12/12/12- Once In a Lifetime #Writerly Wednesday

Today is a once in a lifetime event- 12-12-12. We won't see one again for 100 years, which means, that most of  us won't ever see this again. Perhaps children born in the last few years will, if they live to 100, but the rest of us? Most likely not.

This really makes me stop and wonder how my grandchildren and their kids will live. Will they know who we were? Will they know that grandpa loved video games and movies? That (great, great, etc) Grandma Taryn was a published author? Will anything we know now even still exist or will it all be as retro as vinyl records, 8 Tracks, reel-to-reel movies, Atari and Colecovision are to us?

And what about books? Will print be antiquated- or worse- unheard of? Will Kindles and Nooks and other ereaders still be around or might they be replaced by some other format? Will people still read books or will they get everything from an ear piece or have it transmitted into their thoughts onto their brainwaves?

There's so much more technology nowadays than there was when I was a kid growing up, so who's to say how much change will occur over the next 100 years.

I have a feeling that, so long as there are stories to be told, there will be people to tell them, and people to read them and share them. The ways to read them though might change and who's knows whether our future societies will still read old-fashioned traditional paper books, modern eReaders, or perhaps it will be something so unconventional and unheard of that I can't wrap my mind around it yet.

I'd like to believe that my stories will still be out there and that someone will read them, and enjoy them, even then. Wouldn't that be something?

That also makes me wonder if this blog will still be around. If what "they" say is true-

Fame is fleeting, but the internet is forever..." Phineas and Ferb

Then it would amazing to think someone might stumble across this blog post on December 12, 2112. (Wow- look at how that would look in digits only 12-12-2112.) Why, Hello there!

Hope you have a wonderful Once in a Lifetime today and enjoy it to the fullest!

#SCENTsational Saturdays Favorite Jovan's Vanilla Musk

Another soft scent by Coty. I just discovered this one in the four pack gift set I got last year with Christmas money. I was surprised that I enjoyed it, as usually I prefer a more realistic vanilla scent. If I'm wearing it, I usually prefer to smell like a sugar cookie, but instead this one has subtle tones of cedarwood, sandalwood and musk, giving it a much more exotic fragrance than simply smelling of fresh baked goodies.

We're getting started on these holidays and this inspires me into a different direction musically...

Have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays Through the Years~These Moments

I discovered this perfume when I was probably in my late teens at the good ol' Rite Aid and instantly loved it. It was definitely a more mature scent than the other fragrances I wore at the time- Exclamation, Electric Youth, Tribe. They were bold, funky young scents, but this one made me feel like I was growing up and coming into my own as a woman. It had sensual tones and floral notes that made me think of mature love.

I remember using every last drop in the bottle and then when I went back to buy more, it was gone, as though it never existed. I'm sure I could find some sort of knock off or old bottle of it nowadays, but I prefer to remember it simply as a fragrance I "grew up" on.

The perfume came out in 1991, so I'm going to share a couple of songs I really loved back then. ;)

Have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#Writerly Wednesday- Are You "Listening" @bentaylorHQ New #Album #music #writing

Listening

(image used with permission)

My introduction to Ben Taylor's music was a smooth little melody called "Island" from his 2002 album, Famous Among the Barns. Based on that singular song, I invested in the entire album and found new hidden gems that rippled through my soul and spoke to me.

Second to writing, music is one of my other loves. I can't sing any better than the alley cat on the fence post under the full moon, howling and mewling for attention, but the poetry of song lyrics is what gets me.

The Poetry. The Words. The Emotion. (Doesn't take much for me, does it?)

When combined with melody- it can tell a story or evoke emotions that go unexpressed any other time. It can remind you of youth, wrap you in the warmth of remembrance of loved ones long ago, of the truths in life, the joys and agonies we all feel and experience- all expressed in song. Some songs just do it better than others and some songwriters hit the nail on the head with a purity and honesty that you know has to come from the heart, from the soul. It's genuine. When I find music that touches me that deeply, I know I've found a kindred spirit in this world.

When I took my writing back up in 2006 after years of stagnation, I found that when I wrote, I needed music and there are a few singers, songwriters, and groups whose music has become a mainstay in my "writing playlists" because the music moves me deeply, speaks to my heart and helps me put my words to the page (or screen as the case may be.)

Ben Taylor's music, not just from Famous Among the Barns, but also songs from Another Run Around the Sun and The Legend of Kung Folk, Pt. 1 have made their way into every playlist for every book I've written to date. (11) The songs are an eclectic mix and on any day, under any circumstance, I can usually find songs that fits my mood or the scene I'm writing.

