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We are up to Piscary and Ceri in the Hollows playlist match-up! I hope you are enjoying the look into how I create a character. I don’t have music on most of the time when I’m writing, but when I’m looking to free my thoughts just a little bit more…music does it.

Ceri, first. Ceri was an accident. I had the entirety of Every Which Way but Dead plotted out, and when I sat down to write that first chapter, Ceri walked out from behind the tombstone and blew it all away like dandelion fluffs. ÌýBut she was most welcome into the Hollows. Ceri was never far from her royal, ancient elven roots, and the music I’ve found to fit her wild, dangerous self is Filii Neidhardi by Corvus Corax. I found this group right about the time I began developing Ceri’s persona, and it just seemed a perfect fit.

Piscary, on the other hand� His character was a careful creation, a friendly uncle who has ugly tastes and an unparalleled skill for both gas lighting and manipulating. All his children love and hate him, and he really doesn’t care. There are a lot of tracks that bring up vampires in my mind, their power, their grace, their often-time beauty, but Lullaby by A perfect circle holds a disjointed disconnect that I have always felt encompasses a vampire’s hold on their prey.

I’m going to be bringing these to you faster this week to finish up Friday. Tomorrow I’ll tell you about Jenks and Trent’s tracks. Jenks has one, and Trent has three.

Remaining characters:

Jenks (1), Rachel (3), Trent (3), Newt (2), Kisten (3) � and one for me–my theme song after a hellish couple of years now dumping into one hellish year for everyone.

Remaining songs:

Red Tape: Agent Provocateur

Not Going Away: Ozzy Osbourne

DOA: Foo Fighters

Viva La Vida: Coldplay

Only: Nine Inch Nails

Your Own Worst Enemy: Alice Cooper

Every Day is Exactly the Same: Nine Inch Nails

The American Way: The Crystal Method

Never Say Never: Queens of the Stone Age

Extraordinary Machine: Fiona Apple

The Line Begins to Blur: Nine Inch Nails

Living Dead Girl: Rob Zombie

Looking for the playlist of the Hollows? I’ve got it here: Ìý (You don’t have to upgrade from free to see it.)

Ivy has three tracks from the Hollows Playlist, which is only fair for such a complex character. One of them I believe I’ve shared with you before encompass her outward control of, well, everything, but the other two, especially the one by Jeff Buckley, are more internal, harder to see, as souls often are. I’ll be taking a break from the playlist matchup for the weekend, but I’ll be back on Monday with Ceri’s track.

Ìý

Looking for the entire playlist of the Hollows? I’ve got it here: Ìý (You don’t have to upgrade from free to see it.)

Remaining characters:

Jenks (1), Rachel (3), Trent (3), Newt (2), Pike (1), Kisten (3), Piscary (1), Ceri( 1) � and one for me–my theme song after a hellish couple of years now dumping into one hellish year for everyone.

Remaining songs:

Red Tape: Agent Provocateur

Not Going Away: Ozzy Osbourne

DOA: Foo Fighters

Viva La Vida: Coldplay

Filii Neidhardi: Corvus Corax

Only: Nine Inch Nails

Your Own Worst Enemy: Alice Cooper

You & I: Jeff Buckley

Every Day is Exactly the Same: Nine Inch Nails

The American Way: The Crystal Method

Bury Me Face Down: Grandson

Never Say Never: Queens of the Stone Age

Extraordinary Machine: Fiona Apple

The Line Begins to Blur: Nine Inch Nails

Lullaby: A Perfect Circle

Living Dead Girl: Rob Zombie

Ah, vampires. What would the Hollows be without vampires? And so Pike happened. He’s is a new character that you will get your first glimpse of in just a few more weeks, (Hurray!!!) Ìýbut I gave you some hints yesterday to help find his track in the Hollows Playlist. He’s a living vampire, from a good house, youngest and most vulnerable. Down on his luck even as he’s got a lot of personal power. Mmmm.

I’m expecting a lot from this guy, and we’ll see much more of him in MILLION DOLLAR DEMON. I miss the allure of the vampire, and I will be really ticked if he tries to replace Kisten. No, Rachel is very happy with Trent, and her soul still smarts from Kisten’s loss. She does not want to go back down that particular rabbit hole and I don’t want to take her there again.

But if she did? It would be with Pike.

