How do you write the third book in a YA pop star romance series? By listening to songs that bring feel good moments, inspire you, get you through hard times, and are perfect for working through those dramatic and angsty scenes. So, what songs did I use to inspire me during writing Cecily in the City? Read on!

In Cecily in the City, Cecily is still dating her favorite pop star, Andrew Holiday, but she’s now working as an actress and model. She gets to be in an up-and-coming pop star’s new music video, but she doesn’t realize that Dex is about to become Andrew’s biggest rival. Things get complicated when her star starts to rise as she begins acting on a soap opera and all eyes are on her. Then rumors begin that she’s actually dating Dex, which upsets Andrew. Add in a singer named Everly who wants Andrew for herself and drama occurs both on the set of the soap and off. Can Cecily and Andrew’s love overcome the odds?

So here are some of the songs that inspired Cecily in the City.

Kasey Musgraves’ Star-crossed album. I had the whole album on repeat for sooo long. “Simple Times” was on during writing the scenes where Cecily was trying to keep her head straight while one part of her life was exploding the same time another part was taking off. “Justified” was another perfect track to her and Andrew dealing with rumors and drama. “Camera Roll” also inspired me as I was writing. I don’t want to give too much away, but you already know I write happy ever afters, but let’s just say this one is a hard fought one!

Taylor Swift’s “Lavender Haze” & “Cardigan” both fit with Andrew’s indie pop star career and their relationship being tested by their big careers in the spotlight. (Here’s a sneak peek of the spinoff book’s inspiration: “Cruel Summer” has been playing a lot.)

Olivia Rodrigo’s “deju vu” &“good 4 u.” These songs were on repeat when I was working on the scenes where Cecily is on Instagram looking at Everly’s posts where she’s hinting she’s with Andrew now. So yeah, I needed angsty music!

Jon Connor’s “Selfish” & “Every Other Word.” When I was writing about the rumors of Cecily dating a new pop star (Dex), I needed to picture how the whole scene would appear to Cecily’s pop star boyfriend, Andrew Holiday. Andrew is a soulful singer/songwriter who writes about heartbreak and painful breakups, so I wanted to get into his character’s head of how he’d feel about not only having Cecily in the music video of this up-and-coming singer who is a rival of his, but then have to deal with rumors about Cecily and Dex dating. So, to get me into Andrew’s head space to write his dialogue and reaction, I listened to “Selfish,” before I’d start writing. It took me right into the feelings I needed to conjure up the right emotions for the scene. Note though that Cecily is NOT a toxic girl—I just needed a perspective of what Andrew might be feeling in that moment as the anxiety hit. And, if you follow me on Instagram, you know Jon’s song, “Every Other Word,” is one I’ve been talking about inspiring me as I was writing. Andrew and Cecily both they want a loyal relationship, but there’s so much drama in the celebrity world they’re in and this song fits that vibe.

Pokora’s “Tombe’” is what I was thinking of when Cecily was starring in Dex Doyle’s new video in NYC. So much of the Pyramid album was inspiring the vibe of the style for that shoot. Also, he’s become a new favorite singer of mine.

Marina’s “Complete.” MaRina’s a go-to of mine for song inspiration. “Complete,” was the uplifting and upbeat, happily-ever-after song I needed to inspire me as I wrote the feel-good ending to the book. Another song from her inspired me as I’m writing the spinoff book, Stars in the City, that’s coming next, so stay tuned!

I have Andrew Holiday sing a cover of George Michael’s “Waiting for that Day,” so if you’ve read the book, you already know about that inspiration! A few other songs that inspired me include: “Shawn Mendes’ “Wonder.” Ed Sheeran’s “Beautiful People,” and “Don’t.” There’s a link to the playlist on my Instagram as well to hear the other songs.

Find the bestselling book, Cecily in the City, here:
https://books2read.com/u/4DD6OO

The entire bestselling series is free in Kindle Unlimited:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B35LSJRK

About the Author

Krysten Lindsay Hager is a bestselling author of YA and contemporary romance. Krysten writes romance because she loves bringing people swoony moments & hope-filled happily ever afters. Her books are known for making you laugh, cry, & swoon. Along with romance, her novels deal with self-doubt, finding where you belong, true friendship, & soulmates.

