I don't know about you, but I need a blog boost this year. Distracted with queries and new MS it has been work to come up with something to post about. The fabulous Sara McClung has a created a great solution for that:
"Blog Me MAYbe." is a blogfest during the month of May. Sara's idea is MAYbe you blog, maybe you don't but IF you need a little assist, she's posted a Monday thru Friday topics list of what to post about. THere's also a sign up on her blog. You don't have to sign up, but there's something about doing so that makes you commit just a little bit more.
Check back tomorrow for the first day of Blog Me MAYbe blogfest, where I tell you about the amazing weekend I have coming up that will make you green with envy. :D
Neon Trees has the best music. I love the crooning voice of the lead singer. The get up off your ass and dance sound. This video is the coolest. The drive-in movie set-up with them singer in the car is the best. Hope you like it.
Lyrics for "Everybody Talks" by Neon Trees
hey baby won't you look my way,
i could be your new addiction
hey baby what you got to say,
all you're giving me is fiction
i'm a sorry sucker and this happens all the time
i find out that
everybody talks
everybody talks
everybody talks
chorus:
it started with a whisper
and that was when i kissed her
and then she made my lips hurt
i can even chit-chat
take me to your love shack
mama's always got a backtrack
and everybody talks bad
hey honey you could be my drug
you could be my new prescription
too much could be an overdose
all this stress talk make me itching
on my mouth yeah
everybody talks
everybody talks
everybody talks
too much
chorus:
it started with a whisper
and that was when i kissed her
and then she made my lips hurt
i can even chit-chat
take me to your love shack
mama's always got a backtrack
and everybody talks bad
never thought i'd live to see the day
when everybody's words got in the way
hey sugar show me all your love
all you're giving me is friction
hey sugar what you got to say
chorus:
it started with a whisper
and that was when i kissed her
and then she made my lips hurt
i can even chit-chat
take me to your love shack
mama's always got a backtrack
and everybody talks bad
everybody talks
everybody talks
everybody talks
everybody talks
it started with a whisper
and that was when i kissed her
everybody talks
everybody talks
everybody talks
yeah
It’s the command Ellen Hopkins (author of CRANK and other issue related YA books) gave
me at SCBWI NY. I don’t mean she
inspired me after a speech. She
literally pointed her finger at me and said “That’s the story you should write." (In response to
me saying “But I’m scared to write about that stuff.")
Now that scares the shit out of me. I'm scared for many reasons.
Once I go there, the place where YA issues reside, I
can never turn back.
I’m scared I’m going to piss the LGBTQ community off, for
not getting it right.
I’m scared the country people from my home town will look at
me differently, shun me.
I'm scared people will think I'm a lesbian or bisexual, despite the fact I'm married to a man whom I've had children with.
I’m most afraid of pissing off my momma or worse, shaming
her. One might be proud of their
daughter for writing a book and getting it published (Because the power of
positive thinking tells me this will be published), but not if your embarrassed
to tell you friends that your daughter wrote a book about gays. And then have to answer to them when they
say, “Why’d she do that?”
Needless to say, I might piss a lot of people off. No matter how much I try not to, there is no
way I’m going to make everyone happy. It’s
a lesson I’ve battled all my life and now I’m going to have to accept it as
truth.
I know you are thinking, “Dana, you don’t even have an
agent. This manuscript may never get
published.” Well, I can’t think like that right now. Not while I’m writing is
anyway. There’ll be plenty of time to
worry about that later.
Writing what scares you means face your fears and don’t look
back. Don’t second guess yourself and
don’t let the future judgment of what others may say about you, stop you from writing what you have a voice for. Speak and let them hear you, whether they
like what they hear or not.
Sunday night, my family had an all too close experience with answering that question. At ten o'clock at night, our kiddos were in bed, hubby and I were halfway through a movie when we heard what sounded like gunshots, followed by screams. Hubby ran out the back to investigate and saw flames on our neighbors house. We both ran out front and sure enough, an inferno engulfed the front of their house and cars.
This is when that my protective mother instincts kick me into overdrive and I ran back into our house, barking orders. I grabbed the children out of bed while my husband grabs his cell and got dressed (he was only in boxers.) I ordered the llyo to grab the dog while I carried a sleepy, dazed and confused 6yo. The whole time I'm praying their cars don't explode the second we race out the front door.
