I absolutely love coming up with a soundtrack for each of my books. It helps me define characters, scenes, tone, and dreams. I don’t always write while listening to music, but when I do, I will pull from the manuscript soundtrack. Here are just a few songs I picked for AFTER WE FALL, book 2 in the Shelter & Sky series.
“Thank you” by Sly & the Family Stone
Three tenants in a halfway house show their gratitude for all that our heroine Penelope Reid does for them using this fantastic song. And our hero Luke Granger gets to see it all unfold … right before everything falls apart.
“Rescue” by Lauren Daigle
Self-sufficient, independent Penelope Reid is going to make a mistake that she might not recover from, causing her to say three words she’s never said to anyone in her life, “I need you.” The thing is, she has to say those words to her complete opposite, the last person she wants to ask help from, the infuriatingly handsome Luke Granger.
“You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma” by David Frizzell and Shelby West
In the wake of a life-changing concussion, Penelope must completely reframe her life, and Luke is right alongside her, giving her creative gifts that help her recovery. One such gift is in the form of noise-canceling headphones. When you see it on the page, it’s totally swoon-worthy. And then when you see him set up a date using those headphones and this song, it’s more than swoon-worthy.
“Be Scared with Me” by Canyon City
Our hero Luke isn’t perfect. He’s got a tough story and after enduring his childhood, he lives a nomadic lifestyle free of entanglements or commitment. Only when he meets Penelope, he’s tempted to stay in one place. He knows Penelope is also scared of her feelings for him, and he asks her to be scared with him so they can work through it together. The scene where this discussion takes placed is based on this song.
“Unpack Your Heart” by Phillip Phillips
This is the overarching theme song for this book. At first I thought this song might just be Luke thinking the lyrics about Penelope. But really, they’re both challenged to pull down their walls and unpack their heart. It’s perfect for this gritty, beautiful romance.
The days when you stumble and fall
The days when you grind to a crawl
The treasure that hides behind your walls
I want it all, yeah, I want it all
Bring your secrets, bring your scars
Bring your glory, all you are
Bring your daylight, bring your dark
Share your silence and unpack your heart
And unpack your heart
AFTER WE FALL by Deborah Clack
A No-Spice Contemporary Security Specialist Romance of Opposites Attract and Second Chance Love
Self‑sufficient Penelope Reid has her life completely mapped out‑‑a necessity after surviving foster care. Now she’s on a mission to prove that she’s capable of managing a halfway house at Twelve Bluebells Ranch. The last thing she needs is hindrance from the charming Luke Granger, who asked her to dance three years ago, then disappeared before the music began.
Luke lives a nomadic lifestyle as a security specialist. He’s never found a reason to put down roots until he’s reunited with the bossy brunette and her generous heart. When vandalism strikes the ranch neighboring Twelve Bluebells, securing the area is just another gig for him before he hits the road. But as Luke and Penelope work alongside each other and care for the ranch’s halfway house residents, his restless heart finds reasons to stay, and her careful walls begin to crack.
When crisis threatens everything Penelope has built and tragedy pulls at Luke’s wandering heart, they must decide if it’s worth the risk to lower their guards for a love that could give them the home they’ve always longed for.
Deborah Clack crafts a story with poignant emotions and witty banter in this no‑spice romance about taking risks and finding belonging in unexpected places.
Romance Contemporary [ Baker Publishing Group, On Sale: October 6, 2026, Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780800746957 / eISBN: 9781493455652 ]
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About Deborah Clack
Award-winning author Deborah Clack is a native Texan who believes in the power of fiction, the lost art of lip synching, and that chocolate should be eaten without nuts. A high school AP history teacher for 10 years, Deborah earned a Master’s Degree in Education and was awarded Teacher of the Year for Arts in Education. Now she creates stories of her own filled with endearing characters and a hard-fought romance.
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