The Wolves and Men Playlist II

Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s a Shame) by Ray LaMontagne

This song really kicks things into gear, and I can’t help but fall in love with it. It is energetic, compelling, and makes me want to RUN FOR MY LIFE! The vocals by Ray LaMontagne are just consistent with anything he sings. Ever. His voice is so interesting, gritty, and full of surprises. This song reminds me of scenes I’ve read from Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner, and the film version of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country For Old Men. 

Stay With Me by New Found Land

To abruptly switch things up, we move on to this slow, somber ballad by New Found Land. It is pleading. It is sweet. It might move you to tears. I love it for its emotionally evocative melody and heartfelt lyrics. It probably influenced a lot of scenes all over the book, as the protagonist is characterized by a lot of emotional baggage. 

Meet Me By the Water by Rachael Yamagata

This lovesick and contemplative ballad by Yamagata is rich and heavy. It aches with yearning and loneliness. And it makes me want to go fishing. All of these qualities make it a perfect inspiration for the setting of Wolves and Men: Willow’s Bend, a wildlife refuge teeming with life and mystery. 

Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson

Have you ever felt like you had the breath knocked right out of you? Like the bottom just fell out of your entire world? This song is for you. It communicates the way you feel when dealing with the aftermath of the thing you never saw coming. It is for the blindsided. The stunned. When this world is too much, this song reminds you to...well, keep breathing. As tragedy is a central theme in Wolves and Men, the protagonist experienced the dazed/stunned/collapsed concept that I think is portrayed in this song. 

Into The Wild- Live by LP

This is perhaps one of the most dynamic songs I’ve ever heard, and was such a treasure during the final stages of writing my novel. I don’t even think I can summon words to describe it...it is just too much. It evokes so much energy, so many emotions and images... You simply must go find it and listen for yourself!

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What songs inspire you artistically?

What do you think of the songs/artists I mentioned above? 

Sneak Peek at Chapter Two

Below you’ll find a never-before-read excerpt from Chapter Two of Wolves and Men. Enjoy! 

(Pictures are not part of the book, but merely added for your enjoyment.)

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It was five o’clock in the morning when I put on a cup of coffee. The sun wouldn’t be rising for at least two more hours, but here I was listening to the percolator and the light rain that hit the dining room windows. I laid the blank journal out on the table and turned to the first page. The blue ink painted the page in what I intended to be a bold, confident scrawl. I dated the entry at the top and then began writing below.

Had another one of those dreams. The face underwater with the light shining through and lighting it up in fractured lines and glowing prisms. It was a boy, maybe. Probably. A face I’ve never seen before. Not sure why he's following me or what this means. It wasn’t Gavin, at least not Gavin when I met him. Could it have been Gavin as a little boy? Today I intend to be better, to go places, to do things, and leave these dreams behind. 

I signed my name at the bottom and closed the journal with a sense of accomplishment. I poured my cup of coffee and ate my breakfast. Then I just sat there staring out the window and listening to the soft melody of rain pat-patting against the windows ahead of me. I took in that sound and the beauty of the rich reds, browns, and evergreens that stood before me like a very large, very elaborate painting created just for my enjoyment. And I suddenly had a good feeling about this whole refuge thing. I had a good feeling about Willow’s Bend. 

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In the next week, the book’s cover will be designed by the talented Jesse Owen at www.10am.org. You can check out his website to see the kind of work he does and get a glimpse as to why we are so blessed to have this artist on board! He just arrived from a mission trip in Africa where he was busy pushing back darkness. Praise God! 

Also, we are looking forward to an early Fall release date, TBA soon! Things are really gathering up speed around here and we couldn’t be more excited. My husband and I are so blessed to be working with our indie publisher, Bee Creative, Inc., and look forward to so many exciting things in the near future! 

Did you know that you can follow   http://www.pinterest.com/natashawittman/pins-inspired-by-wolves-and-men-the-novel/  where there is a Wolves and Men board of pins? Yes! I often add to this board, pinning as inspired by the novel. Go check it out- I know you'll love it. :)

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What do you think of the excerpt? 

