SPEED READING | AstraDaemon

FYI: due to medical reasons, I had to cut down my reading time, so this week will be strictly flash fiction. I just grabbed the first seven stories I found through an Amazon search. Here's hoping they don't suck...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Tuesday Tunes: Aranda

Band of the Week: Aranda

Music Monday, Tuesday Tunes...when you keep the hours that I do, the days and nights run together, and calendars are for other people who live and die by the clock...but I'm here to discuss words, not numbers.

There is an undeniable connection between literature and music, with drama, fantasy and, sometimes, tragedy woven throughout both. Many people also associate Rock with all kinds of naughty stuff, but the music is so much more than attitude and appearance, just as genre fiction is so much more than plot twists and setting. Both provide a way to escape with a passion we can all relate to on some level.

Not The Same, 3rd Aranda Album

With all that said, this week's recommendation for your listening pleasure is ARANDA, from OKC. Not The Same, is their third release, but it's the album I stumbled upon while looking for something new to listen to, a few years back. I've been told the sound is very different from the previous two, but that's irrelevant to me. The tracks switch between moods and tempos rather haphazardly, which is kind of how I like my fiction...I've never been a fan of the predictable.

We Are The Enemy reminds me of scenes with groups in conflict. Don't Wake Me reminds me of the flawed personal traits of many characters in mystery-thrillers. Stay is uncharacteristically sweet, much like an unexpected happy ending. I could keep going, point is, every single song has its own flavor. Not surprisingly, this is one of my go-to albums when I'm reading an anthology featuring numerous authors with diverse writing styles.

I think flash fiction fans are the ones who will appreciate Aranda the most.

Keep listening...keep reading...keep checking back...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Music Monday in the Lair

Many authors like to include a list of music they listen to when writing their stories...a sort of soundtrack. I've decided I would begin sharing some of the music I listen to when I read the stories I'm reviewing. Welcome to Music Monday in the Lair!

For the record, I listen to many different genres of music, but, just as I prefer horror to other literary genres, I will always prefer Rock over anything else. Unfortunately, there was a long period of time when the Rock genre disappointed me...I thought I'd have to be satisfied with my collection of 70s, 80s and 90s albums, cassettes and CDs (yeah, I'm that old). Then something amazing happened: Rock remembered how to kick ass again, instead of whining about life.

Over the last four or five years, many great Rock albums have been released, and I've found several bands to be the perfect background music for my reading marathons. Some have impressed me more than others, but they've all impressed me one way or another.

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To begin, I present to you, Adelitas Way. Now, if you're looking for stats on the members or a history of their music, go find a music blog. I'm simply bringing up a couple of their albums which I listen to on a regular basis, while tearing through the latest round of horror stories.

Although Getaway is not their first album, it is the first time I listened to anything by Adelitas Way, and it blew me away. Their lyrics are down and dirty like songs from Guns N Roses and Mötley Crüe, but delivered with a smooth style reminiscent of bands like Sleeze Beez and Shotgun Messiah. With tracks such as Bad Reputation, Filthy Heart and Sometimes You're Meant To Get Used, the band establishes they are not here to play nice. Getaway flows with darkness and personal demons, setting the mood for those storylines centered on a character readers love to hate.

Their most recent album, Notorious, is just as badass as Getaway. The first track, Notorious, is like the silver tip on boot headed directly for your face: you are going to feel it, and it is hard. Other great tracks include Ready For War, You're Not The Only One and Vibes...a perfect backdrop for any character-driven story.

Adelitas Way has already had some of their music featured in several forms of media ranging from the WWE theme song to the soundtrack of Saw 3D, but I'm hoping more movies in the horror genre will use this band in future soundtracks.

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Check back next Monday for more music suggestions to accompany your next reading session!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Top Ten Movie List For Childhood

The following ten movies had the biggest impact on my imagination as a child in the 1980s. To this day, they remain favorites of mine, and I have made it a point to watch all of them with my child.

I truly believe no childhood can be complete without watching these films, and they are best enjoyed with the family.

Originally my Listmania collection on Amazon, I give you my Favorite Fantasy Family Movies From the 80s:

LABYRINTH
"This movie is great for families with toddlers because the goblins are silly, obnoxious puppets, instead of the slimy, scary ones in other movies.  David Bowie entertains the adults as the Goblin King, singing songs he wrote just for this movie. I also recommend getting the soundtrack."