Website: https://www.krystenlindsay.com/
Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Krysten-Lindsay-Hager/e/B00L2JC9P2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/

X: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay

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A former Special Forces soldier, looking forward to the peace and quiet of his new houseboat, finds his solitude shattered by the arrival of his neighbor and her kid.

Note: This 7,000-word short story was originally published in SILVER SOLDIERS

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As a YA contemporary romance author, I love movies that have characters with an irresistible connection.

5. 13 Going on 30: How perfect is Jennifer Garner in this role? Everything about this works from the thoughtful dollhouse to the way Matty looks at her as an adult. Swoon! They are so cute together. My favorite scenes are where he slows sees her as the girl he fell in love with all those years before.

4. Peggy Sue Got Married: Okay, so clearly I love those going back in time movies and things involving reflecting back on middle school and high school. This one is a fave because the script is perfection. Peggy Sue has such an overwhelming reaction to ending up back in high school that it feels like this is really happening to her. The scene where she has the emotional response when she hears her Grandma’s voice on the phone—it’s so overwhelming as she’s clearly missed her grandma who is no longer living in the future. Also, the scene where she starts to rewrite her high school experience by dating a different guy and realizing her first love was real after all is touching.

3. Just Friends: The perfect friends to lovers set up. So many good lines that crack me up. The scene where he’s in the car and she’s witnessing him talk to himself over how he blew their lunch date always cracks me up.

2. Roman Holiday: Audrey Hepburn as a princess who wants a taste of a normal life and Gregory Peck as a journalist. It’s sweet, adorable, and a perfect date movie.­

1. Wonder Woman: Love, love, LOVE this one. I teared up a couple times during this movie, but her speech when she tells off the general, the scene with her aunt, and No Man’s Land had me super emotional. Plus, Steve and Diana are so cute as he clearly loves and respects her. Oh, I love this one.

If you love YA contemporary novels with all the feels, you might like my book, Next Door to a Star, about a high school girl who goes to a beach town for the summer and finds herself living next door to a teen TV star and falling in love for the first time.

Next Door to a Star

A fresh start in a new town and a chance to reinvent herself. But can Hadley handle the popular crowd?

Hadley Daniels is sick of being invisible at school and wants a fresh start. She sees a chance to reinvent herself when she moves to the lake resort town of Grand Haven. There she gets her first taste of popularity when she moves next door to a teen actress who used to be on a popular TV show. Simone is everything Hadley longs to be: pretty, popular, and famous, so why doesn’t Simone want to talk about her life in Hollywood? Hadley gets caught up hanging with the popular crowd and starts dating Nick Jenkins.

However, the popular girls turn on her and fill Nick’s head with a lie about Hadley that leaves her heartbroken. Hadley soon finds out what it’s really like to be in the popular crowd and what being famous is all about as Simone opens up to her about her time in Hollywood. Can Hadley find true friendship and true love in a new setting?

Reviews:
​“It’s a beautifully written YA story that was so hard to put down. I loved every minute of it. It’s a perfect teenage drama that I think all girls will enjoy reading. And I just want to say this, no one can write teenage feelings better than Krysten Lindsay Hager. She does it so perfectly, making her characters believable as well as relatable.” Fizza Younis, author

“Take a trip down memory lane, relive your first crush, your first kiss and get to know Hadley who lives ‘Next Door to a Star.’” Leila Tualla, author

It’s free in Kindle Unlimited!!!

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Next-Door-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B08W55KGX1
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Next-Door-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B08W55KGX1
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/Next-Door-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B08W55KGX1/
Amazon Can: https://www.amazon.ca/Next-Door-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B08W55KGX1

Find Krysten here:
Website: www.krystenlindsay.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor
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Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Krysten-Lindsay-Hager/e/B00L2JC9P2
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/krysten-lindsay-hager
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClIQCsRcKc97-25oXvabZ8A

I’m so excited! If you pre-ordered Jackson, you should already have it! It’s a fun, sexy read, and you’ll see the other hunters and folks from around Dead Horse “peopling” the story, too. I love writing in this world. I hope you enjoy their latest adventure. If you have the time and the inclination, please leave a review!

