Music has always been one of my true loves. When I was younger, I thought I perhaps would become a songwriter one day, maybe even a singer, but the world had different plans for me. Despite a different artistic calling, music still deeply influences me.

When I was writing Braha, I listened to songs that helped me feel the mood of the characters and scenes. Click on the song title below to hear the songs and melodies that inspired me.

The Beach by Parov Stelar

Mad World (Alternate Version) by Michael Andrews, feat. Gary Jules

I Will Possess Your Heart by Death Cab for Cutie

All Things All At Once by Tired Pony

Practical Arrangement by Sting

It’s Not the Same Moon by Sting

Out in the Moonlight by Bill Griese

The Beach is perhaps the single most influential song. Perfect for the beginning and end of the book. Melancholy and sad. Life goes on. Mad World is the second most influential song. Melancholy, sad and so very true about Braha.

I associate I Will Possess Your Heart with Colonel Kassel because he was relentlessly determined to possess Leena’s heart, no matter what the cost. Practical Arrangement is all about Leena and Finn. Despite the sad ending to the song, Leena and Finn’s destiny turned out much differently than Sting’s characters, for they found their practical arrangement turned into love.

All Things All At Once is Reed’s song. Near the end of the book, Reed struggles to deal with Linden’s relationship with Dan. I listened to this song when I needed to flesh out Reed’s feelings for his life-long friend. Out in the Moonlight is a more playful song for Reed and Linden. It explores how they might allow their relationship to evolve, given the chance.

Finally, It’s Not the Same Moon is a song for Leena and Linden, two heroines, generations apart. Ironically, it is the same moon. Don’t ask me to make sense about what inspires me when I write. Sometimes nothing makes sense, but a beautiful story still emerges.