Tag Archives: music

the power (ballad) of love

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(if you’re reading this on FB, you’ll have to go to my website to see the videos…if that’s what you’re into…)

Some days a girl just needs to rock out with her heart out. (oh, I know what y’all were thinking I was gonna say there. But seriously. This is a family blog. *snort* yup, I said that. Out loud.) Anyway, some days are power ballad days: and today is one of them.

It started this morning when Def Leppard’s LOVE BITES came on the radio. (Really, can’t everything be blamed on Def Leppard one way or another? Or is that just me?)

How can you hear that song and not feel their pain? Heart wrenching. Or at least it was way back when. Music is kinda like a time machine though, isn’t it? Or at least it’s like a Way Back Machine. I’m not sure music has transported me anywhere into the future yet, but it definitely always takes me back.

So I got to thinking (yes, that’s what that burning smell was. I carry a fire extinguisher with me at all times just in case I happen to have more than one thought at a time) what were some of my favorite power ballads from way back when?

There’s Ozzy and Lita Ford CLOSE MY EYES FOREVER

Skid Row I REMEMBER YOU (a personal fave)

Poison EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN

Dokken ALONE AGAIN

Cinderella DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT TIL IT’S GONE

Guns -n- Roses NOVEMBER RAIN

I’m sure I missed several, but these are the ones that always pull me back to my angsty late teens/early twenties when the world was going to end if that boy didn’t love me like I loved him.

Did I miss your fave power ballad? Or were you power ballad ignorant til this educational post?

Saturday Special

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I don’t usually post on Saturdays, but I thought I’d make today extra special. Aren’t you glad?

Random things that make me happy:

1. Good dreams. Last night I had a dream I took a boat trip to the Florida Keys with a friend. I don’t remember a lot of details, other than there were fireworks, margaritas and lots of dancing. I woke up smiling.

2. Guinness. There is nothing like licking the foam of a Guinness off your lips. Or my lips. Whatever.

3. Throwing darts. I’m not very good, but I do it with flair!

4. Music. I have a favorite playlist that I add to here and there. Yesterday I added two songs to it, Chris Young’s Gettin’ You Home and Kim Taylor’s Baby I Need You. (both available on iTunes) Both are great songs. Am considering adding a Guns-n-Roses song today. Oh, and Poker Face by Lady GaGa. I adore that song. Yes, I’m all over the board with my music.

5. Friends. Seriously, I wouldn’t survive without my friends. And I’m very lucky to have both male and female friends who get me and love me for who I am. How sad would it be to not have anyone to lean on?

6. Singing and Dancing. See darts above. I may not be very good but I sure have a good time.

7. Sunrises. If I’m up that early, a beautiful sunrise always makes me happy. I woke at 5:09 this morning and sat outside for a while watching the sun break through the darkness. It was lovely.

8. My kids. Have you seen them? They’re the cutest things ever. How could they not make me happy.

What makes you happy?

miss me?

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Of course you did. I’m back, and I’m at Fictionistas blogging about my playlist for BITE ME! pop over and read about it, check the playlist out at my new site, and then enjoy the variety of the list with a few videos from the playlist below…

erm

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3:30 came very early today.

That is all.

Okay, maybe that’s not all…

So I’m working on revisions for LOVE SUCKS! (see 3:30 rise time. Somehow I gotta fit in real job and dream job all in one day.) During this process I’ve discovered that the music I wrote the book to is not necessarily the music I can listen to while I revise. Curious, yes?

Anyway, my revision mood has been a much more laid back, less angsty sound than my writing mood. Joshua Radin, John Waite, Landon Pigg, and some old school stuff like Boston, Abba (shut up!) Hall & Oates… Totally eclectic mix.

Another artist that I’ve discovered over the past few months (I love Pandora radio!) is Matt Nathanson. I adore his voice. And this song is one of my new faves off his album. (It doesn’t hurt that he’s pretty damn easy to look at…) If you like the song, you’ll like the whole CD. He’s definitely a ‘Must Buy’

yeah yeah yeah

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I know it’s April Fool’s Day but I got nuttin’ for ya. Been up for a while working on my revisions. I’m not pulling my hair out yet, but close. There just never seem to be enough hours in the day lately.

Music-wise, I’ve been in a John Waite mood lately, and have been listening to him quite a bit. Last night while I was fixing meatballs for our meatball sammiches, I was rockin’ out with my iPod out…Singing (or screeching) aloud. I’m pretty sure I saw one neighbor’s ears start to bleed and another neighbor’s head popped clean off his body. My bad. I was enjoying the hell out of this song.
John Waite and Alison Kraus: Missing You

They both have such unique voices. I could listen to this song over and over and over.

