Sidelined - The Soundtrack
Sidelined is probably the first book I’ve ever written that I didn’t have a soundtrack in mind for when I started. Possibly because a lot of the time, books I write come to me within the lyrics of a song!
Sidelined wasn’t that way for me. Sidelined was born because of the characters I’d already written, and even when I got to the end of the story, I still found it difficult to nail down a playlist. But then I heard this song:.
If you happen to read Sidelined, you’ll know exactly at which point to press “play” on this song, and why it so perfectly sums up the entire story. I challenge you to read the book, listen to the song, and not bawl your eyes out – I still can’t do it, and I know what’s coming! I actually think this song really sums up the whole of the Game On Series – because love is what it’s all about.
Thanks for having me over, Alex!
At the age of twenty-one, Bree Collinson has more than she ever dreamed of. A handsome husband, a fancy house, and more shoes than Carrie Bradshaw and Imelda Marcos combined. But having everything handed to her isn’t the way Bree wants to live the rest of her life. When an idea to better herself pops into her head, she doesn’t expect her husband to question her, and keep her tied by her apron strings to the kitchen...
Kyra is a self-confessed book-a-holic, and has been since she first learned to read. When she's not reading, you'll usually find her hanging out in coffee shops with her trusty laptop and/or her friends, or girling it up at the nearest shopping mall.
Kyra grew up on the South Coast of England and refuses to move away from the seaside which provides massive inspiration for her novels. Her debut novel, Game On (New Adult Contemporary Romance), was released in July 2012, and she scored her first Amazon Top 20 listing with her New Adult novella, If I Let You Go.
Thanks for all the critique partner offers! You guys are so generous. In addition to Rusty (who is not only the best, but the funniest critique partner on the planet) I am honored to have the awesome Lynda Young and Misha Gericke helping me!
Mark Noce just signed a contract with Rena Tossner of the Deborah Harris Literary Agency for his novel, Between Two Fires!
And there was a formatting issue with the dialogue in my story (which has since been fixed) so if you downloaded HEROES early, let me know and I’ll email you a PDF of the correct version of CassaFate.
Thanks to everyone who has voted for CassaStorm at the eFestival of Words Awards. I forgot to mention that you have to register with the site to vote first. Sorry for the confusion!
Traditional Publisher Definition
Thanks to everyone who got involved in the discussion last week. Most were familiar with the definition I’d posted from several different sources.
GB Miller, who has been on all three sides of the equation, said there was traditional, self-published indie, and subsidy.
Cynthia wins for funniest comment:
I strongly disagree with the assessment that you need to be with one of the big fives to be considered traditionally published. That's like saying that you must own one of the top five brands of cars to be considered a driver.
And of course, ultimately, do readers really care?
However, publishing industry guru Anne R. Allen read the post and comments and sent me another expert source to back up the definitions. In the interest of space, I will post that next Monday.
Songs of Summer Blogfest
Hosted by Armchair Squid, Suze, and Cygnus
On Friday July 11, post your top five favorite summer songs – and why.
I don’t tend to associate seasons with songs, in part because I can never remember when they were released. So instead, I’ve posted my favorite songs with Summer in the title. (And sorry, I could only think of four.)
Y&T – Summertime Girls
Cheesy 80’s metal, but what guy doesn’t appreciate the video?
Type O Negative – Summer Breeze
If Seals and Croft were dead, this remake would cause them to roll over in their graves.
Joe Satriani – Summer Song
Classic instrumental from the Satch Man!
King’s X – Summerland
Another great song from a talented band.
Picking up Kyra’s new book or any of the others? Do you have great critique partners? Picked up PHENOMENA? And what are your favorite songs of summer…?
Number 1... long time?
ReplyDeleteFor some reason none of the youtube clips will play tonight - Server not found or some other irritating malarky.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to each and every one of this post's featured authors. This reader loves you all.
Great group of things in your post, I need to get on Samantha for a few back musical items. I am one of the judges to "IMAGINE" that is happening right not. I just got word that Howlin' Wolf is releasing two scores on Tuesday one is classic "first time" on cd and the other a modern day flick... my promotions are starting soon.
ReplyDeleteOver the weekend, wife has been sick so not a lot happening... we watched an advance of "Sabotage"... pass it.
