Readers' Favorite

May 8, 2015

Lee Wolf: How I Created a “Book Soundtrack” for my novel, Romance is for Other People

Romance is for other people
Have you ever read a particularly emotional break up scene in a book and think, “I could just imagine a song to go to that scene”?  Maybe it’s “Someone Like You” by Adele or “Who Knew” by Pink or “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor.  Or, if it were a scene where the characters finally admit they love each other, you might be thinking of “All of Me” by John Legend, “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, or “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney.  The possibilities are endless.

When I was coming up with the idea of my novel, Romance is for Other People, I was already imagining the songs I would like to go with particular scenes, as well.  I went through several different versions, even one with different pop songs.  But the one I finally settled on was with a local Indie band (I’m from Durham, NC) that I’ve become kind of obsessed with, called Jessica Long and the New Kind.  (Don’t worry, I’ll provide a link to them at the bottom so you can check them out.) Jessica Long’s rock pop sound was perfect for the Young Adult novel I was writing.  I arranged ten songs into a soundtrack for the book, first on paper and later onto a Spotify playlist (I will also link below).  I am so excited to show you for the first time my explanation for the songs I chose for the particular scenes.

“Simple” would be played at the beginning of the book before the reader even starts.  In “Simple,” Jessica Long sings about how her love for a guy is simple and easy to understand.  “It’s not fair the way you look at me/I don’t care what anybody says, yeah/It’s not that difficult/In fact, it’s simple.” At the beginning, of the story, Chris and Lydia are best friends who spend all their time together. Their life is well, simple: they go to school, they go home and do homework together and have dinner with their family.  But on the day the story starts, Chris finally agrees to go to Homecoming Dance with Lydia, even though he would rather stay friends, but she is ready to move beyond being just friends…

“Avalanche” would be played in Chapter 3.  Avalanche is all about the rush of emotion when you feel love for the first time; using an Avalanche as a metaphor for those feelings: “Avalanche, come crashing down on me/Avalanche, enraging sea.”  In this scene, Chris quickly leaves after becoming uncomfortable dancing with Lydia, leaving her confused in the middle of the dance floor.  A few minutes, later Chris’s older cousin Jeremy runs into her and complements her and flirts with her, even though he had never done that before towards Lydia.  A part of Lydia really likes how Jeremy treated her (though she doesn’t know why) and this song illustrates Jeremy “crashing into” her.

“Out of Focus” takes place in Chapter 7, during a flashback scene. “Out of Focus” deals with the complicated feelings of love. The first verses show devotion: “If you weren’t here/my sky would fall.” But in the chorus, she questions that that love is not making her think straight: “Have I even lost my mind and not noticed/Was I even in the more out of focus?” In this flashback scene, Chris and Lydia are at a theater camp and the entire camp is participating in a dance party…except Chris and Lydia. Chris told everyone that as best friends, dances really aren’t their thing. Lydia feels differently but doesn’t tell Chris (or anyone else) how she feels. As the last song of the night plays, Lydia just came out of a fantasy about Chris telling her he loves her and kissing her, while Chris feels guilty that he knew Lydia wanted to dance but he wouldn’t do it with her (this also explains why he said yes to the Homecoming Dance). “Out of Focus” perfectly exemplifies the conflicting emotions in this scene.

What about the other seven songs in the soundtrack?  Well, dear reader, in order to do that, you’ll have to purchase my novel, Romance is for Other People and discover the secrets that lie within. If, AFTER finishing the book, you would like to know explanations for the rest of the songs email me at thenovleewriter@gmail.com and after answering a trivia question I will send them you. Happy Reading!

Buy Romance is for Other People at Amazon



Jessica Long & the New Kind: Website  *  Facebook  *  Twitter

Link to Book Soundtrack Playlist on Spotify (You’ll need to login to play the music): https://play.spotify.com/user/thenovelee/playlist/2OrAceyJcJXrycGIDyPJzp

About Lee Wolf:
When Lee Wolf was a kid, he first discovered an interest in writing. Homeschooled from kindergarten through high school, this gave him the time to develop fiction at his own pace. He graduated from Durham Technical Community College with an associate in Arts degree, and later graduated from North Carolina State University with a Magma Cum Laude in English. At age eighteen he discovered his other passion, working with kids, when he first started working at Chestnut Ridge Camp and Retreat Center. Becoming a sort of jack of all trades there, he’s helped at the community garden, cleaned and mopped the main dining hall, worked in the kitchen, renovated the back room of the crafts cabin and played with many, many kids.
 blog  *  Facebook  *  Twitter


The view, opinions, and beliefs expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Girl Who Reads. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link. Thank you for supporting this blog.

