Music in My DNA

Tuesday: Tell me something about yourself?

I've joined this Blog Me Maybe blogfest and I'm not doing so great.  I will try to do better people...I promise.  I've been sick the last few days with a cold...it's kicking my butt and going workout with my trainer this morning didn't help.  So I have the brain power of a flea.

So that means I am TOTALLY 100% stealing this blog post idea from my writer buddy, Jessica Love.

1. What are your three favorite songs right now?

"Right now" to me means not my all time fav but what I currently repeating.

"Give It All" by Right the Stars

"Quiet Little Voices" by We Were Promised Jetpacks

"Suga Suga" by Baby Bash (There's a little brother who lives inside of me who always needs his R&B fix.)

And I will not embarrass myself by saying I like Justin Bieber's new song "Boyfriend."  I may or may not have downloaded that recently.  I'm a die hard Indie music lover, downloading Bieber would be sacrilegious.

2. What is the most played song on your iTunes?

I was curious to know what this was too.  I was actually surprised.  I think it's because I played it one time on repeat to write a scene in a book.  The song is "Lost" by Noir Désir. They are a French rock band I discovered on You Tube once.  The song is haunting and forceful.  I love it.  Maybe I'll share it on a Sunday Download soon.  Other noteworthy tunes in the top five most played:
"9 Crimes" by Damien Rice
"Draw Your Swords" by Angus and Julia Stone
"In the Sun" by Joseph Arthur
"Blood Bank" by Bon Iver

3. What song are you listening to right now?
Nothing.  But if I had to turn on my ipod, I'd probably click on "In My Veins" by Andrew Belle.  (LOVE all of his stuff.)

4. What was the last album you bought?
The last album I bought was for crap, so I won't mention it. With iTunes I very seldom download an entire album.  "Absence" by Paper Route  It's good, nothing i'll rave about.

5. What was the last concert you went to?

Ugh, Poison & Motely Crue.  My husband loves them.  I loved in the 80s but they are just sleaze bags now.
Previous to that, Buck Cherry.  Love them but their are not in my playlist rotation but I enjoy alternative rock.  Again, another band my hubby loves.  I WILL drag him to a concert of music I love too.  Soon, I hope.

6. What was the first album you ever bought?
Shaun Cassidy, BABY! Oh yeah, I'm dating myself.  We're talking  "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Hey There Lonely Girl," and "Take Good Care of my Baby."  Classic vinyl!  Still have it in my attic.
Here's the album cover to job your memory:

I know, don't everybody swoon at once. Maybe if Justin Bieber wore a white painter's hat he would be as cool. (For the record, it was my first concert I ever went to, too.)

7. What was the last single you downloaded?
I just downloaded "Quiet" by Non Tiq...so far I'm liking it.

8. Favorite artist or band?

Of all time:

Cranberries

What I can't get enough of right now?

Walk The Moon

What I love when I want to be mellow?

Andrew Belle

9. What’s your favorite musical genre?
INDIE music!  UK or Australian artists tend to be my favs.  In the genre itself I love; folk, singer/songwriter, electric, acoustic, or alternative.

10. Quote one of your favorite lyrics:
Oh, dude.  Really, just one?!?!  Gah.  Half the love I have for music is wrapped around the lyrics. So many one liners from songs in my head converge at once.  I feel like I'm doing them a disservice if I don't mention this song or that one or oh, yeah, this one's good too.  I'll spare you the drivel.

If I can only select one, I'm going to pick The Joy Formidable's "A Heavy Abacus"  She writes the most amazing poetic lyrics. (Close second...Florence + the Machine's "My Boy Build's Coffins")

Lyrics "A Heavy Abacus"
Here we are bending feet
In the dark before dreamless sleep
Cloaks that spot, that shiver, that breeze
Throws you in the dark

Happiness, it won't last long
And this child behind stores it all
The failed man's curse
And the cost of nonchalance

I thank you sly, watchful gene
A plastic life up my sleeve
If you've followed this far
You've realized nothing

Now your world is here
Watch it disappear

Abacus haunting me
Abacus watching me
Abacus haunting me
Abacus watching me

And it all plays out
And it always comes around
The message fades but the mess prevails
You reckless thing leaving you in our hands

Abacus haunting me
Abacus watching me
Abacus haunting me
Abacus watching me

All we have is this chance called memory
(Haunting me)
All we have is this chance called memory
(Watching me)
All we have is this chance called memory
(Haunting me)
All we have is this chance called memory

Sunday Downloads: "Give it All" by Right the Stars

I'm not sure what it is about this song I like.  Maybe its the modern alternative vibe mixed with 80's roar of the chorus.  Either way, it's a good song.  Their other tunes sound download worthy as well.  Even though they haven't found themselves on the top 40 yet, I don't think it will be long.  Their songs have been featured on a impressive cast of television shows: One Tree Hill, Grey's Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars and more.