There are a couple of select songs I've yet to get, but intend to- "Dear Boy" & "Boyfriend," but I've been eagerly anticipating the release of his newest album Listening for months. It released yesterday, and I'm beyond ecstatic because I'm sure you know what I've been listening to since then and I'm certain that it will become part of my writing roster.

Check out the video below of the title song, Listening and check out the album. I love how the birds in the background are even enjoying the sweetness of the music and joining in.

Follow Ben on Twitter

Website

Get Listening on

Amazon

iTunes

(image used with permission)

#SCENTsational (Sexy) Saturdays- Favorite No. 6- Frederick's of Hollywood Signature Fragrance

The Signature Fragrance by Frederick’s of Hollywood is our most popular scent ever--and for some very alluring reasons. Both intoxicating and soothing, flirty and seductive, it's a fragrance like no other. Notes include:

• Lush Egyptian Jasmine and Mandarin
• Warm Patchouli and hints of Oriental Spice
• Sandalwood, Sensual Suede and Cashmere Musk

As you can tell, I've used this bottle nearly up and I'm going to need a new one at some point. The tones of this perfume are very subtle and warm. Again I have to have my musk and sandalwood and oriental notes.

This IS one of my all-time favorites. It's sexy and intriguing, but also reminds me of romantic times with my husband, the holidays with family and friends, and it's not so loud and overpowering that you couldn't wear it on a daily basis, though I love so many, I have to mix it up depending on my mood.

And a little bit of sexy for your Saturday- 3 of my Favorite Sexy Men...

Hope you have a SCENTsational and Sexy Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- Through the Years- Skin Musk by Bonne Bell

Skin Musk is clean, fresh and sexy! Let the soft aroma of floral, sandalwood and musk embrace you. A touch is all it takes to turn on the romance.

Ah...another perfume that, surprise surprise, has sandalwood in it! LOL Even without picking it intentionally, it's another fragrance I veer toward when picking perfumes. This perfume is actually still sold in stores and can commonly be found at Wal-Mart. I don't have any at the moment, but I've been tempted to buy a new bottle of it, just to see if I still like the smell as much as I did in my youth. Life has changed and I wonder if this one would be much like Exclamation, which might throw me into a fit of migraine attacks.

But having said that, I do remember fondly wearing this until I emptied the bottle and had to buy a new one and I seem to recall doing that a lot, so this must have had quite a few qualities I liked, one of which I do remember specifically. It has staying power. You don't have to apply a lot and the fragrance would stay with you from morning till night.

What I remember about it was that it was a "louder" scent than most perfumes that young girls wore, it was more sensual and to me represented being older, perhaps more sophisticated and feminine, which as some point, all young girls want to be.

When I think if this perfume, a few oldies but goodies from my youth come to mind musically, so I'll share a few videos today-

Have a SCENTsational SATURDAY!

#MemoryLane Mondays- #Musically Inclined #childhood #music

I've always been musically inclined. Even as a child, my love of music has defined moments in my life. I can hear a song and be transported back to when I was 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. I think its in my blood—

My grandmothers on both sides of my family were truly musically inclined. My dad's mother played piano, my mom's mom played the organ, guitar and French harp (otherwise known as a harmonica.) My grandma on my mom's side taught me a little about the organ, but I never really took it up more than to pick at the keys and play a little tune by ear.

What I remember though is begging her to sing Tom Dooley and How Far is Heaven and play the guitar. I dragged a small radio with me everywhere, an old metal clothes hanger for an antenna, crying over The Devil Went Down to Georgia. I listened to Sha-Na-Na on 8-track and borrowed 8-tracks and records from my uncle of Juice Newton, Blondie, Barry Manilow and Anne Murray.

Many times my mom could be found washing dishes or cooking a meal and singing along to the radio or records of Alabama, Air Supply, Charlie Rich and John Conlee. My dad, working on some woodcraft project in the basement, usually listened to Garrison Keillor on public radio or Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band or James Taylor.

Because of the eclectic variety of music I grew up on and the birth of Mtv and music videos when I was 6, my taste in music runs wild and deep. I remember sitting in front of my mom's record player listening to music that pre-dated me- Herman's Hermits, Paul Revere & the Raiders, The Lovin' Spoonful, Lou Christie, the Beatles.