Songs of summer, for me... Cheap Trick... Live at Budokan
Thanks for featuring me today, Alex!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful song for Sidelined.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Kyra!
She sounds wonderful.
I look forward to reading her book because of you!
Dear Alex,
I hope you had a great holiday weekend!
best wishes!
jean :)
Kings X....nice.
ReplyDeletevery pretty song upfront to go with sidelined...the little blurb on the book sounds cool as well, may have to check that one out...
and def a funny and i believe true comment on being published by the big five...smiles.
I hope Kyra has a lot of success! Love your picks for summer songs. Makes me wanna get up and dance. I wish I had more critique partners. THanks for stopping by my blog, Alex. I hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteGlad you found awesome critique partners. And it sounds like we're pretty much in agreement on the traditional publishing.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to everyone with news!
ReplyDeleteI don't just have summer songs, but summer albums, like anything by the B-52s and Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
As always, lots of good info coming from this site and it's great seeing new offerings from different authors.
ReplyDeleteAs for summertime songs, one of my favorites is "Boys of Summer" by Don Henley...it always reminds me of some great summers in Kentucky.
It's nice to meet Kyra! Thanks for the intro, Alex. Congrats too, to everyone on their good news. Happy Monday!
ReplyDeleteAlex, thanks for the introduction to Kyra and her work. Kyra, if the soundtrack is any indication, your book is awesome. Wishing you much success. Congrats to all those who have books out this week. Enjoyed your pick of summer songs, Alex. Hope you have a great week.
ReplyDeleteGood to see Kyra here today :-) And I love the summer songs!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Kyra!
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at Summertime Girls. I'd forgotten the cheesy guy wear - nylon short-shorts and midriff tops...and, of course, the ubiquitous poof hair. Killed the video on Summer Breeze after the first few seconds. :P The old Seals and Crofts version is corny now but nostalgic enough to not sully into what sounded like the track for a horror movie! :)
First Jeremy! You were up early this morning. And cool you're a judge. Sorry your wife was sick this weekend.
ReplyDeleteSorry the videos wouldn't play, Elephant.
Kyra, you're welcome!
Brian, I thought she nailed it with that funny comment.
River, their attire is awful, isn't it? And warned you on the Summer Breeze video.
Thanks, guys!
I was here, will have to return to check out those clips.
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of Kyra's book but I am presently plowing through the biggest book I have ever read, Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. That sucker is heavy.
I'm picking up Cate's book. Right now I have Sheryl Crow's Soak Up the Sun on my iPod.
ReplyDeleteI drive a Ford so I guess I'm a 'real' driver.
Aw thanks for the shout-out, Alex. You rock!
ReplyDeleteI love Springsteen's Sandy - it brings back a lot of beach and boardwalk memories.
I'm glad you found your perfect song.
ReplyDeleteI agree w/Kyra, the seaside would be such a great place to live, and if you got me there, it'd sure be hard moving me out.
I like Joe Satriani. :)
Congrats to Kyra.
ReplyDeleteI've taught my pub & promo seminars for over 6 years, and GB's assessment is accurate. Those are the three ways to publish.
Kyra - congratulations on Sidelined. I'm totally with you on my stories having a soundtrack. So far, nearly all of them have been inspired by songs and/or had their own playlist by the end of the writing process. I guess it's because I listen to so much music!
ReplyDeleteAlex - I missed your post week (slapping my wrist), but the idea that you're only a published author if one of the big five has published you is both insulting and infuriating. And as you say, does the reader really care?
I love hearing how authors use music for inspiration and motivation. Very interesting connections between those things.
ReplyDeleteAm sure Anne came up with some great sources!
If the book is as beautiful as the song Ellie Goulding is a great work!
ReplyDeleteNice song to go with sidelined indeed. If i go with songs with summer in them, summertime blues is the only one that pops in.
ReplyDeleteMeh, my critique partner's an okay guy, I guess... :)
ReplyDeleteSongs are definitely integral for our books. We recently got the permission of a moderately popular band to post a quote from one of their songs as the opener of our next book, since the book was written while almost entirely listening to their new album. It's just awesome that after reading the manuscript they see the same vision we do.