This particular tune is free.  If you like it, the link to download is listed below.



Go here to download for free.

Lyrics for "Give it All" by Right the Stars

I'm up against
your open door
you're on the phone
upon the floor
you counting starts
you laugh and cry
its getting dark
you don't why

I built a bridge
to every side
you light a match
the river's wide
you only want
what's out of reach
but you can't help
holding on to me

and I give it all
I give it all
I give it all
to you
I give it all
I give it all
I give it all
to you

you open up
and then you close
from where you hide
I never know
and we hate the games
though we love to play
rewrite my words
then run away

And I give it all

I give it all

I give it all

to you

I give it all

I give it all

I give it all 

to you

And what can I say
that you can hear
there's no need afraid
my my dear

chorus [x3]

And I give it all

I give it all

I give it all

to you

I give it all

I give it all

I give it all 

to you

Me and My Girlies - Writer Retreat

This weekend was indiscriminately the most amazing writer's retreat ever. They are positive, endearing and most importantly supportive. I laughed so hard with these women.  I couldn't imagine a better group of writers to be with.  Here are some photos of the weekend.

Rachel Searles

 Liz Briggs

Kat Kupanoff

Amaris Glass (Who took a nap. haha.)

 Jessica Love

Some serious plotting here!

 The YA and MG books we brought to swap.

Gift Bag from Jessica Love ♥

(Who doesn't need a wand?)

Coffee mugs from me filled with wine charms and post-its.

 Wine charms to represent each genre we write for.

The road was smiling to have me run on it.

View of the lake.

 One hell of a squirrel! (The squirrel alone was 3ft tall.)

Is it wine o'clock, ladies?

Thanks for an awesome weekend!

(P.S. There may or may not be a video to surface later.  Stay tuned!)

Ever Evolving Crap

For my Blog me MAYbe I'm to tell you something about writing.  What little I do know about writing is self taught. Since I am not published, (heck, I don't even have an agent...yet) I don't feel "qualified" to dish out advice.  When I do, I maintain I am no expert.  As always my two cents won't buy you much but hopefully it guides you to the answers you need.

No matter what your writing style or education or orientation (I just threw that in there) as writers we all go through the same self-loathing "This is crap!"

And that's a good thing.

I know you're thinking "How can writing crap be good?" It's not the crap you wrote but the fact you recognize your work to be subpar.  We grow as writers, or we should.  You first book sucks worse that your current crap.  Your first draft is for shit but now that your MS has seen a few revisions, it's looking like a viable life force and not some bloody pulp you hacked through the first time around.

Crap evolves from "this will never see the light of day" to "holy bat shit, I might query this sucker!"  And when you've polished your crap until it shines, then send it to CP's and let them point out the skid marks you left behind.  Eventually, when it is all said and done, you WILL no longer have crap but a solid piece of work you are proud of.

So the next time you berate yourself for writing the yuck, pat yourself on the back and say "Good girl, you recognize this needs work.  Now get on it." (If you are a guy you can still say "good girl" if it makes you feel pretty but I don't recommend doing so publicly.)

Writer's Retreat!

So, epic fail on posting on my first May blogfest post.  I was super swamped with personal things yesterday that I didn't even get a chance to write.  But that's okay, because I'm going on a writer's retreat with some AMAZING women.

Oh yeah, baby!  You read that right!  For the last few years I've seen fellow authors go on retreats, bond, grow together in the publishing field and I've always been green with envy.  I wanted that for me.  To find a group of writers that I clique with.  Instead of pining away for what I didn't have, I

In no particular order of fabulousness:
Liz Briggs
Rachel Searles
Jessica Love
Kathryn Kupanoff
Amaris (Not sure of last name and Amaris is the only one without a Twitter or Blog.  How does she survive? ;)

We leave Thursday and come back Sunday.  THAT'S THREE DAYS OF WRITING!  Uninterrupted.  No kids or husband to tend to.  No dog to walk.  Just me, some fab ladies and my MS!  (Which this last week I was only able to write about 2K. Ugh.) We are staying at a beautiful cabin in the woods.  I'm sure there will be tons of pictures and maybe even a video, who knows.... I cannot wait.  This has been in the planning for a month and a half.  Now the time has finally come and I'm racing around trying to get my family situated, laundry done and scheduling written down so my boys can function without me.  (They would be screwed if something ever happened to me.)

I'll be writing most of the weekend but I do plan Tweeting a few updates here and there.

For now I have to sign off because I have a tremendous laundry list of shiz to do before I leave tomorrow.

If I get everything done today, I will have my posts for the rest of the week on schedule.