The Last Time

Z is for THE LAST TIME by Taylor Swift and Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol). This is the last time I'm posting for April. This is the last time I'm sharing my writing music. This is the last time I'm signing up for this challenge...at least until next year when I forget how hard it is and sign up again anyway. Haha. Hope you survived the month!

This is the last time I'm asking you this.

You Say

Y is for YOU SAY by George Morgan. Sometimes you find a song that is just perfect for a certain character, scene, or book that it's kind of freaky. This is one of those songs for me. It's eerily perfect on many levels for a certain book of mine. Does this ever happen to you?

You say you got me but you don't.

9 Crimes

X is for 9 Crimes by Damien Rice. Yes, another number cheat. Also, this video might win the award for strangest music video in the world. Ever. But it's a great, heart-breaking song that conjures All The Feels when I need to hone it in my writing.

Is that all right with you?

White Picket Castle

W is for WHITE PICKET CASTLE by Theo Katzman. This is one of my current favorites. It's mellow enough to write to, yet I still can't resist shaking my groove thing whenever it's on. Also, he is just plain adorable in this video with his nerdy jammin'. I love it.

White picket castles were built to fall down.

Vox

V is for VOX by Sarah McLachlan. Nothing warms my heart quite like Sarah McLachlan of the 80's. Her songs back then were my main source of acoustic guitar sing-alongs at home. (Yes, I played guitar back in the day). This song in particular was my ringtone for a while so every time I hear it now I panic and look for my phone, haha. Once I'm over that, though, it's great writing music. :)

I'm lost inside this tangled web in which I'm lain entwined.

Untitled #4

I'll be at Storymakers this weekend. Anyone else? I'm sooo excited!

U is for UNTITLED #4 by Sigur Ros. I really love music by Sigur Ros (and their lead singer Jonsi), especially for writing to. They're from Iceland, therefore I have no idea what they're saying, unfortunately. And considering some of the videos/album covers I've run into of theirs, I'm worried I might not want to know, lol. So I'm not even going to post lyrics in another language in fear of what it translates to. But the music IS beautiful, you have to admit. :) And he plays a violin bow on his guitar. *cool points*

This Is Not The End

T is for THIS IS NOT THE END by Fieldwork. After seeing the trailer for EDGE OF TOMORROW in theaters for the first time, I came home and immediately looked up this song from that trailer. I guess I wasn't the only one, because the number of views jumped from a couple hundred to tens of thousands within hours, haha. I love me good sci-fi-ish background music and this one was on repeat on my computer for several days.

This is not the end.

Silent All These Years

S is for SILENT ALL THESE YEARS by Tori Amos. If I was stranded on an island and could only bring one music album with me, it would be Tori Amos's LITTLE EARTHQUAKES. This song, in particular, pretty much changed my life as a teenager. Her lyrics (though at many times too dark for my tastes) are pure poetry and I love the raw emotion of her music.

Sometimes I hear my voice, and it's been here silent all these years.

Run

R if for RUN by Jasmine Thompson. She is one of those artists that just blow me away...she's younger than my daughter! Yet her voice and music are both so mature. I see great things for her in the future. And this song resonates for my characters on so many levels. Just perfect.

I will be the one who comes to rescue you.

Happy Easter!

Today is my favorite holiday of the year...I love Easter! I hope yours is filled with family, friends, and the love of the Savior.

Because of Him...

1901

Q is for 1901, the version by Birdy (the original by Phoenix is one of my favs, too). Yes, I'm totally cheating on this letter and sharing a song that has no semblance of the alphabet in the title. It may happen again later this month, lol. I love Birdy. LOVE. Her voice, her covers, her original music. She's even the inspiration behind a character in one of my books. She creates music perfect to write to. I've been listening to Not About Angels on repeat all week. So good.

It's not a miracle we needed.

Primavera

P is for PRIMAVERA by Ludovico Einaudi. I know not everyone likes songs with lyrics when they write, so for those who prefer instrumentals only, Ludovico Einaudi is one of my favorite artists. I even love reading with his music in the background.

Old Pine

O is for OLD PINE by Ben Howard. I love Ben Howard's voice, and this song is so relaxing and always makes me feel just plain happy. Best kind of writing music there is.