His song is recent compared to the rest, which makes sense. I found it in a new band called Grandson who mixes a lot of sounds into something new. I’m very curious to see what they come up with next. Bury me Face Down

Ìý

Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about Ivy and how she got three tracks on the Hollows playlist.

Looking for the entire playlist of the Hollows? I’ve got it here: Ìý (You don’t have to upgrade from free to see it.)

Remaining characters:

Jenks (1), Rachel (3), Ivy (3), Trent (3), Newt (2), Kisten (3), Piscary (1), Ceri( 1) � and one for me–my theme song after a hellish couple of years now dumping into one hellish year for everyone.

Remaining songs:

Red Tape: Agent Provocateur

Pearls: Sade

Not Going Away: Ozzy Osbourne

New Years’s Prayer: Jeff Buckley

DOA: Foo Fighters

Viva La Vida: Coldplay

Filii Neidhardi: Corvus Corax

Only: Nine Inch Nails

Your Own Worst Enemy: Alice Cooper

You & I: Jeff Buckley

Every Day is Exactly the Same: Nine Inch Nails

The American Way: The Crystal Method

Never Say Never: Queens of the Stone Age

Extraordinary Machine: Fiona Apple

The Line Begins to Blur: Nine Inch Nails

Lullaby: A Perfect Circle

Short Skirt, Long Jacket: Cake

Living Dead Girl: Rob Zombie

Takata is one of a handful of characters who has been with us since Dead Witch Walking. He began as a wish for me to be in the band, and by the time I had finished writing The Good, The Bad, and The Undead, I knew who he was and how he related to Rachel. We were still looking at only three books at that point, and I figured I’d never get the chance to bring his relationship with her out, but I began to lay out the clues anyway. If I was going to play the “I’m your father� card, I wanted the clues out early and faint–hence seeing him in drips and drabs through his lyrics.

It took almost six books, but I managed to create in Takata’s lyrics something that could both foreshadowed Rachel’s ultimate future as a demon as well as her hidden past.ÌýI was never able to bring more than a phrase or two into the actual texts, but I did write them all out, and if you look through hindsight at them, you can see Takata’s shame and regret for having given his son and then his daughter to the woman he loved to be raised by his best friend from college. Sift the clues from the dust, from my lives, of my will. / I loved you then. I love you still. (You can see the lyrics in their entirety at the website [] )ÌýIt still gives me pause, that regret that he gave her away, and he was telling Rachel even then that the clues and hints to her future and past were there in his music–if she would slow down and listen. Takata was my oracle, the one who knew everything–bound to silence by a promise he made to the woman he loved. Even as he ached. That he and Rachel’s mom are now together makes me happy at night.

So…when I foundÌýRockstar by Nickleback, it was an obvious peek into Takata’s soul, and unlike a lot of the music that the characters grow out of, I think it still fits him pretty well.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you which track holds Pike’s soul. No worries if you don’t guess. No one but I have met him yet, but you’ll get an introduction in AMERICAN DEMON, and a really good look in MILION DOLLAR DEMON (formally titled The Rule) If you want to try to find his music, he’s a vampire from a very good family, but as the youngest and still alive…he’s in a bit of a spot.

Looking for the entire playlist of the Hollows? I’ve got it here: Ìý (You don’t have to upgrade from free to see it.)

Remaining characters:

Jenks (1), Rachel (3), Ivy (3), Trent (3), Newt (2), Pike (1), Kisten (3), Piscary (1), Ceri( 1) � and one for me–my theme song after a hellish couple of years now dumping into one hellish year for everyone.

Remaining songs:

Red Tape: Agent Provocateur

Pearls: Sade

Not Going Away: Ozzy Osbourne

New Years’s Prayer: Jeff Buckley

DOA: Foo Fighters

Viva La Vida: Coldplay

Filii Neidhardi: Corvus Corax

Only: Nine Inch Nails

Your Own Worst Enemy: Alice Cooper

You & I: Jeff Buckley

Every Day is Exactly the Same: Nine Inch Nails

The American Way: The Crystal Method

Bury Me Face Down: Grandson

Never Say Never: Queens of the Stone Age

Extraordinary Machine: Fiona Apple

The Line Begins to Blur: Nine Inch Nails

Lullaby: A Perfect Circle

Short Skirt, Long Jacket: Cake

Living Dead Girl: Rob Zombie

When I began to write Al, he had no soul. Well, his character did, but I didn’t know who he was. His soul, his desires, his fears were all hidden behind his big-bad-ugly persona. At first, that was okay with me. But then we got to where Rachel had to either destroy him, or start to understand him. Al was far too interesting to dispatch, and so–ever so softly–Al began to open up to me in words not said, actions not taken, hesitations that held a memory of his past.

