Feature and Follow Friday: Counting Notes

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

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Q: If Is there a question that reminds you of a book or vice versa? What is the song and the book?

If I were to produce the soundtrack of this book (wouldn't that be a swell job) I would include Trent Dabbs' Counting Sleep. Honestly, the lyrics should speak for themselves:

            Maybe it's just me

  Lately I've been counting sleep

      I had a little talk with time

     Till it turned its back on me

         And I can't unwind

                                                            I can't unwind

              Tell me everything it's on my mind

           I'll fall in line again

               Tell me everything will be alright

         I'm worried about nothing

               Tell me everything it's on my mind

         I'll fall in line again

            Is it me? Cause these days I've been counting sleep

             These days I've been counting sleep

         Sitting in this room

        Wondering how to carry you

    And all the voices they said

    Just to uncheck tonight

     So I figured out

   When trying is done

   Find out the wrong and make it right

    Well tell me if you're afraid of the side by side

   Yeah side by side

(sorry, the only video I could find was from the Vampire Diaries soundtrack. Shame on Dabbs for not having an official video)

Review: The Immortal Rules

Are vampire evil demons who only care about blood, destined to live an immortal lonely life? Allison's vampire creator tells her that she'll "always be a monster. There is no turning back from it. But what type of monster you become is entirely up to you."

Allison has such will power it's impossible not to join her team. I was put off reading this book due to its big volume (it's big, 485 pages). Surprisingly, the pages kept turning themselves with all the action and romance imaginable. The characters were versatile and interesting. Like Jeb who was always hiding something. And Zeke, a love interest, completely worth it. I couldn't get enough. 

More from Kawaga

Grim

Author Spotlight: Welcome Brando Ax

I'm trilled to be receiving author Brandon Ax today to promote his new YA novel, Elemental.

Sophia's mother disappeared when she was six, leaving behind a broken father and sleep disturbed by silent terrors. Now twelve years later, the nightmares that plagued her youth have suddenly returned. 

With dark creatures occupying her nights and a sense of restlessness consuming her days, all she wants is to finish school and get out of her small town as fast as possible. Everything changes when she is confronted with the realization that the shadowy beings from her dreams are real. The truth of this reality hits hard when someone she loves is killed. It would seem that anyone in their way is disposable. 

A mysterious boy named Aiden enters her life bringing with him all sorts of complications. They're drawn to each other, but their connection brings Aiden right into the path of her half-demon nightmares. With her father and several new friends put in the cross-hairs, Sophia must decide whether to let the shadows take her or stand her ground and fight. As the school year steadily moves closer to an end her decision may come with the cost of her life or worse -- the lives of those she cares about.

                   Find it on Amazon                                               Find it on Goodreads 

Hi Brandon, thank you for being with us. Please do tell, what inspired you to write this book?

It was a mixture of things really. I had been working on other projects when the idea of people who control the elements came to mind. I stored it as I often do with random ideas. Not long after that I had been thinking of writing a good female lead in a story, most of the prominent figures in my life were women which gave me a great respect for females in general. Somehow the ideas seemed to click together and I paired that with some things from my life, like my father leaving, you know all that good emotional stuff that makes us cling to some form of art later in life. 

Did you listen to specific songs while writing?

Oh so many. I love music and have it around almost at all times. If I can think back to when I was writing my first draft... I remember listening to Lights a good bit, she has a song February Air that was for sure on a loop. I even referenced it in the book in a small scene that said "I'd forgotten my jacket in the car and the February air was cold on my arms." Other than that I love to find covers of older songs or new that are done slower or just slightly different like Ellie Goulding's version of Your Song. AWOLNATION Sail has been playing a lot during revisions. Sorry I can get long winded about music so I'll stop myself. Really it just depends on the story I have such an eclectic taste.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

There is so much good advice out there. I think one thing is find your favorite author and go to his/her blog or website and just pay attention to the things they say, they made it for a reason. Past that just keep at it. All art is a matter of the more you do the better you get. We all start at different levels of talent and skill and over time we can develop it. No short cuts in writing just a lot of work.

What are you working on now -- or would you rather surprise us?

I'd love to share. Besides working on my house and the two kids and three dogs(lol) I have two things in the works. One is the Follow up to Elemental titled Ashes which should be out later this year. The other has the working title The Alchemist Son. It's a story about the worlds first murder detective, set in an almost pre-Victorian era fantasy world, I'm having tons of fun with it.

You can find Brandon Ax on:

Blog

Facebook

CreateSpace


Thank you for being with us Brandon, and good luck on all your future projects.

Review: Altered

Lacey stole a car and ends up in a juvenile detention center. Her Dad insists that leaving her there is for her own good. He doesn't visit or answers her calls. She's all alone until Taylor shows up. But who exactly is Taylor, and is he simply using her for his own ploy?

The book took off right away with lots of dialogue and no unnecessary narration. Despite knowing what Lacey did to get there, she seemed like a very sympathetic and sweet character. If life has taught her anything is that people shouldn't be trusted blindly, and it's good to see her doubt Taylor.  

I would've like to see her struggle more. Everything always seemed to come to place too fast. As to why Lacey is their only hope -- the question wasn't really answered. Guess I'll have to wait for book two to find out.

Feature & Follow Friday: Don't Stop Believing

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Chris Colfer

Q: If you could hang out with any author (living) who would it be and what would you want to do?

I would pick Chris Colfer. Think about it. I'd be meeting a writer and an actor  That's like two for one. Not to mention we share a passion for music. We'd probably go karaoking with three pitchers of Sangria.