baby, baby, baby

So, a couple of weeks ago I told you I was sooooo over Katy Perry.

And now I'm gonna tell you, I was never into the Bieb. I don't get this fascination with Justin Bieber and I never will. My 7 year old niece acts like this boy hung the moon. Maybe he's today's Shaun Cassidy?

Nah. The Bieb just ain't that cool.

You know what is cool, though? The Neon Tree's mash up of The Bieb's song Baby and Stand By Me. Seriously, have a listen. I'm betting you'll dig it immensly. I do.

so over her

I'm totally over Katy Perry. I liked her when she kissed a girl. But now? Ugh. The airwaves are saturated with Firework, California Gurls, & Teenage Dream...and I just wanna barf every time I hear one of those songs. (which, if you listen to the radio, is approximately every 13 seconds)

I actually really liked her at first, so I feel really badly that my finger automatically hits the seek button every time I hear a few bars of one of her songs. It's like Pavlov's dog...only with my finger and Katy Perry.

And it's not fair. It's totally not her fault that the stations are cramming her into our heads until our eardrums burst. Or at least, until my eardrums burst. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one off the Katy Perry bandwagon. I'm alone, on the side of the road, while the rest of the world rides off into the sunset with KP. But I'd rather be alone than listen to California Gurls one more time. Yeah, I know. She's so hot she'll melt my popsicle. I guess that means I'll stop eating popsicles then.

Are you over anyone right now?

baby it's cold outside!

The holidays are upon us and the radio stations are pummeling us with Christmas carols.

I'm not ready for them yet. I know, there are only 18 days between now and Christmas Eve. I know that halls are being decked, sweet treats are being baked, and stockings are being hung...and yet, the Christmas Spirit is eluding me.

Maybe it's because I can't have a tree this year. My terrorists kittehs will destroy it, much like they have destroyed every roll of paper towels and toilet paper I've brought into the house...

Maybe it's because this holiday will be a weird one for me. It's the first post-divorce holiday. It will definitely feel strange. The good news is, I will actually get a gift this year! I guess I've finally been a good girl.

Or maybe it's because I just haven't heard the right song yet. There is one song that always makes me happy, even though it's not technically a Christmas song, it is always played around this time of the year and it works wonders for my spirit.

Today I shall listen to it over and over again until I'm no longer feeling the ba humbug.

Baby It's Cold Outside


Do you have a specific holiday song that always gets you in the spirit?

Strong women for the win!

Reading Jon Skovron's blog post today really made me stop and think--how often do strong musical women get a shout-out? There's nothing I love more than a woman with a powerful voice and kickin music skills. Jon mentions several notable female musicians in his post, and here's more I'd love to add to the list:

Chrissy Hines from The Pretenders
Meg White from The White Stripes
Belinda Carlyle from The Go-Gos (gotta love all-female bands!)
Susanna Hoff from The Bangles (same thing!)
Annie Lennox
Shirley Manson from Garbage
Veruca Salt
Hayley Williams from Paramore
Courtney Love from Hole
Amanda Palmer from The Dresden Dolls
Delores O'Riordan from the Cranberries

Okay, I could totally go on and on and onnnnn, but I wanna know--which female rockers do you love the mostie mostest? I'm always on the lookout for new music to jam to!

Rockin out, yo

So today is kind of a fun Wednesday for me. My work friends and I are exchanging music videos and jammin to some great music--Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Ludacris, Fergie, etc. I'm shaking what my momma gave me in my cube LOL. Here's one I'm listening to right now:

What are you listening to right now? Let's get a good list of music going here!

Gimme those cheesy love songs!

I'm listening to cheesy love songs right now. I mean, supa-extra cheesy with a dash of cheese thrown in for good measure. Yanno, those songs you listen to at your office and start tearing up over because deep down you want a guy to hold a radio over his head and play a song like that for you...uhhh, anyway, I thought I'd list my top cheese-tacular songs.

1--All Out of Love by Air Supply. Really, any Air Supply songs could be on this list. I have a not-so-secret passion for this band. I am fully aware this opens me to ridicule. So be it. I'll stand by my men. Don't judge me!

2--I Go Crazy by Paul Davis. Oh man, this one always gets me...I mean, how awesome is it for a guy to say he goes crazy when he looks in your eyes? I mean romantic crazy, not I-want-to-murder-you-when-our-eyes-connect crazy.

3--I Wanna Know What Love Is by Foreigner. This one has to be on my list. I love the chorus part at the end of the song...it always makes me want to stand up and throw my hands in the air. Except last time I did that, my boss caught me.

4--Ah, Leah by Donnie Iris. I love this song. He's all, "you're sooooo bad for me, but I want you anyway." Yeah, baby! I love that whole element of him not being able to resist her...I'm sure other women out there would also like feeling they were irresistable to a person!

