Guest Post ~ Author Jacqueline Gardner

Today I have the lovely Jacqueline Gardner, the author of THOUGHTLESS, here with a guest post. As some of you know I am music obsessed. Naturally, I asked Jacqueline to share with us how she uses music in her life and writing. So, here's Jacqueline!

Whenever I write, I need noise. The source doesn’t matter. For all I care it could come from my neighbors yelling outside. When I was in college, I used to do homework with a pair of headphones in and the TV on. And magically when my roommate came to ask me how to make my signature popcorn dish (she called it JAQ-corn), I understood exactly what she was saying.                                                                                                                                         I wrote THOUGHTLESS in a similar way - with headphones in and sometimes with the TV on. There are many scenes in that book where I had to reflect back to conversations between me and my little sister. The two of us speak sarcasm. A lot of banter back and forth between Bridget and Rory is based on actual conversations I’ve had with ‘lil’ sis. And again, I had no problem digging up memories while heavy metal blasted in my ear and annoying commercials played in the background.                                                                                                                                     One day while I was writing, my ipod died. Just flat out died and I wasn’t in a spot where I could quickly charge it. So I continued writing in absolute silence, thinking it wouldn’t make a difference. Wrong. I learned a lot about myself that day. My ability to add ‘feeling’ comes from the noise around me - mainly music. And on top of that, have you ever tried writing a creepy stalker scene in absolute silence, alone, and in a dimly lit apartment? Needless to say I freaked myself out!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I know a lot of writers who write with music. Some authors even include book tracks - music paired with every chapter. I think I need music to write for the same reason I needed it before every swim meet in high school. It helps me get in touch with emotions that don’t ‘come until they’re called’. In order to make a reader feel what my main character feels, it helps if I as the writer feel some of those feelings as I write.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I've heard of authors crying as they write an especially sad scene, or getting mad or frustrated with a certain character. I used to think that’s a bit odd. I don’t think that anymore.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 JAQ-corn: Basically hand-popped popcorn with butter and salt. Sprinkle with M&M’s (skittles if you want to get creative). Pour melted caramel as needed (optional).

Who's ready for some JAQ-corn?! Yum!

Jacqueline Gardner works as a Story Editor for the production company, Labragirl Pictures. Her love of storytelling began at an early age when she would make up stories with her grandmother before bedtime. In early 2010, she completed her first novel and has been stuck on writing ever since. She resides in Colorado and loves hiking, writing, fantasy fiction, and all things cupcake.

You can find Jacqueline at her website.

I will be posting my review of THOUGHTLESS in the (hopefully) near future. Stay tuned!

When Bridget finds a dead cheerleader in the janitor’s closet, she becomes the killer’s next target. High school just got worse. It’s bad enough that she can hear the shocking truths that pass through her classmate’s heads. Now she has to worry about staying alive, and all clues point to the one person whose thoughts she can’t read - her boyfriend Terrence. Someone is taunting her, threatening to expose her secret. And when Bridget tries to single out her blackmailer, she’s nearly beaten to death by a mind controlled minion with fiery eyes. But when Bridget finally comes face-to-face with the killer, suddenly a horde of brainwashed students programmed to destroy her life doesn’t seem so bad.