St Michael's Mount Discs by Amanda Jennings, author of In Her Wake. Blog Tour author guest post.

Today it's my stop on the blog tour for the stunning In Her Wake by Amanda Jennings. I'm delighted to welcome Amanda for 'St Michael's Mount Discs' - the eight tracks Amanda would want to be stranded with on a desert island, and why. 
I haven't stopped raving about Amanda's book ever since I read it for the first time (yes, I've read it twice so far) - and I'm sure I'll continue to do so (rave about it AND read it again). I know already that In Her Wake is going to be one of my top reads of 2016. If you haven't yet read my review, you'll find the link below. And if you haven't yet read In Her Wake, don't wait any longer. In Her Wake is published by Orenda Books and is available in all formats NOW.

St Michael's Mount Discs by Amanda Jennings

When I was a child one of my favourite things to do was walk along the causeway to St Michael’s Mount. My grandmother adored the Mount - her home had a view across the fields from Gulval and out across Mount’s bay and the Mount - and when we were small she would take us out there. I was fascinated by this magic pathway which only revealed itself at low tide. I I would always be wracked with a growing anxiety as I kept an eye on the rising tide which would cut us off from the mainland. I’d ask my mum quietly what would happen if we became stranded. Where would we sleep? What would we eat? And even though she assured me that we would be able to escape on a fishing boat, there was always a sense of relief when we finally stepped off the seaweed-slippery stones and on to the safety of the sand of Marazion, generally with our jeans rolled up to the knee, and the causeway covered in a half a foot of seawater (My gran and mum enjoyed cutting it fine…)

With this in mind I thought I’d do my own version of Desert Island Discs. So here is my St Michael’s Mount Discs, a list of the eight tracks I’d want to be stranded with and why…

What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong

My husband and I met at university and in our college bar this song would always be the last song played and we’d always be stuck in a loved-up youthful clinch as the lights went up to the last few bars of the song. We chose it for our first dance at our wedding and whenever I hear it it makes me feel happy and young and in love.

March of the Montagues and Capulets (also Dance of the Knights), Sergei Prokofiev

I’m not a diehard classical music fan - insofar as I don’t often choose to listen to Classical radio or albums - but I do love the ballet and opera. This, from Romeo and Juliet, is the first piece of music that moved me to tears with it’s sheer passion. I would turn it up super loud in my my late teens, close my eyes and conduct manically. Sadly, it’s now the theme tune of The Apprentice. (Oi, Suralan, back off my song…!)

Blue Velvet, Bobby Vinton

I used to sing this to my first daughter when she was a baby. She was a dreadful sleeper in those early days (though now aged eighteen she seems to have improved) and in the wee small hours, this magic song had the capacity to not only calm her, but calm an exhausted me as well.

Wicked Game, Chris Isaak

I adore this song. It was the musical inspiration for my character, Anna, in Sworn Secret, my first book. ‘It’s a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way, what a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you…’ This song is packed full of desire and mood, and it makes me fill up with emotion listening to it.

What’s Up, Four Non Blondes

Another song I ramp up to full volume and sing as loud as I can. I love the line ‘And so I wake in the morning and I step outside, and I take a deep breath and I get real high, and I scream at the top of my lungs, what’s going on?’ I love the idea of getting high on fresh air and at the same time screaming in frustration when the world seems to have gone insane. When bad things are happening in the world, I’ll put this on and shout it loud.

Lose Yourself, Eminem

This is the song I played on loop, whilst shadow boxing (true fact!), as I was gearing up to submit my first book to agents. It’s all about pushing your fears to one side and grabbing your chances. The beat and lyrics are awesome for getting your battle-juices flowing, and it reminds me not to be scared of failure or shackled by nerves, and to never to give up. ‘You only get one shot…this opportunity only comes once.’ (Watch 8 Mile, the film that features this song and stars Eminem, for similar inspiration…)

Title Unknown, James Blunt

When I was nineteen I went to the funeral of a friend, the seventeen year old son of one of my mum’s best friends, who’d tragically died following a brain aneurysm. We were in the church, it was terribly sad, as all funerals are, but none more so than those of young people. His best school friend sat down in front of the hushed congregation and sang a song he’d written in his friend’s honour. His voice filled the church and was so beautiful, so moving, so incredible that it cut right to my core. I wrote to my mother’s friend after the funeral telling her how beautiful I thought the song was and she sent me a copy. I was at university and for about three weeks I played the song continuously. Years later, whilst listening to the radio, the same unmistakable voice came on. That boy who so mesmerised me in the church was James Blunt. Sheer beauty and his voice still moves me today.

I Don’t Feel Like Dancing, Scissor Sisters

One of my favourite all-time tracks. I’ve seen the Scissor Sisters in concert and they are amazing. I’m choosing this song because I always feel like dancing, and a bit of moonlit dancing on the Mount, maybe along the harbour wall looking out to sea, would be just what the the situation required, I think…

Thank you for having me on the blog, Vicki, and for allowing me to indulge in my fantasy playlist!

About Amanda Jennings

Amanda Jennings made her literary début with the internationally bestselling novel Sworn Secret. Her second book, The Judas Scar, was optioned by a film and television production company shortly after release. She is fascinated by the ways people react to trauma and deal with its long-lasting effects, and also the complex relationships within a family unit. She used to work at the BBC, but now writes full-time and looks after her three daughters and a menagerie of animals. She writes a popular blog and is a regular guest on BBC Berkshire’s Book Club. She enjoys running writing workshops, is a judge for the Henley Youth Festival creative writing competition, and is involved with the Womentoring Project, which offers free mentoring by professional literary women to talented up-and-coming female writers who might otherwise not have access to such an opportunity. She is a regular speaker at festivals and book events, combining her childhood love of the stage with her love of writing. She likes to be active, preferably beside the sea or at the top of a snow-covered mountain, and when she isn’t writing she can usually be found walking her dog and enjoying the peace and solitude of the great outdoors.

Readers can find out more about Amanda on her website and Facebook page and follow Amanda on Twitter - @MandaJJennings 

In Her Wake
By Amanda Jennings
Published by Orenda Books (Ebook - 10 February 2016; Paperback - 22 March 2016)
ISBN: 978-1910633298

Publisher's description
A tragic family event reveals devastating news that rips apart Bella's comfortable existence. Embarking on a personal journey to uncover the truth, she faces a series of traumatic discoveries that take her to the ruggedly beautiful Cornish coast, where hidden truths, past betrayals and a 25-year-old mystery threaten not just her identity, but her life. Chilling, complex and profoundly moving, In Her Wake is a gripping psychological thriller that questions the nature of family - and reminds us that sometimes the most shocking crimes are committed closest to home.

My verdict: In Her Wake is a stunning, beautifully written literary psychological thriller and one that I intend to read again and again. 

Click here to read my FULL review

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