"All of Me" (Tiesto's birthday treatment) by John Legend The Scene: Glimpse of the future.
This song is so romantic and also fits the loving mood of what transpires in the gazebo.
"Bring You To Life" by Steve Aoki and Rune RK The Scene: One of her steps.
This was a tough song to choose. It's Christmas in France, Keatyn and Aiden have consummated their relationship and are happy. Then Brooklyn calls and brings the reality of the situation crashing back down. This song highlights Aiden's feelings in this scene. He's so supportive and committed to her, and this song's lyrics reflect that.
"No Stopping Us" by Dirtyphonics The Scene: Make some noise.
This is a super upbeat song that is perfect for Keatyn and Knox's night at the club. I also love the words about not stopping us, which is exactly how Keatyn feels. Like she's going to win this fight with Vincent and can't be stopped. Especially since she now has help from Knox to get into the tabloids.
"Kings And Queens" by SoMo The Scene: That many times.
This song is sexy and perfect for Keatyn and Aiden to dance to as they celebrate the New Year with a kiss. The song talks about everyone being in love. Plus, SoMo has a very sexy voice.
"Dangerous" by Within Temptation The Scene: No need for threats.
This song is so cool, and I was so excited when I first heard it. I love how there is both a male and female voice, and they both sing about things being dangerous, about worlds colliding, which makes me almost picture Vincent and Keatyn each singing their part almost to each other, or at the same time, not knowing the other is feeling the same way. She sings about feeling caged in, about a countdown starting, walls falling down, lives being on the line, and fear. He sings about the reaper and destiny. Then they sing together about how it's dangerous.
"This Is The Time" by Nothing More The Scene: Call me!
This is another song that I listened to on repeat. I can tell you exactly where I was, too. I was sitting in Modesto, California, in August, in a very hot and busy kart racing tent. My son had a big race that I didn't want to miss, but I was on a tight deadline and had to work every second he wasn't on the track. I had my headphones in blaring this song so that I could try to concentrate on the story. And this part of the story was tough to write. In this scene, specifically, Keatyn is creating a fake public life so that Vincent will see her out and about. She's trying to push him over the edge. But in doing so, it's adversely affecting her relationship with Aiden. She's shutting him out, trying to protect him. And in a way, she's losing herself, losing her life, along the way. Which is a bit of a conundrum since she's trying to get her life back. This song also has a sad quality to it, yet a heart pounding beat. And it fits the mood for this scene and for this entire part of the book.
"This Is What It Feels Like" by Armin van Buuren The Scene: Sort of awkward.
This song goes with the scene where Keatyn finds out that Brooklyn has been kidnapped by Vincent. The lyrics talk of a battle. Of drowning without your love. About needing to be saved. About not knowing if they will survive. It perfectly portrays the desperation she feels.
"Not Gonna Die" by Skillet The Scene: Get away.
So many of the songs for this book are so heavy. But the stakes in this book are big, so it makes sense. This is the song I picture for the scenes when Keatyn and Vincent are fighting, when the Secret Service pulls up and starts shooting, and when she jumps in front of him, so he won't die. And the words, gosh, talking about fighting back, taking your life back, not giving up.
And then the girl's voice talking about the last time she heard his voice. And Vincent fighting, holding on, wanting nothing more than to not die, to just be with his beloved Lacy. I listened to this song, many, many times.
"This Love" by The Veronicas The Scene: Get away.
Gosh, pretty much every song on this playlist makes me want to cry for a variety of reasons. It may be because it's the culmination of everything. It may be because lives and love are on the line. I'm pretty sure there were a few e-readers tossed in anger at this part. Aiden crashed his car into the van. Vincent is now dead. And she's leaving Aiden at the scene of the accident, hurt, going to the hospital in an ambulance. He's injured; his car is totaled. She's been hit on the back of the head, in a car wreck, fought Vincent, got shot, watched him die in her arms. She's finally free. But yet, she's not. She has to go find Brooklyn. And for those of you who were worried it meant she loved B more, that she was choosing him, this song tells you exactly how she's feeling. She doesn't want to go. Her heart is breaking. She's never felt a love like his before. And she won't give up on them.
"Waves" by Mr. Probz The Scene: Catastrophic events.
This song talks of waves, of drifting away, of drowning. Which is how Keatyn feels when she learns that Brooklyn is presumed dead in the explosion that took place at Vincent's grandmother's home.
"Siren" by Kat Krazy The Scene: Face facts.