The whole music and writing connection never really hit me until just a couple of months ago when I heard a song that was practically the heartbeat of my novel. Never had that happen before.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll have my five summer songs up later this week. It was kind of hard to come up with five!
Susan, funny!
ReplyDeleteCate, you're welcome.
Rosey, Satriani rocks.
Ellie, my latest was inspired by a song. And agree with you there.
Elizabeth, she did!
Karen, then don't listen to Type O Negative's version - it will give you nightmares.
Bryan and Brandon, that is really awesome!!
LG, I couldn't think of five...
The Doobie Brothers always make me think of summer for some reason! :)
ReplyDeleteKyra, I always have a great soundtrack in mind, so it's cool you have one for your books. Maybe you can release a digital album! Alex, thanks for the link to Nigel's book and congrats on getting PHENOMENA signed! Cynthia definitely wins.
ReplyDeletecongrats to Kyra!! oh and The Adventures of Couch Potato looks SO cute.
ReplyDeleteBig congrats to Kyra. And I always have to have my music blasting in my ears and in my mind when I'm writing. Just how I roll.
ReplyDeleteGreat choices of songs Alex. Brought me back to the old days with the Summertime Girls.
I think it's so cool that people do soundtracks for their books. I haven't ever tried that. There are songs that take me back to a time when I was writing a specific manuscript. Glad you found some critique partners!
ReplyDeleteI also don't really associate songs with a particular season, though there are some albums I like to have in my car during Summer because of their crank it up loud nature. Who's Next and Live at Leeds are my big summertime albums to play in the car, even though I bought WN on Halloween and LAL on my 21st birthday in December.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, readers don't care about the definition of traditionally published or not. I recently got a review in which it was obvious that a reader did not distinguish between my publishing "level" and George R.R. Martin's "publishing level" (Even though I see a huge difference as far as resources go).
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Kyra!
Oh yeah I have awesome CPs. :-)
ReplyDeleteLove Ellie Golding's music. She's a regular on my playlists.
Music never really enters my mind while writing. Once in a while a certain scene will become connected to a song, but that's fairly rare.
ReplyDeleteI had never thought of a soundtrack to a book but it makes sense now!
ReplyDeleteYay for Kyra! I love her books. Lots of music going around today. I always think of 1960s music around the summer like the Beach Boys. Just fun stuff. Have a great week! :)
ReplyDeleteThe lyrics were beautiful. Glad you found the song you needed.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to you on your crit help and for Kyras succession her novella.
Maurice, you're welcome!
ReplyDeleteJaybird, that's how I also roll.
Michael, what did the review say?
Misha, hopefully more than just me!!
Congrats to Kyra! My books never have a sound track, though each character does have a favorite song.
ReplyDeleteAnd there are songs like make me think of summer. The most memorable was England Dan and John Ford Coley's "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight". Saw them on vacation with my sisters. I was just a kid and it was my first "concert".
Type O Negative...!
ReplyDeleteKyra's book cover is awesome and it sounds amazing, though, reading a book that makes me cry my eyes out isn't my usual read. I read The Fault in Our Stars, and couldn't handle it, too realistic.
ReplyDeleteI prefer quiet when writing but I'm all for a happy summer tune while driving!
ReplyDeleteYay for Kyra!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWith Lynda and Misha as critique partners you are in safe hands, Alex. I prefer to write when its quiet, music distracts me.
ReplyDeleteVery, very happy for Mark. I remember telling him after I read the first chapter of Between Two Fires that this book will get him an agent. And when I read the entire book I was sure of it :)
I'll have to check out my TBR and make sure I have Kyra's novel on it already. If not, I'll have to rectify that quickly :-)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Cate for her Godess release and to Mark for attaining and agent. WOOT!
I do love the idea of a soundtrack in mind when writing a book, although I always end up wanting to add too many songs:)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Kyra! And I love the idea of a soundtrack while writing.
ReplyDeleteInterested to read what Anne had to say about the publishing discussion next week.
Jean Baldridge Yates – Aww, thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteBrian Miller – Pleased to hear you like the sound of Sidelined!
Clarissa Draper – Thank you!
Karen Lange – Nice to meet you too!
Mason Canyon – Thanks!
Annalisa Crawford – *waves*
River Fairchild – Thank you!