5--Please Forgive Me by Bryan Adams. Okay, I've listened to this song about a hundred billion times. I can't help it. Because the one thing he's sure of is the way we made love...the one thing he depends on is for us to stay strong. Dude, he's totally singing to me. I can't turn him away when he's most vulnerable.

6--Next Time I Fall in Love by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant. I don't know why, but this song always gets me. Plus, I have a super-soft spot toward duos. Plus plus, he flat-out says the next time he falls in love, it's gonna be with me. So I should be ready for it, yanno.

7--Lady in Red by Chris de Burgh. Srsly, I'd stab someone in the face to have a song like this written about me. He just thinks she's beautiful and he's thrilled to be with her and just dancing. How sweet is that? I always get goosebumps, because I'm uber-sappy. That's how I roll.

8--Faithfully by Journey. Every time I hear this one start up, I totally crank it and let my awkward inner teen get swept away by the lyrics. Awwwwwwwww he totally misses his woman!

9--How Deep is Your Love by the Bee Gees. I have an extra-special tender spot for the Bee Gees. And this song always gets me, every time. *sniffle* I just love how they say, "we belong to you and me."

10--Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. Come on...this was a gimme. Totally the ultimate cheese. "Two hearts...two hearts that beat as one..." and yet, I gobble it up every time and ask for more.

Okay, seriously, I could go on all day, but now I wanna hear from you. What songs are your fav cheesy love songs? Dish it!

BITE ME! Playlist

In case you missed it, I launched my new book website last week. Please check it out when you get a chance. http://www.haveyoubeenbitten.com

I had fun putting together the content for the site, especially the Timesuckers page where I've posted the playlist for BITE ME! (coming soon: LOVE SUCKS! playlist as well as a book related quiz!)

Music is such an influence in my life. It can set the tone for the day, the mood for a date, and for me, it totally provides the atmosphere for a scene. You'll notice there is a huge variety on my playlist, from country to rock, to pop and each song fits the mood of at least one scene in the book.

When I read books, I often hear a song in my head for specific scenes. I see the story as a movie, and music really adds punch to the emotion a scene is evoking.

Do you do the same thing with music or is it a distraction for you when you read or write? When you read BITE ME! (and, ahem, you will read it, right?) will you download the playlist and listen as you read? Or do you like to pick your own songs?

Shall We Dance?

I've always envied people who can dance. I'm not a complete klutz. When I was younger we used to do line-dancing (not the country western kind... it didn't exist around here then) on the beach. Sunset would come, we'd play oldies, and do stuff like the hully gully (ask your grandparents) or the stroll in tide-pools. Barefoot, ankle deep in water, we had a blast with a boombox blaring out old stuff from the fifties. Later it was The Electric Slide and The Montego. Yep. I'm old.

But when I said dance... I don't mean the generic shaking of booty that pretty much everybody can do, if not particularly well. I mean D A N C E.

I can dance-- held in the arms of a man, swirling to music on a hardwood floor-- with a total of two people on earth. Ahmed is one, and the second is one of our oldest friends. He's an amazing dancer and I've known him so long he's like my brother. So I trust him. And dancing, for real, is all about trust.

I don't like being pushed around, and that includes on the dance floor. Ahmed can take me in his arms, hold my gaze, and steer me. I trust him. I know he won't drop me, stomp on me, or steer me wrong.

I guess that's why I love to read a historical romance with two lovers dancing in one another's arms. Or why I love ballroom dancing on PBS. It's about two people trusting one another without any hesitation. Hesitation kills the dance.

I admire anyone who does it beautifully. Like these two. ENJOY:




ADDED: Need a reason to dance? Our own Gwen Hayes won first place in Paranormal Category of the Marlene Contest!!

Songs Of Our Youth

What song reminds you of high school? All the Fictionistas are chiming in on this one today:

For Kristen:

For me, it's Simple Minds, Don't You Forget About Me. Every time I hear that, I'm back in my BFF's living room, watching The Breakfast Club on VHS, eating nachos and talking about boys.





For Amanda:
Whenever I hear John Mellencamp and Me'shell Ngedeocello's cover of Van Morrison's "Wild Night," I'm immediately transported to the summer in between junior and senior years of high school when I was working at a pizza place on Hilton Head Island (my grandma has a house there). I spent that summer hanging out with my cousin and partying at a beachfront mansion where this chick he was dating worked a nanny. That home happened to be owned by one Mr. John Mellencamp and the nanny was employed to watch his kids, but they were rarely actually there. I never met Mellencamp, but I got to see one of his gold records.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJAnL2k8d7A





For Rhonda:


OMG, so many songs bring me back to high school. But one immediately comes to mind: Prince's song If I Was Your Girlfriend--I distinctly remember this one chick in class who sang it over...and over...and over again. haha.



For Mel:
There are so many songs I can think of that take me right back to high school, but Van Halen Dreams from their 51/50 album reminds me of my senior year. It was our class song and nothing fit us better. And btw, this is still one of my favorite all time albums. Sammy Hagar = yum.