It was then that my muse began to ping against the music, sending me in search of Al’s soul, the hidden past that he wouldn’t dare show Rachel. But me? As the architect? He would speak to me. ;-).

I first found AlÌýin Sympathy for the Devil by Guns and Roses. The callous, cocky attitude, the power, the dismissive ego, the long life and the indulgence that stems from it raw and in your face. Of all the characters, Al is probably the one who is still evolving the most, and after he was given the trust of two little girls, I found Al’s deeper history, the one with blue butterflies and regret and longing. And so Lilac Wine by Jeff Buckley became Al as well. I think the slow, soulful sounds of an artist taken way too soon from us capture him well.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you of Takata. His track is easy to find if you listen to the lyrics.

Looking for the playlist of the Hollows? I’ve got it here: Ìý (You don’t have to upgrade from free to see it.)

Remaining characters:

Jenks (1), Rachel (3), Ivy (3), Trent (3), Takata (1), Newt (2), Pike (1), Kisten (3), Piscary (1), Ceri( 1) � and one for me–my theme song after a hellish couple of years now dumping into one hellish year for everyone.

Remaining songs:

Red Tape: Agent Provocateur

Pearls: Sade

Not Going Away: Ozzy Osbourne

Rockstar: Nickleback

New Years’s Prayer: Jeff Buckley

DOA: Foo Fighters

Viva La Vida: Coldplay

Filii Neidhardi: Corvus Corax

Only: Nine Inch Nails

Your Own Worst Enemy: Alice Cooper

You & I: Jeff Buckley

Every Day is Exactly the Same: Nine Inch Nails

The American Way: The Crystal Method

Bury Me Face Down: Grandson

Never Say Never: Queens of the Stone Age

Extraordinary Machine: Fiona Apple

The Line Begins to Blur: Nine Inch Nails

Lullaby: A Perfect Circle

Short Skirt, Long Jacket: Cake

Living Dead Girl: Rob Zombie

Music and I have a joined existence. It’s that way for a lot of writers. Most days, my music is sedate and slow, background tonal and nature sounds that allow my thought-to-finger brain to function at optimal speed.

But when I plot� Oh, when I am in those glorious hours/weeks/months of what-if� That is when the music gets loud, and varied, and is played over and over and over, (as my kids would attest) stimulating a slightly different part of my brain, letting me use the music and lyrics to find not just what my character is doing this exact moment, but also his or her past and future. If any part of this process is magic, this is it, using other artists dreams to fuel my own.

Pouring into my brain through my ears is the soul of the characters, the part that doesn’t always get on the page, but is just as real.

I’d like to share the sound of some of the character’s inner souls with you, but because I like games and diversions, I’m going to give you the list of music, and the list of characters, and let you match them up. (grin)

Every day until we hit all 11 characters, (M-F) I will tell you one character’s soul song (some have more than one) and a little of why that music speaks to me of their path.

The list is on Spotify to make for easy listening, and if you aren’t a member, you can sign up for free as I have. (Your phone is an excellent platform for this.) They don’t ask for anything but name email, and I think birthday to make sure you are over 18, so if the link takes you to a sign-up page first, don’t despair!

If I can find a way to make a public list for you to drop your suggestions in, I will. (suggestions from readers familiar with Spotify how to do this are appreciated!)

So for today, I give you the 22 songs and the 11 characters that are my number-one picks for the soul of the Hollows. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you which two songs are Al’s. One is easy, the other…not so much as it is his deep, blue-butterfly longings.

Characters:ÌýJenks (1), Rachel (3), Ivy (3), Trent (3), Takata (1), Newt (2), Al (2), Pike (1), Kisten (3), Piscary (1), Ceri( 1) â€� and one for me–my theme song after a hellish couple of years now dumping into one hellish year for everyone.

