Inspirationators: What music means to me

As a musician, people expect me to know it all, be it all, have heard it all, and be able to identify it all. The truth is, I'm a listen-and-know-by-ear kinda girl. I've heard old rock songs, but I don't know them by heart and it's a rare thing indeed if I remember the band at all.

My husband tries to quiz me on this. "I'll give you a million dollars if you can name this band," he says, knowing I won't know. The sad thing is, it's usually someone easy like Red Hot Chili Peppers or the Beastie Boys. This is my memory, the way my mind works, and I've learned to accept it and overlook people's expectations.

Now ask me about Chopin and I can tell you about all the different types of pieces he wrote, who he fell in love with and why, how old he was when he died, etc. But play a 70-90's rock song and ask me who sang it and this is me--->

That being said, I can't live, can't breathe, can't go one DAY without music. It is in my blood to be affected by it.

If a song gives me goosebumps, I am a goner. I melt, I become entranced, I feel transported into a new world.

If a song has an awesome beat, I can't stand still. I'll make an absolute dork of myself and I couldn't care less. I have to move.

Music also sets my mood while writing. I do have my favorite songs, but they are mood setters. I realize this might be unusual. Most people who use music while writing, know their songs, know their favorite bands. As I said, I've accepted that I am a weird girl.

Even as I write this post, I had to go through my playlists to pick out my favorite songs. I can tell you where they are on the list, but not who sings them, LOL.

For Bitter Angel--if you know anything about this wild story--my mood setters were well-written gems like: Far East Movement's G6 and Wiz Khalifa's Black and Yellow. 

Timeless, right? HA! But they totally set the mood for the CUH-RAZY things that went down in that book, and for the heart-thumpin' base I needed to write the clubbing scenes. 

For other parts of the book, I used music from the Black Hawk Down soundtrack, because I could feel the intensity and emotion but there were no words to distract me from the action going down. 

For my next book, the mood is completely different. I need something softer, sadder, slower to set my mood. I'll leave you with this absolutely perfect musical teaser to give you a hint about what this story might be about. It's not a thriller, it is a romance, it is New Adult, and it will--hopefully--break your heart into pieces and put it back together again, of course ;) 

What are your musical inspirationators? Do you have a favorite band? Does a particular song give you such a strong feeling, you become entranced just by listening? 

Share with me!

HOLY GUACAMOLE, It's FRIDAY???

Where the frick frack do my weeks go? I have no stinkin' idea. This is going to be the laziest post ever, but I wanted to say that I'm gearing up for something fun starting next week. I'm going to do a series of-- *drum roll please*--

INSPIRATIONATORS 

Say WHA??? 

For the next two weeks or so, I'm going to post some things that have inspired me with writing and life. I'm hoping to make these super duper fun posts. I have been rather dry about the whole blogging thing. I've actually been having a lot of fun reaching out to other blogs, but have been rather lazy (possibly because all my creativity is going into this next novel) about my own posts. 

I'm trying to remedy that!   

So be on the lookout next week, because Megan is comin' atcha LIVE. 

(FYI I am on a veggie juice high this week, so please disregard the hyper/ridiculous/over-enthusiastic silliness of this post.)

   

NOW I’M A PUBLISHED AUTHOR…Oh, wait. Does pressing publish count?

Friends ask me, how does it feel to be a published author? But, you know, they ask if more like this – HOW DOES IT FEEL?!?!?!?!?!

Well, it feels pretty cool in that my book is finally on Amazon for the world to love, hate, pick apart. I followed the Divine guidance, checked off each step toward that really cool day, and when my book finally went LIVE, I…sat back and smiled.

There was no jumping, cheering, or leaping high fives. There were no booty shakes or late night celebratory martinis. There was just me, my computer screen, and my sister, the girl who cheered me on from day one. So, it was really special in that aspect.

Now that I’m HERE, I have no idea how I’ll do. I’m just gonna keep on keeping on and write, write, write. Because it’s what I love…And because the people in my head won’t stop TALKING. 