For Gwenster:

Senior year was all about Def Lepard. They stayed on the charts for so long and I admit to recording this video on VHS for instant playback...over and over and over....

Creep

Friday Fun

What does your music library say about you?

*Put Your iTunes, winamp, mp3 player or whatever on SHUFFLE
*For each question, press the next button to get your answer (no cheating!!)
*You must write down song/artist even if it doesn't make sense
*Include any comments in parenthesis
*Post the answer to #25 as your Title (if you blog it)


***

1. What do your friends say about you?
Candy by The Presidents of the Unites States (You're my candy...)

2.How would your coworkers describe you?
03 Ghosts1 by NIN (well, it's instrumental, so maybe that's because none of the words they would use to describe me are printable?)

3. How would you describe yourself?
Finding Me by Vertical Horizon (this might be deeper than I get)

4. What do you like in a romantic partner?
Go Home by Barenaked Ladies (hmmm I like my husband barenaked?)

5. How do you feel today?
Imaginary by Evanesence (yah, I don't know if this applies so much)

6. What is your life’s purpose?
Don't Come Around Here by Tom Petty (my life's purpose is to tell people to get off my lawn apparently)

7. What is your motto?
Fall to Pieces by Velvet Revolver (*sigh* seriously? my motto. great. I'm a little scared to keep going with this list)

8. What do you think about the most?
Breathe by Anna Nalick (I kinda do think life is like an hourglass glued to table.)

9. What are you going to do on your next vacation?
Goodbye Little World by Remy Zero (Fantastic. It sounds like I'm leaving it all behind on my next vacation. Luckily I never get to go on vacation.)

10. What do you think of your first love/date?
Faster Kill Pussycat by Brittany Murphy and Paul Oakenfield (come home with me when the party ends.....just kidding. But I do love that song.)

11. What is your life story?
Deuces are Wild bye Aerosmith

12. What did you do yesterday?
Hey Now by Crowded House (I tried to catch the deluge in a paper cup yesterday)

13. What do you think of when you see the person you like/love?
Come Back to Bed by John Mayer (that works for me)

14. What describes your wedding?
Faith by George Michael (woot!)

15. What will they play at your funeral?
Everytime I Think of You by The Babys (Seasons come and seasons go but our love will never die)

16. What is your obsession?
Everlong by Foo Fighters (it's a good obsession song if I were stalking someone....breathe out so I can breathe you in...)

17. What is your biggest fear?
Cherry, Cherry by Neil Diamond (I don't want to know what this means.)

18. What is your biggest secret?
1999 by Prince (life is just party and party was meant to last? I dunno I think my biggest secret is that none of my music looks like it should be on the same player.)

19. What is your biggest turn-on?
Boat Drinks by Jimmy Buffett (well, I do like those pina coladas you get on a cruise)

20. How do you describe your friends?
Girls Got Rhythm by ACDC (well, a lot of my friends do have that back seat rhythm..they would probably be the first to tell you about it too)

21. What would you do with a million dollars?
(oh No!) I Want Your Sex by George Michael (that is bad, isn't it?)

22.What is your opinion of the opposite sex?
Take it to the Limit by Eagles (sure, whatever)

23. What is your biggest regret?
Dancing Queen by Abba (I am a little sad that I never learned to play the tamborine.)

24. What would you rather be doing right now?
And We Danced by the Hooters (that's kind of cool. I guess I'd rather be shaking the paint off the wall right now.)

25. What will you post this list as?
Creep by Radiohead

that timeless question

If you were stranded on an island, what 3 albums would be essential to have on your iPod. (okay, we're going to just go with the idea that by the time you're stranded on an island, iPods will be solar powered)

My answers change every year. (Technically the question changes every year, too. In the 80s we said 'records' or 'cassettes' in the 90s we said CDs and now we say iPod/MP3. Who knows what's next?)

So way back when during the 80s I would've said:

1. Van Halen 5150
2. Led Zepplin Houses of the Holy
   
3. Beastie Boys License to Ill

I would say all three of those albums would still be on my top 10 list.

Then came the 90s and my list changed slightly.

1. Ozzy Osbourne No More Tears
2. Dokken Back for the Attack
3. Ocean Blue The Ocean Blue
   

And now, here we are in 08 and my list has changed...again. Probably several times. But as of today, these are the 3 albums I wouldn't want to be stranded on an island without:

1. Staind Chapter V (plus a bonus song from another album because it's one of my faves ever and I can't imagine being stranded without being able to listen to It's Been Awhile
2. The Catch and Release Soundtrack
   
3. Buckcherry 15
   

Has your musical tastes changed over the years or are you just now figuring out what type of music you're most drawn to? I'm across the board and always have been. You're likely to find a combination of Beatles, Led Zepplin, various 90s Hair Metal Bands, Faith Hill, Avril Lavigne, plus all the above on my iPod. It's never boring when I hit 'shuffle.'

What three albums would you take to the island with you today? Were they different 10 years ago?