Music: at Spotify.Ìý

Lilac Wine: Jeff Buckley

Red Tape: Agent Provocateur

Pearls: Sade

Not Going Away: Ozzy Osbourne

Rockstar: Nickleback

Sympathy for the Devil: Guns and Roses

New Years’s Prayer: Jeff Buckley

DOA: Foo Fighters

Viva La Vida: Coldplay

Filii Neidhardi: Corvus Corax

Only: Nine Inch Nails

Your Own Worst Enemy: Alice Cooper

You & I: Jeff Buckley

Every Day is Exactly the Same: Nine Inch Nails

The American Way: The Crystal Method

Bury Me Face Down: Grandson

Never Say Never: Queens of the Stone Age

Extraordinary Machine: Fiona Apple

The Line Begins to Blur: Nine Inch Nails

Lullaby: A Perfect Circle

Short Skirt, Long Jacket: Cake

Living Dead Girl: Rob Zombie

Ìý

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Ìý

Hi all.

We are so close to the release date that this will be the last AMERICAN DEMON ARC give-away. So I’m going to double your chances, and give away two! Already entered a previous week? You can do it again! Here’s how you enter toda

Using an email you have access to for the next five days, email Tim atÌý ÌýPut “My favorite Hollows book isâ€� in the subject line so we know you’re entering the contest. In the email, tell me which Hollows book or short is you r favorite. Mine is a toss up between Pale Demon and The Witch With No Name. Bonus points for telling me why it’s your favorite. Bonus-bonus points forÌýsharing your answer here, too. One entry per household please.

I will cut off entries at midnight, PST on Wednesday, May 27th. Winner will be announced Thursday morning, after I email he or she back for the address where they want me to mail the ARC to as well as find out if and how they want me to sign it. ÌýWinners will have until that Friday, May 29th, midnight to get back to me to claim the ARC and tell me their mailing address. If I don’t hear from you by Friday, May 29th. midnight, the ARC goes back on my shelf. Last week, Michael won out of 1,100+ entries. Congrats, Michael!

Out of the U.S? We were having some issues, but we’ve since found a way to ship books to Mexico or Canada, so you areÌýagainÌýwelcome to enter. Envelopes and letters are still okay even overseas, (

Books will go out USPS media mail, which takes some time. Chance of winning depends upon how many enter. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator, and I can’t be responsible for mail that goes astray.

THANK YOU FOR PLAYING ALONG WITH ME THE LAST SIX WEEKS! We are almost to the release, and I can hardly stand it. There are a few online events scheduled to help replace the tour. Look for me this Thursday at the Library Journal’s Day of Dialog virtual panel. (Ìý) I’ll post a link when I get it on FB and Twitter. I’m not sure what we’re going to be talking about, but it going to be fun!

–K¾±³¾

We are four weeks out, which means I can give you a little teaser! It’s just the first page here, but follow the link to my website for the It’s a huge relief to be able to share this with you. This industry moves so slowly, and even with being the Queen of Delayed Gratification, the wait from first idea to shelf is long. So please, take a look and tell me if I lost Rachel’s voice or if she’s still the girl you knew next door. I missed her. Having her back makes my world feel a little more normal.

´¡±·¶Ùâ€�

I’m giving away an ARC this week! If you have already entered one of the previous contests, that’s A-OK. You can enter every week. This time, I’m looking for your favorite breakfast cereal when you were a kid. (and if you still eat it!)

Using an email you have access to for the next five days, email Tim atÌý ÌýPut “My favorite cerealâ€� in the subject line so we know you’re entering the contest. In the email, tell me what cereal you couldn’t wait to dig that spoon into when you were growing up–and if you still find yourself putting it in the shopping cart today. Mine was, ah…Lucky Charms. I kid you not.

You can also share your favorite cereal here, too. One entry per household please.

I will cut off entries at midnight, PST on Wednesday, May 20th. Winner will be announced Thursday morning, after I email he or she back for the address where they want me to mail the ARC to as well as find out if and how they want me to sign it. ÌýWinners will have until that Friday, May 22nd, midnight to get back to me to claim the ARC and tell me their mailing address. If I don’t hear from you by Friday, May 22nd. midnight, the ARC goes back in the pool and I will give away two next week. Last week, Debra won out of 1,000+ entries. Congrats, Debra!

