Welcome to Wild Card Wednesday. Today, we have a guest blogger. You are probably all familiar with Tiffany A. White from the Original Vs. Remake series. Today, you’ll get a chance to know a different side of Tiffany.
This post is the introduction of a new blog feature here at Full-Tilt Backwoods Boogie. As a fan of Celebrity Playlists on iTunes, I decided it would be cool to ask my author friends to talk about the music that inspires them. Tiffany is my first victim participant.
About Tiffany and her Fiction
Tiffany has written a very entertaining book called Football Sweetheart. It’s a Young Adult Mystery/Suspense set in West Texas–the land of the friday night lights.
Though the setting is the Football is King atmosphere of Midland, Texas, you don’t have to be a football fan enjoy the story. The characters are relatable. The events are both horrifying and fascinating. And the mystery will keep you guessing until the very end.
So, without further delay…
Heeeere’s Tiffany!
First, I’d like to thank Catie for having me and for her continued support. We may not have yet met in person, but I consider Catie one of my close friends. Not only do we chat on social media and co-author a monthly blog series together, but we share real life stories and experiences with one another on a regular basis.
I can’t wait for the day we actually get to have a cup of coffee, a piece of chocolate cake, and visit a haunted location together—she is one of those people that I feel I was destined to meet.
A Playlist? Oh dear.
Originally, Catie asked me to write about a few television shows and/or movies that compared to or held similarities to my young adult mystery Football Sweetheart (since I’m addicted to TV and other things pop culture). However, Catie changed her mind and asked that I do something different—create a music playlist for my book.
Obviously, I’m most comfortable talking about television and movies; anyone that reads my blog, The Ooo Factor, knows this.
But, like most writers, I appreciate a challenge. So how does one go about creating a playlist for one’s novel? Well, I built my list two ways: I included music mentioned in Football Sweetheart AND tunes that I “heard” while writing certain scenes.
Choices, Choices
So, how did I choose the music mentioned in Football Sweetheart?
I listen to all types of music—the oldies but goodies; lots from the ‘80s and ‘90s; and more recent hits. I do not limit the genre of music either; my MP3 player has a little bit of everything from jazz to country to rock to grunge to hip hop. This variety is evident in the music mentioned in my story.
So, which songs did I include and why?
The ‘80s
Cyndi Lauper “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
Click here if the video doesn’t work for you.
Cyndi Lauper’s” Girls Just Want to Have Fun” plays in the background in a department store while my protagonist (Aimee) and her friends shop for Homecoming dresses. I feel this classic ‘80s song represents how girlfriends feel when they get together.
The music is carefree and reminds us of our youth and the importance of friendship. I still can’t help but dance when I hear this song.
The Bangles “Walk Like an Egyptian”
The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian” plays over the car radio while Aimee and her friends are stuck waiting in line at a drive-thru for their late night snack. Much like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” this classic ‘80s hit just oozes fun and gives many a reason to dance.
I selected this song for Football Sweetheart for more than one reason… not just because it’s a great girlfriends’ song, but because one of my best friends and I sang this song in one of those recording studios when we were in high school. If only I could find that tape… yeah, a cassette tape. We’re old.
The ‘90s
My protagonist’s best friend (Ella) plays Aerosmith’s “Crazy” in her bedroom the night before she goes missing. I chose to include this song for two reasons: 1) Get a Grip is my favorite Aerosmith record to date, and 2) because the lyrics remind me of high school girls, their secrets, and their intense crushes.
Ella has been keeping secrets from Aimee all summer long; she has had multiple boyfriends and there’s a side to her that even those closest to her are unaware of… which gets her into trouble.
Radiohead “Creep”
Click here if the video doesn’t work for you.
Radiohead’s “Creep” plays in the background during a love scene (don’t worry; Football Sweetheart is a young adult novel and the scene fades to black before anything intense happens) shared between Ella and her current boyfriend (Eric).
This scene shows the intimacy shared between the two teens; it also shows just how special their relationship is. They have a “secret” hideout where they have spent time and taken care with the decor. Plus, it’s their safe place where they not only have sex but also do drugs together—yet another of Ella’s secrets. “Creep” is a sexy and slow song that I felt fit perfectly with the scene and ambiance.
The hip hop (from the ‘90s):
Young MC “Bust a Move”
Click here if the video doesn’t work for you.
Young MC’s “Bust a Move” plays at the Homecoming dance while Aimee and her friends “get down” on the dance floor. It may be old, but I felt it was still relevant enough today because it will always be a song that makes people want to get up and shake their booties. Are you wiggling your bottom at all right now?
Snoop Doggy Dogg “Gin and Juice”
Snoop Doggy Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” plays in the background while Aimee and her friends party (aka drink) at one of their “spots” after a football game. I chose this song entirely because of the lyrics and the beat… it’s that simple.