May 7, 2015

My 3 @Triberr Pet Peeves

by Donna Huber

I really like using Triberr. I think it is a great way to find content to share and have your content shared with other networks. Yet. there a few things that irk me about the platform.

1. No contet present
The typographical error alone is bothersome. Seriously, can't they go into the code and fix that? Thankfully since I wrote the post about how get your content to show up in the stream, this problem is only occasionally seen in the tribes I'm part of.

2. Couldn't locate any more posts
More like "Don't want to find any more posts". I go to each tribe individually to make sure I'm not missing anyone. I also try to schedule one post from everyone in the tribe. However, I often get to the "end" of the stream and see "couldn't locate more posts". But that isn't always true. When I get to the end I check my scheduled posts to see if I have enough posts scheduled for the day. If I don't, I switch back to the tribe stream to find a few more and guess what? I usually have 1 or 2 posts appearing in the stream that weren't there before. These are not new posts (as in they just loaded into Triberr). Usually they are 2 or 3 days old. I wish all posts from the tribe showed up in the stream. I'm sure I'm never seeing some of the member's posts.

3. Rearranging my scheduled posts
When I schedule new posts they should line up behind the posts that I have already scheduled. But that is not the case. I don't know why the posts get rearranged but they do. When I'm scheduled a few days out I find it particularly irksome.

I think there is one more, but I can't think of it now and anyways I don't want to sound too critical of this great platform. I know these are just little things, but they are bothersome and could make Triberr better if fixed.





May 6, 2015

The Running Game by L.E.Fitzpatrick

by Claire Rees
The Running Game

Rachel is a doctor in safe haven hospital, a place that does not live up to its name.  She has a big secret, she is a 'Reacher' with special powers and one of the biggest crime bosses in the city is hunting her down. She doesn't know what she is only that she can influence others behaviors which comes at an advantage in her job.

Crime boss, Pinky Morris hires two brothers Charlie and John to track her down and get information on her. Being the best in their game they do their jobs quickly but realise too late what she is. Being a Reacher himself Charlie feels the overwhelming connection to her and feels a need to protect Rachel from everyone and everything. Because of this Charlie and John decide not to hand her over to Pinky Morris and instead to take her to a convent to keep her safe.

This gets them in trouble with Pinky and his men and leads to a final showdown where Rachel shows incredible strength in the face of danger.

I liked The Running Game by L. E. Fitzpatrick  and was addicted to Rachel's story, I needed to find out what and who she was and why these guys wanted her so badly. Fitzpatrick writes the story so well that you will want to keep turning page after page to see what happens next. I would recommend this to those who love a good story with lots of action.   


Buy The Running Game at Amazon



Book info:
available formats: ebook, audio and print (226 pages)
published: October 2013 by Limelight Literature
ISBN13: 9781493599448
genres: paranormal, suspense
source:
read: April 2015



Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link. Thank you for supporting this blog.

May 5, 2015

Review: Slumber by Christy Sloat

by Donna Huber


Slumber

"They say if you dream a thing more than once, it's sure to come true..." Sleeping Beauty
"I had a dream last night," she said as she peered out of the window. The day was dark and dreary like most days. The doctor sighed and pulled out a journal. He seemed particularly annoyed today.









The Review

I absolutely fell in love with this cover. I thought it was beautiful and perfect for a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I really was hoping for an equally beautiful fairy tale.

I loved the opening. Rory (Aurora) is locked away in an asylum for the criminally insane. She savagely murdered her boyfriend Philip, however, she has no memory of it. Actually she has no memory of anything before arriving at the asylum.

A great opening, right? Unfortunately the story did not follow-through. Slumber read more like a piece of fan fiction rather than a published novel. In a way I guess it is fan fiction, and perhaps for readers that are more familiar with the Sleeping Beauty fandom and mythos would enjoy the story more.

I thought more time could have been spent on character development. I felt like I was just getting to know the character when the action was thrown at me. And even then there were problems with the way the plot played out. It was really rushed and it felt like we were headed one direction only to be jerked in another.

For a seasoned author, I thought too many amateur mistakes were made. I never could tell who the audience was meant to be. Was it a clean romance meant for adults or fantasy novel for young adults. The writing level seemed too basic at times for adults, but it wasn't fully young adult in content.