Have you ever had a recurring dream and wondered why? 

The Wolves and Men Playlist

Songs that Inspired the Writing Process of Wolves and Men, the Novel

(This is the first in a series of five.)

          I’ve decided to let you in on a little secret about my novel writing process. You should know up front that I probably broke a LOT of rules, not only in my writing process for this book, but in my journey to becoming a writer as well. I suppose this comes down to the fact that I don’t view writing as a science, but an art. And a lot in art, I think, is instinctive rather than something that should be broken down into a numerated series of steps in a “correct” method. With that said, I know I have a lot to learn about writing! But there is my philosophy. 

          And so I give you the songs that accompanied me through oh-so many drafts of this novel. 

          Not only did I occasionally write while listening to these songs, but I often cleaned house, drove around town, worked out, cooked, painted on canvas, and did a myriad of other things while listening to my “Wolves and Men” music. That is, a large part of my writing process involved copious amounts of time...mulling. And this music drove my mulling, keeping me in the scenes and in the heads of the characters.

          Here are the first five from my list:

Be Brave by The Strange Boys. 

• This song is the heartbeat of the Prologue, which was one of the first scenes written in the book, and is present in what is very nearly its first draft! Considering how much every other chapter and scene morphed throughout the editing and rewriting processes, I think I’ll always be amazed by that. It echoes the “strangeness” that are my personal childhood memories, and kind of lends a lightheartedness to the gravity of that scene. 

And Then You by Greg Laswell

• His entire album, Three Flights to Alto Nido, I think, is just generally incredible. It speaks on heartache, love, and introspection. These are themes that contribute a lot to the early chapters of Charlotte’s story. I only kept this one song on my trimmed-down playlist of 26 songs, though the original had somewhere around 40 songs, and I'm sure there were days when I listened to the Alto Nido album straight through more than once. It is a great album to play on overcast and rainy days, when you just feel like pondering. 

Are You Here by Corinne Bailey Rae

• Again, there is much to be said about her entire album, The Sea. The album came out shortly after the tragic death of Rae’s husband, and certainly reflects a great deal of nostalgia and loss. Considering the mysterious grieving aspect and elusive haunting of my main character in the early chapters, I think it is appropriate. After all, the song accurately reflects the longing and lostness of a woman in grief. 

 So Cold by The Dodos

• I love the sheer energy of this song. It inspired both the early jogging scenes (and again, that sense of emotional...lostness) as well as the later more intense running scenes in the book. Just listening to it makes me want to both weep and get moving! 

Paper Aeroplane by Angus and Julia Stone

• This song influenced the walking scenes and Corner Store scene on the refuge. To me, it is also reminiscent of Oklahoma ghost towns and people you might meet in Dollar Stores in dusty Oklahoma corners. It reflects a sort of “drabness” and mediocrity, but is also uplifting in its lyrics, with a call to connecting and a longing to reach out to others. 

           Be on the watch for the rest of the posts on this series. I can't help but listen to these songs and be transported back to the setting of Wolves and Men. I hope you enjoy the songs, and the novel (COMING SOON), as much as I have. 

Do you play music while you read or write? If so, what do you recommend? 

Are there any artists that particularly remind you of your home state or your childhood?

What do you think of the artists/songs I've mentioned? 

Five Most Unforgettable Heroines...err...Female Characters In Literature

I must begin by confessing two things: 

1. In researching this topic, I found my own library to be in horrific lack of books containing strong, heroic women. A lot of the books I read are written by men and tend to focus on the struggles and accomplishments of...well, men. And then there were a few obvious names that came to mind, but I simply do not and cannot call them heroines. Perhaps I missed the point of Anna Karenina altogether, but I found the supporting characters to be MUCH more interesting and to show a great deal more depth, strength, and beauty than Anna herself. I know, I know...harpoon me later for that one. 
2. I am using the word “Heroines” loosely here. In some cases, very loosely. In fact, “loose” might be a good word for one of them in particular. Which is why I changed the name of the post from merely “Unforgettable Heroines” to “Female Characters”.

