I listen to a lot of music when I write. It's my way of calming my mind enough to be able to write my stories but also to get in to the mindset of the characters and situations that I put them in.

While writing the first Mother, Dearest book, I found myself unable to write unless I had my music on and that lead to a lot of my ideas for the characters being inspired by the songs. You really can find inspiration everywhere you look.

Here are some of the songs that inspired certain characters and scenes but be aware, there are spoilers.

1: Bad Moon Rising by Creedance Clearwater Revival (the opening scene where we see Naz driving the rental car in the rain)

2: Rise like a Phoenix by Conchita Wurst (acted as the defacto theme for when I wrote any scenes with Satara)

3: Rise Up by Andra Day (there's a scene where Naz FINALLY stands up for himself and tells people he is worthy and he is enough, this song really pushed me in to the emotions I needed to write it as authentically as I could)

4: Roi by Bilal Hassani (I had this on repeat while writing the ending scene at the graveside with the bird and the deer)

5: Ever and a Day by AFI (The circus scene where Naz is unsure if it's real or not)

6: Enjoy the Silence by Lacuna Coil (When Naz is at the motel room and thinks he's free for the briefest of moments before THAT voice returns)

7: Be Not So Fearful by A.C. Newman (Jim after the horrific moment at the coffee shop when he blames himself for what happened)

8: Stand my Ground by Within Temptation (When Snow saves Aithling from the creatures in the city / Snow's theme)

9: I Know by Placebo (The song I listened to the most when writing the character of Naz)

10: Arsonist's Lullaby by Hozier (I played this one a fair bit when writing Webber, especially when she was second guessing the things that The Family would have her do)

11: Hedonism (Just Because it Feels Good) by Skunk Anansie (This acted almost as the theme for the relationship between Iasion and Kybele)

12: Somewhere I Belong by Linkin Park (The voice of doubt from Naz when he is introduced to Jim, Satara and the others)

13: GET UP by Shinedown (The words of hope that enter Naz's mind when he realises Satara thinks he's worth more than he has ever felt before)

14: Mad About You by Hooverphonic (The scene where Iasion/Kybele make love to one another after the linking ceremony and after murdering the farmboy)

15: My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark by Fall Out Boy (A song that acts almost like a theme of sorts for Trent when he's using his abilities as an incubus)

16: Bullet With Butterfly Wings by Smashing Pumpkins (A track that felt like a call to arms for when I would sit and write the book itself and heavily influenced the atmosphere of the actual story)

17: Runs in the Family by Amanda Palmer (Inspired the character of Mother in Mother, Dearest)

18: Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Inspired the character of Trent)

19: Lucky by Bif Naked (Another one that inspired the world and characters created in Mother, Dearest as well as inspiring the character of Aithling)

I've put together the soundtrack on Spotify so just give Mother, Dearest a search if you want to hear them.