dahliadewinters

Music Monday – Inspiration for Loving Among the Dead

As most authors do, I have a playlist of songs I work with when I’m writing. It’s the playlist I think embodies the story, the characters and the mood of a certain scene. I have all that set out before me, at my fingertips so I can access it at the press of a button.

However, there are those songs that occurs to you after the story’s done, edited and published. That song which pops up out of almost nowhere and declares itself an official sponsor of your story.

It continues to amaze me how much music can not only soothe the savage beast but also bare one’s soul.

Judith Graham holds her own in her zombie-proofed fortress that was once her childhood home. Through the foresight of her survivalist parents, she’s set for at least a year, but overwhelming loneliness and crushing boredom drives her out into the deserted, yet still dangerous streets of her neighborhood. She crosses paths with another traveler, Sky Beckett, who has decided to take the dangerous journey South to find out if his family is still alive in Tennessee.

A reluctant Jude allows him to stay at her home. Determined to remain a “Lonely Stranger” …..

When I walk, stay behind
Don’t get close to me
‘Cause it’s sure to end in tears
So just let me be
— Eric Clapton

she doesn’t want to get close to anyone because anything could happen, at anytime. Sky takes more of a moderate, if not almost optomistic view of post-apocalyptic life, wherein you keep trying until you can’t try anyone. He struggles to get her to see the facts as they stand and staying in her house is only going to get more dangerous, no matter what fortification she thinks she has.

He also sees that Jude is perhaps not as strong as she thinks she is.

Who’s gonna tell you when
It’s too late?
Who’s gonna tell you things
Aren’t so great?

You can’t go on
Thinkin’ nothing’s wrong,
Who’s gonna drive you home
Tonight?

****

Just by chance, those songs rolled up on my playlist (while I was cleaning no less) and I was struck at how apt they are and I had to share.

Thanks for reading!

1Love

Dahlia

Haven’t read Jude and Sky’s story? Check out “Loving Among the Dead” at the following outlets

All Romance E Books

Loose Id

What's your Favorite Bond Theme? Free For All Fridays

I was going over my Google Playlists and I found one that I created a long time ago with the James Bond themes. Back in the day, I would never miss Bond movies on the television. Being a woman of a certain age, my favorite Bond was Sean Connery, next George Lazenby (even though he only appeared in one Bond film) and I tolerated Roger Moore. By the time the franchise worked its way around to Timothy Dalton (yuk!) and Pierce Brosnan, I had lost interest. Thought my interest was somewhat revived with the new Bond, Daniel Craig, my heart still belonged to Sean.

Never mind the movies, though, what about the songs? The iconic songs that told you that a cool movie was about to start? Many of these songs were sung by the hot artists at the time and were almost always chart worthy.

For this blog post, let’s take a look at my top five favorite Bond themes, starting with number five. As always, I’ll add some tidbit of trivia!

Number 5

Die Another Day – Madonna

I can’t even tell you which Bond was in this movie, but the song is hot.

Number 4

Skyfall – Adele

Her dramatic rendition of this theme recalls the old days of Shirley Bassey. While I did not see the movie, Adele does a wonderful job with this song and it won the Oscar!

Number 3

For Your Eyes Only – Sheena Easton

Sheena is the only singer to appear in the opening credits of a Bond movie singing the theme song.

Number 2

Nobody Does it Better – Carly Simon

When it comes to Bond, we all know what the “it” is.

Number 1

Goldfinger – Shirley Bassey

Aww, you knew it. Of all the Bond themes, Dame Shirley Bassey does it the best. She has also recorded the most Bond themes.

From Wikipedia: Bassey did initially have issues with the climactic final note which necessitated her slipping behind a studio partition between takes to remove her brassiere. Bassey would recall of the final note: “I was holding it and holding it. I was looking at John [Barry] and I was going blue in the face and he’s going, hold it just one more second. When it finished, I nearly passed out.”

Bad for her, but good for us.

Beauty is Where You Find It

Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s a beautiful Tuesday here in New Jersey. The grass is growing and the birds are chirping. It’s a great day to sit outside on the porch, on the grass, or on your deck and simply enjoy this early June sunshiney weather.

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. – Kahlil Gibran

So I don’t really have too much to say today except that we should find beauty in the small things. We should find beauty and everyday occurrences. There is beauty in every aspect of our lives.

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. – Confucius

Free Banners

My contribution for Random Acts of Kindness is this:

For the first five authors that send your cover, your blurb and the name of your cover artist (I like to give credit) to dahliadewinters @ gmail.com

I will make you a banner (720 x 360) with your blurb and your cover for free.

I may edit your blurb if it is too long. I will respond right away and turn around time will be about a week.

Cover Songs More Famous than the Original

What is it about a song that captures your attention? Is it the melody? The bass line? Or is it the way the vocalist takes the lyrics and melody and makes it their own?

Here are some songs where someone other than the original vocalist/band took the song and made it their own. You might be surprised at some of them. I know I was.

“Blinded by the Light” – Manford Mann’s Earth Band

Original Artist – Bruce Springsteen

I’d heard Manford’s version many times before Springsteen’s and well, while Springteen’s has that certain “Bruce something”, eh, I prefer Mann’s version.

“I Love Rock and Roll” – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Original Artist – The Arrows

“Me and Bobby McGee” – Janis Joplin

Original Artist – Kris Kristofferson

“Blue Suede Shoes” – Elvis Presley

Original Artist – Carl Perkins

“I Heard it through the Grapevine” – Marvin Gaye

Original Artist – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

There are more, of course, Whitney Houston’s version of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” and Sinead O’Connor’s version of Prince’s “Nothing Compares to You”, plus numerous others. These are some that stood out to me.

Hope you enjoyed! Leave your favorite cover song in the comments and maybe I’ll feature it in a future post!