Jo – LOL, I recently read a monster of a book too, but it was totally worth it!
Mail4rosey – I truly do love the seaside!
L. Diane Wolfe – Thank you!
Ellie Garrett – I’m the same! I have so much music, it’s usually pretty easy for me to find music that fits the theme of a book. :D
Leovi – I really hope it is!
Pat Hatt – Thanks!
A Beer For The Shower – That’s awesome!
L.G Smith – It’s an amazing feeling!
Maurice Mitchell – I would love to do that!
Beth Ellyn Summer – Thanks!
Jaybird – Thank you!
Stephanie Faris – It’s so much fun to do, and really helps to connect you to your characters even more. :D
Michael Offutt – Thanks!
Mischa Gericke – I wasn’t much of a fan until I heard this song!
Francis Lee – LOL, you should try it!
Christine Rains – Thanks, right back at ya!
Cleemckenzie – Thanks!
Elizabeth Seckman – Thank you!
Cathrina Constantine – Aww, I don’t like books that make me cry either – hopefully Sidelined won’t make you too sad!
Suzanne Furness – Thank you!
Ohhhh… I need to go back and read the traditional publishing comments. I find that fascinating!
ReplyDeleteAnd so great for Kyra. And for YOU, Alex, for highlighting her.
And I'd die without my crit buddies. Okay, maybe that's a little extreme, but I learn so much every time I put myself out there and get feedback. I always try to align myself with people better than me so I can grow. :)
Rachna, that's cool you are one of Mark's critique partners.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Kyra! Sounds like she's written a great story with a fabulous theme song! Glad you found some new critique partners, Alex! Summer Breeze will never be the same again! Congrats to all of the authors!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Yay, Kyra! Her book is already on my TBR list. And congrats on finding great CPs. I'm always amazed by mine and would never give them up (as long as they put up with me). My summer songs are being orchestrated by Katydids - *sigh* they're missing a nice, heavy beat though.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your new CP's. My summer songs are usually of winter to counter-balance the Purgatory heat of S.W. Louisiana!
ReplyDeleteKyra, may your sales be the highest! :-)
Congrats Kyra!! I have songs for my books too :) It makes the book that much more awesome.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for Kyra! And I love the summer songs!
ReplyDeleteI have a disconnect between books and playlists. Just doesn't work in my head.
ReplyDeleteGood critique partners are wonderful. Happy you found some. Mine are great too.
ReplyDeleteSo many great sounding books. One day I'll catch up with my stack to review and can read some of these.
I love the song, How Long Will I Love You! So glad it's perfect for your book!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your book, Kyra. Nice song and great to have a song that goes with your book.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alex, for sharing your picks of "summer" songs!
Mary Montague Sikes
YAY for Kyra! Love her work!
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex. I missed you. Excuse my absence; it's nice to be back.
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful song linked to Kyra's Sidelined. I'm thinking of Summer Time by Ella Fitzergerald. That one's amazing.
Be well.
Good for you for finding crit partners! Be sure to hang on to them. They can be slippery :)
ReplyDeleteKyra, great takeover of Alex's blog. Much success to you.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I can still play Summer Breeze on the strings. I like old songs better than new.
I have no critique partners. Wish I did.
I did pick up a couple of new books, but have forgotten the titles. One is a MG book.
Critique partners are an essential part of the process for me. I'm sure yours will be invaluable.
ReplyDeletemood
Satch and Y&T, 2 Bay Area legends I grew up with & saw on stage many times!
ReplyDeleteMorgan, that's what I've done with those three partners.
ReplyDeleteJulie, ruined that song for you, didn't I?
T, that's funny!
Roland, I can only imagine your heat...
Robyn, glad you're back!
Teresa, that's cool.
Alex, thanks for the shout out.
ReplyDeleteI only have two favorite summertime songs.
Billy Stewart "Summertime".
And The Hooters fantastic cover of "The Boys of Summer". Blows the original away to smithereenies.
Father Nature's Corner
I've had such a crazy day, I don't have enough brainpower left to answer your questions. I liked Kyra's post! And congrats to everyone with new books!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading Anne Allen's comments next week.
