Half by Eli Lang
Riptide Publishing
Cover by G.D. Leigh
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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Eli Lang here today talking about writing, soundtracks and Half, her latest release. Welcome, Eli!
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Songs- A Partial Soundtrack for Half
I listen to a lot of music while I’m writing. It’s the thing that inspires me and decides where a book will go and how it will feel. Half was no exception—I had a massive playlist for it, while I was writing and revising. So, for your listening pleasure (hopefully!) here are five of my favorite songs from that playlist.
Nara by alt-J: alt-J’s album This Is All Yours was one of four albums I listened to on repeat while writing this book, and it’s the one I love the most. And this song embodies why, for me. It destroys me in the best way. It’s about love and finding someone to love, and loss, and fear, and heartache, and joy. I hope a little bit of that snuck into Half.
Say Goodbye by Beck- I listened to Morning Phase nonstop during my last big rewrite of this book. It’s a quiet album that packs a punch. Say Goodbye is my favorite song off it—it’s simple but it does something to my heart. I wanted to carry that over into Half.
Trembling Hands by The Temper Trap: If the book has a theme song, it’s this. I actually wanted to call the book Trembling Hands at one point—thankfully I didn’t keep that idea. I don’t always pay a ton of attention to lyrics while I’m writing, but these struck me so much. Fundamentally, the song is about something completely different than Half. But the feelings of being lonely and scared and unsure stuck with me. I also love the dynamics, the passion in the vocals, and the delicate verses.
Heavenfaced by The National: The National’s album Trouble Will Find me was another one I had on repeat while writing Half. The whole album has a sort of dreamy quality to the music and lyrics, and I could get really lost in it. But it’s solid, too, and it has a lot of depth. Heavenfaced is one of my favorite songs off it. It’s basically, for me, about life and death, and living as best you can. Whenever I hear the words, “No one’s careful all the time,” I think about Half’s main character, Luca.
Heavenly Father by Bon Iver: I think I’ve listened to this song a million times, and it never gets old. I’m not sure why I wanted to listen to it so much while I was writing this book. Lyrically, it doesn’t really fit. But I do go into family relationships in Half—the relationship Luca has with his sister, and the relationship he has with his father—the confusion of family ties, and what to feel about people who are supposed to love you. And in that way, it does sort of fit.
About Half
Living between worlds has never been comfortable, but it’s where I’ve always fit: between human and fey, illness and health, magic and reality.
I’ve spent the last six years looking for a cure for the nameless sickness eating me up. If I believed there was one out there, I would keep searching. But there isn’t, so I’ve come back home, where my past and present tangle. Come home to live . . . and to die.
But my father insists I meet Kin. He’s a healer, and determined to help, even though I’m not so hopeful anymore. But Kin isn’t what I expected, in any way. He sees me, not my illness. He reminds me of what it’s like to be alive. And I can’t help falling for him, even though I know it isn’t fair to either of us.
Kin thinks he has the cure I’ve been looking for, but it’s a cure that will change everything: me, my life, my heart. If I refuse, I could lose Kin. But if I take it, I might lose myself.
Now available from Riptide Publishing.
About Eli Lang
Eli Lang is a writer and drummer. She has played in rock bands, worked on horse farms, and has had jobs in libraries, where she spent most of her time reading every book she could get her hands on. She can fold a nearly perfect paper crane and knows how to tune a snare drum. She still buys stuffed animals because she feels bad if they’re left alone in the store, believes cinnamon buns should always be eaten warm, can tell you more than you ever wanted to know about the tardigrade, and has a book collection that’s reaching frightening proportions. She lives in Arizona with far too many pets.
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Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Half, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide Publishing credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 18, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!
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