In the distance, the sweet sound of sirens whirl closer and half the neighborhood stands in fear and shock, all in our pajamas and robs. Our immediate neighbors and their three little boys huddle safely on the sidewalk and watch as the flames eat their home. Cops and firefighters arrive within a minute or two and have the fire under control soon after. Sawing and hacking away at the exterior walls to get at the flames hiding within them.
The fire damage is extensive but contained in a garage and upper room. Rumors are passed from the firefighters that they believe the fire started near the hot-water heater. People are consoling each other, offer clothing, food and shelter to our now homeless neighbors. We finally get the okay to return to our home. After we put or kiddos back to bed, it's almost midnight. And me and my husband analyze if we did everything properly and what if it was our house, what we we need to grab. I look at my husband, think of my sleeping babies and I say, "We did right. I'd grab the children. That's it. All that other stuff is just stuff."
Antique heirlooms or great grandma's quilt are sacred things. But when it comes down too it, all that matters to me is my three boys (hubby and two kiddos) Well, and little fuzzy cute Sookie (our dog.) No matter where I am or what I do, if I have my boys, I'm good. Nothing else matters.
In searching for character images, sometimes I resort to
teen models in Hollister or Abercrombie ads.
Before you give me crap for picking out models, I use them for a foundation and then give them physical flaws. Call me unrealistic all you want
but nature gravitates toward the stronger leaner more beautiful of the species,
or peacocks wouldn’t do their mating dance and tough male lions wouldn’t win
all the top lionesses.
To my more important point, hot bodies. In my search, I came across Abercrombie’s
“cheeky cousin” GillyHicks.com. Here is what urbandictionary.com had to say
about Gilly Hicks:
“An underwear/bra and loungewear store owned by Abercrombie
and Fitch. There's only like 6 of them in the country and It's walls are covered
with pictures of dudes from Australia that only have a hand covering their
"areas" and the girls only have a tree branch covering theirs. You
can go there if you want to buy overpriced bras or need a dressing room to camp
out in since some of them have beds in them. When you walk in a peppy girl or
guy will tell you "Hi! Welcome to Gilly Hick's the Cheeky cousin of
Abercrombie and Fitch!!!!" Many older people mispronounce the name
"Gilly" as "Jilly" which is pretty damn annoying.”
DRESSING ROOMS HAVE BEDS IN THEM! Aussie boys, what are you doing over there and if any of you have bodies half this hot, I won't be just "camping out" in those dressing rooms!
I’m already in love with their music, now they have hot male
bodies hand-leafing their johnnies for all the world to view. That’s it. I’m packing my bags and moving to
Australia.
Feast your eyes on this and tell me you’re not moving too: (Holy Sex! on photo #3)
Here goes Matthew Mayfield, making me fall in love with him again. As if his his rugged good looks and gruff voice don't make you swoon, he goes and writes a song about a girl he's still in love with who broke his heart.
This is off his the album he's currently working on. Can't wait for the release. Enjoy.
I hope you all had a beautiful Easter. My kids are home for the week = no work getting done. It's just a part of the parenting schtick I signed up for. Hopefully we make it to Palm Springs by the end of the break. Its our traditional spring vacation spot, but hubby has some big deal at work so it might not happen. Which means I'll be entertaining the kids all by my lonesome. Not a pretty picture.
I'm going to tune out of blogging for the week, returning Monday, April 16th.
In the meantime, enjoy your favorite six pack (or eight.)
Today is my last day to post for my "A Week In Music," and I'm sad. I love sharing my love of music. (Even though no one except Leslie ever comments. Thanks, Leslie!) Maybe I'll do it again another time. For now, I'll go back to my "Sunday Downloads."
Today "Only Love" by Anthony Green. The lyrics of this song are along the lines of "He's Not That Into You." It's the painful realization that we've all been through. That the relationship you thought you had was all in your head. I think the line of the song that nails that home is "We need no proper ending. That would mean this meant something." Ouch. Truth is painful.
BTW, the photo featured in the video is the cover of his album. I love it.
Lyrics "Only Love" by Anthony Green
Please keep your distance from me,
I know it's hard to believe
I never wanted to be your only love.
I know the sting of plight hurts,
it only makes matters worse
I never said I would
be your only love.
Old ships, battle scars, silhouettes of skeletons
A new sun once the clouds are gone,
These are things that I am not.