Thank you for participating in the Songs of Summer blog fest, Alex! I'm surprised 'Summer in the City' didn't come to mind. ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd congratulations to Kyra!
Wishing every success for Kyra. Her song is great. Not easy to get good critique persons but you did it. Keep at it Alex!
ReplyDeleteHank
Congrats to Kyra and to Mark.
ReplyDeleteYay for awesome crit partners ;)
Best wishes to Kyra and all the others with new book releases.
ReplyDeleteJust off the top of my head, I'd pick Beach Boy songs for the summer songs because I saw them in concert many years ago.
GB, you're welcome. And I've never heard their cover of that song.
ReplyDeleteSuze, not exactly my style of music...
Lynda, that's you!
Songs of summer? I guess I can only think of "The Boys of Summer". Or... Is that the title? That's what I get for not paying attention.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your songs. That Summer Breeze cover is certainly very different from the original.
ReplyDeleteThanks, too, for participating and for passing the word along. Much obliged.
A lot of great bands have done summer songs. And thanks for the mention! Pressure is on now to be funny.
ReplyDeleteLove the songs you chose. I am a big cheesy hair metal fan, so that first clip was amusing.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love Type O Negative, so any choice of a song by them wins points. I think their music caused a lot of people to roll over in their graves, as it is. ;) But they were so classic.
Hadn't heard the others but they sound great! I'm gonna post for this on Friday.
"more shoes than Carrie Bradshaw " -- LOL!
ReplyDeleteAs for the publishing quote... no, you don't need one of the most well-known cars to be considered a driver. But it certainly helps to have a well-known top-selling brand when getting repair parts! I can walk into Autozone tomorrow and get most everything for my Chevy. I can walk into Barnes and Nobel and get plenty of books from the "big five." It doesn't speak to the value of the books (just like my Chevy is not as valuable as a 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe), but they certainly are available. I imagine it makes marketing a smidgen easier when the product is easy to find.
I had two good critique partners, but they both have run off with new lives. I suppose I'll hunt for new ones in a few months.
Song of summer - Aerosmith Girls of Summer
Kyra, your book looks sweet and good, so I'll check it out. And since I listened to the song, no doubt I'll cry in the right place. Interesting that you always hear a soundtrack when you write, and maybe I should try that since it sounds like an original way to be inspired.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great summer songs, Alex. Of course since I'm older than you my idea of summer songs means the Beach Boy ones I heard when I was a little kid.
Cannot listen from where I am. Neat that you think of music that way. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your top summer songs and a big congratulations to all the authors with new releases!
ReplyDeleteGlad that you found the song to match you new work!
Hi Alex - Kyra's selected sound track was beautiful .. while the descriptive blurb certainly makes me wonder what happens - picked the Kindle up - so I shall see. Love Ellie Goulding though ..
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the two critique partners ...
Looking forward to reading Anne R Allen's notes on publishing definitions ...
Cheers Hilary
I like that comment about the publishers. lol It reminds me of people who only listen to one type of music and consider themselves music lovers. Not possible!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite Summer songs is Vanessa Carlton's San Francisco.
Hahaha. Fun summer videos you have there. Love the big hair in the first one.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you found some great critique partners!
Just accepted invite to a new CQ (2nd time asked...they must be desperate!) and it's been a couple of years since I've been in one.
ReplyDeleteBest summer music: Paul Hayward. Bumped into him playing at Pier 39 in SFO. Many Colors has great tunes.
I have a critique group which rocks.
ReplyDeleteSongs of summer- well truth be told I like the songs a person can dance to- usually hip hoppy...Pink is my favorite artist.
And let me tell you pen name or not- Summer is always weird to see people talk about since it's my real name. LOL
Misha is an excellent critique partner, so you are in good hands. I can't wait to see what your source has to say about traditional publishing. I do think that people don't care anymore, especially those with e-readers. One of my favorite summer songs is Summertime by Kenny Chesney. It's country, but really sums up summer so well.
ReplyDeleteSadly, it's winter here. It's stormy and a pretty cold night, so all of your summer songs sound good to me.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Kyra! Great guest post!
ReplyDeleteAnd favorite songs of summer . . . for some reason that one Cars song just popped into my head. :)
Kyra, I'm often inspired by songs, too. And I can always find songs to fit my stories as I'm writing them.
