Nothing gets me in the mood like the perfect song. The right tune can rev up
your road trip - cruising with your girlfriends is that much better when you're
belting out your favorite Britney Spears chart topper (don't judge, I'm a fan).
Music can set the scene for a romantic evening - we all know the right
soundtrack can literally put you over the edge. It can even make a meal that
much more delicious - a little Coldplay for your pizza or Pavarotti for your
pasta, anyone? When I was penning my erotic romance with a culinary twist, A TASTE OF
YOU, I found that music provided the inspiration I needed to hit the spot-on
emotional chord for a particular scene, to properly describe the tingles of a
first kiss, or to write the difficult dialogue I'd been putting off.
Here are a few of my favorite moments of musical inspiration:
1. "I Knew You Were Trouble" by Taylor Swift. When Cat meets William for the
second time, at the opening party for a hip new restaurant, Willowgrass, she's
undeniably attracted to him. But she doesn't think she's ready for a
relationship. She's also not sure she can handle the look in William's hungry
eyes - a look that promises complete devastation in the bedroom. William is
definitely trouble, but Cat can't keep away. Taylor Swift's catchy bad-boy
anthem was the ideal soundtrack for this scene since it aptly coveys the
push-and-pull Cat feels.
2. "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane. Every relationship has its ups-and-downs
and this Keane tune really sums up what Cat is feeling when she takes a day to
herself, packs up her dog, Laird, and heads out of Chicago for some me-time
along the North Shore. I heard this song playing as Cat snaps pictures of frozen
Lake Michigan and ponders her feelings for William.
3. "Halo" by Beyonce. Mrs. Carter knows how to pull on the heartstrings with
this ballad, and I needed a tear-jerker to get me through one of the most
powerful moments in the book. The scene where Cat finally says goodbye to her
past in Santa Cruz was one of the most difficult to write. Cat has been holding
on to her life in NoCal and it's been holding her back. The only way she will
truly be able to give her heart to William is if she looks her baggage in the
face - literally - and says goodbye. Of course, this isn't easy for her. Her
whole life was turned upside down just a few years ago and she's still reeling.
But, just like the hopeful tone in Queen Bey's song, there is a silver lining to
this moment: William.
Here is the full A TASTE OF
YOU Playlist for those who want to add it to their iPods.
1. Everybody's Changing Keane YouTube
2. I Knew You Were Trouble Taylor Swift YouTube
3. Night & Day Frank Sinatra YouTube
4. The Lady is a Tramp Frank Sinatra YouTube
5. Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever) Muse YouTube
6. Somewhere Only We Know Keane YouTube
7. All I Want is You U2 YouTube
8. Everybody Hurts REM YouTube
9. Cannonball Damien Rice YouTube
10. Halo Beyonce YouTube
11. Stay Rihanna YouTube
12. I Will Wait Mumford & Sons YouTube
13. Just the Way You Are Bruno Mars YouTube
14. By Your Side Sade YouTube
15. Into the Mystic The Swell Season YouTube
Sorcha Grace is an
adventurous eater, beach lover, and author of scorching contemporary erotic
romance. She is also the nom de plume of a nationally bestselling author who
publishes in another romance genre.
A TASTE OF YOU, the
first installment of the The Epicurean series, starts the romantic journey of
food photographer Catherine Kelly and billionaire gourmand William Lambourne
III. Available in e-book May 7, 2013.
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3 comments posted.
I love the way you took different songs, and incorporated them into passages of your book - the way a composer would write a symphony - in movements!! The choices of songs are interesting as well, and show the great amount of emotion not only the characters went through, but that you went through as well, in writing your book. I can't wait to read it!! I also love the cover!!
(Peggy Roberson 1:16pm May 11, 2013)
Sounds like you enjoy your music! I usually have a commercial radio station playing for music, news, weather and comment. If it goes to sports hour or something I might put on a disc instead.
(Clare O'Beara 9:26am May 12, 2013)