Old news heaven sent if heaven wasn't what it is
If all the stars fell
from the storm
Then this is what I've become.
I need a new relief
Dressed as a new
belief and then
I can try to be anything
or anyone other than
who I was
We never hear the dawn,
it wake your roommate up
So I’m between the sheets
wishing for anyone
other than us.
Please keep your distance from me,
I know it's hard to believe
I never wanted to be your only love.
I know the sting of plight hurts,
it only makes matters worse
I never said I would be your only love.
Long walks, phones that die, summer in the dead of night
Some would say I had to go,
And these are things we never was.
Long cries no response, silhouettes from all my bones
Still we get our heads on wrong,
Cause these are things we never was.
I need a new relief
Disguised as new belief and then
I can try to be anything or anyone
other than who I was
And I will let you sing
between your mother's sheets
And I will slip through the crack
of the records that stack your bedroom wall
Ooooh
Please keep your distance from me,
I know it's hard to believe
I never wanted to be your only love
I know the sting of plight hurts,
it only makes matters worse
I never said I would be your only love
(We need no proper ending. That would mean this meant
something)
Please keep your distance from me,
I know it's hard to believe
I never wanted to be your only love
I know the sting of plight hurts,
it only makes matters worse
I never said I would be your only love
We need no proper ending. That would mean this meant
something [x4]
The name of the band, We Were Promised Jetpacks, is awesome in itself. Their sound, even better. It's post-punk mixed with indie pop. Again, I'm giving love to another UK band. (It's either UK love or Aussie love. What can I say? They know music.)
Here's a great interview with Q the Music about their name, which has no particular meaning.
This song is from their 2009 album but still an awesome song. The video below is from a live performance and the first two minutes are them messing around on their instruments then the song really starts. (That long intro is not on the downloaded version.) Hope you enjoy.
Lyrics "Its Thunder and Its Lightning" by We Were Promised Jetpacks
Right foot followed by your left foot
We'll guide you home before your curfew
And into your bed
Standing on our tip-toes
Peering through open windows
I swear I heard my name
Sit tight with the lights off
Waiting for my brain to start
Trying to work things out
It's thunder and it's lightning
And it's all things too frightening
I could barely see outside
Your body was black and blue
It struck twice there's nothing new
Your body was black and blue
And it's thunder
And it's lightning
Coming home
And it's thunder
And it's lightning
Coming back
Your body was black and blue
Your body was black and blue
And your body...
I have to say goodnight
I'm leaving before your punching out my lights
I find my music in a ton of locations; Noisetrade.com, a Youtube person I follow, Australian indy music website, iTunes Genuis recommendations and.... commercials. (This particular one is the new Bing commercial.) Yeah, not a glorious place to find music, but sometimes you can't beat the untapped music vein of good old TV. And thanks to SoundHound, it's easy to identify the songs I find. (SoundHound is a free iPhone app and the greatest invention EVER!)
Today's selection is "Too Close" by Alex Clare. It has a little groove, a bit of buzzed guitar and a whole lot of bump and grind. Something about the rhythm of the music is sexy. I'm one of those people who throws the headphones on while cooking dinner and dance my butt around the kitchen. (I do it so much that the hubby and the kids don't even notice me anymore.)
(For other great tunes, check out my "Sunday Downloads.")
Lyrics "Too Close" by Alex Clare
You know I’m not one to break promises
I don’t want to hurt you but I need to breathe
At the end of it all, you’re still my best friend
But there’s something inside that I need to release
Which way is right, which way is wrong
How do I say that I need to move on
You know we had is separate ways
And it feels like I am just too close to love you
There’s nothing I can really say
I can’t lie no more, I can’t hide no more
Got to be true to myself
And it feels like I am just too close to love you
So I’ll be on my way
You've given me more that I can return
Yet there’s oh so much that you deserve
Nothing to say, nothing to do,
I’ve nothing to give
I must leave without you
You know we had is separate ways
And it feels like I am just too close to love you
There’s nothing I can really say
I can’t lie no more, I can’t hide no more
Got to be true to myself
And it feels like I am just too close to love you
So I’ll be on my way
So I’ll be on my way
And it feels like I am just too close to love you
There’s nothing that I can really say
I can’t lie no more, I can’t hide no more
Got to be true to myself
And it feels like I am just too close to love you
So I’ll be on my way
There's something about a man admitting how in love he his that makes me swoon. But break his heart and have him sing about it, I melt into a puddle. In this song, the girl has broken up with him and he can't seem to get over her. The chorus is the best lyric "Oh, you’re in my veins, and I cannot get you out."
