Today we are discussing the music we listen to as we write. I don’t always have music playing when I write. Sometimes I prefer the quiet and sometimes I’m just too lazy to dig out the right kind of music for what I’m writing. For most books I find a movie soundtrack that has the same energy vibe I am looking for and simply listen to that.

For most of my paranormal books I’ve developed a pattern of movie soundtracks and not surprising they are all paranormal movies. But for better or worse I like most of the music on these and they get me in the right place before I nearly tune them out once I’m writing. They are:

Twilight
New Moon
Blood & Chocolate
All 3 Underworld movies
The Covenant

Now some books are either inspired by a band’s music or their music so fits the theme I will listen to only them while writing. Two examples are my sexy demon novella, Dirty Deeds and the Steampunk story I am writing now. For Dirty Deeds you’ve all heard it so much I’m sure you’ve already said it. AC/DC my favorite childhood band. It was AC/DC all the time while I wrote that book and I LOVED IT. That is some of my favorite feel good music.

For the Steampunk it’s Abney Park. I first heard Captain Robert and his crew at Dragon Con a few years back and instantly fell in love. I really can listen to them all day long.

Then there are other books where I have actually hunted down a few songs and made an actual varied playlist. But I will admit that at times I have quite strange taste in music and rarely pick something current. For the Purgatory series I wanted that Fetish club vibe and so I started with the Tainted Love remix by Marilyn Manson.

The rest of the Purgatory playlist includes:

Die For You by Megan McCauley
Zombie by the Cranberries
I Sit on Acid by Lords of Acid
Were in the Blurred Line Closer by Nine Inch Nails
Terrible Lie by Nine Inch Nails
Hole to Feed Depeche Mode
Get Your Body Beat by Combichrist
Head Like a Hole by Nine Inch Nails
This is My Rifle by Combichrist
The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails

Another series where I have a few favorite songs to listen to include the Black Cougar series. Although even in my lists you’ll notice several songs by the same artist. Once I find one of their songs that makes me feel it, I usually add a few of their other songs.

The Catshifter playlist includes:

Stripped by Shiny Toy Guns
Steve McQueen by Sheryl Crow
Higher by Creed
Cat Scratch Fever by Ted Nugent
Safe and Sound by Sheryl Crow
My Own Prison by Creed
Blue on Black Kenny Wayne Shephard
Soak up the Sun by Sheryl Crow
The First Cuts the Deepest by Sheryl Crow
My Give A Damn’s Busted by Joe Dee Messina
Black Water by the Doobie Brothers
If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow
She Talks to Angels by the Black Crowes
Hurt sung by Johnny Cash
One Last Breath by Creed

Now follow the trail and see what everyone else is listening to as they write.

Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Emma Petersen
Shelley Munro
Ashley Ladd
Lauren Dane