In SPRING HARVEST, my latest thriller, a group of friends travel to a remote farm town to attend a music festival only to discover the town has been overrun by vampires. Music isn’t just a backdrop in the book; it’s a vibrant, living character that embodies the chaotic beauty of the novel’s setting. The music festival the characters attend—called the Garlic Groove Food and Music Festival—mirrors the likes of well-known festivals like the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the Electric Daisy Carnival, and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. To further enhance the reader experience, I even incorporated fictional bands within the story that could rival any real-life headline act, and I also included a “Garlic Groove Playlist” at the very end of the book. Below are five of the songs I included in my book’s playlist along with my reasoning and thoughts as to why they fit so well within SPRING HARVEST.
I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor’s Version) — Taylor Swift
When Spring Harvest first opens, we’re thrust into a tense road trip to the Garlic Groove Festival, with main character Alix Summerlin and her sweet by bitter ex-boyfriend Logan navigating the fresh wounds of a breakup. Alix, unable to fully commit to Logan despite his otherwise being the “perfect” guy on paper, has broken up with him right before their road trip. While Logan drives their RV from Nevada to Oregon, he refuses to talk to Alix. Instead, in a passive aggressive—but absolutely harmless—fashion, he blasts Taylor Swift breakup songs in the car. Though I don’t mention what song in the pages, in my mind, Logan is absolutely playing I Knew You Were Trouble—a poignant tune that reflects his turmoil over Alix. The song, with its narrative of falling for the wrong person, mirrors Alix’s charm and the inevitable heartache that follows her trail of failed relationships. But it’s not just the perfect anthem for the opening, setting a tone of introspection and regret about an angsty relationship; the song also does a great job of serving as a hint of foreshadowing of the “real” trouble the characters are soon to face in Allium Valley.
People are Strange — The Doors
The film The Lost Boys has always been one of my favorite 80s horror movies and vampire stories. I try to re-watch it every fall and Halloween season. One thing I’ve always really enjoyed about the film is the beginning scenes when the characters first arrive at the fictional beach town of Santa Carla and the way the filmmakers create a truly unsettling sense of being an outsider in a new, eerie place. A lot of that emotion for the viewers is thanks to the soundtrack and, specifically, the use of the song People are Strange. When Alix and her friends first arrive in Allium Valley, a remote farm town in the middle of nowhere, they are also out of their element, much like the characters in The Lost Boys. And it’s not just a new setting that is strange; there are lots of little red flags that occur right away to raise hackles. A gas station attendant warning the characters not to go to Allium Valley. Festival goers looking for “missing” friends. A new character named Frog (yes, a fun little nod to those Frog Brothers) who tells Alix and her pals that something has been killing hikers in town. It's very clear very early on that something is strange about Allium Valley, so this song fits that vibe perfectly, enveloping its listeners in the same spooky, disconcerting atmosphere that the characters face. Its inclusion in the book’s playlist is also a tribute to the impact this classic horror film has had on my own writing and vampire lore, in general.
Murder on the Dancefloor — Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Murder on the Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a perfect song for a book about a music festival that turns into a killing field when vampires take over the town. As the vampires begin their attack on Allium Valley, what was once a vibrant celebration turns into a scene of horror. The song’s catchy, upbeat rhythm clashes eerily with the unfolding chaos in the story. The irony of dancing joyously as danger encroaches also adds a layer of macabre humor to the horror, reflecting the novel’s blend of genres. This song is both a literal and metaphorical backdrop to the mayhem, highlighting my love for dark humor and my penchant for marrying grim scenes with just a dash of comedy. This one truly encapsulates the tone of Spring Harvest and the essence of the Garlic Groove Festival’s transformation from a place of joy to one of terror.
The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance — Vampire Weekend
Incorporating The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance by Vampire Weekend was a deliberate choice to include a song by one of the coolest band names out there and also highlight music that echoes the indie spirit of the Garlic Groove Festival. Vampire Weekend is very well known on the indie band festival circuit—in fact they just played Coachella. But even more apropos than just the band itself is the specific song I choose. As the characters come to grips with the vampire threat, this particular tune serves as a grim reminder of their seemingly insurmountable struggles. These friends really don’t seem to “stand a chance” against the vampires of Allium Valley. Moreover, it was also fun to include this song as one of the characters in the book, Margie, sports a Vampire Weekend tee-shirt when she’s first introduced to readers.
Wonderwall — Oasis
The short answer to why I included “Wonderwall” by Oasis is simply that it’s one of my favorite songs of all time. But if you want a longer answer, I love that the lyrics really speak to an anthem of hope and salvation, themes deeply woven into the fabric of Spring Harvest. This song’s narrative about finding someone who saves you resonates profoundly with the multiple instances in the novel where characters are literally and figuratively saved by one another. It’s a testament to the enduring power of connection and the strength found in unity, which are central to the survival story unfolding in the book. As many different characters have moments of being a hero, Wonderwall underscores the idea that salvation often comes from where it’s least expected. The emotional depth of the song aligns perfectly with the novel’s exploration of deep friendships and the sacrifices made for love, making it an essential piece of one of the overall themes of Spring Harvest.
An Absolutely Addictive Supernatural Psychological Thriller
Coachella meets The Vampire Diaries in this absolutely addictive supernatural thriller where friends at a rural music festival must survive a vampire siege.
Beautiful, confident, and freshly single Alix Summerlin and her friends are ready for the ultimate party weekend at the Garlic Groove Music Festival in remote little farm town Allium Valley. Her biggest worries are what designer outfits to wear each night and managing the post-breakup tension with her sweet-but-brooding ex, Logan. But when festival-goers start vanishing, and Kade-a mysterious, handsome stranger-warns Alix to flee town, she begins to suspect something sinister is at work.
As the festival descends into chaos, Alix discovers the town's dark secret. Bloodthirsty vampires, emboldened by a garlic-less spring harvest, have taken over. With almost everyone dead or captured, it's up to Alix, along with Logan and Kade, to save Allium Valley. But Kade is also keeping secrets. Can Alix really trust him? The stakes have never been higher as Alix finds herself in a deadly game of survival with the world's fate on the line.
Suspense | Thriller Paranormal - Supernatural [Ic13 Books, On Sale: April 30, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780988256866 / ]
A Music Festival Turns into a Campground of Horrors in Ross's Latest Thriller
Rektok Ross is the pen name of Liani Kotcher, a trial attorney turned young adult author and book blogger. An avid reader since childhood, Liani writes exactly the kind of books she loves to escape into herself: exciting thrillers with strong female leads, swoonworthy love interests, and life-changing moments. She graduated from the University of Florida School of Journalism and obtained her juris doctorate at the University of Miami School of Law. Originally from South Florida, she currently splits her time between San Francisco and Los Angeles with her husband, stepkids, and her dogs.
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