Oh wait. I have been.

Melissa Francis–Repeat Offender at your service.

this is just a random posting

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UPDATE: I’m back over at FCR today. Come by for a visit.

The song I woke up with in my head this morning was Wham! Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (You’re welcome)

I’m glad this week is over. Work was good and my brain is almost back to normal after Monday’s writing-palooza. FWIW, it apparently takes 4 days for a brain to solidify again after overuse liquefies it. I’m not sure how much of my brain leaked out of my ears, but I feel pretty normal, so whatever I lost must’ve been some of that ‘unused’ bit.

I caught up on LOST. It’s been a great season so far. And I’m still in love with Sawyer. He really does get the best lines.

I’m also in love with heat over Gordon Ramasy of Hell’s Kitchen. First of all, he’s a ginger (I do believe I’ve established I have a weakness for such things?) Secondly, there is something about that man’s filthy mouth and angry outbursts that just gives me goosebumps. The man turns me on, what can I say.

My Thursday Girls took me to dinner last night to celebrate my brain being solid again. I tried Mango Vodka and Tonic. Holy Potato Juice was it good. Seriously, I thought I was in love with Mandarin Vodka? No. That wasn’t love, that was intense admiration. And Mandarin Vodka and I will always have a very special relationship. But Mango Vodka won my heart last night. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Have y’all got big plans this weekend? It’s going to be gorgeous here. I’m going to be doing some writing, but I also plan to get out of the house some. I went back to the gym Wednesday, which felt great, even though my workout was shit…I’m going today, and I’m going to get the hell out tomorrow and run.

Have a great weekend!

A couple of new items have been added to my 40 at 40 list.

  1. Run a 10K
  2. Train for and run a half-marathon
  3. Get a tattoo
  4. Visit a place I’ve never been before
  5. Get waxed (Legs, pits and um…yeah. I’m gonna go there. All the way there. That will be some blog…)
  6. Meet with a financial planner
  7. See a professional (insert sport here) game
  8. See Staind in concert
  9. See Springsteen in concert (now that I’ve been properly recruited into his cult fanclub. However, I really shouldn’t add this to my list because I’m afraid that my recruiter’s ego can’t handle another stroke) ETA: am worried this won’t happen this year unless he adds some fall dates…will add it to next year’s list if need be.
  10. Lose 2 sizes
  11. Buy myself a nice piece of jewelry
  12. Get a passport
  13. Visit NY (yes, this could also be the “visit a place I’ve never been before,” but NY deserves its own line)
  14. Skinny dip in the ocean
  15. Go deep sea fishing
  16. Teach my son how to drive a stick
  17. Take a shot (or 2) of Patron (in the comfort and safety of friends who can handle Mel-on-Tequila. Have never had Patron but have been assured by many that it will change my life. It will definitely change the life of the people who witness this event, I can promise you that.)
  18. Take an unplanned road trip
  19. Take up SLR photography again
  20. Write a short story or novella (never done this, dunno if I can!)
  21. Go camping in the mountains
  22. Plant a new gardenia bush
  23. Steal a summer kiss at sunset
  24. Take a winter vacation somewhere snowy
  25. Face time with each of my out-of-state friends
  26. Try at least 1 type of new (to me) food
  27. Go golfing
  28. Write a letter
  29. Have a book launch party 😀
  30. Grow my hair out for 1 year
  31. Find a Flamingo Pez dispenser or convince Pez to make one.
  32. Schedule speaking events at schools in the fall
  33. Finish this list (for Marcus)

music, music, I hear music!

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Before we get to my regularly scheduled blog below, I wanted to let y’all know my BFF and critique partner is blogging about how she came up with her Bunco series idea and sold it. Pop over (after you read my blog, of course) and check it out!

Now on to our regularly scheduled blog…
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This morning, I woke up singing Kokomo.

Does this happen to anyone other than me?

I wake up EVERY morning singing a song. Rarely is it a song I listened to during the day before or one that I go to bed singing. It’s always some random song that pops into my head as I’m getting out of bed. Trust me, I don’t sing Kokomo. Ever. Except when it pops into my head in the mornings.

I’ve noticed this phenomenon a lot lately and I’ve wondered WTF?

Tuesday when I woke singing Springsteen’s Land of Hope and Dreams, I didn’t think anything about it. That made total sense. Actually, my mind drifted between that song and another Springsteen song (Better Days) all day. My subconscious was there for me all day Tuesday.

But really, when I woke Wednesday singing Jessie’s Girl and I woke yesterdasy singing I Touch Myself (actually, I wake up singing that one quite a bit…) I wondered if I really WANT to know what my subconscious is thinking.