My list is below, in no particular order.

1. Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen:

Too obvious? Are you sick of hearing women exalt this woman? I almost am. ALMOST. What saves me from being nauseated is the fact that she is truly incredible, exemplifying strength, courage, depth, intellect, wisdom, and a good heart. So maybe this list is in some kind of order after all, because she tops the charts. She actually remains unforgettable because of...(brace yourself) her goodness. Incredible, I know.

2.  Lucy Snowe, Villette, Charlotte Bronte:

This one is a little less obvious. She is unforgettable perhaps more for the intimate way in which her story is narrated. I mean, I may not have been her biggest fan to begin with, but by the end I just felt like I knew her so WELL. Lucy Snowe is like family, and though we tend to disagree about a lot and she is sometimes annoying, sometimes exasperating, I do truly love her. I love her for our disagreements and our occasional moments of complete accord. I love her for enveloping me in her world, where we sit on the ledge of her window in the old French boarding house while a storm rages on around us: 

“One night a thunderstorm broke; a sort of hurricane shook us in our beds: the Catholics rose in panic and prayed to their saints. As for me, the tempest took hold of me with tyranny: I was roughly roused and obliged to live. I got up and dressed myself, creeping outside the casement close by my bed, sat on its ledge, with my feet on the roof of a lower adjoining building. It was wet, it was wild, it was pitch-dark. Within the dormitory they gathered round the light-lamp in consternation, praying loud. I could not go in: too resistless was the delight of staying with the wild hour, black and full of thunder, pealing out such an ode as language never delivered to man- too terribly glorious, the spectacle of clouds, split and pierced by white and blinding bolts.”  Vol I, The casket, pg 99.

3.  Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier

Again, this one is less obvious than the magnanimous E. Bennet. But there is something here. In spite of her meekness, fearfulness, and oftentimes utter lack of moxie, the curiously unnamed character (who became Mrs. de Winter) is hard to forget. For one thing, she does change. She gathers strength in the end when it is most necessary. Her character truly develops from a young, naive girl to that of a strong wife, determined to do what it takes to save her husband and her marriage. She gets flack for putting up with the man and his moods for so long, but I’m not ashamed to celebrate a woman who shows the strength of perseverance in her marriage. And then there is the incredibly haunting way she tells her story. The very poetic haunted-ness of this woman makes an impression. In the end, I think I love her for her weaknesses as much as her strengths.

4.  Natasha Rostov, War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

Seeing as this is my favorite book of all time, and I share the first name with the heroine, you really should have seen this one coming. However, other than that, she may not be an obvious choice. I absolutely cringed and wanted to weep while reading about the enormous mistakes she made in her life. The naivety of it all! The humiliation! And yet, as with anyone who makes mistakes and truly shows repentance for them later, she won me over for her remorse, her sorrow, her grief and sobriety, which led to her maturing and developing as a character. And her affection for two of my favorite male characters in literature- Andrey Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezhukov... This definitely earns her some recognition in my opinion! 

5.  Sophie Macdonald, The Razor's Edge, W. Somerset Maugham

Okay, bear with me. What makes Sophie unforgettable? She is hardly a heroine, but rather a victim. She is a figure of tragedy, sorrow, and irony. 

“I suppose it was the end of the world for her when her husband and her baby were killed. I suppose she didn't care what became of her and flung herself into the horrible degradation of drink and promiscuous copulation to get even with life that had treated her so cruelly. She'd lived in heaven and when she lost it she couldn't put up with the common earth of common men, but in despair plunged headlong into hell. I can imagine that if she couldn't drink the nectar of the gods any more she thought she might as well drink bathroom gin.'