The more recent hits:
Cold Play “The Hardest Part”
Click here if the video does not work for you.
Cold Play’s “The Hardest Part” plays in the background in Aimee’s bedroom the night she receives some really bad news (no spoilers here—read the book!).
I selected this song not only because of its lyrics, but also because Cold Play is one of my favorite bands. The tune is peaceful and the words sad, exactly how I wanted to portray Aimee at that very moment… like she knew what was going to happen and that it is time to move on.
Background Music
I also selected a few songs that are not mentioned in Football Sweetheart. These songs represent more the music that I “heard” while writing my novel. I keep typing the word heard inside quotation marks, and that’s because I didn’t necessarily listen to the music as I wrote, but instead imagined these songs playing within the scenes themselves… sort of like a movie’s background music.
Football Sweetheart’s background music:
P.O.D. “Boom”
If the video doesn’t work, click here.
Football Sweetheart is about a football team, and this is my football music. P.O.D.’s “Boom” reminds me of football…
“Boom! Here comes the Boom!
Ready or not, here comes the boys from the Lasal south.”
Texas Tech plays this song over the loud speakers when the football team, particularly the defense, is running onto the field. “Boom” just makes me want to run out and tackle someone! Oh, and clearly we (Texas Tech and I) have replaced the world Lasal with south.
When I heard The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey” for the first time, I knew this was the song that would play at the end if Football Sweetheart was made into a 2-hour television mystery or a major motion picture.
“I belong with you, you belong with me.
You’re my sweetheart.”
Enough said.
Blue October “Independently Happy”
And, last but not least, I’ve included my go-to song when I’m having a bad day. Whether it be a bad day because I’m suffering from writers block, or because for whatever reason I feel like my writing is no good, this song always picks me back up.
It’s also my cardio song; it makes me want to push myself beyond my limits. Perhaps it’s partly because of the tone; perhaps it’s because of the lyrics; heck, maybe it’s because I just love the band… period. Regardless, when Catie asked for my playlist, I knew this one would make my list.
After all, if we can’t make ourselves happy, how can we expect someone else to?
If your story was made into a television movie or major motion picture, what music can you “hear” playing in the background? Would it feature more of a particular genre and/or time period, or would it be all over the map like my Football Sweetheart playlist? I’d love to hear from you!
I want to thank Catie for having me, as well as everyone for reading. Better yet, I hope you enjoyed the music! If you like mysteries, football, or young adult reads, please pick up a copy of Football Sweetheart today!
High School Football can be MURDER
Aimee Freeman is looking forward to the start of her senior year. She knows her best friend Ella has been keeping secrets from her all summer long, but with football season right around the corner, the student trainer decides not to worry about it-they’ll have plenty of time to catch up on the field.
Then Ella goes missing, and Aimee realizes those secrets might be the key to finding her. As the case unfolds, Aimee discovers more than one person may have wanted to harm Ella.
Was it Ella’s current boyfriend, a social outcast the entire city seems intent on blaming for her disappearance? Or her ex-boyfriend, the beloved star quarterback who has harassed Ella since their breakup? The list of potential suspects continues to grow after Aimee reads Ella’s journal, but she must break her best friend’s secret code to reveal their identities.
Unbeknownst to Aimee, her investigation has not gone unnoticed. Ella’s abductor is watching and waiting. Will he decide Aimee needs to be silenced-making her the next target?
Buy Football Sweetheart
Find Tiffany A. White Online
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William Simon said:
What a great interview, Catie and Tiffany!
I’ve always got music going when I write. A mixture of old jazz and standards, I’ve recently discovered some of the music channels on AT&T U-Verse. (First thing I did was connect the receiver to the theater system!) I’ve got the channel ‘Smooth Jazz’ going at the moment, but flick back and forth to some of the country stations. It’s interesting how music fuels the writing beast…:)
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Catie Rhodes said:
Thanks, William!
I have not tried AT&T U-Verse. I will have to look it up and see what I think. After I did my post on Pandora, someone recommended that I try Songza. I’ve found that they have a fantastic selection of lyric-free music. They have anywhere from movie soundtrack themes, to classical music, to nature sounds, to just ambient music.
I’ve had some pretty good luck creating to jazz. By the way, how is Vegas Knights coming? Looking forward to reading more.
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William Simon said:
That’s the neat thing today, Catie: there are so MANY choices for music we like..:)
VK is coming along, slow and steady, thank you for asking..:) I’m going to use NaNoWriMo Month for the Big Push on it!
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Kitt Crescendo said:
Wow! So you liked my recommendation. Cool!
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Tiffany A White said:
Thank you, William!!