Steady as the stars in the woods.

Never Stop

I'm over at Throwing Up Words today talking about my favorite point-of-view to write. Check it out if you have a minute. Thank you!!!

N is for NEVER STOP by SafetySuit. Yes, I'm a sucker for a good old-fashioned love-proclaiming ballad that has all the feels. Sue me.

This is my love song to you.

Midnight City

M is for MIDNIGHT CITY by M83. M83 is the band I listen to most when I write. Seriously, they are my writing muse, and Midnight City is my most favorite song of all time ever, so I had to include it on my list. If you write a lot of science fiction like I do, give M83 a try. They're a French electronic band named after a galaxy. How can you lose? ;)

The city is my church. It wraps me in the sparkling twilight.

Lullabies

L is for LULLABIES by Yuna. She's a gorgeous Malaysian singer, and if you're looking for music that is unique, ethnic, yet always mellow enough to write to, Yuna is your go-to gal. LOVE her.

I see you in all the pieces in my life.

Kiss Me

K is for KISS ME, the version by The Fray. Yes, another song about kissing. I write YA fiction after all. ;) I find that covers to songs I love tend to be more acoustic/mellow and lend themselves well as music to write to.

Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance.

Jump Into The Fog

First off, I've been interviewed for the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Blog. If you can spare a minute, head on over and check it out!

J is for JUMP INTO THE FOG by The Wombats. This one's been on my writing playlist for so long, I've no idea how or why it got there. Maybe that's what makes certain music good for me to write to...it's a classic to me.

Hope that we hit the ground upright.

Fractured Truth

If you're here from the A to Z, please scroll down or click here to find my post on the letter I. Trust me, you don't want to miss it. :)

Today I'm spotlighting my friend Rachel McClellan's newly released, FRACTURED TRUTH as part of her blog tour:

It's finally here!

Fractured Truth, the final novel in the paranormal, YA Fractured Light trilogy, was just released! Follow the blog tour to find out more about Fractured Truth and enter below for a chance to a signed copy or a $25 Amazon gift card!

Llona is determined to end the fight with the Vykens once and for all. All she needs is to find and destroy the Shadow—the ultimate source of dark power. But when she makes a startling discovery about someone she loves, Llona has to fight the toughest battle yet in this exciting conclusion to the Fractured Light series.

Buy Fractured Truth

  

Amazon     |     Barnes & Noble     

Contact Author

Website     |     Blog     |     Facebook     |     Twitter

Click the pictures below to find out more about Fractured Light and Fractured Soul, book one and book two. 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm Kissing You

I is for I'M KISSING YOU by Des'ree. Yet another movie song classic, remember this one from ROMEO AND JULIET ala Leonardo DiCaprio? I know I'm giving away my age with this, but my husband and I saw this movie in the theater in college after which he kissed me for the first time. Fitting to the song, no? And now you can watch Leonardo kiss Claire...a lot. You're welcome.

Where are you now?

Be Your Hero

If you're looking for my A to Z post for today (letter H!), please scroll down or click here.

I'm excited to have Amy White on the blog today for a wonderful guest post. She's an assistant for the WIFYR conference this summer where I'll be teaching! Take it away, Amy...

Be Your Hero

Hello Ilima blog readers, Amy White here; avid follower, and with Ilima’s gracious permission, a guest for today’s post.

 As an assistant for the upcoming Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers conference, June 16-20, I can’t tell you how excited I am to be following Ilima’s success in the publishing world, even more, to hear from her directly at the conference.

Speaking of which, I have a question, are you a writer?

Do you ever feel like the road to publication is a lot like climbing a mountain?

A Plot Mountain maybe?

That uphill climb wherein writers subject their character to trials, tribulations and all manner of vexing experiences; the one where the character is made a better, stronger, and ultimately a climactic-worthy hero.

Look at your all-too-real-for-your-personal-tastes Plot Mountain to Authordom, the one that at the moment looms like Mount Everest. Can you pinpoint where you are in your journey? Are you stuck?

I’ve heard that authors are to strand their character in a tree and then throw rocks at them. Make achieving what they want difficult, if not impossible. Make them work for that end goal.

