The Power of Music, a guest post by author Melissa Darnell

The recent movie premier of “Les Miserables” has made me really think about the power of music lately. I realize that for some, having music in their lives every day isn’t that big a deal. But for me, I have always been extremely drawn to music and have to listen to at least an hour or two of it every day or I just don’t “feel right”. Strangely though, if I were a superhero, music would be both my kryptonite AND my power enhancer. Different songs have the ability to instantly make me feel hopeful for the future (like “30 Seconds to Mars’” music video for Closer to the Edge) or make me sob like a baby (Katy Perry’s music video for “The One That Got Away” does it to me every time!). And while I still can’t manage to recall the entire basic multiplication table, I can somehow remember all the words to the classic old school rock n’ roll songs my dad used to play in his automotive repair shop when I was a kid! Maybe that stubborn, gaping disparity in the way my subconscious works explains why I always preferred dancing to trigonometry?

Although my competitive dancing days are long past, music still plays a huge role in my daily life, and this is never truer than when I write.  I’m one of those writers who needs specific music to listen to for every book I write so I can stay in the right mood for each scene…a challenge made even tougher when the hubby and kids do their best to crack me up (which usually happens right when I’m in the middle of writing extra tense conflict!)  So once I’ve plotted out a new novel’s outline, I always sit down and spend a day or two creating a unique playlist for it before I get going on the rough draft.

Consume by Melissa Darnell, book 3 in The Clann Series

Published by Harlequin Teen, 2013

In the case of Consume, book three in my Clann series, I included a few songs from the previous two Clann Series books’ playlists along with new songs. This helped me remember that this story is both a continuation of their romantic saga as well as its conclusion and helped emotionally bring it all around full circle, so to speak.

While the full length, official playlist for Consume won’t be revealed until the novel’s release in September 2013, I can give you a sneak peek at a few of the fairly eclectic mix of songs that will be included, which also hint at some of the major moments to come for Tristan, Savannah, Emily, and the entire Clann Series cast of characters. If you’re a movie soundtrack lover like me, you might also recognize the movies several of these songs were featured in!

“You Must Love Me” by Madonna

“Safe and Sound” by Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars

“Disenchanted” by My Chemical Romance

“I Don’t Care” by Apocalyptica featuring Adam Gontier

“No One Moves, No One Gets Hurt” by Bedouin Soundclash

“The Son Never Shines (On Closed Doors)” by Flogging Molly

“Ungodly Hour” by The Fray

“Falling” by The Civil Wars

“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Emily Browning

“Heaven” by O.A.R.

“Stand” by Rascal Flatts

“Vox Populi” by 30 Seconds to Mars

“Born to Die” by Lana Del Rey

“Without You” (piano/cello cover version) by The Piano Guys

Of course, the official playlist for Consume is much longer because I usually have one song for every scene and even two or three for the major ones.  But this sneak peek will give you an idea of what’s coming for Tristan and Savannah later this year. 😉

Want to suggest a song of your own for Consume’s playlist? Sometimes I discover the best new-to-me songs for my next book’s playlist because of readers. (For instance, “Bloodstream” by Stateless, the first song listed in Covet’s playlist, was recommended to me by a fan on Facebook.) If you’ve got a favorite song you think is the perfect fit for Tristan and Savannah, I would love to hear from you at www.MelissaDarnell.com, or on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TheClannSeries) or Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/theclannseries).

Once Consume goes on sale in September 2013, its full length playlist, excerpts, and links to its print and ebook versions in the US and abroad will be posted at www.TheClannSeries.com, where you can already find excerpts, playlists, and sales info for the U.S. and international versions of Crave (Clann Series book #1) and Covet (Clann Series book #2), the histories of the Clann and vamp factions, and a whole lot more. Be sure to also follow me at Twitter or Facebook for updates on Consume’s release and full length playlist, which could include YOUR suggested songs too!

For more on book playlists, read this post on The Soundtrack of Your Books