MONTANA BOUNTY HUNTERS:
DEAD HORSE, MT
Authentic Men… Real Adventures…

The games begin when a bounty hunter, who likes working alone, clashes with a cable TV showrunner who’s determined to make him a part of her show…

Jackson Black’s life is just fine. He is free to work when he wants, as much as he wants. He has the freedom of the open road, nothing and nobody weighing him down—until he crosses paths with a group of bounty hunters deep in a national forest, who are trying to steal his skip from under him. Worse, the hunters have a film crew with them, led by a woman who won’t take no when he refuses to sign a contract for the use of the footage her crew has filmed. After giving her his firm no thank you, he loads his skip into his vehicle and drives away.

Rachel Cabot didn’t get where she is, the showrunner for her network’s two highest-rated cable shows, without being committed to her job. She’ll do whatever it takes. If it means following Jackson Brown then catching him on tape doing something sketchy to “convince” him to do what she wants, so be it. However, she suffers immediate remorse and decides to apologize to Jackson but can never find the right moment to do so. What she doesn’t know is that Jackson has turned the tables on her.

When Jackson is invited to join the hunters on a high-value takedown, with Rachel’s crew accompanying them, their personal stakes just get higher.

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Not so very long ago, most of the strange and usual, the mysterious and unexplainable, pretty much anything that had no obvious explanation, was thought to belong in the realm of magic. Sadly, these days we are far more likely to believe in science than magic but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

Maybe a little salt sprinkled over our shoulder will get in the devil’s eye and stop him from bringing misfortune to our door. Who can say for certain that crystals don’t clear away the negative energy from a space and maybe dragonflies do bring us messages from the dead. I don’t want to live in a world where we have let magic die, where machines create art, and where children no longer search for fairies in the bottom of the garden.

I believe that there is nowhere better to rediscover some of the magic and enchantment than between the pages of a book.

Here’s the spell I used to create Bewitched in the Inbetween:

Mix together:

A good dose of romance
A smattering of longing
A dollop of passion
A scoop of danger
A serving of adventure

Sprinkle liberally with magic and a touch of dreams then let it all simmer with a slow burn.

Best enjoyed with a warm mug of hot chocolate and a cosy blanket xx

Bewitched in the Inbetween

Demonic haunting, mystery and dark romance intertwine with everyday magic in this bewitching tale of cursed love.

Ayla grew secluded and protected by her grandmother and their enchanted cottage, free to explore and nurture her magical gifts. This blissful existence is shattered when her grandmother dies, leaving Ayla vulnerable to the darkness that seeks to steal not only her gifts, but her very life and the life of those she loves.

And then she meets the one she cannot live without.

The wolf that lurks somewhere beneath Ash’s skin draws him deep into the darkest forest, where the last thing he expects to find is the terrified young witch, running for her life.

Drawn together by fate, their growing attraction puts both their lives in peril.

Get your copy here!
It’s FREE in KU!

About the Author

I live and work with my family and menagerie of pets in Sydney, Australia. Aside from writing, I work as a teacher, graphic designer, and artist. I love to believe in the possibility that magic might exist in our everyday lives, hidden just below the surface of our day-to-day existence. I enjoy using words and art to create landscapes where magic and fantasy collide and overlap with ordinary, everyday experiences, bringing a new dimension of colour and light to the world.

Connect with me through:
https://www.instagram.com/smilingmoon_books/
https://linktr.ee/smilingmoonbooks

When I sat down to write my current series about three witch sisters, I didn’t know where it would lead me. I’ve been an urban fantasy fan forever though, so I’ve had some key influences. The 90’s TV show Charmed, The vampire film series Underworld and Xena, Warrior Princess to start with.

The Magicians is one of my favorite television shows ever. I devoured the entire five seasons like a rabid were-creature and could almost re-watch the whole thing. I loved it that much—except that my “to be watched” list is as unruly as my “to be read” list!

Eliot was my favorite character; his chill demeanor in the face of a lifetime of trauma really speaks to me. He’s smart and talented and happy to let people recognize it or not. He’s loyal and even with all of that he makes mistakes all the time. Just like every single one of us.