Andrew Belle is one of my favorite musicians. I usually don't download entire albums because there are only one or two songs I like. I own all of Mr. Belle's albums. His voice sounds like Chris Martin from Coldplay, but in my humble opinion, I think Andrew has a smoother voice and his pitch is more consistent. This song is beautiful and heartbreaking all in one.
Writing a LGBTQ novel, what better mood music do you need that Joan Jett? As a kid I didn't know Joan was a lesbian, but I always felt uncomfortable with how arousing her videos could be. She exuded "hot" in my opinion, especially in the "Crimson and Clover" video. "Crimson and Clover" lyrics are written about a woman, double hot coming from her. But you can't listen to only Joan Jett music the whole book or all my characters would have mullets and bad attitudes.
So, when I found "Sweetest Touch" by Gross Magic, I got excited. The lyrics talk about a girl's touch and how "thoughts of you are running through my brain." The lead singer's voice is soft and breathy. I thought, "Yes! another girl-singing-about-a-girl song." I thought wrong. The lead singer is NOT a girl but a boy, barely out of his teens. None the less, the sound of his feminine voice is enough for me to interpret it as a lesbian song. And of course, like all my favorite tunes, it has that teenage angst and yearning I love.
*BTW, if you know of any gay songs (and not Adam Lambert music), let me know.
This song screams "I'M ALIVE!" It makes me want to jump up and down on my bed with a my brush handle as a microphone. I love the lyrics. I love the video. Though I have to warn you, when the video starts its oddly uncomfortable then gets hilariously quirky and I LOVE IT!
My favorite line "your hands on my cheeks / your shoulder in my mouth." If your not dancing your butt off after hearing this song, your legs are broken. I think I'm going back over to iTunes to download the rest of the album.
Lyrics to "Anna Sun" by Walk the Moon
screen falling off the door / door hanging off the hinges my feet are still sore / my back is on the fringes we tore up the walls / we slept on couches we lifted this house / we lifted this house fire-crackers in the east / my car parked south your hands on my cheeks / your shoulder in my mouth i was up against the wall on the west mezzanine we rattle this town / we rattle this scene O, Anna Sun! O, Anna Sun! what do you know? this house is falling apart what can i say? this house is falling apart we got no money, but we got heart we're gonna rattle this ghost town this house is falling apart screen falling off the door / door hanging off the hinges my feet are still sore / my back is on the fringes we were up against the wall on the west mezzanine we rattle this town / we rattle this scene O, Anna Sun! O, Anna Sun! what do you know? this house is falling apart what can i say? this house is falling apart we got no money, but we got heart we're gonna rattle this ghost town this house is falling apart live my life without station wagon rides fumbling around the back not one seatbelt on wait for summertime coming up for air now it's all a wash now it's all a wash live my life without coming up for air now it's all a wash i want everyone racing down the hill i am faster than you wait for summertime wait for summertime O, Anna Sun!
In celebration of my explosive writing this last week on my MS and running with it like my ass is on fire, I'm doing a week long tribute to a few of the songs on my playlist.
Some you may know, others might be new to you. ALL of them represent some scene in my new manuscript. First up is "We Are Young" by Fun.. I’m ashamed to admit
I just discovered it two weeks ago. (I pride myself on discovering music years
ahead of the trend.) This is one of those songs like Journey, when it comes on the radio you sing the chorus at the top of your lungs. (Trust me, listen to it a couple of times and you will be bellowing too.)
The lyrics in the intro are shocking but really good. Personally, I hate the video. Not what I wanted. You be the judge.
"We Are Young"
Give me a second I,
I need to get my story straight
My friend's are in the bathroom getting higher than the empire state
My lover he is waiting for me just across the bar
My seat's been taken by some sunglasses asking about a scar, and
I know I gave it to you months ago
I know you're trying to forget
But between the drinks and subtle things
Though holes in my apologies
I'm trying hard to take it back
So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I'll carry you home
Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun
Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun
Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun
Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun
Carry me home tonight
Just carry me home tonight
Carry me home tonight
Just carry me home tonight
Carry me home tonight
The angels never arrived but I can hear the choir
So will someone come and carry me home
Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun
We are young
Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun
So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I'll carry you home tonight
