Okay, so, I’d planned out this whole countdown to Hard to Hold (because, hello, it’s out on Tuesday!) and I have all these posts that just need to be tweaked and I was so organized and then real life reared its head. My daughter’s got an infection in her back from the last surgery she had and it’s been 3 weeks now and we were okay and then we weren’t. So yeah, my mind is sort of all over the place right now.
But Larissa (who is truly the most awesome friend anyone could have – I’m so lucky that I’ve made her swear to never leave me) is holding a contest for Hard to Hold’s release – it ends Saturday, so read the rules and then go forth and post to win!
And thanks to all my writing and reader friends who’ve been posting that they’re excited about the release – I haven’t been able to get around and thank all of you, but really, THANK YOU!!!
In the meantime, here’s a post I wanted to do about soundtracks.
Songs can pull me into a moment faster than anything else. Creating soundtracks has always helped to focus me when I’m writing, especially because I’m usually working on more than one book at a time. 
Certain songs end up on many different soundtracks. For instance, It’s Been Awhile is Jake’s song, and so it shows up on both Nick and Chris’s soundtracks, since Jake is a big part of all the books.
Sometimes I’ll create mini-soundtracks – for instance, Clutch and Sarah, who are subplot characters have their own soundtrack.
The full soundtrack for HARD TO HOLD will be posted on release day. For now, I’ve picked a few of the songs from the HARD TO HOLD soundtrack to highlight here. All these songs can just stop me in my tracks. They’re powerful and they yank me directly back into this story anytime I listen to them. Sometimes, they have seemingly nothing to do with the characters at all, but something about them – the music…the voice…a certain turn of phrase and they forever become a character’s song for me.
I must’ve listened to the following four songs a million times and I’m still not sick of them.
It’s Been Awhile (Staind) – Jake’s song
And it’s been awhile
Since I could look at myself straight
And it’s been awhile since I said I’m sorry
And it’s been awhile since I’ve seen the way the candles light your face 
And it’s been awhile but I can still remember just the way you taste
Breathe 2AM (Anna Nalick) – Isabelle’s song
Cause you can’t jump the track, we’re like cars on a cable,
And life’s like an hourglass, glued to the table.
No one can find the rewind button, boys,
So cradle your head in your hands,
And breathe… just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe 
There’s a light at each end of this tunnel,
You shout ’cause you’re just as far in as you’ll ever be out
And these mistakes you’ve made, you’ll just make them again
If you only try turning around.
Up To The Mountain (Patti Griffin) – Jake / Isabelle together
Some days I look down
Afraid I will fall
And though the sun shines 
I see nothing at all
Then I hear your sweet voice, oh
Oh, come and then go, come and then go
Telling me softly
You love me so
Fast Car (Traci Chapman) – Clutch & Sarah
You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way 
I remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped ’round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
So, tell me, do you have any favorite songs that evoke favorite memories?
Do you have any songs that remind you of your favorite characters?
If you write, do you use a soundtrack?
Feel free to give me a few lines from your favorite song or songs!
I’m loving the covers, especially Hold on Tight, with the purple and pink, although I bet a SEAL would be rolling his eyes at the colors
LOL – that’s one of the reasons I had a problem with the pink…it took me a while to accept it and now it’s most people’s favorite cover.
My favorite cover is “Hard to Hold” because I love the cover purple and the pink goes with it.
It was originally a gray cover with white letters and then a purple cover with white letters…wait till you see the day glo pink in person – it really rocks, I have to say
I always find it strange that authors talk about music soundtracks and when they write because I seldom think of music and books together. I like to read in a quiet room and if I do decide to listen to music in the background it’s always something classical and piano driven. I do like that authors list the music that they listen to though because sometimes I’ll look up the song if it’s something I don’t know and find that I really like the music.
Maria, I can’t read and listen to music at all, so I know what you’re saying – my mind gets pulled to the songs. But with the writing, it’s kind of cool because it will force me back into the story and focus me…
How sad is it that I’ve only heard the Tracy Chapman song…?
I used to have more soundtracks to my writing than I do now. Not sure what changed, though. Maybe I need to get back to the whole soundtrack thing….
I love the Staind song – i think you would too…and yeah, the music forces me, kicking and screaming back to work…which is why I sometimes avoid it
So, tell me, do you have any favorite songs that evoke favorite memories?
Cyndi Lauper’s “Time after Time” always takes me back to my childhood. I would sit and listen to it and just get lost in a daydream….
Also, lately, I have been listening to the latest CD by Pink and every single song on there makes me want to cry (even the party ones) because it really does feel like she might have been living in my life for a bit.
Do you have any songs that remind you of your favorite characters?
Not really, for some reason when I read anything by Jaci Burton I can hear Nickelback playing in ny head but thats just me being weird, I think.
If you write, do you use a soundtrack?
YES!!!! I often put on Incubus and Alice in Chains when I write…
Time after Time is on Jake’s soundtrack as well! OMG – that song gives me chills, Kristin! And I think Pink is awesome – I love how she puts her life kind of out there in this last CD of hers.
I can totally see the Jaci / Nickelback connection
Oh, Man in the Box is on the current soundtrack – you and I would get along just fine in RL!
Congratulations! Your enthusiasm is quite contagious! Now, I’ve got music in my head! “We’ve Got Tonight” by Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton.
The HARD TO HOLD cover is definitely my favorite. Love that intense, gorgeous face!
Hey Virginia!
Oh, I totally love that song – and the one Kenny did with Dolly Parton too! Wow, great memories with both those songs…
And I have to agree – Hard to Hold is so my fav cover too…