Bear with, the title of this blog is a Bon Jovi song from the Lost Highway album. Pretty sure a few of you knew that. 🙂
Why did I choose it for today’s blog?
Because I was thinking about the music in the Byte Series. Music reminds me of writing the books and of the characters. Music played a huge part in my process, but funnily enough, it seems to be limited to the Byte Series and Byte Series characters.
Every chapter title was a song I’d listened to while writing that chapter. Sometimes I’d hear the same song seven or eight times in a row. Particular characters drew me to different music. I listened to a LOT of Kevin Costner and Modern West in Kurt heavy scenes from Exacerbyte onward. (He didn’t join the team until Exacerbyte. And if you’ve read the series you might remember how Ellie described Kurt, if so, you know that Modern West was a perfect choice.)
Ellie’s signature song was the Hollies ‘Long Cool Woman’. Anytime I felt she was hard to reach, all I had to do was play that song and she’d be right there and then the Bon Jovi would start. 🙂 Lee was a little bit country with his musical tastes – listened to a bit of Kenny Chesney and a lot of Garth Brooks. Sam had quite the eclectic musical taste, which was fun for me, especially because he was fond of the Rolling Stones and Metallica but he also liked Shania Twain (go figure).

Now I’m writing stories set here in New Zealand not set in D.C. (Not that the Byte Series didn’t travel here or anything. :)) The new stories/new characters are NZ based but not necessarily Kiwi’s. I expected I’d find myself drawn to music. I’m used to having a soundtrack to listen to while I write.
Wouldn’t have minded if Ronnie was a huge Split Enz fan or really loved The Mockers and Hello Sailor. Could’ve coped with Crockett liking Barnsey – just. (Crockett is an Aussie. I’m quite pleased he isn’t an AC/DC fan – I was over them by the time I was twenty-five.)
Three books. No music preferences. Wtf?
Started writing book 4.
No music has really grabbed me.
What am I listening to now?
Lost Highway.
It no longer matters what I listen to when I’m working.
I can even write without music.
(I don’t particularly like writing in silence.)
The funny thing is though, I’m listening to Lost Highway and I see Ellie, Kurt, Sam, and Lee. They’re a little out of focus but they’re there, just out of reach, like a memory. 🙂

I don’t think characters like them ever really leave.
And I don’t think Ronnie, Ben, and Crockett are going to share their musical tastes with me anytime soon.
That was Delta’s thing.
(None of them write poetry either, that was an Ellie and Mac thing.)