This song, you guys. Oh my gosh. It talks of being face to face under the stars. About confessing love. About the moon. The sea. But it goes a step further and pretty much foreshadows Keatyn saving Brooklyn from the sky falling. (The bomb.) And about breaking down walls. (Which she does to get him out of the safe room.) And it talks about never letting someone go. It's perfect.
"Numb" by Usher The Scene: Face facts.
Oh, this song. I'm not sure the true meaning of this song, but I can tell you how it affected me. This is one of the songs that I listened to over and over on repeat.
During a three-hour drive, I listened to this song the entire trip. At the time, I had just finished writing book two, and although I knew that Brooklyn would get kidnapped and Keatyn would rescue him in the last book, I didn't know about the bombs. But as I listened to this song, the scene unfolded in front of me and I had to keep listening to it again and again. During that drive home, I wrote a whole notebook worth of notes, sprawled in a sloppy nearly indecipherable way because I couldn't look to see what I was writing as I was driving.
The beat reminds me of a ticking bomb. The emotion in his voice makes me think of her dad. And when he talks about letting go, it's like she's both losing herself and finding herself all at once. And because of it, she does something really brave. The song talks about knowing what's real. About life being a battlefield. About what's important. And until this moment, Keatyn didn't really know what she was capable of.
"Unstoppable" by R3hab The Scene: Face facts.
This is such an amazing girl power song. And it fits the scene so well. Can't you just picture Keatyn running out of the house, tossing the bomb in the ocean, it exploding and knocking her to the ground, but she gets up and runs into the house to free Brooklyn? She's finally won. She can see the end. She's fought through it all. She's unstoppable.
"Apart" by Orjan Milsen & Jonathan Mendelsohn The Scene: Good to be home.
Writing Aiden's point of view killed me. And so does this song. It talks about how when they aren't together he feels incomplete. Like pieces of him are missing. And the pain he feels when they are apart. And he won't be better until she's back in his arms.
"Lightning" by Cash Cash The Scene: Good to be home.
More from Aiden's point of view. Heartbreaking. This song talks about him being all she ever needed, him wondering how he let her get away, how she was like a lightning bolt to his soul, his heart. About how they should be together forever. And although this song is specifically about this scene, it also goes back to Aiden's wish on the moon. How desperate he felt that night. How he was embarrassed. How he vowed to change his life, his ways. When Keatyn kicked the soccer ball at his head in the first book, he said it was like she woke up his soul. This song brings that emotion to life for me.
"Just Say Yes" by Snow Patrol The Scene: Good to be home.
This song is so desperate feeling. The music makes me want to cry. Aiden's shown her over and over how much he loves her, and this is it. He won't be okay without her. He can't wait to know who she's going to choose. He just wants her to say yes and take his hand. That's all. It seems like such a simple thing, but it's huge. She needs to tell him her decision. I also love the part in the song about how there is nothing holding her back, because finally, in their story, there isn't anything in their way anymore. No lies. No stalker. But what life will Keatyn choose? He wants her to choose him so badly. It's like he's begging in the song. He's about to explode. He just wants her to say yes.
"Right Here Right Now" by Sander van Doorn The Scene: The dress of your dreams.
Finally! Happiness for Keatyn and Aiden. And this song is so upbeat and talks about the stars at night, and being together right now. And that's all that matters.
"Shooting Star" by Owl City The Scene: The dress of your dreams.
This is one of those songs that I heard early on when I was writing the series and saved for this last playlist. It brings tears to my eyes still when I hear it, which is funny because it's a happy song. And I think that's why. After all the drama in the series, Keatyn is finally free. She's with Aiden. On the red carpet. And he's her arm candy. The Hollywood lights are out, and she's shining. It's like everything they have been through, all her dreams, have finally come true. And she's exactly where she's supposed to be.
"Set Yourself Free" by Tiesto The Scene: Follow your heart.
This song is awesome. It's got a girl power feel to it and is so fitting of the scene at Keatyn's pre-party with her best friends before they go to her birthday party. She stands up on the bar, holds up a drink, and toasts them. And her toast, well, it sums up the whole book from a friend standpoint. "For those of you who came to my party last year, thank you for still being my friends, even though I left with no explanation. For those of you I've met since then, thank you for understanding why I had to lie to you, and for still being my friends. The party we're heading to is the same as last year's in so many ways. Same club. A lot of the same people. Last year, I had hoped all my friends-from surfing, partying, and school-would come together and instantly become friends. But you didn't. And now I know why. It was because of me. I wanted to keep you separate because I didn't know where I fit in or who I wanted to be. So, raise your glasses and toast each other. This is for you. Love yourselves. Find control in your chaos. Follow your heart. And don't be afraid to wish on the moon."
