#MondayMelodies - KD Carrillo

Happy Monday friends! Today I'm happy to introduce K.D. Carrillo and her musical muse...

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Right now I've got my very eclectic playlist rocking through my speakers, and my fingers flying across the keyboard.  Sometimes songs inspire what I'm writing, but more often I find songs based on what my character needs to hear at that moment.

I'm a writer, but not many people know that I started off expressing myself through music.  I've always searched for the perfect song to express what I'm feeling at a particular time in my life.  When I started giving into the urge to release my characters from my mind and onto the page I found myself playing the same song on loop to feel what I was writing.

When I started writing Destroy Me, which has some content a little closer to home than I'll describe, the songs really hit me.  Some of the songs expressed where I'd like to be at this stage in life, while others gutted me by reflecting how I feel right now.  The music helped me see Kate, and make her more real to me than any other character has yet.

Destroy Me has some dark elements of abuse and PTSD.  While the book is ultimately about healing, there are moments where the characters surrender themselves to the feelings created by the actions of others.  Sometimes there aren't words for these feelings, which was the case for Kate in one seen that may have brought some tears to my eyes.

Reed tries to tell her that he'll be there for when she needs him by playing, "I Will Wait," by Mumford and Sons (Mumford & Sons – I Will Wait).  Kate isn't ready to bare her soul to him at this point, but doesn't want him to wait for her when she feels too broken to be accepted.  She replies by playing him, "Slow it Down," by the Lumineers (The Lumineers – Slow It Down).

This is the part of the song that got me:

"I feel a filth in my bones.  Wash off my hands till it's gone.  The walls, they're closing in with velvet curtains..."

In the first line of the song I knew how Kate felt about herself, and I could see that Reed would feel it too.

Now I'm on to the last book in this series as well as a completely new project.  I'm discovering new artists, and new ways to be influenced by music. 

Here is the Destroy Me playlist on Spotify:

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#MondayMelodies Mindy Hayes

Happy Monday! Welcome the fabulous Mindy Hayes as she shares her musical muse with you...

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Like most authors, music plays a HUGE part in my writing process. I can't write without my ear buds in and the music blasting. If I get a good song it can carry an entire book. Grandfather Said by The Ethnographers was on repeat while I wrote my first book, Kaleidoscope. Most people haven't heard of them. Look them up. I love them. Honestly, every song by The Ethnographers inspired something in The Faylinn Novels--from lyrics to the melody to a feel of their songs--they were my Faylinn anthem.  

The song I really wanted to talk about today is Skin by Zola Jesus. I'd been stuck trying to evoke the emotion I needed for a particularly emotional scene in Me After You, where the main character, Sawyer, learns her husband was assaulted and is in critical condition (that might sound like a huge spoiler, but I promise, it's not!). When I heard Skin, I started to cry because the scene instantly began to play in slow motion inside my head. It wasn't so much the lyrics as it was the piano and emotion in the singer's voice. For the next hour I wrote with tears pouring down my cheeks!

Have you read Me After You? Do you remember the flashback? Can you see the scene play out with the song in the background?

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Keep up with Mindy: Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Amazon Page

You can grab Me After You HERE and keep an eye on Mindy's Facebook page for the next novel in the Willowhaven Series, Me Without You, coming in March!
 

#MondayMelodies

Happy Monday! New year, new blog features! I'm dedicating Monday to music! 

  Music plays an important part in creating a story. Who doesn't recognize the two deep notes (E and F) that play when Jaws is lurking? How many of us can name Star Wars or Harry Potter within a few bars?
  When writing, many authors use music as their muse. We set our stories to playlists, we pick characters favorite songs or script love scenes with the help of a melody. Music is key. (see what I did there!) 
  Each week I'm asking authors, bloggers, designers in the writing world to share their musical muses with you. I'm excited to see how music plays a roll in their creative process. I hope you are too.

This week I'm sharing one of my songs...

I listen to music whenever I'm writing. All kinds of music. Sometimes I hear a song and the lyrics or feel of the song completely create a new scene for me. Then other times, I'm listening to something and I'm struck at how perfect it matches up with something I've already done.

Today I'm sharing a song from From The Wreckage. I love my playlist for FTW. There are a lot of angsty, I need you songs on there making it totally fit with Jules and West's story. Here's one...

  Gavin's one of those people who keeps showing up on my playlists. I love his storytelling. I recall ONE line from this song catching me while I was writing FTW  - 'Even if you've been through hell, you're back.'
  As you continue to listen you realize so many of these lyrics fit FTW so amazingly well. I kept hearing 'everything will change' and it inspired Jules. Everything did change for her. 

  What do you think? Does it sound like a FTW song to you? Let me know in the comments and stay tuned for some amazing guest posts each Monday!

You can grab From The Wreckage for FREE everywhere if you haven't read it yet. 
(Click the cover on my Books page for buy links)