Thy Choicest Songs

Hi Friends!

When Opportunity released, I told you guys how weird it was. I think a part of me thought I would find it a little easier when Thy Choicest Gifts came out. I guess I thought that seeing my name on the cover of a book would lose some of its weirdness after I had one out there already.

Boy was I wrong. When I opened the box and saw my name on the cover of TCG, my heart practically jumped out of my chest. And honestly, it still does when I see copies of Opportunity too.

A few months ago, I visited one of my absolute best friends, she’s mentioned in the acknowledgements of both Oppy and TCG. When I saw Opportunity on her bookshelf, I honestly felt sick to my stomach. This may have contributed to some copious beverage consumption, and eventually a drunk and rather crass inscription on the inside of the book.

Seeing how I still get that weird, nauseous feeling, I think that’s just something I’m going to have to get used to. Not seeing the book, but the feeling that comes with it.

And here we are today, almost two months after Thy Choicest Gifts became available. The words I’m getting from people who’ve read it have been overwhelming and I’m blown away. Friends, family and complete strangers have welcomed Prince Sebastian and Rory into their lives, even for a moment to love them as much as I have. And that means the absolute world to me.

But now we get to a sort of addendum part, which is really the point of all of this post.

When Oppy released, a few weeks later, I shared the music that inspired, drove me forward, and made me feel while I was writing. So, I figured maybe you’d be just as interested in the playlist I cultivated for TCG.

Some of it is pretty predictable, some of it is repeated as multiple versions of the same piece of music but each one brought me to a different headspace for the book, somewhere that allowed Sebastian and Rory’s story to flow a little better. Which earned each piece, repeats included, its own place on the list.

There were really two different tones the music set. One was the regality of what I was working on and the other was the more base emotions of Rory and Sebastian's feelings

The Regal Side

   God Save the Queen - Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral

   Duck Shoot (The Crown Soundtrack) - Rupert Gregson-Williams

   Victoria Titles (Victoria Soundtrack) - Martin Phipps & Mediaeval Baebes

   Coronation (Victoria Soundtrack) - Martin Phipps & Mediaeval Baebes

   Rule Britannia - London Army Band & Choir

   There'll Always Be an England - London Army Band & Choir

   I Vow to Thee, My Country - Gustav Holst

   There'll Always Be an England - Massed Bands of HM Marines

   Zadok the Priest (Coronation Anthem No1) - George Frederic Handel

The Boys

   Without Me - Alec Chambers

   I Wanted Him - Lontalius

   TALK ME DOWN - Troye Sivan

   Higher Love - James Vincent McMorrow

   Bloom - Troye Sivan

   Say Something - A Great Big World

   LOST BOY - Troye Sivan

   Rewrite the Stars (Greatest Showman Soundtrack) - Zac Efron & Zendaya

For the more emotion based songs, I think Without Me is more Rory's song and I Wanted Him is Sebastian's in my head, very early on. Obviously, it was able to change to something a bit more upbeat. 

I hope maybe this snippet adds something to the book or maybe just gives you a little insight into what I was feeling with the characters. 

Remember: You are seen; you are loved; you matter!