Songs to Write By

I love listening to music. Especially country music. My teenage sons often complain I play my music too loud. That's probably because it's not the kind of music they like to listen to. 
We authors/writers all have our own preferences when it comes to writing. Some like complete silence, others can write in a public place, some need seclusion. I do my best writing in the middle of the night, when I am completely alone. I am a night owl, since I work graveyard, and on my days off I tend to be awake at night as well. During the day while my boys are in school, I have the privacy and solitude of the living room. 
When I first began writing Yellowstone Heart Song, I had a few songs I would listen to that helped stir the emotions for me for certain scenes. One of my favorite songs at the time was You and Me, by a band called Lighthouse. I'd heard that song years ago at a wedding. A few other songs followed,  such as Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood, and Can't Love You Back, by Easton Corbin.

While half-way into the writing of Yellowstone Redemption, I happened to hear a song while on the trail with my dog, and a certain line in the song really struck me. That's Chase's story! I'd heard the song many times before, but never really paid attention to the words. The song is called Crazy Girl by The Eli Young Band. From that day, this became my "theme song" for that book. Here are the lyrics that stood out for me: 

I wouldn't last a single day

I'd probably just fade away

Without you I'd lose my mind

Before you ever came along

I was living life all wrong

The smartest thing I ever did was make you all mine

So, when it came time to write Book 3, Yellowstone Awakening, I had to have a "theme song" to go with it. I would listen to the local country station for hours, trying to find the song that would fit with my story.  I was well into Chapter Eight, when I finally found the perfect song. It's called Love Don't Run, by Steve Holy.

Luckily, I already found my theme song for Book 4, Yellowstone Dawn, before I started writing that story. It's by Faith Hill, and the title is Come Home.