Do you remember the opening scene of Grease? It was so sweet with the young couple on the beach at sunset and the music in the waves in the background. Now when I heard that the ROSA’s sweet anthology’s title is Sweet Songs of Summer, that was the first scene that came into my head. If you watch the video, you’ll realize it is sweet and summery.
Does music inspire books? Or do books inspire music? According to a post by The Washington Note on 13 October 2020, it’s both.
I always listen to one song when I write a story. Often the song would be played during a proposal scene or the first time they met, or the first kiss or maybe even a wedding song. I may not listen to it while I’m writing it, but I may often listen to it before I start writing for the day.
I’ve asked the other participating authors in the anthology, which song would they choose as their story’s theme song and why. Below are their answers.
ALISSA BAXTER – IS THIS LOVE?
Garth Brooks – To make you feel my Love
I chose To Make You Feel My Love because the words are relevant to the circumstances my heroine finds herself in. Jennifer is recovering from a significant trauma and needs to find the courage to move forward with her life. The song I chose is from the soundtrack for the movie Hope Floats.
FRANCINE BEATON – CHANCES
If you’ve read any of my books, you may know by now, I’m a huge Ronan Keating and Ed Sheeran fan. I’ve used their music as inspiration in most of my books. For Chances I’ve chosen Ed Sheeran’s Perfect. As this is a ‘friends to lovers (or rather sweethearts)’ trope, one part of the lyrics resonated with me:
'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love
Not knowing what it was
I will not give you up this time
And just because in the official music video Ed and the girl is so sweet. How could I not choose it?
LARA VAN LELYVELDT
“Marry you” by Bruno Mars. Kind of a spoiler, but the joyfulness of the song is fitting, I think!
LORNA KELLY - A TASTE OF ROMANCE
The song I chose for my inspiration is Love Bites by Deff Leppard. My story is about love between an emotionally wounded photographer who takes on a new assignment to try to recover from her cheating fiancé, and her client who is a very successful cookery author. The combination of love and food, and photography. What’s better? It’s a stunning song and also allowed for a bit of dedication to the hero’s late mom, as his friend called his restaurant Leppards, after her favorite group.
PG BARKER – I FELL IN LOVE WITH A GIRL
My choice of song is 'WOMAN IN LOVE' sung by Barbra Streisand
It's a song of deep feeling but of uncertainly. The protagonist is an attorney so the line in the song "It's a right I defend" resonates with a phrase a lawyer would use often. The protagonist is in love with her movie maker boyfriend but her nasty stepsister keeps reminding her that the media says he is in a relationship with somebody else.
MELISSA VOLKER – THE POOL GUY
Mine is Seeing Blind by Niall Horan & Maren Morris
The reason I chose my song, Seeing Blind is because, in life and in my story, people are often not who they seem
MEG CHRONIS – SECOND FIDDLE
Can’t help falling in Love – Elvis Presley
When I was first asked to write a short, I was asked to take my inspiration from a song off a list of the ten greatest love songs of all time. I chose Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. It was just the sort of song the string quartet in the story would play at a wedding, and it turned out to be the perfect, schmaltzy piece for the big romantic gesture at the end.
KATHY BOSMAN – EVERY MOMENT
Moments – Westlife
My short story is entitled "Every Moment" because when two people fall in love, they need to savour every moment they have together. As beautiful as love is, it may not last forever. Life can throw us curveballs such as loss, change, separation, conflict, growing apart. Every moment with the one you love is special and needs to be cherished. Westlife conveyed this idea so much in their song, "Moments." They conveyed how much my hero, Craig, enjoyed every moment he shared with Carla. She'd brought something into his life he'd needed for a long time. Every relationship we experience grows us and brings us closer to love, whether it lasts or not. True love changes us and empowers us.
TLALANE MANCIYA – STATE OF THE HEART
At my worst – Pink Sweat$
I chose the song because it relates so much to my story in a certain way, and it's one of my favourite songs. The song is about being loved at your worst, to get that person who will love you no matter what the world throws or whatever burdens one may carry. Being loved when things are smooth and nice is good, but the greatest test of how much love can endure is when one has to see a person's worth through those challenging moments, even at their worst moments.
Melissa Volker created a playlist for all the songs, you can find here:
So, this week you’ve read more about the authors, their stories and now the songs which inspired them. Tomorrow is release day. Go play those songs to get you in the mood – then pre-order it at your favourite Amazon store right here:
Happy listening