That's the sort of thing you say in novels. It's nonsense and you know it's nonsense. Sophie wallows in the gutter because she likes it. Other women have lost their husbands and children. It wasn't that that made her evil. Evil doesn't spring from good. The evil was there always. When that motor accident broke her defences it set her free to be herself. Don't waste your pity on her, she's now what at heart she always was.” 

― W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge 

When I read the monologue above, my blood kind of boils. What kind of evil possesses one human to rationalize themselves out of feeling empathy and tenderness toward someone who has suffered such great personal loss? 

The images left with me from reading of Sophie’s eventual and tragic death by the sea are jarring and moving to say the least. But I think there is something within me that needs to cultivate empathy for Sophie Macdonald. And perhaps this is why, ever since having finished this novel, I have caught glimpses of Sophie in my reflection again and again. She’s in there, somewhere. And maybe I need to remember that I, too, am the most pitiable of all women- the most degraded, weak, and humiliated, in the sense that I have every capability of becoming so. 

The darkness of men’s (think: humans) hearts is a primary theme in my novel, Wolves and Men. The wolf- that is, the deep, dark lurking of evil is always in there somewhere, and we need to be aware of it. We need to remember that only Jesus can save us from ourselves. We are not humane on our own, and who knows what this world be (but absolute and literal Hell) apart from the constantly working Holy Spirit, restraining the darkness, and indeed restraining even the Sophie Macdonald, or (perhaps worse) the woman who mocks her sorrow, in our selves. 

P.S. Don't you love that Maugham book cover? It was one of the books I brought up with my book cover designer at our meeting a couple weeks back. I highly recommend that specific edition (Vintage) for adding to your classics library. Admittedly, it wasn't my favorite book, but it certainly left its mark, and the paperback is superb quality, with a matte finish that accurately translates the textured look of the painting. 

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Who are your top five favorite/most unforgettable heroines/female characters? 

How did you feel upon reading any of the above books?

What are your favorite book covers? 

Spontaneous Arcadia

          We didn’t decide to become explorers. You might even say it came naturally. Or, one could argue that it happened as a result of moving away only to rediscover the places we once took for granted. But explorers we are. My husband and I, that is. 

         We don’t make a big deal about it- no cargo pants or vests. We sometimes just pick a place that looks interesting from the highway, and then go and look around. And often we take pictures. But we always take an interest.

          One day, we took one such spontaneous trip to Pop’s in Arcadia, Oklahoma, with our whimsical Sardina and Diana cameras. The sun was drifting downward behind the sloping neighborhood houses and vast pastures we’d left behind on Route 66 when we stopped off at the famous Round Barn. Unfortunately it was closed, but we decided to take pictures, anyway. 

          Afterwards we meandered around and goofed off a great deal until making our way back to Pop’s and having a nice, diner-style dinner and sipping our exotic sodas. The sun continued to set as our part of the world cooled down with a gentle breeze and music played cheerfully from the outdoor speakers.

         Multi-colored pop bottles dazzled and glowed in the dimming light as the clouds shifted nearer in horizontal layers of pinks and blues and purples. As the rest of the world became cloaked in the night sky’s habitual darkness, Pop’s and its retro-style gas station was illuminated by the fluorescent lights above and the towering soda pop rings that loomed over, reminiscent of some Fourth of July glow sticks.  

          It was just an evening out, really. You could even call it a date. But I happen to love viewing the world- even it’s most unappreciated corners- with fresh eyes and an open mind. And something about that evening, like so many others, was...well, magical.

          I've had the privilege to discover so many enchanting scenes throughout my home state, Oklahoma. Which is probably why my love for Oklahoma played such an important role throughout the writing of my soon-to-be-released novel, Wolves and Men. But where ever you are, I hope you're rediscovering YOUR countrysides, small towns, nooks and crannies, along with their own unique charms. 

*** Photos courtesy of my one-and-only, Micah Wittman.

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Have you taken any spontaneous trips lately? 

Are there any corners of the world you’ve taken an interest in?

Have you ever used a Holga, Diana, or Sardina camera?