I’m sure that my series has some unintentional Magician’s flavor, I don’t know how it couldn’t. It was too brilliant not to have influenced me.

American Horror Story: Coven, while it edged into “horror” a bit more than I like (I was prepared for AHS to be ‘horror’ don’t worry!) I really enjoyed the story. I love when the lines are blurred between good and evil, and while Fiona was definitely evil, not every choice she made was.

Right now, I’m watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and I love the whole aesthetic so much! It’s such eye candy for me, but I have a lot to catch up on.

Obviously, my favorite element of urban fantasy is ritual magic. Like in Alice in Wonderland, I want to believe in impossible things. Magic is one of them.

In my series, The Silver Wilde Chronicles, the main character is the middle sister of a trio of witches. When their mother disappears, the search for her leads their entire worlds to turn inside out. I’d say she’s got a bit of Charmed’s Phoebe, Underworld’s Selene and The Magician’s Kady mixed in there. The free prequel is three chapters showing how she ended up captured by a vampire, which is where book one opens.

What are your favorite urban fantasy films and tv shows?

Life has been… a magical rainbow dumpster hellfire, and it’s about to get so much worse.

I’m Silver Wilde, a Hekate-worshiping witch, with the power of compulsion – which I only use to check alpha holes who need a smack down, of course. And the occasional barista for free coffee.

I thought I was at rock bottom grieving for my best friend, but then it became a mesmerizing, glittery black hole and sucked me right in.

Starting with the sketchy client who said I couldn’t quit… I told him to hold my beer.

Now it’s like I woke up in some alternate universe. Meddling questions. Vampire captors. Gut churning portals.

My mother, the most powerful witch I know, has disappeared. Just… Poof! Nowhere to be seen, astrally or otherwise. WTAF?

And let’s not discuss that pesky death prophecy I never should have asked for. What a thorn in my side.

It’s fine. I’m fine. This isn’t my first creepster rodeo. I’ve had to deal with a shady dude the bloody way before. And, to find my mom, I’ll do it again.

Scorched Heart and Sass is a sexy, snarky adventure in a magical world with witchy, occult flavor, full of unwanted alliances, unwelcome revelations and uninvited emotions.

This is book one of an urban fantasy series with a slow-burn, steamy romance subplot, adult language and adult themes.

Pre-order now!

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Download now! Ignite, by Dahlia T. Drake

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Love and triangle. Two fairly innocuous words. But it’s when they’re paired together in that order that they become possibly the two most hated words in all of romance—the dreaded love triangle.

Whether it was Rory trying to choose between Dean and Jess, Bella between Jacob and Edward, or Elena between Stefan and Damon, whoever she ended up with, I always felt a little cheated. I could never decide who was her perfect fit because each guy matched her in different ways. Why couldn’t she have it all?

And then I discovered my two favorite words in romance. Two words so destined to exist side by side, they’re literally smooshed together. WhyChoose!

A few years ago, I was introduced to a whole new (fictional) world where the heroine could have everything she wanted. Hot Boy Next Door… absolutely! Sexy Bad Boy… yes, please! Sweet Cinnamon Roll… come on down! According to the rules of WhyChoose romance, the more the merrier!

When I decided to pitch my hat in the publishing ring and give penning my own romance a try, there was no question it would be a WhyChoose romance. I wanted my heroine to have three men, each one complex and compelling in his own way and each one able to grow with her and fulfill a different need of hers.

So was born Vasenia and her three love interests, Marek, Gaeb, and Ryfin. In Blade & Thistle, my debut WhyChoose fantasy romance, we get the first installment of their exciting, enemies-to-lovers tale. Be sure to check out the blurb and excerpt below and read for free on Kindle Unlimited. I hope you enjoy reading Vasenia have it all!

Read now: https://mybook.to/Blade-Thistle

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Blade & Thistle

Vasenia has hated her life in Eretamia ever since her father, Imperator Supreme of the Sadoran Army, forced her to join him on his military campaign in the gloomy, backwater colony far away from the high society of the capital. But when her betrothed retrieves her for their wedding, she assumes the gods have finally shined their favor upon her.