As soon as I got a cassette recording boombox with a radio, I'd stay up on the weekends recording The Crystals, Bobby Darin, Little Eva, The Supremes, The Jackson 5 on the oldies stations as well as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Expose, New Kids on the Block and Debbie Gibson on the Weekly Top 40.

I wore out my Olivia Newton-John Greatest Hits Vol. 2 on 33 1/3 and the Thriller album. I danced all over my room to She's So Unusual record of Cyndi Lauper and loved Rick Springfield's Hard to Hold soundtrack.

The 1st CD I bought was actually Eddie Money's The Sound of Money, which I still have and love.

Even now, I find my tastes vary and one day I can be totally immersed in A Perfect Circle or chillin' to Ben Taylor's gentle folksy vocals that remind me so much of his father- James Taylor.

My most current musical inclinations-
Payphone- Maroon 5
Call Me Maybe- Carly Rae Jepsen
Beekeeper's Daughter- The All-American Rejects
Brokenhearted- Karmin
Not Over You- Gavin DeGraw
Drive By- Train

Does music tie you to your memories- what are some of your favorites?

#Strut by Bruce & Carole Hart (#Favorite #Book #Spotlight)

She's not going to stop till she's rocks to the top.
Ignored by her police chief father and feeling betrayed by her older brother, Bryan, seventeen-year-old Holly Hanna devotes all her energy to realizing her dream of becoming a rock star.

****

"Ladies and Gentlemen...Holly and the Heartbreakers!"

The kid, riding the tiger, grabs the microphone, pumping it up, taking it higher, making it hotter, rounding the bend and racing for home.

They say I'm bad,
But you know better.

Arranging her hair with a shake of her head, so that it falls about her shoulders, the kid spins around, spreads her legs wide, props her fists on her hips, beaming a knowing smile and sings—

And baby, baby, baby
I'm your hearts desire.

The spotlight snaps off.

The stage is black.

The crowd sits a moment, as if they were stunned and catching their breath. And then they go totally wild!

****

From the same husband and wife team that gifted me with Sooner or Later, Waiting Games, Now or Never and Cross Your Heart (I never got to read Breaking Up is Hard to Do), Bruce and Carole Hart's Strut rocked my world as a young adult.

Holly Hanna is 17 years old and all she wants is to be a rock 'n' roll star. And then she meets Jasper Rollins, a young and sexy rock star from the 60s who just happens to be a ghost. Holly soon discovers that the women in her family sometimes have the psychic ability to see ghosts and about how unfinished business sometimes keeps souls from moving on.

Jasper is certain his unfinished business has to do with becoming a famous rock star, so he sets out to help Holly and her band win the Cobblestone Inn's Amateur Nights Playoffs and the Showdown for a record deal. If he helps rocket her to the top, he will be able to reach the great beyond.

The thing I love most about this, is not just that the main character's name is Holly (my IRL name) but she was also a redhead (like me) but also because of the poignant definition Holly's aunt gives her about Jasper's "unfinished business," though neither Holly nor Jasper take heed to it in the pursuit of her rock star career aspirations. Her aunt's explanation that our "life's destiny" is this- that

"...in each lifetime, every soul needs to love and be loved, to know the sorrow of a love that isn't meant to be and the joy of a love that's returned in kind."

I cry every time I read this book. It doesn't sugar-coat coming-of-age. Bruce and Carole Hart handled adolescence in their novels with realism and heart. Their stories always amazed me with how easy it is to love the characters and cherish them as though they were real people you might know in your daily life.

This novel is young adult fiction and does have mild to mature language and situations. I think it is a wonderfully fantastical story that young adults, even now could relate to and would enjoy tremendously. If you can find it, I highly recommend it.

#WIPlash Wednesdays~ There'll Be #LoveSongs...#MusicalMusings

♫Have love songs ever inspired an idea for a book?♫

I honestly can't think of any songs that have directly inspired any ideas for my books, though music is part of my writing. Generally it plays more of a secondary role, almost a persona of its own—it is part of the flow and undercurrent that plays in the background like a soundtrack to the movie playing in my head.

If there were any song that has been inspiration, in general, it would have to be Sara Bareilles' One Sweet Love.

I have actually used that song during the writing of several of my books because it depicts the main theme of all my stories and that is the eternal desire we all have to either find true love or our soul-mate and it expresses the hope that it hasn't already been found and lost without realizing it.

