A Playlist for Of Trust & Heart

As with every other story that I come up with, making a soundtrack for it is a fundamental part of the process. But for OF TRUST AND HEART this was even more important because, since the book takes place in the 1920s, where music was such a huge focus on the time, it needed to represent not only to book but that time period.

1. “I Like Girls” by Samantha Sidley—“I like the girls who sing, who can dance and do most anything”—this song was actually introduced to me by my editor, Jen, when we started working on OF TRUST AND HEART. I don’t know how they found it but it’s honestly such a perfect song because the jazz melody make it sound like something that Rosalie could have sung at the time within the novel. It’s almost as if she and Lady Harriet got drunk one night, decided to write a song and this is the result.
2. “Into My Arms” by Eliza Rickman—”And I believe in some kind of path that we can walk down, me and you”—this song, for me, balances what I feel Harriet must have felt in the beginning when realising her sexuality and relating that to the religion of the time. And so, even though it represents a time before the novel, it’s important to get a sense of Harriet and how she views her relationship with Rosalie.
3. “I’m Feeling Fine” by Paul Williams—“If this is love, it’s a rhapsody, I’m gonna sing it like a song”—since “Bugsy Malone” was such a huge inspiration for this book, it seemed only fair that I include one song from it. And to me, it couldn’t be anything other than this one. Blousey sings this when she’s angry with Bugsy, but there’s times within OF TRUST AND HEART that suit it as well. No spoilers, but hopefully, when reading, you’ll be able to tell.
4. “Stray Italian Greyhound” by Vienna Tang—“But you had to come along didn’t you, tear down the doors, throw open windows”—the reason behind the inclusion of this song is quite simple. It’s a song about how unexpected love can be and that’s entirely what the book is about. Harriet is in New York to find a husband and instead finds herself falling for a woman singer at a speakeasy. I can just see a musical movie of the book having Harriet singing this as her feelings for Rosalie deepen.
5. “She’s All On My Mind” by Wet Wet Wet—“Wishing on my star, that I don’t spend a lifetime without you”—since Lady Harriet (and myself) are Scottish, I really wanted some Scottish artists on my playlist and one naturally had to be Wet Wet Wet. Though this song does apply in some sense, it is mostly just a self-indulgent addition.
6. “Sunshine on Leith” by the Proclaimers—“While I’m worth my room on this Earth, I will be with you”—again, this was another addition where I wanted more Scottish artists within the playlist. But the reason I picked this song in particular, even though my character is based nowhere near Leith, is because it’s a love letter to where you’re from. There’s so many layers to the song that I feel fit Harriet that I can’t listen to it without thinking of her.
7. “Bye Bye Blackbird” by Diana Krall—“Where somebody waits for me, sugar’s sweet, so is she”—I must confess that the reason behind this song is entirely because a) I like it and b) for the song that appears in the book “Highland Bloom”, I always use this song’s melody when singing it in my mind.
8. “I’ll Count the Days” by Rebecca Ferguson—“Time stands still now, the world’s stopped spinning”—just as with the “Bugsy Malone” song, this one is here because “Downton Abbey” was a huge inspiration for the book. A lot of the music from Downton is instrumental except from this one and the opening song. But this one is Mary’s and Matthew’s song, and their love is the vibe I wanted Harriet and Rosalie to have, so it just made sense to include it in the playlist as a tribute to the inspiration behind this book.

And there we have it! The eight songs that helped shape OF TRUST AND HEART. Let me know you’re favourite below for the chance to win an ebook copy of OF TRUST AND HEART. You can listen to the playlist here.