We have U-Verse and I love the music channels, I just have a hard time finding them all of the time (too many channels – LOL). I love jazz… I’d love to take a trip back to New Orleans specifically for the food and music.
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August McLaughlin said:
I love “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”
Great list, Tiffany!
My soundtrack would be long and eclectic, that’s for sure. I’ll have to think more about what would fall on it… Probably some Adele, Indigo Girls and “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Mis. Hmm…
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Catie Rhodes said:
If you’d like to be on Celebrity Author Playlist when your book comes out, let me know. I’ll be more than happy to host you.
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August McLaughlin said:
Ooh, tempting. Thanks, Catie. I’ll keep it in mind for sure.
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Tiffany A White said:
Thanks, August!! I think “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” should be introduced to all girls at an early age… it really represents my generation. We even had a slumber party at my house a few years ago and watched the movie. It’s no masterpiece, but it’s still fun to watch! I knew I had to find some way to fit it into Football Sweetheart.
I hope you take Catie up on her offer and put together your novel’s playlist!!
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Amber West said:
This may be my favorite type of new author interview ever. Way to go, Catie! I am so big on listening to music when I write, and while I may not always incorporate the songs into the book, I do imagine scenes with the songs in the background (like a movie) or the types of music the character might listen to.
Great mix, Tiff!
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Tiffany A White said:
Thanks, Amber!
You know, Catie… Amber should have a new release of her own soon… just sayin’.
I hope I’m not putting you on the spot, Amber. Okay, maybe I am… on purpose. LOL
You know I love you!
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Emma said:
Crazy reminds me of my teen years. Looking forward to reading Football Sweetheart.
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Catie Rhodes said:
I hope you do get a chance to read it, Emma.
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Tiffany A White said:
Me too, Emma! I wasn’t lying when I said Get a Grip is one of my favorite Aerosmith albums of all time… and I’ve been a HUGE Aerosmith fan since i was a little girl, with songs like “Angel,” “Janie’s Gotta Gun,” “Ragdoll,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Dream On,” etc… I could go on and on. I’ve seen them in concert numerous times and I tear up at almost every song…
Anyway, I do hope you read Football Sweetheart and enjoy it!! Thanks for stopping by!
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Emma said:
I swear I’ll get to it before Christmas, Tiffany. You know how those TBR lists are. I love Cryin’, had bit of a crush on Stephen Dorff.
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Tiffany A White said:
I completely understand those TBR lists… and no rush! Although, I do hope you enjoy when you do read it!
And Stephen Dorff… what about Josh Holloway? He may have had a tiny role, but still.
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Emma said:
Yes, I know. It’s blink and you’d miss him!
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Catie Rhodes said:
You’ve read parts of my novel. If it were to be adapted for the big screen, I picture it with an eclectic soundtrack from Texas musicians. Most people think of country music when they think of Texas, but a lot of different styles of music come out of Texas. My book’s soundtrack would have songs by Lyle Lovett, Pantera, Townes Van Zandt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson, Doug Sahm (and the Sir Douglas Quintet), Freddy Fender, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Johnny Winter, Janis Joplin, and Charlie Sexton.
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Tiffany A White said:
Love this list, Catie!! Especially Pantera, Stevie Ray, Willie, and Janis… you can’t go wrong with this music!!
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Tiffany A White said:
Thank you so much for having me, Catie! You really forced me outside my comfort zone on this, but I have to say it was a lot of fun putting together this playlist. I think this new blog series of yours is going to be a HUGE hit!! I’m honored to be the first guest. HUGS
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Catie Rhodes said:
I am so happy you had fun. That was what I wanted (I promise). Music is something that brings people together. You can have different politics, different backgrounds, and different religion…but everybody might like the same song or the same artist. It’s amazing.
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Tiffany A White said:
LOL. You know when you said “amazing,” I immediately thought of another Aerosmith song!! I have a one track mind right now…
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alandhopewell said:
My personal playlist is all over the place, from the Duprees
to Edward Bear
to Alan Parsons Project
and beyond. Plus, I’m a huge Todd Rundgren / Utopia fan. I love all kinds of music.
If my life were a movie, the opening scene would be thus….
(SCENE OPENS ON A BEDROOM, ABOUT TEN AM OR SO. ROOM IS IN DISARRAY, AND SPRAWLED ACROSS THE BED IS OUR HERO, WAKENING TO THE ALARM.
CUT TO SAME ROOM, A FEW MINUTES LATER. O.H. IS OUT OF BED, RAMBLING THROUGH CLOTHES FOR SOMETHING TO WEAR. HE PICKS UP SHIRT FROM ON THE FLOOR, PEERS INTENTLY AT IT, SNIFFS IT, JUMP CUT TO O.H. BOMBING SHIRT WITH GIANT CAN OF LYSOL)
Playing over it all would be this….
