Rock ‘n’ Roll High School 47: Mystery of Black Nail Polish Revealed

Author Maisey Yates gives us a glimpse into her teen days with tales of her inclination to don black, black, and more black. I spent some time wading in those waters…lets just say my dad has made every funeral joke known to man. Of course, if a person had any emotional depth at all, they would understand that a teenage girl must BROOD. She must explore the darkest corners of her mind, contemplate her existence and the reasons boys are so unbelievably lame and confusing. When that is done, she wants to show the world what lives in her heart, and what says that better than black nail polish? Lots and lots of black nail polish.

Maisey Yates

Homeschooled, Medford, Oregon, Class of 2004, Currently: I write intense, passionate, occasionally funny romance for Harlequin Presents.

Band and/or song that reminds you the most of high school: Oh man, that’s HARD!! I think I will always remember me and my three best friends (we were known as the Fearsome Foursome) pretending to be a girl group and singing the mash up of Dismissed, by ZoeGirl. We had some attitude. And since I know very few people will know the song…here’s the video:

ZoeGirl “Dismissed”

Favorite piece of music memorabilia (poster, t-shirt, etc.) in high school: I had a necklace that had a guitar pick on it that I got at a Switchfoot concert. I wore it all the time. Because it looked cool and gave guys the impression that I might play the guitar.

Band that you hated that everyone else at school seemed to love: Now I have to remember what was popular when I was in high school…Basically most anything pop-ish (except the above) because we were WAY TOO COOL to like pop music. We wore black and painted our fingernails black and scowled and went on all guy surf trips…(that’s a story, I tell you.)

Best show or concert you saw in high school: I had some solid concert experiences in high school. I went to a concert festival that lasted four days and saw some of my favorite bands. Newsboys, DC Talk, Switchfoot, Jennifer Knapp. I got to meet Switchfoot and buy the above mentioned over-worn necklace. So Switchfoot gets the honor of being my favorite concert. I also got to see them more than once in high school.

Best high school make-out song: I didn’t make out in high school. True story. I got my first kiss the summer I graduated. I was too busy wearing black to date, I guess. But if I could have made out with a boy to any song, it probably would have been “Hold Me” by Plumb. I think I was in high school when that song came out…I’m getting senile.

You can learn more about Maisey at maiseyyates.com. Her latest for Harlequin Presents is The Petrov Proposal.

Rock ‘n’ Roll High School 46: Alanis For the Angsty Teenage Soul

Author Roni Loren is my guest today, discussing the musical landscape of the mid-90s. I adore the imagery in her post of the flowery dress and combat boots–that was my uniform through much of high school and college. I may have single-handedly kept Dr. Martens in business or at least helped them ride out the rocky late 80s. My daughter is thirteen and is drawn to eerily similar wardrobe choices, which amuses me. To her, it’s unimaginable that Mom used to walk around in creepers and black tights and vintage dresses. And it’s not even that she’s at the point where I’m a disdainful human being, she just can’t fathom me that way.

Roni Loren

A little catholic high school in small town Louisiana, Class of ’97, Erotic Romance Author

Band and/or song that reminds you the most of high school: Alternative and grunge were big in my early high school years (before music went into the cesspool that was the late 90s). I listened to Alanis Morrissette’s Jagged Little Pill album a LOT. It was like balm for my angsty soul. I also remember dancing like a fool to The Cranberries’ Zombie at one of the homecoming dances wearing (of course) a flowery dress with combat boots. *facepalm* I think I believed I was Angela from My So-Called Life. Unfortunately, there was no Jared Leto by my side.

Favorite piece of music memorabilia (poster, t-shirt, etc.) in high school: My best friend and I got back into New Kids on the Block our freshman year when they came out with a new album. I remember we went to the thrift store and bought the old concert t-shirts. I’d like to say we wore them to be ironic, but sadly we weren’t that cool.

Band that you hated that everyone else at school seemed to love: Hootie and the Blowfish. I just never got the appeal. Also, all those hip-hop/dance-y songs that they put on those Jock Jams albums and played incessantly on the radio.

Best show or concert you saw in high school: I didn’t see a lot of them in high school. (I’ve since made up for that. I’m a bit of a concert addict.) But I would probably pick Alanis Morrissette since I was such a big fan.

Best high school make-out song: Almost anything by Boys II Men. But frankly, I didn’t do that much making out in high school, so I’m no expert, lol.

You can learn more about Roni Loren at roniloren.com. Her debut, Crash Into You, is out now!