ReplyDeleteI definitely plan on getting a copy of Sidelined. :)
After I make it through editing and revisions I am going to need CPs. Aside from shouting out on my blog, I have no idea where to find them. Maybe the IWSG page? Or, when the time comes, you could post a shout out??? Let me know...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the plug!
ReplyDeleteI've never written to music, too distracting. I also never thought of a soundtrack for my books, although I can see how that can be useful
Liz, that is the title!
ReplyDeleteSquid, thanks for hosting.
Rusty, I'm sure you will succeed!
Trisha, you rock!!
Lenni, true, it does help.
Debra, very true.
Decadent, I can only imagine!
Robin, be happy to shout out for you. And doing one on your blog the day of the IWSG post would be perfect.
Nigel, you're welcome!
Congrats Kyra!
ReplyDeleteAnd I have a long line of books to critique and am having to say no more and more. I wish I could read for everyone!
Hey Alex!
ReplyDeleteGood to see the lovely Kyra featured on your thoughtfully interactive site, my illustrious friend. All the best, Kyra. Ellie Goulding is great music.
Not another blogfest! I'm quite liking the "summer" feel of what is being called "electronic dance music." My favourite song of summer would probably be as of this moment, "Summer", by Calvin Harris.
Thanks for all the links.
Gary
My summer song post won't go up until Friday, but I can't believe I forgot Satriani's song when ocmposing my list...
ReplyDeleteLarry
Congrats to Kyra on the release of her new book! Great Ellie Goulding song, which most of the are. For me, Sublime's 40oz to Freedom album feels like perfect barbequing summer music. Good friends, good beer, good music.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Kyra. It's always fun to hear about the new books being published. Thanks for clarifying about the eFestival, Alex ~ vote cast! I think my favorite summer song performance of all time was Fantasia singing "Summertime" on American Idol. Even better than Janis Joplin! Have a good one!
ReplyDeleteI'm not even listening to the remake of Summer Breeze. I loved that song and will not have it decimated. Favorite song for the summer... Coldplays 'A Sky full of Stars' maybe? It's the only new one I really like I guess.
ReplyDeleteAlways good catching up on what everyone's doing when I stop by!
Oh yes, some songs scream of belonging to one season or another. (at least to me.) Heatwave's 'Always and Forever' definitely winter. 'My Girl' by the Temptations is spring. But Sugar Sugar by the Archies owns summer. And that just proves how old I am, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you found such fantastic critique partners, Alex. Go You! I have a funny CP too. It really eases the pain when his corrections come back. haha
ReplyDeleteSo glad you found more critique partners. I love mine and I'd be lost without them. Hope you are having a great summer!
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty song by Ellie. I have Kyra's book.
ReplyDeleteI somehow missed Y&T. This is my first time hearing this.
Best of luck to Kyra with her book! And I wish I wasn't at work--I generally like your music choices, Alex, but I am stuck where I can't play them! DRAT!
ReplyDeleteKyra I like the blurb!
ReplyDeleteAlex, I missed that post. I'm going to have to backtrack your post to find it. :p
Looks like I didn't have to go far! LOL
ReplyDeleteWahoo for Kyra! My sounds system is temporarily disable between moves...and it's killing me. My summer listening consists of what I access on my TV, and what I'm singing in my head. It's so tough having your life in storage.
ReplyDeleteI like how Kyra's segment begins with music and you then end with your choices for the Songs of Summer.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing that one on Friday, but we didn't have any overlap. I actually thought of the Satch song, but kind of went a different direction with what I'll post (and I haven't read through all the comments, but did anyone else notice you only picked four songs for your "five songs of summer"?).
Parting thoughts on the whole publishing discussion -- "publishing" simply means the delivery system that gets stories shared among those who enjoy them. Looking at it from the widest perspective, for most of human existence "traditional publishing" meant sitting around the fire and sharing stories by word of mouth.
Ah, that Ellie Goulding song is lovely! As is 80s metal when it hits the beach (is that one guy wearing a Hooters outfit?). Am late to the party on the traditional publishing debate but look forward to your post sharing Anne's insights. In the meantime, I'm with Cynthia--I wouldn't limit the definition to the big fives--and you--readers ultimately don't seem to care.
