Love is in the Air

With Valentine’s Day falling this month, our blog theme is about favorite romances---books or movies.

That’s a bit of a challenge for me because I can’t really say what my favorite romance movie or novel is. I know so many point to Casablanca as the best romance movie, but I’ve seen it a couple of times and both times it left me..meh.  As for novels, I can’t really pinpoint one of those either because there are too many of them. However, it’s more the author’s work I enjoy most when I think of best in romance. For instance, I’m a fan of  all of Nora Roberts'  romance series—ie; The MacGregors (several books in that series), The Quinn Brothers,  The Calhoun Women...just to name a few. She has such a way with character and plot, you can’t help but fall in love right along with them.  Another author who does an awesome series is Allison Brennan. Her work is romantic suspense and there’s more emphasis on the suspense than the romance, but her current series, featuring FBI candidate Lucy Kincaid, is fabulous! And what’s even better about it is each book builds on the relationship between Lucy and her boyfriend, Sean Rogan (who’s so alpha male you can’t help but drool when he comes onto the scene.)

Anyway, these two authors are what compel me to write and become a better writer, but honestly, when I sit down to write a romance, books and movies are not what motivate me and my characters. In fact, it’s music. Love songs, to be exact.  When I sit down to write, one of the first things I do is turn on the satellite to the music channels and plug in “love songs”.  The poetry and music of the songs really brings out my romantic muse.

Before I started working on this post, I went online to Google top love songs of all time and I was surprised by some of the songs on the list because to me they were ‘break-up’ songs, not love songs.  For instance, Lisa Lisa’s song “All Cried Out” is a beautiful song, but not one that’s going to want my characters dropping to one knee.

So I made my own list based on the songs that most inspire me and included two that weren’t even on the list, (and yes, I know they date me).  And of course I can't not include the song my husband chose for our first dance. Love of a Lifetime by Firehouse. 

 So, here's my list: 

1.       Wonderful Tonight                         Eric Clapton

2.       I Will Always Love You                  Whitney Houston

3.       Endless Love                                      Lionel Richie & Dianna Ross

4.       Always                                                 Atlantic Starr

5.       Your Song                                           Elton John

6.       Unchained Melody                         The Righteous Brothers

7.       My Heart Will Go On                     Celine Dion

8.       How Do I Live                                    LeAnn Rimes

9.       Here And Now                                  Luther Vandross

10.   From this Moment                          Shania Twain

11.   We’ve Only Just Begun                 The Carpenters

12.   Laughter In The Rain                       Neil Sedaka

 

Pretty eclectic, huh?
So what love song get’s you in the mood? ;-)