Out of the U.S? We were having some issues, but we’ve since found a way to ship books to Mexico or Canada, so you areÌýagainÌýwelcome to enter. Envelopes and letters are still okay even overseas, (

Books will go out USPS media mail, which takes some time. Chance of winning depends upon how many enter. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator, and I can’t be responsible for mail that goes astray.

That’s it. Apart from coming Ìýback next Tuesday to enter again with a new question! I’ve got this one and one more left to give away.

And good luck!

–K¾±³¾

Hi all.

It’s the seventh week of the AMERICAN DEMON ARC give-away! I’ll be doing this every Tuesday from now until June. Already entered a previous week? You can do it again! Here’s how you enter today.

Using an email you have access to for the next five days, email Tim atÌý ÌýPut “My surprise move Ìýisâ€� in the subject line so we know you’re entering the contest. In the email, tell me what movie you most recently sat down to watch with your kid(s), significant other, or when you were just that bored–and were surprised at how good it was. Mine was Ant Man and the Wasp. I love all the Avenger movies, but I avoided this one for whatever reason, Ìý(Might have been the ants) and when I sat down and watched it in my Avenger’s marathon (23 of ’em) I was delighted.

You can also share your surprise movie here, too. One entry per household please.

I will cut off entries at midnight, PST on Wednesday, May 13th. Winner will be announced Thursday morning, after I email he or she back for the address where they want me to mail the ARC to as well as find out if and how they want me to sign it. ÌýWinners will have until that Friday, May 15th, midnight to get back to me to claim the ARC and tell me their mailing address. If I don’t hear from you by Friday, May 15th. midnight, the ARC goes back in the pool and I will give away two next week. Last week, Jim won out of 1,200+ entries. Congrats, Jim!

Out of the U.S? We were having some issues, but we’ve since found a way to ship books to Mexico or Canada, so you areÌýagainÌýwelcome to enter. Envelopes and letters are still okay even overseas, (

Books will go out USPS media mail, which takes some time. Chance of winning depends upon how many enter. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator, and I can’t be responsible for mail that goes astray.

That’s it. Apart from coming Ìýback next Tuesday to enter again with a new question! I’ve got a bunch of these to give away.

And good luck!

If you missed my video on how to learn how to knit, I’ve got it here! If you have ever wanted to learn, I walk you through it very slowly. Grab your needles and yarn, and let’s spend thirty minutes learning something you will carry with you for the rest of your life!

–K¾±³¾

Hi all.

It’s the sixth give-away for an ARC of AMERICAN DEMON! I’ll be doing this every Tuesday from now until June. Already entered a previous week? You can do it again! Here’s how you enter today.

Using an email you have access to for the next five days, email Tim atÌý ÌýPut “My relaxation go-to isâ€� in the subject line so we know you’re entering the contest. In the email, tell me what you do to relax! Play with your dog, read a book, watch a movie, talk with friend, baking, online gamingâ€� There’s no wrong answer. Mine is gardening, but I’ve been known to lose entire days to computer games and as you see, I make a mean pie. ÌýYou can also share your healthy distraction here. One entry per household please.

I will cut off entries at midnight, PST on Wednesday, May 6th. Winner will be announced Thursday morning, After I email he or she back for the address where they want me to mail the ARC to as well as find out if and how they want me to sign it. ÌýWinners will have until that Friday, May 8th, midnight to get back to me to claim the ARC and tell me their mailing address. If I don’t hear from you by Friday, May 8th. midnight, the ARC goes back in the pool and I will give away two next week. Last week, Dorothy won out of 1,300+ entries. Congrats, Dorothy!

Out of the U.S? We were having some issues, but we’ve since found a way to ship books to Mexico or Canada, so you areÌýagainÌýwelcome to enter. Envelopes and letters are still okay even overseas, (

Books will go out USPS media mail, which takes some time. Chance of winning depends upon how many enter. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator, and I can’t be responsible for mail that goes astray.

That’s it. Apart from coming Ìýback next Tuesday to enter again with a new question! I’ve got a bunch of these to give away.

And good luck!

If you want to skip the chaos and pre-order, I have a list of my favorite stores that I’ve signed at. If you like your local store where they are, please consider ordering online from them. Not just my book, but any book during this time. Everyone loves Amazon, but you want your local bookstores to survive, and the inventive people who run them are finding ways to adapt.Ìý

–K¾±³¾