And the song fits this. It speaks of the perfect Hollywood life, of breaking free. I love it.
"She Looks So Perfect" by 5 Seconds of Summer The Scene: Sunday, August 19th Such a cute song, from Aiden's point of view. Keatyn standing there, looking perfect in his underwear. About being young and in love. And in this scene, Keatyn and Aiden do something sexy, in her closet, on a furry rug, surrounded by all her clothes.
"All These Roads" by Sultan & Ned Shepard The Scene: Sunday, August 19th It was so hard to find a song that summed up Keatyn and Aiden ending up on the hill, looking out at the sun setting over the ocean, surrounded by rows and rows of grapes on the land that she bought him. On the land that would become their home. The place they will raise their family, and where Aiden fulfills his dreams in both his personal and professional life. Their foundation, their mansion of love, and the dirt-it was perfect. Their roads lead them there. And the song fits with lyrics about finding a place to call home.
"Do Or Die" by Thirty Seconds to Mars The Scene: Sunday, August 19th This song was a great way to end the movie of their lives as it talks about their story continuing on and on. Forever.
"Sorta Like Fate" (Acoustic) by Twisted Dreams Music and performance by Kyle Patrick.
The Scene: Sunday, August 19th Of course, this song would have to be on the soundtrack for when Keatyn and Aiden are at the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset getting engaged. It's sorta like fate that we're together. It's sorta like fate that we're both here. . . .
You pull on me like gravity, I wanna get down on one knee.
The world can spin around us, Cuz, baby, now it's you and me.
THE CLOTHES.
I'll just say it. I want Keatyn's closet! I can't talk about the series without taking a moment to reflect on all the clothing boards I created for these books. One hundred and thirty-three of them in total!
Originally, I starting using Polyvore to put together Keatyn's looks, just so I would have an idea of what they looked like, could keep them straight, and write about them. Then it sort of became a slight obsession. I'd spend hours searching the Internet for the perfect combination of clothing for Keatyn to wear. And along the way, I had a great time with her style.
For those of you who don't know, I have a degree in Fashion Merchandising, so I've always loved clothing. One of the things that interests me the most about it is the psychology behind how people choose what to wear and what it says about them. Regardless of your budget, two people could choose the same top and pant, but with accessories, hair style, and shoes, can make them look completely different. And I think that's awesome and what makes us all individuals.
Keatyn's clothing throughout the series also helped me to show her growth. When you first meet Keatyn, she already has a funky style. She mixes everything from vintage finds to designer wear, with no regard to price. It wouldn't be unusual for her to mix an inexpensive dress with a designer shoe. But, when she dresses for other people, she usually has help. She often listens to what Vanessa tells her to wear or she will let her mom's stylist, Kym, dress her. No matter how she came up with her outfits though, you will notice in the first few books, she gives us full, detailed accounts of what she's wearing because it's really important to her. As she grows up in the books, fashion is still important, but she starts making her own decisions. Choosing everything herself. And she doesn't feel the need to list everything. It also shows that there are things more important in her life. Like surviving her showdown with Vincent.
For her school uniforms at Eastbrooke, I knew she couldn't just wear a simple plaid skirt and oxford. She'd want to bring her own style to them. Something else that made her stand out there. It was a challenge to create multiple looks for her. In order to do this, I first had to name the school. Choose its location, school motto, colors, and mascot. I created twenty-one different uniform looks that Keatyn wore throughout the series. Along with that, I created fourteen more school spirit looks, including what she wore for dance practice, games, and Homecoming spirit week.
One of the times clothing really allowed me to show a change in Keatyn was in choosing her dress to wear on the field as Homecoming royalty.
It's weird.
I want to look amazing in my dress but, for the first time in my life, it feels okay to want to blend in. To be part of something bigger than me. I get Whitney's wanting to stand out. I never want to look like anyone but me. But what I really want is for the alumni to look at me and say, There's an Eastbrooke girl.
And then again, when she wears one of her own looks, it gives her confidence.
I'm actually kind of excited to see Whitney. I hope she looks me up and down and gives me a dirty look. It will mean that I look good. Today is the first day that I haven't worn one of Kym's looks. I'm wearing a look I put together myself. As you would expect, it started with a new pair of shoes: deep red suede Louboutin T-strap platforms with leopard heels. I paired them with the plaid skort, a cream-colored Dolce & Gabbana ruffled-front silk blouse, red silk headband, black cardigan, and a fun Juicy Couture charm bracelet.