Other songs I’ve recently woken up to:

  • Witchy Woman (okay, I get this)
  • Gold Digger (yeah, I’m not even kidding)
  • Sweet Home Alabama (um?)
  • So Fresh, So Clean (okay, I do sing this one after I shower. Can’t help myself.)
  • Turning Japanese
  • Ain’t Missing You (Dude, I do love me some John Waite)
  • Where It’s At? (I got, two turntables and a microphone)
  • Controversy (yeah, Prince. Old Skool Prince. I did love that album in high school)

So there you go. Mel’s personal wake up playlist. It’s probably a good thing I don’t have theme music that follows me everywhere I go…

And today from The Universe:

Baby steps spark miracles, Melissa.

Miracles do not spark baby steps.

Ungawa,
The Universe

Damn skippy, U.

So, if y’all had a theme song, what would it be? Or even better, what would your playlist be? Happy Friday y’all!

LOVE SUCKS! playlist

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This has been a music kinda week here at Mel-O-Drama.

So, I try to create a playlist for each book. Sometimes, it’s one song that takes me through and sometimes it’s a 3 disc compilation.

LOVE SUCKS! is angsty, angry, a little sexy and a whole lotta vampy. There’s some sweaty training scenes, some sneaking around, some back-stabbing, a little innuendo…you know, typical teen stuff with fangs added in for fun. Oh, and we can’t forget the love triangle.

Here’s what I have so far.

  1. Theory of a Deadman: So Happy
  2. Pearl Jam: Even Flow
  3. Tantric: Mourning
  4. Avril Lavigne: Slipped Away
  5. Maroon 5: She Will Be Loved
  6. Bruce Springsteen: Long Walk Home
  7. Tantric: I Don’t Care
  8. Theory of a Deadman: By The Way
  9. Hinder: How Long
  10. Avril Lavigne: Fall To Pieces
  11. James Blunt: High
  12. Staind: All I Want
  13. Staind: Tangled Up In You
  14. Theory of a Deadman: Since You’ve Been Gone
  15. Tantric: Breakdown
  16. Joshua Radin: What If You
  17. Evanescence: Bring Me To Life
  18. Theory of a Deadman: Wait For Me
  19. Hinder: Shoulda
  20. Staind: Believe
  21. James Blunt: Goodbye My Lover
  22. Peter Gabriel: In Your Eyes
  23. Theory of a Deadman: Say Goodbye
  24. Staind: Cross To Bear
  25. Bruce Springsteen: World’s Apart
  26. Staind: Please
  27. Evanescence: Taking Over Me

There are a couple more songs that I think are going to make it to my playlist, but this is what I’ve collected so far. What do you think?

music, music

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Okay, so my friend sent me 3 million 46 Bruce Springsteen songs and I’ve listened to them all and can honestly say, I really love most of what I heard. (But don’t tell him that, because he was being mean to me and I’m pouting now and will not admit to him that I like any of the songs because he should be punished) There are several songs that will become instant ‘replay’ songs for me. (If I actually liked them, which I don’t.) There are very few songs that he sent that I didn’t like. (I didn’t like any of them. I mean it. For real.)Actually most I really liked…loved even. (that’s a lie. A total fabrication.) Some of them I really got. Like with chill bumps and throat lumps and heart thumps. (again, I’m lying. Don’t know where that came from at all. Obviously, I do write fiction, because I’m making all that up.)

I love discovering new music that I totally get. Especially unexpected music. I never imagined I would ever respond to Bruce Springsteen that way. (which I didn’t) Ever. So it was a nice surprise that I felt a physical reaction to some of his songs. (physical as in stomach pain? that must be what I mean.)

Still…nothing gets me like Staind. And I had been wanting the new Staind CD for months…so I finally ordered it as my first reward CD for losing weight.

Holy shit I love this CD. Honestly, it amazes me how this band can put words to music and just affect me the way they do. Heart racing, eyes tearing, breath catching…all of it. I love this CD. I love it with a thousand ♥. I can honestly say this is my favorite band ever. Now I must see them live. I already loved 2 songs from this CD, Believe and All I Want…and now, even though I love the whole CD, there’s another song that will rival Please and It’s Been Awhile from their older stuff…Tangled Up In You. Wow. I totally love this song. Makes my heart hurt a little.

Am I the only one who is affected by music this way?

Here’s the song…just listen, the video is just the album cover, so you don’t really have to watch. Just listen. Seriously, I ♥ this song. I ♥ Staind. And I ♥ Bruce Springsteen. (I’m lying) Who knew I had it in me?

I’m also at Fictionistas today talking about people who deserve to be tasered on the spot. Stop by!

Oh, and I went to the gym at 5:00 AM this morning. Yes, it’s true. I really did.