The Soundtrack Of My Summer

When I write, more often than not, there's music playing. Different songs help settle me into the groove and mood of whatever it is I'm writing. And usually what I listen to is score music (I've always dug James Newton Howard's cues), but this summer there have been a few lyrical tunes that have wormed their way inside my head and have been useful placing my mind where it needs to be when I've sat down to work on the next story.

Here are a few.

SIGNS - Complete Score - James Newton Howard
James creates sensational music, and his theme for SIGNS is iconic. Nestled within that repetitive three-note motif are sweeping variations on the theme that include heights and lows in the pace. Some of the music is somber, some is frantic. It's all so well balanced. One of my favorite scores to listen to, and was put on in the background while I recently typed away on my novella SOMETHING ABOVE THE STARS.

THE VILLAGE - Complete Score - James Newton Howard
Another brilliant score from James. The music here is tender at times, and then the tone changes on a dime into high energy/spooky elsewhere. Another of my favorite scores. This one I also listened to while writing SOMETHING ABOVE THE STARS.

"I Won't Give Up" - Jason Mraz
Snippets of this song have played in commercials for the upcoming show "This is Us" and I'd be lying if I said it didn't stick in my head (I suppose that's the point of the marketing campaign). The melody of this song helped establish the tone I wanted when developing SOMETHING ABOVE THE STARS.

"Down In Mexico" - The Coasters
If you're a big follower of Quentin Tarantino's films, you're aware of DEATH PROOF. Despite the film being "horror" it's just like all his others - mostly consisting of long stretches of conversations and plenty of catchy tunes. There also happens to be the always awesome Kurt Russell as a murderous stunt car driver. Anyway, in the movie, Kurt's character "Stunt Man" Mike convinces a girl to give him a lap dance (the means aren't important), and what results is a pretty high energy scene that was expertly filmed and includes a contagious track by The Coasters. The song begs to be played over and over. It played during stretches when I was writing the second draft of my short novel THE LONG ROAD HOME.

"Staggolee" - Pacific Gas & Electric
Another song from the DEATH PROOF soundtrack, "Staggolee" was in my head, and playing on the stereo, when writing THE LONG ROAD HOME.

"The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash
I can't say much about THE LONG ROAD HOME, but I can tell you the hero of the story is confronted by an unsettling stranger who's intentions are long debated between many in the hero's camp. The idea of the stranger came to me when I thought of this famous Cash song.

LADY IN THE WATER - Complete Score - James Newton Howard
Just beautiful. Perfect. Elemental. Portions of suspense, fantasy, and a recurring theme you can almost feel as pinpricks in your skin. My absolute favorite score. I listen to it with every story I write.

The (Art of the) New Author Photo

I suppose I don't have to do it - I'm not a fan of having my picture taken - but with the onset of a new book (An Unexpected Visit is almost a month away!), there comes the inevitable decision: use the previous author photo, or take a new one?

Let's go back two years.

Here is my author photo from 2014 for Seeing:

Not too shabby, no? Alright, let's dissect it.

I took this photo myself one spring afternoon while my wife was out grocery shopping. As mentioned, I don't like sitting for pictures - and they can be costly - so I figured I'd just do it myself. I simply set our camera up on a tripod, set the timer, and placed myself in a recliner, making it look like I was caught near a particularly bright window, looking over the pages of some work. Because that's how all authors get things done.

Yes, that's a white binder. I think the lined pages inside were blank. No, the lens flare isn't real; I added it later for effect (could be worse, I could have gone all J.J. Abrams and lens flared the whole pic so that you could only see my jaw). And I can't tell, is it supposed to look like I'm writing something? Kinda looks like I'm about to nod off.

Note to self: Don't take picture of yourself looking down. It doesn't have the impact you think it does.

Alright then, when it was time for The Painted Lady the following year, the choice was obvious: New picture!

And here it is:

Once more I went with the black and white. Looks more dramatic. Striking. I also took my own picture again. This time it was with my iPhone, with the camera set to Selfie Mode.

That's right, my 2015 author picture was a selfie. #win

This one was easy. I stood in front of an upstairs window in our house and just started snapping while looking all contemplative...at the wall. Yep, that's where my eyes are pointed. At a wall. The sun sure did a nice job of bleaching out most of that window. Ah, dramatic lighting.

That "shadow" of stubble is what I get the day after I shave. I could have a mountain-man beard in no time if I stop taming that thing.

This year it was obvious again - take a new picture! - but I wanted to do something a little more...meaningful, and try for better (production) quality.

Man, my new iPhone takes a hell of a picture. Not a selfie this time.

So, this pic isn't cropped down to actual "author photo" size, but in this wide shot you can see a frame on my desk that has a picture of my wife with Maddie, who was just a day old, and over my head is a picture of Maddie at two months holding a copy of Seeing. Yeah, there's also a BB-8. And a Millennium Falcon. What?

I like this year's author photo more than the previous takes (though I still don't like having it done) because it places a lot into one picture that makes up me - my family, my work, and some of my favorite things (behind me on the shelf are copies of my favorite books and movies, not placed overtly that they'd be obvious, but I know they're there).

With no plans for a book release next year, I've got two years to plan the next shot.

Imagine what my iPhone 8 will be able to do....