I also found myself saying in my head, "Christy be bold in your writing!" On several occasions it seemed as though the story could have gone darker, yet, Sloat would abruptly pull back (again confusing me as to whether it was meant for adults or young adults). I think exploring some of the darker undertones of the plot would have enhanced the story, gave it more meat.

I've always heard wonderful things about Christy Sloat's writing and I'm disappointed that my first sampling didn't live up to expectations. My book club is reading her The Brown House and I'm hoping for a better experience.


Buy Slumber at Amazon



Book info:
available formats: ebook and print (234 pages)
published: March 2015 by Anchor Group Publishing
ISBN13: 978-0692393819
genres: fairy tale, fantasy
source: Author
read: April 2015



A free ebook was provided for this review. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising associate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link. Thank you for supporting this blog.


May 4, 2015

New Releases: May 2015


School is almost out for the summer and vacation time will be taken. Here's some books you might want to pack in your beach bag.


Pucked
With a famous NHL player for a step-brother, Violet Hall is well acquainted with the playboy reputation many hockey stars come with. She’s smart enough to steer clear of those hot, well-built boys with unparalleled stamina. That is until she meets the legendary team captain—Alex Waters.

Violet isn’t interested in his pretty, beat-up face, or his rock-hard six-pack abs. But when Alex inadvertently obliterates Violet’s previous misapprehension regarding the inferior intellect of hockey players, he becomes more than just a hot body with a face to match.

In what can only be considered a complete lapse in judgment, Violet finds out just how good Alex is with the hockey stick in his pants. But what starts out as a one-night stand, quickly turns into something more. Post-night of orgasmic magic, Alex starts to call, and text, and e-mail and send extravagant—and quirky—gifts, making him difficult to ignore, and even more difficult not to like.

The problem is, the media portrays Alex as a total player, and Violet doesn’t want to be part of the game.

Available May 3
Buy Pucked at Amazon


The Heir
Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible.

But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.

Available May 5
Buy The Heir at Amazon


Saint Anything
Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.

The uber-popular Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans.

Available May 5
Buy Saint Anything at Amazon


Trauma
Dr. Carrie Bryant’s four years as a neurosurgical resident at White Memorial Hospital have earned her the respect and admiration from peers and staff alike. When given the chance of performing her first unsupervised brain surgery, Carrie jumps at the opportunity.

What should have been a routine, hours long operation, turns horribly wrong and jeopardizes her patient’s life. Emotionally and physically drained, Carrie is rushed back to the OR to assist in a second surgery. There, she makes a careless and tragic mental error resulting in irreparable brain damage to her second patient. With her confidence shattered, Carrie quits her residency and moves back home where her younger brother, Adam, a combat vet suffering from debilitating PTSD, also lives.

When Carrie learns about an experimental program at the VA Medical Center exploring the use of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) that could forever cure the emotional and memory trauma of PTSD, it seems like a way back into medicine. Carrie is apprehensive, but a chance meeting with David Hoffman, a reporter for the Lowell Observer writing a story on PTSD, helps her overcome any hesitation.

Available May 12
Buy Trauma at Amazon


How to Start a Fire
From a bestselling writer, a story of unexpected friendship-three women thrown together in college who grow to adulthood united and divided by secrets, lies, and a single night that shaped all of them

When UC Santa Cruz roommates Anna and Kate find passed-out Georgiana Leoni on a lawn one night, they wheel her to their dorm in a shopping cart. Twenty years later, they gather around a campfire on the lawn of a New England mansion. What happens in between-the web of wild adventures, unspoken jealousies, and sudden tragedies that alter the course of their lives-is charted with sharp wit and aching sadness in this meticulously constructed novel.

Anna, the de facto leader, is fearless and restless-moving fast to stay one step ahead of her demons. Quirky, contemplative Kate is a natural sidekick but a terrible wingman ("If you go home with him, might I suggest breathing through your mouth"). And then there's George: the most desired woman in any room, and the one most likely to leave with the worst man.

Shot through with the crackling dialogue, irresistible characters, and propulsive narrative drive that make Lutz's books so beloved, How to Start a Fire pulls us deep into Anna, Kate, and George's complicated bond and pays homage to the abiding, irrational love we share with the family we choose.

Available May 12
Buy How to Start a Fire at Amazon


Compulsive
Lies hurt.