Ever wonder if you are the one in the tree?

Maybe you have a finished manuscript; you've even sent it out. Did find yourself questioning what on earth possessed you to send your baby out into the world only to have rocks (in the form of rejection letters) thrown at it—at you?

Or is it the journey to the finished manuscript that has you cursing the day you decided to write, the rocks coming at you in the form of not enough time, or feelings of inadequacy.

How do you get the courage to not only get yourself out of that tree, but face down those nay-saying rock throwers? How do you push through to become the hero of your own story?

I can’t say that I have the answer. Yet.

But I know where to find answers. It’s from the published authors that have made it through. It’s learning from those that have gone before. It’s from Ilima and the champions of the author world who are willing to teach. You just have to show up and listen.

Another thing I know, by the time a writer has mastered their personal mountain, passed through the darkest dark nights of the soul where thoughts of giving up were all too attractive,  those writers—ahem, authors –they have every right to be called heroes.

Be your hero.

Aww...thanks, Amy. Great post. Anyone else coming to WIFYR this year? Be sure to let me know and stop by to say hi!

Heart of Stone

H is for HEART OF STONE by Iko. Yes, this is from a Twilight movie. I am not ashamed. It's the kind of song that just blends into the background and doesn't distract, perfect for when I'm writing or revising.

I can breathe water.

Gravity

G is for GRAVITY by Sara Bareilles. It's a beautiful video for a sad song. But mostly it's crazy how perfect it is for one my novels. It's a little more mainstream than my other music choices so far this month, but I love it.

Set me free, leave me be.

Falling Slowly

F is for FALLING SLOWLY by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. One of the greatest songs of all time, in my opinion. It's been redone several times by various artists, but I still like the original the best. Do you tend to like original songs or covers/remakes of them?

Words fall through me.

Even Though I'm A Woman

E is for EVEN THOUGH I'M A WOMAN by Seeker Lover Keeper. The concept behind this song intrigues me so much. "I think I'm in love with missing you more than I'm in love with you." Talk about character inspiration. I want to write about someone like that one day...seriously messed up, haha.

I love the danger in distance.

Down To The River To Pray

D is for DOWN TO THE RIVER TO PRAY by Alison Krauss. This one's in the movie OH BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?...and you know what I'm going to say about that if you haven't seen it yet. Gosh I'm such a movie nut. ;) This song is also a traditional folk hymn and the inspiration behind one of my works in progress that takes place in the deep south. Perfect accompaniment when I work on that one.

Let's go down. Down in the river to pray.

Come Around

C is for COME AROUND by Rosi Golan. This is a Lulu classic, as in a song my 14yo sent to me cause she thought I'd like it to write to. I don't know what I'd do without that girl. ;) How do you find music to listen to?

I'm a fool for waiting so long.

Be The Song and IWSG

B is for BE THE SONG by Foy Vance. I discovered this one from the movie WARM BODIES, which, if you haven't seen, drop what you're doing and watch it, like, now. One of my favorite movies ever. I have a feeling I might be saying this a lot this month, lol.

Flow down all my mountains, darling, fill my valleys.

It's also the first Wednesday of the month, which means Insecure Writer's Support Group Time. I'm sharing some of my favorite writing music this month, and a part of me worries if people will thing I'm lame-boring-weird-cuckoo-stupid-nerdy based on either my A to Z theme choice or my taste in music or whatever. Then I tell myself who cares what other people think, this is just for me. And everything is cool in the world.

But THEN I think about my writing and more specifically the PUBLICATION of my writing. I know not everyone will like it. Maybe they'll even think I'm lame-boring-weird-cuckoo-stupid-nerdy for writing it. I tell myself who cares what other people think, this is just for me. But the very fact that it's being published...doesn't that mean it's not just for me? Isn't it for readers, an audience, customers paying money for a quality product? Do I have an obligation to think about what the reader will like, relate to, hate--as I venture into the publishing world? How does one reconcile the two?

About Today

A is for ABOUT TODAY by The National. I seriously wrote one of my books with this song on repeat the whole time. It's from the movie WARRIOR which, by the way, if you haven't seen, you must drop what you're doing and watch it now! Seriously.

How close am I to losing you?