Music is a good medium for drawing forth strong emotions. sometimes all it takes is a song's handling of a topic or lyrics that speak straight to the heart of you to move you to tears of joy or heartache. Music is a vessel through which we experience new and old emotions. We are reminded of our youth, that first crush, the first kiss, the first heartache. It can provoke memories of the first kiss we had or our wedding day, the moment we realized we were truly in love.

Music opens up those parts of us—those portals—that can take us back in time or remind us of what we've lived through. That's probably why I enjoy having playlists of music while I write that, for me, defines the characters and the emotions that are embedded in my storytelling. Music is an audible way of storytelling and when meshed with my written word, it embraces the living flow of feelings that emerge.

There might not be a song which has inspired a certain story, but there are plenty of songs that are woven into the fabric of what I write.

I can't hear certain songs without thinking of certain characters or scenes because even when I read back what I've written, I can still hear the melody—the soundtrack—even when I'm not listening to the music.

Have a great Wednesday! Write On!
I can see the weekend from here.

Castaway Hearts Soundtrack

This is not the original song list from when I wrote the first draft in 2007, but the last one I have used while I was writing this novel.


I am a writer who can and generally does use musical accompaniment when I write. For Castaway Hearts, I leaned toward dark, broody music that I felt suited the tone of the story, the tragedy and madness and sorrow that Catherine falls under.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Island- Ben Taylor
No More Running Away- Ben Taylor
Rain- Ben Taylor
Tonight- Ben Taylor
One Sweet Love- Sara Bareilles
Gravity- Sara Bareilles
Another Heart Calls- The All-American Rejects
The Wind Blows- The All-American Rejects
Sunshine- The All-American Rejects
I Do- Jewel
Whenever I Run- Keith Urban (no actual video, at the 5:22 mark of this link)
Nothing Lasts Forever- Maroon 5
Better That We Break- Maroon 5
She Will Be Loved- Maroon 5
Song for Holly- Danny Saber
Crystalball- P!NK
Glitter in the Air- P!NK
Orestes- A Perfect Circle
3 Libras- A Perfect Circle
Flowers in Bloom- Rob Thicke (no video for this song, sorry)
Lost Without You- Rob Thicke
Can U Believe- Rob Thicke
2 the Sky- Rob Thicke
Lonely World- Rob Thicke
Angels- Rob Thicke
2 Luv Birds- Rob Thicke
The Sweetest Love- Rob Thicke
Dark Secret- Matthew Sweet
Under the Water- Jewel
Into the Mystic- Van Morrison
I've Got Dreams to Remember- Otis Redding

SCENTsational Saturdays- Time Runs Wild...

Tribe....A Fragrance Uprising...

(Top notes are green notes, mandarin orange, raspberry, peach, apple, bergamot and lemon; middle notes are cyclamen, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and rose; base notes are sandalwood, amber, musk, oakmoss and cedar.)

Today is my 37th birthday and today for SCENTsational Saturdays I'll wax poetic about one of my favorite scents of my youth, and a favorite movie from back in the day.

It's becoming more and more clear to me that most of my favorite perfumes were put out by Coty and I always lean toward those with Oriental tones. I was 16 the year Tribe was launched in 1991 and I used to run through bottles of this stuff like a marathon runner goes through water. I couldn't get enough. You see, I go nuts over fragrances the way some women do over shoes. Or purses. Or jewelry. (I'm the same about nail polish.)

This fragrance always made me feel youthful, free spirited and more extroverted than I normally was. I was a wallflower most the time, but I balanced it with my wild child nail polish colors and different boisterous perfumes. Oh, and my kooky earrings. (If you remember Calliope from Days of Our Lives, you know how kooky her earrings were and I had a whole jewelry box full.)

Tribe though, was right up there with Exclamation! and Electric Youth on the list of scents that made me feel totally different from my shy-violet self. Needless to say, Tribe is no longer on the market, but if it was- I'd rush out and buy a bottle (or two) right now.

And for a little musical entertainment- another little something from my youth. From the Dream a Little Dream soundtrack, starring Corey Feldman, Meredith Salenger, ♥Corey Haim♥, Piper Laurie, Jason Robards, and Harry Dean Stanton-

Time Runs Wild by Danny Wilde


This song, along with the Tribe scent, lift me back in time and reminds me that it does run wild and it gets away from us. I'm older, but not necessarily wiser (thought I sure hope I am! LOL)

What's the plan for the big old 3-7 today? Not much of anything. Maybe dinner out with hubby. Not even sure I want anything fancy, just a quiet day and maybe a few good hours of writing.

Have a wonderful weekend!