Lies destroy.

But some lies protect…and heal. At least that’s what Gray Donovan had hoped for. She’s a compulsive liar using it as a defense mechanism to survive life and her shattered past.

When she starts seeing therapist Daniel Harrison, she can no longer deny the truths that have haunted her for so many years. She must now stand and face them.

Opening up to Daniel leaves her exposed and vulnerable. When her soul is bared to him, she can’t contain the attraction or the feelings he elicits.

Daniel feels drawn to his new patient, but knows he will have to fight it in order to resurrect Gray from her demons. His will and his judgment are tested when he must overcome his own doubts and face his own secrets.

Available May 12
Buy Compulsive at Amazon


Mark Me
Rory Finnegan had one goal when he got out of the Marines. Find a place where he can settle down and open a tattoo parlor. That’s when his best friend Ethan Fairchild suggests he come to Suttontowne in the Louisiana bayou. It’s there that Rory gets a job bartending for Braxton Outlaw and runs smack full force into gorgeous, too young for him, Savannah Hawkins. To make matters worse, she’s got an over-protective mother and an upper-crust boyfriend. It would be smart he steered clear. But Marines like Rory don’t back down easily, especially after he gets much too involved with the southern beauty.

Savannah Hawkins is not sure what she’s going to do with her life and is quite sick of having everyone dictate to her, especially her family. When she gets a load of pierced, tattooed and gorgeous Rory, her interest goes off the charts. Complication like life decisions and a pre-selected husband seem inconsequential when she gets to know this scarred and battle-hardened warrior. Will she discover the answers she needs or will her coming of age tear her heart apart?

Available May 18
Buy Mark Me at Amazon


The Roar of Smoke
Tressida is a smoke-spinner, a meldborn. It's a lethal legacy, a forbidden force. Daughter of Crone and Sage, she should have been killed at birth.

Now she's seventeen, wanting only to be a member of her land's vanished Horseguard and discovering she is more than she ever knew, as first her eyes and then her hair turn to smoke. Just as she learns she can fulfill her dream of working with horses, her talent awakens an ancient and deadly feud.

On one side—those claiming the honor of destroying a meldborn. On the other—those intending to use her for their own ends. Tressida must master her power in order to save herself and those she loves. Is she strong enough?

Or will the roar of smoke consume her?

Available May 18
Buy The Roar of Smoke at Amazon


Fatal Trauma
When Dr. Mark Baker and Nurse Kelly Atkinson are held at the mercy of a dangerous gunman, the lives of every emergency room patient are at stake. At the end of the evening three men are dead. One of them is a police officer who couldn't be saved despite Mark's best efforts. The other two are members of the feared Zeta drug cartel.

Though the standoff is over, the killing is not, because when the drug cartel loses its members, revenge is not far behind. Facing an adversary whose desires are dark and efforts are ruthless, Mark finds himself under suspicion as a killer, yet still a potential victim. When he turns to his high school sweetheart, attorney Gwen Woodruff, for help, Kelly helplessly looks on, as she hides her own feelings for the good doctor.

At the height of the conflict, three questions remain: Who is the shooter? Who will the next victim be? And can Mark prove his innocence before the gun turns on him?

Available May 19
Buy Fatal Trauma at Amazon


What Lies Behind
Waking to sirens in the night is hardly unusual for Samantha Owens. No longer a medical examiner, she doesn't lose sleep over them, but a routine police investigation in her neighborhood has her curious. When her homicide detective friend, Darren Fletcher, invites her to look over the evidence, she jumps at the chance and immediately realizes the crime scene has been staged. What seems to be a clear case of murder/suicide—a crime of passion—is anything but. The discovery of toxic substances in hidden vials indicates that something much more sinister is at play…

As Fletch and Sam try to understand what and who they are dealing with, they are summoned to a meeting at the State Department. High-level officials are interested in what they know and seem to be keeping secrets of their own. It's up to Sam and Fletch to uncover what lies behind the deception as the threat of bioterrorism is exposed, and her boyfriend, Xander Whitfield, may be in the line of fire.

Unsure who to trust, Sam and Fletch find themselves up against very powerful people at every stage in the investigation. No one is who they appear to be and with every minute that passes, the danger escalates. It's Sam's most complex case yet and the terrifying reality is beyond anything she could have imagined.

Available May 26
Buy What Lies Behind at Amazon


Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above links. Thank you for supporting this blog.

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