The clothing boards also held a few clues as to who Moon Boy would be. Aiden was the only boy in the series who got a few clothing boards of his own. He had two for Date Me. One showing what he wore to Pajama Day for Spirit Week, and also what he wore to Homecoming. (Which was interesting, since he wasn't her date!) He has another one devoted to him in Adore Me for the dirt scene. And one for Hate Me featuring what he was wearing the night of the pool table scene. The other thing cool about Aiden is he shared Keatyn's love for shopping and understood her love of shoes. (In fact, he had a lot of shoes himself.) Dressing both of them was a lot of fun.
And we can't talk about Keatyn and Aiden and not mention the boots. Keatyn loves boots, and not just cowboy boots. She's equally partial to any kind of boot or bootie. In fact, out of the 133 clothing boards, she has boots as part of her outfit in 44 of them. (Plus, an additional 8 pairs on the board that show her shoe shopping trip haul.) I'll leave you with a few of my personal favorite clothing-related scenes. This first one shows Keatyn's willingness to stand up to Whitney in a way she never did with Vanessa.
Look eighteen is what I want. The navy, black, and red plaid skort; red lace bra-and if it happens to show a little under my skinny ribbed black tank, oh, well; short red cardigan, with only the middle button buttoned; black leather sliced cuff; and vintage black and gold Channel earrings. Kym showed it with a pair of cute flats, but I decide to go full out sexy and wear the black platform Gucci boots I brought from home.
My hair is full of big curls and my bangs are held back in a poof with a silver barrette. My makeup is soft and natural, except for a black eyeliner swoop and as much mascara as my lashes can hold.
And later. . .
As we walk away, I hear Whitney comment to the table, "Those boots are slutty."
I know she's the Queen. I know I shouldn't do this, but I'm not letting her get away with slamming me. She knows I heard. She thinks I don't have the balls to turn around and call her on it.
But guess what? I do.
But I'm not going to turn it into a fight. I'm going to pretend it wasn't a slam. I'm going to kill her with kindness.
I turn around, smile big, and point down at my boots. "Oh, Whitney, honey, we really need to work on your designers. These boots aren't Slutty, they're Gucci."
And this one, clothing was a way of showing a different side of Aiden, who is as much of a chameleon from a clothing standpoint as Keatyn.
When I come out of my room, ready to show off my new outfit, I am literally stopped in my tracks at the sight of Aiden.
He's playing pool, wearing a plain white t-shirt, dark jeans, a scrumptious black leather Burberry Prorsum motorcycle jacket that I recognize from an ad, and the gunmetal Burberry aviators I got for his birthday.
He looks bad.
Do-me-on-a-motorcycle bad.
He looks so good it's practically criminal, especially since he hasn't shaved in a couple of days. That scruff is perfection.
It revs my motor just looking at him.
He pushes the glasses down his nose and checks me out.
"You look different," I stutter out.
I get a smile and the result is devastating to my insides. A bad boy with a brilliant smile and gorgeous, blinding white teeth.
He sets his pool cue across the table, holds his hands out, and looks down at himself. "You don't like it?"
"Oh, I like. Why don't you dress like that for school?"
"Because we can't?" he says with a smirk. Then he struts over and touches the tops of my thigh highs, his hand brushing under my skirt and giving me a thrill. If I didn't know him, I'd so be running the other way.
After I did him. Probably.
Doesn't every girl need a bad boy at least once in her life?
"These are such a turn-on. It kills me when you wear them with your uniform skirt. All I can think about is . . ."
"Is what?"
"Getting under it." He tilts his head at me. "It's cold out."
"Uh, yeah, it's been cold all day."
"It's warmer here," he says, both his hands sliding up my skirt.
And it does suddenly feel very warm, like I stepped into a sauna of the hotness that is Aiden. I swear, he looks amazing in everything he puts on. Suit, school blazer, football pads, white shorts, sliders, and nothing at all. But this-this almost beats nothing at all.
And this, where it was all about the clothes and how they meant something to both of them.
"Oh my god. It's my dress."
"Your dress?" Kym asks.
"Yes, the dress from my dream."
I examine the dress closer, shocked at how closely it matches the one from my dream.
Sweetheart neckline. Corseted bodice. Tiered bottom in an ombre of pinks.
I look at the label to see who designed it and find a note.
I thought on the night of your dreams, you should wear the dress of your dreams.
Hope this is close.