Blog Tour- The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer

The Soothing Power of Music

Throughout my life, I’ve always turned to music to help me celebrate good times and to soothe my pain during difficult ones. In Lily, I created a character who does the same thing. While writing her story, I listened to music that I had chosen specifically to set my mood for what was happening in each scene. During the emotional scene after Lily loses her father in an accident, I listened to sad country songs. Here’s an excerpt of that scene:

My mind drifts back to this morning. The hiker who came out of the woods and called 911 was a guy not much older than I am. I don’t know his name, but even if I never see him again, I’ll always remember his kind, dark eyes and how they kept me from sinking during those long minutes while we waited for the rescue helicopter to arrive. When I was about to hyperventilate, he made me look at him and told me to take deep breaths. He let me clutch his hand while he talked to me in a soothing voice. His strength flowed into me, and I started to believe that he had the power to make everything all right.

After they took Dad to the hospital in Pueblo, the sheriff drove me to meet Mom, Addie, and Wyatt there. I don’t know what happened to the hiker.

The stairs creak, and a moment later, Addie stands beside me holding my iPod. I take it and thank her, putting the buds in my ears. I find a soft country playlist and push the button to start it, hoping the music will drown my memories of the accident so I can sleep. Soon Iris begins to sing softly along with the song, so I make the music louder. I wish she’d go somewhere far away and stay there. I’m not sure I believe that she didn’t know what was going to happen. Her strange excuse about warning me doesn’t make sense.

I close my eyes to shut out the world. And close my heart to Iris.

The song that I imagined Lily listening to on her iPod in this scene is “Probably Wouldn’t Be This Way,” by LeAnn Rimes. The melody is sad and the lyrics in the chorus, although probably about a lost romance, could pertain to the loss of any loved one. I could easily imagine Lily relating to and being touched by the emotions brought forth in this song after losing her father.

Listen to “Probably Wouldn’t Be This Way” below, then leave a comment to let me know what sad songs touch your heart.




Sometimes I forget for an hour or two that she's with me. Sometimes I convince myself that she was only a dream. Or that I'm crazy.

For as long as Lily Winston can remember, she has never been alone. Iris, a shadowy figure who mimics Lily's movements and whispers in her ear, is with her always—but invisible to the rest of the world. Iris is Lily's secret.

But when Lily's father is killed in a tragic accident, his cryptic final words suggest that he and Lily's mother have been keeping secrets of their own. Suddenly, Iris begins pushing Lily more than ever, possessing her thoughts and urging her to put together the pieces of a strange puzzle her father left behind. As she searches for answers, Lily finds herself drawn to Ty Collier, a mysterious new boy in town. Together, Lily and Ty must untangle a web of deception to discover the truth about her family, Iris . . . and Lily's own identity.- summary from Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This blog tour is sponsored by Mod Podge Bookshelf- check out her blog and her blog tour/marketing page!