Great idea, Tiffany, Catie!
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Catie Rhodes said:
Oh, Alan! I love “What’s Going On.” That is one of my favorite songs. And your thing about spraying the shirt with lysol cracked me up. We all have our moments. Glad you enjoyed the post.
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Tiffany A White said:
I have actually sprayed clothes with Lysol before… is that odd? Maybe I shouldn’t have shared that… LOL
Thanks for stopping by and for sharing some of your very own playlist, Alan!
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Rhonda Hopkins said:
Cool new series, Catie. What a fun post, Tiffany. Loved the songs you chose.
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Catie Rhodes said:
I am glad you enjoyed this, Rhonda. You are a published author. You can take a turn if you like. Or you can wait until you are promoting IOS.
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Tiffany A White said:
Thank you, Rhonda!!
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Jess Witkins said:
Catie, this idea is so fun! I love that you are having authors chatting about their favorite music picks and what a unique way to talk about their books too! You guys are a amazingly dynamic duo! But can I PUH-LEEZE come with you for cake, coffee, and spirit hunting?! Can I? I know that Tiff, Catie, and I would be Fab-OOoh-lous ghost hunters together!
Tiffany, why am I not surprised by many of your mix picks? I love your girly dance songs and think Crazy was a spot on pick! Have to ask…did you first hear Ho Hey by the Lumineers on Hart of Dixie? I so did! And I love them now! LOL
Great post ladies!
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Catie Rhodes said:
Of course you can come ghost hunting. You can be Daphne, and I’ll be Velma. Cosmo can play Scooby. Tiffany can be Buffy and save us all when the going gets tough. LOL
So glad you enjoyed the post. When your book is published, you’ve got a open spot waiting for you.
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Tiffany A White said:
I get to be Buffy? That’s awesome! Do I get Angel or Spike to help me?
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Tiffany A White said:
Can you come with us? Uh, yeah!!
I did not hear Ho Hey on Hart of Dixie (can you believe I actually don’t watch that?!?!), but I did hear it on the radio… I fell in love and just knew that was the song playing in the final chapter of Football Sweetheart.
Thanks so much for the kind words and for stopping by, Jess!! We need to get you back down to Texas…
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Alicia Street (@AliciaStreet1) said:
Fun post, Catie and Tiffany! And great choices for the playlist!
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Tiffany A White said:
Thank you, Alicia!
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Stacy Green said:
Great interview and playlist, guys. Some classic songs that fit the book!
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Tiffany A White said:
Thank you, Stacy!! I can’t wait to see your playlist!!
Pingback: A Football Sweetheart Playlist | Tiffany A White's Ooo Factor
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Kitt Crescendo said:
Heh! Some gal pals and I actually lip synced to “Walk Like An Egyptian” in togas back at our Jr High talent show. Thanks for the flash back! I’m a fan of practically every song you selected. Thanks for the music!
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Catie Rhodes said:
How funny! I remember (back when Purple Rain and Prince were very, very popular) this guy coming to a party dressed head to toe as…Prince. Of course, he was this big, dorky, blonde-headed, lobster-skinned country boy. So it was hysterical.
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Kitt Crescendo said:
That’s awesome… I remember our class valedictorian almost losing her “toga” just as the curtains parted (we only had underwear on under the sheets). LOL!
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Tiffany A White said:
Oh, my!! I wish you had video, Kitt! LOL.
Thank you so much for stopping by!!
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Kitt Crescendo said:
Me, too!
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Julie Glover said:
I don’t usually write to music, but for my current YA, I made playlists for both of the main characters. Since I’m writing the novel with two POVs, it helps me get in the mood for each girl’s voice to get some background music going. One character has Sinead O’Connor, John Mellencamp, Train, and Cowboy Junkies as representative; and the other has Enya, Sara McLachlan, John Mayer, and Snow Patrol as a sampling of the tunes.
Like the playlist, especially the 80′s songs! Yes, I’m old.
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Tiffany A White said:
Awesome, Julie!! I can’t wait to see your playlists featured!!
And you’re not old. If you’re old, I’m old. And, I’m not old. No way. LIke, whatever. As if. Would an old person talk like this? I think not!
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Julie Glover said:
40 is the new 20, I say!!!
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Angela Orlowski-Peart said:
Awesome interview, Cathy and Tiffany! I have a playlist for Forged by Greed with a variety of songs, and one of them actually is Cindy Lauper’s Girl’s Just Want To Have Fun
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Tiffany A White said:
See…. Girls DO Just Want to Have Fun. It’s universal. Thanks for stopping by, Angela! Is your playlist up on your site?