Writers need inspiration. Lots of it. In my playlist, you'll hear a small collection of the music I listened to while writing AFTERLIFE--songs by Coldplay, Moby, and Jars of Clay. Even though the main character in the book, Chaz Domingue, loved jazz and played a mean saxophone, I chose a different style of music to get in the mood. Listen to the music HERE.

Babysitter: Highly skilled individual who guards Newbies during their first week

Backatown: Section of New Orleans, from North Claiborne Avenue to the Mississippi River

BP collar: Child safeguard device, protects children from being kidnapped

Bruh: Common way to address men

Cell: Small school with 5 to 20 children in attendance, similar to one-room schools in 1800s

City of the Dead: Last historic, above-ground cemetery in New Orleans

Clone: Custom-designed body made from owner’s original DNA

Death cert: Death certificate, proves that the person will not resurrect, necessary document for having a child

Download: The process of transferring soul, life force and memories during resurrection process 

F’true: New Orleans slang that means “for true” or a statement of truth

Flying horses: Merry-go-round

Fresh Start: The world-wide monopoly that owns the rights to resurrection; company is owned by the Domingue family

Gen-spike/spike: Highly addictive drug that causes genetic restructuring

Gris-gris: A voodoo spell

Gutter punks: Gang members in the Ninth Ward

Gutterspeak: A NOLA dialect, born in the blue collar district of the Ninth Ward

Huck-a-bucks: Frozen Kool-Aid, served in a Dixie cup

Implant: Resurrection chip

Jive-sweet: Inexpensive, legal drug; often chewed like tobacco, it stains the teeth

Les enfants sans sourire: French term that means “children of no joy/smiles,” refers to Stringers who have jumped so many times they have lost their entire family

Liquid Light: Malleable, gum-like weapon that ignites when thrown, resulting in an electrical current that wraps around victim and renders them temporarily helpless

Marker: Small tracking chip that can be inserted beneath the skin

Master Keys: Five pre-programmed commands hardwired into every Newbie at start-up

Mugs: Slang for police officers

Newbie: Person in the first week of resurrection

Nine-Timer: Person who chooses resurrection over death

Nine-Timer Scenario: Apocalyptic event where thousands of Stringers die at the same time

One-Timer: Person who chooses to live only one life, foregoing resurrection

Resurrect: To jump from one body to the next at the point of death

Sous-terrain société: Organization that helps you design your own family through social networking

Stringer: Person who resurrects, usually multiple times

The Ideal Plan: Government-enforced plan wherein all children must decide whether or not they will choose resurrection

The Grid: A three-dimensional, virtual reality version of the Internet

TRS: Federally approved operation that temporarily reverses sterilization

Underground Circus: Black-market organization that both kidnaps children and then provides their use to the highest bidders

Verse: Smart phone that is implanted in the ear

VR: Virtual reality

VR suit: Full-body suit worn when traveling from one place to another while using VR

Where Y’at: Familiar greeting, similar to “how are you?”

If AFTERLIFE was a movie and I was the casting director, here are the actors I would cast in the leading roles.