ReplyDeleteAs always, so much going on.
ReplyDeleteIf you were my age, you would have included Hot Fun in the Summertime by Sly and the Family Stone.
Congrats to Kyra!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love Cynthia's comment. That's so true!
So glad you're only posting once a week, because it's taking me about that long to get around.
ReplyDeleteMusic is a big part of just about everything I do. Got a kick out of your 'Summer songs' that rendition of 'Summer Breeze' was...ah...er...different. It would make a good BOTB match-up.
"And of course, ultimately, do readers really care?"
ReplyDeleteSpot on.
I say, put a good product out there and let the readers be the gatekeepers.
I have AWESOME critique partners. :)
Gary - electronic dance music? I never would've guessed!
ReplyDeleteLarry, still time to include it.
Danette, you'd be scarred forever if you listened...
Elsie, hard to feel negative when you're laughing.
Hart, you'll have to come back.
Holly, it was the one right before this - not far at all.
Chris, look forward to your choices! And yeah, I could only think of four...
Rumer, they don't care.
Faraway, I predict that version would lose...
Congratulations, everyone!!! Love all of the fun summer stuff :)
ReplyDeleteYes, Summertime Girls is a great song for the summer and forever!
ReplyDeletePop the champagne for Kyra!!
ReplyDeleteHow did you manage to make a list of all songs I've never heard of?? One's even an 80s tune!
Woo hoo for Kyra! Great theme song.
ReplyDeleteSummer makes me think of lakes, beer, and movies more than anything else.
Hope the writing is going well, Alex.
The video made me smile the song made me cry..I wonder where the
ReplyDeletebook will take me.
Favorite summer song..too many to choose from..depends on the mood.
Wow you're so right about Summer Breeze--that's a wild version of that song. I used to live by the ocean and I find that the inland areas have more sunshine. The marine layer is too gloomy for me. Kyra could get used to it. :) I used to like Boys of Summer by Don Henley.
ReplyDeleteI am so cute sometimes. Had to look up betareader online. Another word for crit-partner. who knew! Congratulations to Kyra!!!
ReplyDeleteWishing Kyra the best of luck! I just read about Sidelined on another blog today. Glad she is getting the word out there. :)
ReplyDeleteAlways fun to listen to some good tunes!
Summer Wind by Sinatra is another one with summer in the title that I thought of while listening to the music and reading the titles here.
~Jess
I don't have a favorite song of summer, but I understand about having playlists for writing. Every book I write has a CD that goes with it, and a song I play beforehand to get myself mentally ready to write.
ReplyDeleteThe downside is when I hear those songs and I'm not writing, I think, "Why am I not writing right now?" O_o
1. Whew! Sounds like I missed quite the discussion last week. I think any publisher that acquires your work through a submission process—and does not require you to pay anything—is traditional. The experience just varies depending on the size and reputation of said publisher.
ReplyDelete2. I already voted for you, but I didn't get a chance to say congratulations yet! :)
Very nice song for the book Sidelined. When I hear Summertime and Song I can't help thinking of the songs of the Beach Boys. Reality however is more like a Jimmy Buffet song that has me searching for my lost shaker of salt. :)
ReplyDeleteNicki, you need to fix that!
ReplyDeleteMason, start writing!
Carrie, thanks, and that's how I see it.
Congrats to Kyra :)
ReplyDeleteThe 2 songs that comes to mind is Boys of Summer by Don Henley and Higher Love by Steve Winwood. I still love those songs.
I love Boys of Summer too, like mshatch!
ReplyDeleteIt is my first choice!
Thanks, Alex!
jean
Summertime Girls. WOW. That one brings me back to Middle School in a seriously good way. Great choice!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that Kyra mentions the book soundtracks, because every story I write has its own music as well. Finding that perfect 'soundtrack' can be so inspiring and brings me right into the mood of the story. Couldn't do without.
ReplyDeleteOh congrats to Nigel! I've seen that before, but I didn't realize it was his!! I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're enjoying your summer Alex!!!
Like you I don't usually associate songs with a season (other than Christmas songs). I'll try to put my list up before the event, but I'm not going to add my link to the list unless I've actually come up with a post.
