For me, every book I write has not only a playlist of music, but one song that defines it. It’s that song that gets me through every block as I’m writing the story, the one that just so perfectly fits this set of characters and circumstances, it’s as though the music was written for this book.

Scanning the playlist of When We Were Us, one song jumps out at me as an obvious choice for the defining song. Shouldn’t it be the song that gave the book its title, We Were Us by Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert? Well . . . maybe.

But I have to admit, the tune from this list that I listened to most often was really We Belong by Pat Benatar. This one is a special sentimental favorite of mine; it’s been on more than one of my playlists, and deservedly so.

Many times I tried to tell you
Many times I cried alone
Always I’m surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone
Don’t want to leave you really
I’ve invested too much time to give you up that easy
To the doubts that complicate your mind

This is so much Quinn, so much the cry of her heart, and yet, there’s some Leo in there, too, and even some Nate.

I can always count of Pat.

Check out the entire When We Were Us playlist right here!