Songs that feel like THE NIGHT WE SAID YES to me. Hope you enjoy!

1. “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” – Stars
The book starts with Ella seeing Matt for the first time in half a year. This song starts the same, a guy and a girl seeing one another for the first time after a while, and has the same feel. It’s questioning and longing and strong.

2. “The Night Starts Here” – Stars
I realize this is another Stars song, but I’m a fan so let’s work with it. If my book was made into a movie, I think this song would play when Matt & Ella decide to recreate the night.

3. “Sometimes I Still Feel the Bruise” -Trembling Blue Stars
This is Ella feeling hurt and scarred and scared. This is her confessing what the past six months have been like for her.

4. “Should I Stay or Should I Go” – The Clash
This song is directly referenced in the text, but aside from that, if Meg and Jake were to have a song that represents their relationship, this would be it.

5. “We Are Young” – Fun. featuring. Janelle Monae
When people ask what song best represents my book, I think this one is pretty fitting for the Then section. Feeling young and light and alive.

6. “First Day of My Life” – Bright Eyes
This is Matt in the Now, kind of broken and hopeful all in one.

7. “It’ll Get You There” – Rilo Kley
This is Meg’s song for Jake, over and over again. I love the part where the song finally says “I will.” That’s Meg explaining how everything can make Jake happy, but, she can, too, and he needs to see that. (This, incidentally, is also my favorite band.)

8. “I Wanna Get Better” – Bleachers
Jake. Just…perfectly Jake.

9. “21 Guns” – Green Day
This song is also referenced in the book, and I don’t want to give anything away because it’s an important scene, so…this song!

10. “Shake It Out” – Florence and the Machine
Ella, pain and simple.

11. “Tonight the Streets are Ours” -Richard Hawley
This is like my ending credits song. It’s quite lovely.

Bonus Tracks
“Try to Remember” from the musical The Fantasticks is also mentioned, however, soundtrack wise, it doesn’t fit. So let’s make it a bonus track.

“Autoclave” – The Mountain Goats
This is the song for the companion e-novella, MATT’S STORY. This is Matt between the Then and the Now. It’s so Matt.

(If you’re of the older generation, it’s the song you’ll find about 10 minutes on the CD or cassette after the last song ends.)

THE NIGHT WE SAID YES is now out in stores! It’s so exciting and crazy and weird and AHHH. That’s the best way to describe it, really. I’ll have an update soon about everything that’s happened since its release, but for right now I just want to say this: THANK YOU.

Thank you to everyone who’s read my blog and been through this crazy experience with me. Thank you to everyone who’s sent me photos of the book in stores. Thank you to everyone who bought it and read it. Thank you for thinking about it, or mentioning it, or even adding it on Goodreads. Thank you for being part of this. Thank you for kind words and kind thoughts and everything. I’ve learned so much throughout this entire experience. I’ve learned that so many people are good and lovely and nice. I’ve met (both in person and virtually) amazing readers and writers and bloggers who I want to be friends with forever. And I’ve smiled so, so much. Really, it would be nothing without you all.

So here’s to you all, and to making dreams come true.

I’ve asked a few friends to share times they’ve said yes to something memorable or exciting or crazy. Their stories have been fantastic…check them out!

• Jennifer Chen said yes to a guy who became her husband!
• Melissa Sarno said yes to writing for herself.
• Christina Farley said yes to a happily ever after.
• Julie Murphy said yes to friendship.
• Colure said yes to the job she really wanted.
• Jenny Torres Sanchez said yes to vandalizing?

Interested in sharing your YES story? Let me know!

Leading up to the release of TNWSY, i’m doing a bunch of guest posts and interviews. I thought i’d collect them here. Feel free to check them out!

Interviews

• An interview on The Sound of YA Books
• Welcome to the Club at The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club
• An Interview on A Reading Nurse
• The Time It Was About The Night We Said Yes at Adventures of a Book Junkie
• An interview at No BS Book Club
• Some Songs of TNWSY at Teen Readers’ Diary
• Interview on Wildfire Books

On Writing and Inspiration

• Not Sure How to Revise? Start at the Beginning on the NaNoWriMo Blog
• Author Lauren Gibaldi Talks Inspiration on Mindy McGinnis’ blog.
• Life, Writing, and THE NIGHT WE SAID YES on Justin’s Book Blog

Fun Stories

• What Does the Holiday Season Mean To You? On Pop! Goes the Reader
• Her Story: Ladies In Literature with Lauren Gibaldi on Pop! Goes the Reader
• My Night I Said Yes on The Lifelong Bookworm
• Five Most Spontaneous Things I’ve Done on Once Upon a Twilight

I originally wrote THE NIGHT WE SAID YES because I like the idea of saying “yes” to things – things we’re afraid of, things we really want. Things that have risks involved. Things that are important.

I guess, in a way, it’s a lot like resolutions.

Resolutions are all about saying yes (or, sometimes, saying no) to things we want to change about ourselves. Work out more. Eat better. Stop biting nails. Stop wasting time on the Internet.

In the past, I’ve tried to make mine positive. Write more! Move into a house! Have a baby! Obviously just saying a resolution doesn’t mean it’s going to come true. You have to work towards it.

You can’t just say yes. That’s just the beginning.

So here we are. It’s 2015, the year THE NIGHT WE SAID YES comes out. In five months I’m going to be a published author(!!!!), which is INSANE on so many levels. It’s a resolution I made a long time ago – to write a book, and have it on shelves. I worked towards the resolution, I worked hard, and this is the year that resolution will come true.

To celebrate 2015, and to encourage YOU to say YES to something you’d love to do, I’m doing a giveaway.

Want to win a signed advanced copy of THE NIGHT WE SAID YES? Enter below! Let me know what you’re saying yes to this year…what your resolution is. There will be one winner. Contest open to US and Canada. Ends January 12th. Good luck, and HAPPY 2015! Let’s make it the best year yet.

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