ReplyDeleteLee
; A Faraway View
SL, happy to take you back a few years!
ReplyDeleteVanessa, certain music fits with what I write and I need it as well.
MsMariah, I am!
Lee, good idea.
Kyra's book sounds intriguing! I don't think of music with seasons, except the Beach Boys for summer.I'm glad to hear you found good critique partners!
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that? Congrats Kyra.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a selection of songs, Alex. That first one really made me laugh.
I think I hurt something seeing that Y & T video. What a hoot! And, agreed, that remake of Summer Breeze was...something...different!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Veronica
http://vsreads.com
Interesting playlist story from Kyra. Wishing her "Sidelined" much success.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Cate, Nigel, and Mark!!
I'm looking forward to Anne's definition of trad-pubbed.
Glad to hear you found some good critique partners.
ReplyDeleteSidlined sounds good.
I like your list of summer songs. I'd never heard of Summer Breeze or Summer song.
Nice post, Alex. As usual. I'm bummed I missed the publishing post last week. It sounds like you had a great discussion going on.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to those with new releases.
Hope you have an awesome weekend, Alex. You rock!
Ha ha! Good answer from Cynthia for the publishing debate ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo cool to get a signed-by-the-composer copy of PHENOMENA!
I love that song, Kyra! Now I'm even more intrigued by Sidelined :)
ReplyDeleteLaughing at Cynthia's comment! Too right, she is!
"If Seals and Croft were dead, this remake would cause them to roll over in their graves." That made me laugh! Your summer music mix is definitely the most literal I have come across. :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new critique partners. An extremely valuable resource to any writer. May it be a great relationship for you all!
ReplyDeleteOne of the cool side effects of this summertime song bloghop is how much music I'm getting to hear for the first time. I especially like that Joe Satriani song.
ReplyDeleteAs always, lots of information to be found here. Thanks. You da man.
I had forgotten how cheesy 80s songs and videos could be. Thanks for reminding me. I think. : )
ReplyDeleteGreat list of summer songs, Alex. Thanks for participating in the blog hop.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that I know that Joe Satriani song from somewhere -- maybe a TV show theme song? Wikipedia didn't help me figure it out...
The Summer Songs bloghop has been so fun to read in my travels around the blogosphere. I've also seen Kyra everywhere, so congrats to her for a great blog tour!
ReplyDeleteI thought of a few more Summer songs!
ReplyDeleteCruel Summer by the Bananarama
Summertime by My Chemical Romance
Summertime Sadness was popular last year but not sure who sings it.
Someone mentioned Boys of Summer and I love that song. Reminds me of high school.
congrats to Kyra on her new release! I enjoyed her novel Game On.
ReplyDeleteDonna, cheesy, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteLexa, come back Monday.
RaShelle, you rock!
Stephanie, glad I made you laugh.
Susan, the Satchman rocks!
Cygnus, thanks for hosting, and it's one of his most popular tunes.
My laptop's running so slow by the time this box came up I had forgotten all your song choices!! But this is a fun blog hop even with poorly machines :-)
ReplyDeleteYes Alex, I'm glad you use my photo on my post from Monday. Thank you very much!
ReplyDeleteI love that song :).
ReplyDeleteKokomo or the Pina Colada song would come to me as a summer song
ReplyDeleteLisa, that made me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteLeovi, thank you! Will feature it tomorrow.
Couch Potato looks like a good one -- I always enjoy unlikely hero tales. Traditional publishing doesn't refer to Big 5. That's a sporting goods franchise.
ReplyDeleteI just listened to "How Long Will I Love You" and got chills. If that's the song that sums up Kyra's book, she's got a winner on her hands. Big congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI have the BEST critique partners. Really, anyone who's willing to take the time out to offer constructive feedback--how can you NOT love them?
ReplyDeleteSummer song I love? July Flame:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLilpPtY2JU&feature=kp
I'm so honored that I was mentioned for posting the "funniest comment!"
ReplyDeleteCynthia's comment was pretty funny, for sure!
ReplyDeleteYay for your new critique partners, Alex! Woot!
I'm so excited for Kyra! Go Sidelined!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of choosing songs with summer in the title. I should make a mix tape for my niece since that's her name!
ReplyDelete