Month:

Hello! Thank you for joining me. I’m very happy to be here, celebrating the release of AWAKEN THE DARKNESS, Immortal Guardians Book 8. If you like exciting action scenes mixed with humor and romance, then I think you’ll enjoy Susan and Stanislav’s book. And if you’re new to my Immortal Guardians series, don’t worry. Each novel and novella can be read as a stand-alone, so you won’t be lost if you dive in with this one. You’ll just know more about the secondary characters if you read them in order.

One of the questions I’m often asked by readers is what music I listen to while I write. I actually almost never listen to music while I’m writing. (I can only think of one exception.) If I do, I inevitably end up signing along with whatever song is playing and lose focus. But that doesn’t mean that music and writing never intermingle for me. There are quite a few songs that bring characters or scenes from my books to mind. Some may not surprise you. Others you might find downright odd and wonder what in the world they have to do with paranormal romance, particularly if you aren’t familiar with my series. 🙂

So, peculiar though it may be, here is a list of songs I associate with my Immortal Guardians family:

1) Down With the Sickness—Disturbed. I associate this one with the entire Immortal Guardians series since the vampires and immortals in it are both infected with a virus that lends them their strength, speed, incredible regenerative capabilities, etc. After I wrote NIGHT UNBOUND, it also made me think of Zach. 🙂

2) Tell Me—Johnny Jewel. Whenever I hear this song, I imagine Stanislav and Susan from AWAKEN THE DARKNESS dancing to it.

3) Breathe—Jax Jones. This one reminds me of Krysta (the heroine of DARKNESS RISES). After years of hunting and slaying every vampire she could find, she couldn’t understand her sudden fascination with Étienne. And Étienne had to admit that falling hard for a woman who believed immortals were no different from psychotic vampires was unwise. LOL. *whispers* It also makes me think of Seth, but my lips are sealed regarding the whys of it.

3) Before I’m Dead—The Kidney Thieves. I always associate this song with Immortal Guardian Lisette d’Alençon (heroine of NIGHT UNBOUND).

4) Squirrels in My Pant—Phineas and Ferb. Fans of my Immortal Guardians books will snicker over this one. This song, of course, makes me think of Étienne (hero of DARKNESS RISES).

5) Friends—Marchmello & Anne-Marie. The first time I heard this, I thought of Sheldon (Richart’s Second) and Tracy (Lisette’s Second). But I think Sheldon changed her mind. 😉

6) Sing, Sing, Sing—performed by Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, and a host of other talented musicians. I can’t hear this now without thinking of Lisette, Zach, Heather, and Ethan (NIGHT UNBOUND). I actually listened to it while I wrote and edited the “date” scene.

7) Sunshine Superman—Donovan. This song always makes me think of Seth, the leader of the Immortal Guardians, because of the Superman and Green Lantern line.

8) Droppin’ Plates—Disturbed. This one I associate with Tracy because she likes Disturbed, and I can easily see her and Sheldon rockin’ out to it.

9) I Know You—Craig David Ft. Bastille. My Immortal Guardians family is such a tightly knit group, managing to laugh and tease even in grim circumstances. So this one I associate with the whole crew.

10) I Feel Pretty—West Side Story. I know. Weird, right? But fans of the series will know why this makes me think of Étienne. Poor guy. LOL.

11) Come and Get Your Love—Redbone. For some reason, whenever I hear this one, I imagine Marcus and Ami (hero and heroine of NIGHT REIGNS) dancing playfully together to it. This particular couple comes to mind a lot when I listen to music, perhaps because Marcus is a real music lover.

12) Monster—Skillet. I think of both Seth and Zach when I hear this one now, thanks to NIGHT UNBOUND.

13) It’s the End of the World—R.E.M. I think Zach may use this as his ringtone. But even if he doesn’t, this song brings to mind the escalation of the conflict in my Immortal Guardians series. The villain in DARKNESS DAWNS started the proverbial snowball rolling down the hill. And with each book the foes have become more dangerous and the possible consequences of not defeating them more grim.

14) Be My Life’s Companion—The Mills Brothers. Immortal Guardians fans (and readers who find him intriguing in The Gifted Ones series) may be interested in knowing that for months this song has been bringing scenes from Seth’s book to mind. 🙂

15) Till the World Ends—Britney Spears. I’m actually writing Seth’s book now, and this song keeps playing in my mind, perhaps because so much is at stake and he really needs a heroine who will blow his mind. 😉

16) The Joker—The Steve Miller Band. I had to include this one. It always brings Sheldon to mind. LOL. I could totally see him calling himself a “gangster of love” while everyone else called him a “space cowboy.” (If you aren’t familiar with my Immortal Guardians series, Sheldon is a mortal in the series who often provides comic relief. He also conducts many of the character interviews on my blog tours.)

It’s quite a mixed bag, isn’t it? Are there any unusual songs on your playlist?
And for Immortal Guardians fans: Are there any songs that make you think of the series?