Until her caravan is attacked along the forbidden, northern border and Vasenia finds herself in a hell far worse than Eretamia and at the mercy of three ruthless warriors. No, not warriors—Harrow demons.

Barbarians. Savages. Harrow demons. Warriors Marek, Gaeb, and Ryfin and their people, the half-fae Itheni, are known by many names but understood by few who live south of the magical border that protects their home, least of all by the Sadoran invaders.

But when the three warriors rescue a Sadoran woman on their trek home, they discover she’s more than just another invader. She’s half-fae too, a descendent of the lost women whose connection to their people was severed by a curse a thousand years ago.

When an ancient bond links her to them, Marek, Gaeb, and Ryfin realize they have no choice; they must bring their enemy home. But if they want to keep her, they’ll have to claim her and bind her to the fae by the only means they have: pleasure.

Excerpt from Blade & Thistle…
All three of them stand together near the entrance staring at me and exchanging words in their language. I try to focus on the things that made them so barbaric to me mere days ago. The blue tattoos marring their thick forearms. The hair on their chiseled jaws. Their undisciplined stance as if they could unleash the savage at any moment. I swallow thickly.

Single words filter to me. I understand tonight and seal before Marek motions to himself, Gaeb, and Ryfin. Gaeb nods in response and looks at me, his face wiped of humor.

I take a deep breath as Gaeb approaches.

“Sen,” he says, and warmth fills me at the name. It’s not an endearment, but somehow it softens me in ways Lucius’ my love never did.

“The ceremony on the dais bound us to one another, but the binding must be sealed.”

I nod.

“Sealing requires us to join the Goddess together,” Gaeb pauses to let that sink in and adds, “all of us.”

I can feel Marek’s attention focused on me even though his face remains in shadow, and Ryfin’s back is to me but his sudden stillness tells me he’s paying close attention to Gaeb’s words.

All of us.

I knew it as soon as I was brought here. What other use is there for a bed as big as this one? I’ve been preparing myself for this for hours.

Gaeb touches my waist, a feather-light touch but enough to send a shiver through me.

These men may not be demons, but they’re still my enemies. My body doesn’t care, though, as a now familiar feeling begins to ride my blood. What is it if not power?

He said the power in the wych elm is within me as well. If I can coax it out, learn how to master it, perhaps I can use it against them. My passion won’t be wasted anymore.

Gaeb tilts his head and narrows his eyes, attempting to read me. “You understand, yes?”

I nod again.

He cups my face, moving closer. The firelight illuminates the warm brown of his eyes, and his irises shine like sunlight through amber. “Do you want this?” he asks, his fingers caressing my cheek.

My consent is a tactic, a strategic maneuver.

But his touch settles and stirs me at once, building within me a heat that both loosens my limbs and tightens every muscle in my body. His thumb lands just below my bottom lip, and my mind empties of everything but this hunger I have for him, for all of them.

“You have to answer, Sen. Do you want to seal the binding with us?”

“Of course, she fucking wants it. I can feel her fae from here, so let’s get this over with.”

Ryfin stalks toward me, and I gape at him, at the foreign words that sounded so clear to my ears. But before he can reach me, Gaeb shoves him back.

“No,” Gaeb says, and it’s the only word I understand before I lose the translation.

Lucius didn’t ask my permission. It wasn’t required. Father betrothed me to him, and a lady of Dora is her family’s to possess and give away. Thus, I was given to Lucius and he took me, and not a care was spared for what I wanted.

I wanted Lucius’ family name, the access to power he could grant me, the security of his position. But had I wanted him? As I want Gaeb and Marek and even Ryfin?

Gods forgive me, the answer is no. I never wanted Lucius.

Someday this will be over. I’ll be returned to Father, to whatever Sadoran nobleman will take Lucius’ place, and to the role my mother was meant to play had she not proved a lovesick fool.

My mother lacked the control I possess. She didn’t merely want the Jacquerran man who wasn’t my father; she fell in love with him. I won’t make her mistake. I won’t fall in love with these men before me.

But I will fuck them. And then I’ll seize the power it gives me.

I stare at Gaeb, steeling my expression. “Yes,” I say.