Today I am so pleased to welcome Eli Lang to Joyfully Jay. Eli has come to talk to us about her latest release, Scratch Track. She has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

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Playlist for Scratch Track

My playlist for Scratch Track was one of the longest I’ve had for a book, and I listened to it on repeat as I wrote.  It was really varied—I felt like Quinn was a complex character and I wanted to listen to songs with a lot of raw emotions in order to get into his head a little bit.  Here are some of the songs I listened to while writing—hope you enjoy! 🙂

“If I Had a Heart” by Fever Ray
This is a really dark song—probably a little too dark for Quinn and definitely too dark for Nicky—but I liked how powerful and raw it was.  There’s a lot of emotion here, and it can be interpreted in different ways.  While I was writing, I thought of this as Quinn wanting things, but feeling like he wasn’t worthy or capable of having them, and all the tangled feelings that created.

“Gracious” by Ben Howard
I listen to Ben Howard a lot while I write because his music is easy to slip into but his lyrics are really full of emotion and thought.  For me, this song is about missing someone, terribly, and knowing you’ll never see them again or never have them again in that way and kind of… being okay with that.  In the beginning of Scratch Track, Quinn is shocked to run into Nicky again.  He thinks he’s never going to be able to be with Nicky again like they once were, and he’s kind of come to terms with that.  But seeing Nick brings up all these things that Quinn realizes he wants, and that creates a big struggle for him.

“Royals” by Lorde
I’m definitely taking what this song is about out of context in relation to Scratch Track, but I also like that music and lyrics can mean different things to different people, at different times.  For this playlist, “Royals” reminded me of Quinn, in that he’s never going to be the one creating the music, he’s going to be the one behind the scenes, helping the band, and he’s really happy with that.  And for Nicky, it made me think about how he’s a rock star, on the rise, probably with enough money to be comfortable, but in reality, he’s also just a regular guy who wants to make music and spend time with his son.

“Wasting Time” by Day Wave
This song is kind of a circle, and the lyrics are about repeating things over and over, and being exhausted by it, but not actually wanting to stop, either.  This really made me think of Quinn, who keeps thinking that he’s fine and that he’s dealt with his brother’s death, but who is actually still holding the people who care about him at arm’s length because he’s afraid of getting hurt again.

“The Night We Met” by Lord Huron
I really love this song.  I heard it on the radio and I just felt like the lyrics were so natural and poetic.  It’s about losing someone, and desperately wanting to fix it, and not knowing how.  Or, maybe, knowing you can’t.  I think this is a really good song for Quinn and Nicky, because they had something very special and strong between them, but then it fell apart.  And even though Quinn knows he wants to try again, he doesn’t know how, and he’s afraid of repeating the same mistakes.


Blurb

Scratch TrackBeing a roadie isn’t everyone’s idea of a dream job, but it’s all Quinn wants. He loves touring, loves getting to hear amazing music every night and, more than anything, loves being someone the band members of Escaping Indigo can lean on.

When Quinn joins the band in the recording studio, it’s supposed to be fun, but it only seems to remind him of doubts he thought he’d left behind—doubts about his brother’s death, his place with the band, and his ability to care for and support his friends. So when his ex, Nicky, tumbles back into his life, Quinn’s completely unprepared.

The failure of his past romance with Nicky is yet another strike against Quinn’s confidence. But Nicky’s unassuming kindness makes it hard for Quinn to resist a new entanglement. Quinn isn’t sure they won’t make the same mistakes again, but he wants a second chance, even if that means facing the past, learning to let his friends support him, and proving to Nicky that, this time, he’ll be someone Nicky can rely on.


Bio

Eli Lang is a writer and drummer. She has played in rock bands, worked on horse farms, and has had jobs in libraries, where she spent most of her time reading every book she could get her hands on. She can fold a nearly perfect paper crane and knows how to tune a snare drum. She still buys stuffed animals because she feels bad if they’re left alone in the store, believes cinnamon buns should always be eaten warm, can tell you more than you ever wanted to know about the tardigrade, and has a book collection that’s reaching frightening proportions. She lives in Arizona with far too many pets.

Connect with Eli:


Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Scratch Track, one lucky winner will receive an ecopy of Escaping Indigo and Skin Hunger! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 3, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
  • If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
  • Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
  • Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
  • All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
  • By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
  • Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
  • Void where prohibited by law.
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