Strawberry Shortcake
An engagement set in Houston, Texas on Memorial Day 2011.
Camila Maria Hawkes (Cam) is the 29-year-old owner of CamCakes, a gluten-free bakery. Diagnosed with celiac disease at a young age, CamCakes was her dream. Many of her current friends came into her life because they came into the bakery. In her “spare time,” she loves to go bowling or cycling.
Casey Humphrey Wallace (Humphrey) is a 28-year-old newspaper editor. He entered CamCakes in search of some gluten-free goodies to take home to Austin for his niece’s birthday. He was smitten with Cam after she correctly identified his niece as a Leap Day baby. After they started dating, she got him hooked on bowling. He also loves to run.
Music helps set the mood while I write. That is why the inspiration playlists play such a vital role in my writing process. These are the songs that inspired the Memorial Day short story Strawberry Shortcake:
God Blessed Texas - by Home Free
I picked this song because the story is set in Texas.
Come & Get It - by Selena Gomez
When picking songs for this playlist, I looked at artists who were born in Texas. This song was fitting because the main character Cam owns a bakery and her customers come and get what she makes.
Biscuits - by Kacey Musgraves
This is one of Cam’s theme songs.
Nothin’ Like the Summer - by Carmen Rasmusen
I wanted either songs by Texas-born artists or songs about summer. This fit the second criteria.
Heart Like Mine - by Miranda Lambert
I picked this song because Miranda Lambert was born in Texas.
Follow Your Arrow - by Kacey Musgraves
This is Cam’s other theme song.
My Life Would Suck Without You - by Kelly Clarkson
I love this song. It is one of my favorite Kelly Clarkson songs. And this one fits rather well on this playlist.
Heartbeat Song - by Kelly Clarkson
It was hard to limit myself to just two Kelly Clarkson songs for this playlist. I picked the two that best fit the story.
Strawberry Wine - by Deana Carter
If you haven’t heard this song, I highly recommend it. The song is about a summer love, which is why I picked the song for this playlist.
Bluebird - by Miranda Lambert
This is the second song I picked by Miranda Lambert. When I heard it, I felt like I’d found a perfect gem of a song.
Mandolin Summer Sun - by Jamie Lynn Spears
I picked this song because it had summer in the title.
Good Friend and A Glass of Wine - by LeAnn Rimes
I thought LeAnn Rimes was born in Texas when I was looking at her songs for this playlist. (It turns out I was wrong.) But I love this song. I can admit that when I first heard it years ago, I thought it was a silly name for a song. But it grew on me. And it is perfect for this playlist.
Live Like There’s No Tomorrow - by Selena Gomez & The Scene
I think the title of this song speaks for itself. I could probably put it on a number of playlists. It was perfect for this one.
Some People - by LeAnn Rimes
This is the song Cam and Humphrey dance to at their wedding.