BLOODROSE Teaser 3!

Two weeks! Two weeks!

In case you haven't seen it - the official BLOODROSE book trailer is live.


And here's your third soundtrack teaser:

"He needs to know you can make the wrong choice and still deserve a second chance."


The National - Afraid of Everyone


Wishing you a wonderful Christmas!

TREACHERY and BLOODROSE Teaser Two

Ansel's tale: Treachery (an e-special from Philomel) is available today! Buy at Barnes and Noble for Nook or Amazon for Kindle.

In honor of the novella's release, today's Bloodrose teaser features Ansel.

"My bones ached as I watched him. Why did it have to be Ansel who suffered?"

Name the Band Winner!

Guilt forced me to clue Nev in to this contest, so I confessed and decided he should be the one to pick a winner. Here's the transcript of how that went.


Nev sits across from me, slouched in his chair. He looks slightly puzzled, a little curious, but mostly wary. Wary Guardians are not great company. I try to focus on not dropping my coffee cup as I explain the contest.

Me: *clears throat* So...uh..will you do it?

Nev: Let me get this straight. You want the band to have a name?

Me: No, no, no. I just thought it would be fun to have a contest to think up names.

Nev: *eyes run over the list I've given him* This isn't a trick? When I pick one you aren't going to make me keep it?

Me: No.

Nev: 'Cause I don't do band names.

Me: I know.

Nev: And the other guys would be pissed if they thought I'd signed on for some name without asking them.

Me: I know none of you guys are "name" people, but it's just for fun.

Nev: *watches me for a minute*

Me: *beginning to sweat* I promise.

Nev: *leans back in chair, flips guitar pick along the backs of his fingers* Okay, then.

Me: *tries to keep relieved breath quiet* *watches as Nev reads, tries to gauge some reaction* *curses self for writing a character so good at cloaking his emotions*

Nev: *smiles...maybe?* I like this one. Fighting Nuns.

Me: I thought you might.

Nev: It's a good image. I'm sure nuns have a lot of pent up rage. In a fight, my money would be on the nun.

Me: *nods*

Nev: Feral Daze is good too. Like if Hendrix had a wolf band.

Me: *laughs*

Nev: *gives me a stony gaze*

Me: *swallows all future laughs*

Nev: I could also go for Echo in the Blood. *hands list back to me*

Me: So those are your picks? Fighting Nuns, Feral Daze, and Echo in the Blood?

Nev: Yep. Can I go now? I'm late.

Me: *raises brow* Late for what?

Nev: *half smile, sits silently*

Me: *realizes after 30 seconds that I will never win a staring contest with Nev* Okay then, thanks for stopping by.

Nev: *already out of his chair* See ya, writer lady.

Me: *cannot decide if it's good or not that Nev has nicknamed me 'writer lady.'

Now for the drawing:

The three contenders are:

Jami - Fighting Nuns
Lindsay - Echo in the Blood
Jemmafey - Feral Daze

And the Randomizer picks:

Jemmafey!!

Congrats, Jemma :) Send your mailing address to andreacremerwrites@gmail.com and I'll mail you The REPLACEMENT!!

Thanks so much for all the great entries!!!

I, Tunes

That was a bad pun for a title, but I couldn't resist.

I was delighted by all playlist/music questions for April's Q&A and I thought I'd write a bit more about how playlists work in my writing process.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I use music to get through tough spots in writing. I'm fortunate in that I've never (and hope that will continue to be the case) suffered writer's block. That doesn't mean that I don't encounter bottlenecks in writing - these are places where a scene isn't quite working, or I just need a little more space to figure out what happens next. The best thing for me to do at points like that are to walk away from my laptop and listen to music. I can do this while wandering around the house, doing dishes, walking the dogs, or driving, but I have to have music to get the process started. This system has never failed me.

I do have playlists for all my novels and they are extensive. I have a song for each chapter and often for multiple scenes within a chapter. I also have what I consider theme songs for each character. When we get closer to Nightshade's release date I plan to do a week of posts that are character profiles plus these theme songs.

For now I thought I'd offer an example of how my playlist works using another popular question: What about the romance?

Yes, there is lots of lust and angst and kissing in Nightshade. I'm a romantic at heart and it's pretty hard to imagine myself ever writing a book that did not have these components at work.

Here is the Calla, Ren, Shay love triangle song: American Analog Set, The Green Green Grass



For those who prefer electronic remixes, Telefon Tel Aviv did an amazing one of this song. I love both versions so take your pick:

Break Out Christmas Hit

For a few days now I've been forecasting Andrea's posts of holiday wacky goodness and now IT'S HERE!!

Today through Christmas Day there will be astonishing lights, sound, sight - all the holiday glitz you can stomach (maybe more if you've been drinking too much nog).

It's kind of a pet peeve of mine that the Sound of Music's "My Favorite Things" has been adopted as a holiday song that plays in the background of malls while you shop. But I've decided to jump on the bandwagon, dedicating these posts to my Favorite Holiday Things.

First up: Fave Holiday Songs

I love holiday soundtracks, but I have a strict rule about not listening to any seasonal songs until we're past Thanksgiving. Hearing "Silver Bells" any sooner than late November is like nails on a chalkboard for me.

Music makes my world go round, so limiting the selection here is tough, to say the least. So I've decided to choose one song from Andrea's new: Key Categories of Holiday Music Bliss Out.