I'll leave you today with a little Jay and Lila teaser. So, Bitter Angel is listed as a Thriller, but she and her boyfriend, Jay, also have quite a few sweet moments. Here is one of them :)

It's FINALLY Here!!

Bitter Angel is LIVE! This is such an exciting day, and I want to thank all the people who backed me, supported me, lent me their shoulders to cry on. I appreciate all of you so so much.

So, without further ado...

                 Buy on Amazon
                 
                 Buy on B&N

Goodreads Summary

Torn between two realities.
A choice that will mean life or death.
But she won’t know anything… until she wakes up.

College sophomore, Lila Spencer lived Friday night twice. She doesn’t know how or why, just that she did. As if she split in half and went in two different directions.

Out clubbing with her friends, Heather and Nilah, the girls rock it out and party hard. What begins as an innocent night will lead to a deadly fight for their lives, and Lila might be their only chance for survival.

In bed with her boyfriend, Jay, Lila is safe and warm as she drifts to sleep in the arms of the man she loves. Until she is sucked into a horrifying nightmare of her friends' deaths.

As the sunlight warms her face on Saturday morning, the two scenarios collide. But there can be only one outcome. Will she wake up in her warm bed with Jay by her side, devastated and grieving for her friends? Or was she there to save them?

The answer is just the beginning.

Facebook Rant & Tiny Teaser

So the whole Facebook debacle...

I get that as an Indie author, I need to put myself out there. I love doing that. I love meeting new people, and creating fun and lasting friendships. But I admit this whole Facebook "likes" obsession is unraveling me. I'm not an in-your-face person, and waiting and waiting and waiting for Facebook likes to pile up gets tiring for me, lol.

So last night, at my measly 182 likes, I posted a teaser. I wasn't at any great number, quite pathetic compared to a lot of my author friends. And it wasn't a significant moment, but I just felt like it. I tend to have the attention span of a flea and the patience of a gnat so I posted it, and GUESS WHAT? I went from my measly 182 to 240 likes in the span of an evening.

WOW!

Which gets me wondering - with all the books that are floating around out there and the hundreds, more like thousands, coming out this year, I'm realizing there is more than one way to do things. Some authors put themselves out there right away, they get their likes, they build their fan base, and they sit back and revel in their success. While others are slower to warm. They write the books, put them out there, then build their fire a little slower with networking and chatting people up.

Get to your point, Megan!

Ahem, yes. My point is that I'm learning what is best for me. And what is best for me may not be best for someone else. The great thing about being Indie is I can do this my way. I have no idea what my success will be, whether big or small. That is in God's hands, and I trust Him completely. At the end of the day, I need to be happy with what I've done. And going full-throttle is just not my style.

On that note, if anyone wants to chat me up on Twitter or Facebook, please feel free! Me loves to chat :)

Now, here's the teaser that bumped my likeage.

P.S. Lila, my main character, is the one speaking, and I have changed the male character's names to keep the element of surprise when you read the novel. 


          Turner’s face twisted with anger and aggravation. A look that said he’d told me so. Brady found his footing again and tacked my feet to the floor while Turner pulled the zip tie so tight it cut into my wrists. I cried out in pain only to realize the horror wasn’t over. Turner had turned away, and I heard a soft click, then a needle glimmered in the glow of the streetlights.

Instantly going still, I swallowed a whimper and backed into the window so hard that I really thought my fingers might break. Liquid squirted from the needle.

“Hold her good,” Turner told him, quiet and resigned.

I couldn’t see Turner’s face as he emptied the needle into my arm. All I saw was Brady. His eyes were pumped with malicious desire as he watched me go unconscious. A greedy, evil spark that I could imagine must match a serial killer’s as they watch the life go out of their victim’s eyes. And the only thing I could think in those last few seconds before the drug towed me under was: how could I have missed that?

Whatcha think?

WHOA COVER LOVE

Without further Adoo (don't know how to spell the French version)

HERE'S MY COVER!!!

 

AGH!!! Can we say I'm excited?? 

Thanks, Allie Brennan for making THE coolest cover on the freaking planet! :)

OH, and I changed my banner out today too, so you no longer have to look at my toes every time you stop by. You're welcome.