THE DARK CRYSTAL
"Henson comes together with artist Brian Froud to create an elaborate cast of puppets, while still maintaining a live action film.  This movie does have a some darker moments that had my child concerned for the characters, but nothing that actually scared him.  The depth of the plot combined with the various characters makes this a family classic."

THE NEVERENDING STORY
"First, I was never impressed with the sequels. The original Neverending Story is a movie that mixes fairytale elements with action & adventure for all ages. Children, especially, will love the luck dragon, Falcor, who resembles a big white dog. The plot involves a boy reading an old book, only to discover that he was part of the story all along, & our imaginations are more powerful than we think."

WILLOW
"Willow is an excellent choice to ween your kids away from animation & CGI, and get them interested in a live-action film. The score is beautiful orchestral music, as opposed to modern music. The characters look like they just stepped out of a fairytale, & Val Kilmer is just a sample of the talent. The most interesting fact about the story is that it is based on an actual Celtic myth."

THE PRINCESS BRIDE
"This is a movie based on a book that was written by a father for his daughters, so you are guaranteed an excellent bedtime-story.  The movie begins with a grandfather visiting his sick grandson, and we watch as the story unfolds, and takes a life of its own.  Do not let the title fool you, this movie is perfect for girls and boys!"

LEGEND (Theatrical version, NOT Director's Cut)
"This is one of Tom Cruise's best movies, but you'll never hear him admit it. Tim Curry also stars as the evil Darkness, but you can't recognize him. His goblin servants are the scary-looking kind. My then 3yr old was not frightnened at all, but it's not for those who do scare easily. It's a great story about a wild boy, & some elves trying to save a unicorn. (For some reason, the director's cut removes the famous Tangerine Dream score and adds a lot of unnecessary slow scenes.)"

KRULL
"This movie might not be able to hold the attention of a younger child, unless he or she is crazy about sword-fighting, horses, and questing. It is live-action with limited special effects, but never a dull moment. While the movie has elements like a castle, and a cyclops, the bad guys happen to be aliens trying to take over the universe. This movie mixes sci-fi & fantasy quite well."

THE GOONIES
"Not exactly a fantasy movie, but a great kids' adventure. A bunch of kids use an old map to hunt treasure, while evading bad guys.  (I think National Treasure stole their ideas from this movie.) Of course, the villains chasing them are far from scary. The theme song is sung by Cindi Lauper. I also recommend keeping some Baby Ruth candy bars nearby...when you watch the movie, you'll understand."

THE MONSTER SQUAD
"A group of kids, obsessed with monsters, form their own club --just in time to fight some real monsters.  This is the perfect movie to introduce Dracula, the Mummy, Frankenstein's monster (who turns out to be a good guy), and the Werewolf, without scaring your little ones.  My favorite scene from the movie is when the youngest boy writes a letter in crayon to the 'Army guys.'"

TIME BANDITS
"This movie is about a young boy who travels through time and space with some of God's creation assistants who have stolen a map of doorways. The humor is much like Monty Python for kids, but it also teaches a valuable lesson about what is most important in life. I love the twists on famous historical moments."

Any of these movies would be great for family nights or slumber parties. Perfect for all ages!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Google Policy Makes No Sense

Today, I received the following warning from Google, after trying to post review links from my Blogger account to my Google Plus account:

Dear Ursula K Raphael,

We've determined that your posts may be in violation of our User Content and Conduct Policy.

Spamming, including sending unwanted promotional or commercial content, or engaging in unwanted or mass solicitation, is not permitted.

Continued violation of our policies can lead to the loss of your ability to use some or all features of Google+ and other Google services. Learn more

Sincerely,

The Google+ team

I assumed that if Blogger provided a share button to Google Plus, it must be okay to post a link to the content of one Google page to another. All I did was use a feature provided by Google itself.

When I think of all the memes and other useless crap streaming on Google Plus, not to mention the fact that people can CHOOSE whether or not to follow my account, I am at a complete loss to understand how my reviews could be considered "spam" or "mass solicitation."

Until I resolve this with Google, please look for future review links at my Facebook and Twitter accounts under both my real name and AstraDaemon.

As always,
Ursula K Raphael a.k.a. AstraDaemon