Category: Childhood (I listened to this one on my Grandma Opal's record player, over and over and over)





Category: Kitsch (In case you're wondering 'sori' is sleigh, 'sube' is the sleigh's movement. Side note: I highly recommend all U900's ukelele carols)



Category: Sacred



Category: Muppet (This song always makes me tear up)



Category: NEW FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG

One of the best things about entering the writing world is meeting other writers who really see the world the way you do. Yes, everyone, be very, very afraid. Josh Berk and Kiersten White are geniuses. Soon they will rule the world and I'm hoping they will let me be in their Cabinet, or Inner Circle, or Secret Society - what have you. Here is their amazing contribution to the Holiday Songbook.



What holiday tunes are you spinning this December?

Sap

I'm a sucker for romance, trials, and tears. Working through some really heart-wrenching scenes as I revise WOLFSBANE, you'd think I was going through my own break up. I have some of the same songs set on my iPod to replay over and over and over as I write my way through specific events. There are moments when I hear a song and a scene just blossoms in my mind. I've discovered that if I really hang onto that song and drown myself in it, the scene becomes all the more powerful as I'm writing.

Though it also means I cry a lot because IN MY BOOK I HAZ SAD STUFF HAPPENZ. But getting that emotionally invovled in the writing is one of my favorite parts of the craft.

So here is the song I've had on repeat all night while writing.



Your challenge: What type of scene would this song write for you?

Music is My...

I'm all bubbles and sparklers because I'm about to put together a new playlist. I've mentioned in the past that I use music to write, but I haven't formally posted about the whys and wherefores of a novel's playlist.

Playlists serve three primary functions for me:
1) Create the mood of a scene
2) Define key traits of a character & his/her tastes
3) Get me to a better writing place if I get stuck

Regarding #3, while I wouldn't stay I've ever had writer's block I do experience writer's detour - wherein I find myself wandering away from the mental space I want to be in to write well. The best solution I've found for going off road involves literal driving. I do some of my best idea generating when behind the wheel, particularly if I'm listening to the playlist I've created for my current writing progress.

Up until this week I've had an informal playlist for my WIP, but I've heard a few songs recently that catapulted me into the novel and I knew it was time to put the REAL playlist together and get this baby rockin on the screen.

What about the playlist for my novel? That, my friends, will be posted in concert with the availability of ARCs. When I can share the book with readers, I'll share the music too!

But until then here's a key track from the playlist I'm buidling today:


What's even more neat-o? That girl looks like my protagonist.

I love reading about whether music works for other writers. Do you playlist?

The Good of a Book

Like every other person on the planet I recently viewed the latest installment of Harry Potter films (in IMAX, woot!)
J.K. Rowling's series has doubtless had an incredible impact on the literary and pop culture worlds, but last night I learned of another, and I think rather astonishing, effect.

I give you the Harry Potter Alliance.

This organization uses the ideas and values of the Harry Potter series, and specifically the courage of Dumbledore's Army, to encourage youth toward social activism. From their website:

"Did you ever wish that Harry Potter was real? Well it kind of is. After all, both our worlds face "dark and difficult times":

• Genocide, Poverty, AIDS, and Global Warming are ignored by our media and governments the way Voldemort's return is ignored by the Ministry and Daily Prophet.
• People are still discriminated against based on sexuality, race, class, religion, gender, ethnicity, and religion just as the Wizarding World continues to discriminate against Centaurs, Giants, House Elves, Half-Bloods, Muggle borns, Squibs, and Muggles
• Our governments continue to respond to terror by torturing prisoners (often without trial) just as Sirius Black was tortured by dementors with no trial
• A Muggle Mindset pervades over our culture-a mindset that values being "perfectly normal, thank you very much" over being interesting, original, loving, and creative

So Harry's world is not very different than ours. And just as in his world, Dumbledore will remain here as long as there are those that are loyal to him. As long as there are those that are aware that the weapon we have is love and that more than ever, it's time to use that weapon.

And so the HP Alliance is dedicated to bringing together Harry Potter fans from everywhere to spread love and fight the Dark Arts in the real world and we need your help!

Help us replace the Dark Arts with love. Help us build the real Dumbledore's Army. Help us create an Alliance in the name of Harry Potter."

How awesome is that!

I'd guess all readers of this blog would agree that books can do a world of good - but I usually think of it in terms of creating more readers and educating young minds. The Harry Potter Alliance takes the value of imagination and literary energy to an entirely new, and wonderful, level.

Plus, they have Wizard Rock Bands:

Sounds of the Seasons

Are there songs or albums you can only listen to at certain times of the year?

I'm not talking "Silver Bells" at Christmas or "Monster Mash" at Halloween here. The weather's gone all summer-like in Minneapolis and I'm suddenly itching for tunes that match the heat of the day. Why are certain sounds tied to seasons?

I always want to listen to Beck's Guero in the summer. And it feels wrong to listen to Bjork's Vespertine if there isn't at least frost on the ground.

I've written in the past about the diverse places from which my stories derive, but I've yet to mention the preeminence of music in my writing.

My books all have soundtracks - not just playlists, but actual soundtracks for the scenes that occurs. My characters also have what I'd dub "theme songs" that reflect their major traits and/or life situation.

One of the things I love most about music is the way a song can catapult me into a scene I've been writing or conjure up an entirely new scene or character.

Or sometimes, an entire book.

Like today, when I was driving home, windows down enjoying the gorgeous, sun-drenched afternoon when "Fresh Blood" from the Eels forthcoming album Hombre Lobo (June 2) came on the radio.

And I was immediately in the sequel to my novel. I've never heard this song before this afternoon and yet it encapsulates the spirit of the book and I was thrilled.

On a related note, sometimes I imagine how lovely it would be to have a book with a cover. Here are a couple dreamings of that ilk.

Music Lit Convergence

Happiness is learning that there will be a musical version of Coraline composed by none other than Stephen Merritt (Magnetic Fields). Sigh, smile, giggle....when wonderful worlds collide.