The Songs That Saved Your Life

This is a blog about songs I like. There are guilty pleasures, sad acoustic music, some dance-y stuff, and the Beatles.

When I'm not listening to music, I write books:

Audrey, Wait!
The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June

If you want, you could:
visit my website
send me a letter
be my facebook friend
tweet at me
show me your record collection
listen to the archives

I hope you enjoy what you hear.

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Posted 11 months ago

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

U2, “Beautiful Day” (live at Slane Castle September 2001)

“The goal is soul!”

Last month my friend and fellow author LK Madigan passed away from pancreatic cancer, leaving behind her husband and son and many people that knew and I loved her.

Lisa was that rare bird who was talented and humble, funny and kind. She emailed me in 2008 after reading my first book, “Audrey, Wait!” and asked if I would do an interview with her. It’s still one of my favorite interviews I’ve ever done. (And still the only one where I’ve been allowed to discuss my fear of snorkeling.) She also emailed me in 2010 to tell me how much she enjoyed “AMJ”. She added, “I like to let authors know personally when I like their books.” Now that’s class.

In 2010, when Lisa won the William C. Morris award for her book “Flash Burnout”, I emailed this song to her because I knew she loved Bono. And U2. And Bono some more. We also discussed which songs would be good in certain scenes of our books and our shared guilty pleasure for LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out”.

My stepfather was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer last September and passed away only a month later. Upon hearing the news, Lisa emailed me with her condolences. I never thought that the same disease would take my author friend only a few months later. She will be greatly, greatly missed.