Many people are still discovering Black Wolf, which is wonderful and bizarre and awesome. I still kinda walk around in a daze about it. I try to be cool, but I’m the biggest nerd. Real talk: my husband gets the daily report from me in the form of an incoherent squeal.

One of the fun things about readers continuing to discover the book is that they’re are also still discovering other stuff about it, like the little soundtrack playlist I’ve mentioned before. I’ve had a couple of questions about the music on there, so I thought I’d write a post about it.

The specific question I’ve gotten the most is whether I chose the songs or they chose me. For this particular book, the songs mostly chose me. I listen to music all the time. I’m lucky enough to work from home, and I can have music going regularly. Most of the songs on the list were things I heard while I was doing something else. A word or sound or rhythm triggered me to think, “Ah. This one belongs.” There are a few exceptions to this, though. For example, The Future Idiots cover of Owl City’s “Fireflies” was hand-picked. I knew I wanted to use that particular song, but the original sound wasn’t quite the vibe I needed for inspiration. This cover version toughens the sound up a bit, which I felt was more appropriate for its spot on the playlist.

That actually brings me to another point: there are hints about the plot throughout the whole playlist. I offered the playlist link to my beta readers before they got the first book, in case they wanted to get a little taste of what they were in for. This was extremely well-received, and I’ll be doing the same thing this time around. I’ll also be posting a link for the general public on my social media accounts when I announce the Book Two release date. I won’t mention specific hints from the Black Wolf playlist here since many people haven’t yet finished Book One. But if you’ve read it and want to listen back to see what I teased, or if you’d like to listen now to see what you might pick up during your reading, I encourage it!

“Wolves of Winter” by Biffy Clyro has become an anthem for the Black Wolf Series as a whole. You’ll likely hear it on each of the playlists. I picture it as the power song before we head into the dark, rolling credits. It always gets me pumped to write about the Black pack. I rarely have days when I don’t feel like writing at all–I’m grateful for that! But some days make themselves unexpectedly busy and the best of plans spontaneously fall apart. LIFE HAPPENS. On those days, if I turn up “Wolves of Winter” I can throw at least a few hundred words at the screen.

Going back to the idea of credits, the last song on each playlist feels like the wrap-up credits song to me. In this case, Colin & Caroline’s cover of “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” is the final moment. I feel deeply connected to the way this offsets the original version by The Darkness, which runs earlier in the playlist. Love has many forms and so much depth. It doesn’t always feel the same to everyone, and it evolves within us all, all the time. That’s one of my favorite things about writing romance. I get to explore love in all its forms and fashions on a regular basis. What can I say? I’m a sappy, sappy romantic at heart. Writing about love is a pretty cool gig.

There are some artists whose music as a whole inspires me. You’ll probably see them on more than one playlist–you might even see them more than once on a single playlist. From this playlist, Imogen Heap, Palmistry, TV On The Radio, and Damien Rice are the most likely to fall into the frequent-flyer category.

And, then, of course, there are all the wolf-related things. I keep a constant eye on song titles and artist names that include any variation of the word “wolf”. I’ve found so many great songs and artists this way! Plus, uh…wolves.

I’m including purchase links to the songs from the Black Wolf playlist below. You can listen to the whole playlist in order, too, over on Spotify.

Are Things Still Burning – Em Harriss & Dials
Make A Shadow – Meg Myers
Fireflies – Future Idiots
Can’t Forget You – Krewella
Running Away – Hoobastank
Eyes Shut – Years & Years
Hide and Seek – Imogen Heap
Walk Away – LANY
Stay With Me – BaD WoLF
Open Your Eyes (Deep Blue Songspell) – Bea Miller
Memory Taffeta – Palmistry
Out Of My Head – Theory of a Deadman
I’m Yours – Ron Pope
Avalanche – FLETCHER
False Alarm – Matoma, Becky Hill
Air – Tyson Ritter
The Other Side (Fireflies) – New Heights
I Believe In A Thing Called Love – The Darkness
Keep Your Eyes Open – NEEDTOBREATHE
I’m Yours – Alessia Cara
Make Love All Night Long – TV On The Radio
I Don’t Want To Change You – Damien Rice
Love Hurts – Incubus
Ordinary Love – U2
Wolves – Coasts
Devotion – Ellie Goulding
Come And Get Me – Sleeping Wolf
Fix My Eyes – for KING & COUNTRY
Wolves Of Winter – Biffy Clyro
I Believe In A Thing Called Love – Colin & Caroline (Sadly, I couldn’t locate a purchase link for this cover version! You can still hear it on Spotify, and it’s definitely worth a listen!)

I love questions from my readers, so please keep them coming. You can always comment below any of my posts here, reach out on my social media accounts, or contact me privately! I’m planning to do a Q & A post soon, so ask away.