask questions later."
You'll also see Jackson forming a really unexpected bond with one of the characters, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Oh, and people die. It's going to be a rough ride for everyone. Tragedy, fun, thrills, they're all in there!