Into the Mystic: Authors Are Rock Stars Tour with Kelly Keaton

I'm sure that many of you can hear my fangirling wherever you may be. Why? Because today, I have KELLY KEATON, yes, KELLY KEATON stopping by my blog!!

First, let me explain why Kelly is a rock star. You guys, here heroine in the Gods and Monsters series is totally kick-ass! She is not one of those whiny girl characters who has to wait for a boy to come save her. And she fights Greeks goddesses! And she's a Gorgon!!

Second, her books are ah-mazing! They have tons of supernatural creatures, lots of action, interesting characters and a plot that doesn't stop. I can't put them down.

Third, she can write a totally swoon-worthy love interest. I mean, I am totally in love with Sebastian even though that makes me the world's worst cougar, but he's just so HOT!

Finally, Kelly is a fellow North Carolinian. It's like we're neighbors! Now, if I could only convince her that we need to have a sleepover and be BFFs!

I probably can't convince her of that, but I did convince her to give us a playlist to go along with The Wicked Within! So keep reading to hear from Kelly Keaton herself.

Random Ten Playlist for THE WICKED WITHIN:

Hey guys! Very glad to be here for the Authors Are Rock Stars Tour. One thing you might not know about me is that I cannot listen to music when I write. Absolutely cannot. I have tried many times—after all, music is so inspiring; it brings out so much emotion and can set the mood like nothing else. Yet, when I try to write the words in my head while an entirely different set of words (lyrics) are playing, my brain seems to short circuit. I end up focusing on lyrics and my fingers freeze over the keyboard.

That being said, I use music to set the mood before I write, as I plot, and to help me work out any issues when I feel stuck. THE WICKED WITHIN was written in a very short amount of time—actually, the story simmered in my head way longer than it took to write the first draft, and during this time I had some terrific go-to songs for the story itself and just to get me in the writing mood:

1. F*CKIN’ PERFECT by P!NK -- the queen of kickass anthems. Love her, and the way her lyrics combine grit and truth and vulnerability. Several of her songs are always on my playlist.

2. STAY by RIHANNA and MIKKY EKKO – This was my ‘go to’ song for Ari and Sebastian’s relationship. In THE WICKED WITHIN, they’re dealing with the aftermath of events in A BEAUTIFUL EVIL and they have a lot of obstacles to overcome. But there is something between them, despite all the issues…

3. UNTITLED by SIMPLE PLAN – from the very beginning of the series, this song put me right in the middle of all the angst and hurt that shaped Ari before we meet her in DARKNESS BECOMES HER.

4. RADIOACTIVE by IMAGINE DRAGONS – Sebastian’s bad ass song. Makes me see him, how he feels about the changes that happened to him, and how pissed off he is... He’s waking up, people. Welcome to the new age.

5. DON’T TAKE AWAY MY HEAVEN by AARON NEVILLE – just one of his songs I listen to that always puts me in a New Orleans frame of mind.

6. GIRL ON FIRE by ALICIA KEYS – Every time I listen to this, I can see Ari walking down the battle-scarred French Quarter streets with a bloody blade in her hand. Retribution, baby. This girl is on fire. :D

7. SO WHAT by P!NK – Perfect for when Ari is feeling like she wants to start a fight.. ;-)

8. BABYLON by DAVID GRAY – Always reminds me of New Orleans because I listened to his album, White Ladder, during one of my long driving trip to and from the city.

9. LASERS by LUPE FIASCO – gets me in the mood to start work and get the writing show on the road… :)

10. MY SONGS KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN THE DARK by FALL OUT BOY – St. Louis Cathedral. Major show down. Ari and crew light ‘em up in a big, big way. :D

Thank you so much, Kelly, for stopping by and sharing your playlist with my readers! If you haven't read Darkness Becomes Her or A Beautiful Evil yet, what are you waiting for? You can find my reviews of them below: