Sonya Rhen's Blog, page 6
April 17, 2015
Record Store Day 2015
Record store day is tomorrow, Saturday, April 18, 2015.�� Happy Record Store Day Everyone!
If you haven’t done so already, check out the website to find what gems will be on offer.�� I still have vinyl, but for the most part I would rather have my music on CDs.�� However, I love the idea of Record Store Day and try to do my part to support the few remaining brick and mortar music stores in the area.
http://www.recordstoreday.com/
Happy listening on behalf of Lix, the Shredded Orphans and myself!�� :)
April 6, 2015
Get Ready For NaPoWriMo 2015!
Happy National Poetry Month!
Last year I did a big guest posting for National Poetry Month.�� I posted one or two poems every day.�� It was quite a daunting task, that I didn’t have in me to do again this year.�� I’m hoping to be out with my second Shredded Orphans book this year, so that’s taking all my spare time.
Below is a link for some great tips on writing poetry this month from our friends at Paperfields Press.�� :)
Get Ready For NaPoWriMo 2015!.
March 16, 2015
Lucky 13: An Ode to Discworld
Love the Discworld books. A nice set of quotes selected by Liz Fountain.
Originally posted on Point No Point:
We are all lucky to have lived in a time and place��where Discworld came to our imaginations, from the imagination of Sir Terry Pratchett. He walked away with Death this week, but Discworld lives on. (As does the Long Earth, and of course, the prophecies of Agnes Nutter and other Good Omens.)
Some quotes from Sir Terry���s work and life that remind us of our good fortune:
���Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.���
���In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.���
���It���s not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren���t doing it.���
And finally, fittingly���
���DON���T THINK OF���
View original 16 more words
February 13, 2015
Happy Valentine’s Day to all you Space Trippers!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Book two of the Shredded Orphans series will be here soon (just not quite done yet.)�� Book two will be called The Shredded Orphans and the Space Pirates.�� Check back here to see when it will be released and for when I will be looking for beta readers.
Here’s a “love” poem (song lyrics) from book one.
Love Bomb
Ticking away at our lives, little by little
Each on a side and a love bomb in the middle
You talk to me like a high priced lawyer
I watch you undress like a filthy voyeur
You take me by surprise
I smack you in the eyes
Do you think it���s wise
To tell me all those lies
Baby, I���m a weapon of your destruction
Don���t try to fool me with your false seduction
Being with you is like playing with fire.
Rubbing us together makes the sparks go higher
You like to add the fuel that puts you in danger
Why are you surprised when my actions get stranger?
You take me by surprise
I smack you in the eyes
Do you think it���s wise
To tell me all those lies
Baby, I���m a weapon of your destruction
Don���t try to fool me with your false seduction
You wait and see that it ain���t no use
I don���t even have to have a good excuse
A sideways look will send me into orbit
You���re responsible for the acts I commit
You take me by surprise
I smack you in the eyes
Do you think it���s wise
To tell me all those lies
Baby, I���m a weapon of your destruction
Don���t try to fool me with your false seduction
Okay, maybe “Love” isn’t the right word here, but I think Lix has been hurt before.�� He doesn’t always talk about it.
Happy Reading!
Sonya
December 6, 2014
PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association) Holiday Catalog
Holiday season is here and with all those gift giving opportunities, now is a great time to give the gift of reading. I belong to PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association). They have put together a wonderful holiday catalog (which does include both of my published books.) They have books for every genre. Check out the Holiday Catalog here.
October 20, 2014
Why I Write | Blog Hop
I have to thank B.G. Bowers for tagging me in this Why I Write blog hop. She’s a wonderfully honest and insightful author and poet. If you haven’t read her writings yet, please take the time check them out. They are well worth the read. Her blog post was two weeks ago and I have been slow in getting to my writing, so apologies for the lateness of this post.
I would say that writing is like breathing, only it’s not. Maybe for some people it is. For me, life so often “gets in the way”, as they put it. I have been struggling with finishing my second Shredded Orphans novel. It should have been done in June, but that didn’t happen. I think I may be stifled by the fear that the second book may not be as good as the first… and the first has not “sold like gangbusters”. But really that doesn’t matter. If I’m going to be true to my writing, then I have to learn to ignore outside influences and write for myself. In my head I know this, but it’s infinitely harder to really convince myself of this truth.
I think it would be a lot easier to write if I lived a solitary existence. I would not have to plan birthday parties, family vacations, memorial services, and holiday gatherings. There would not be needs I required fulfilling, like volunteering at school, checking on break-ins at a parent’s house, dancing, sewing costumes, baking, cleaning, driving people here and there, taking care of my spouse after a bike accident, etc. Life would be easier… but much less rich. Life always seems to get in the way. I know, I see the finger pointing, it says if I really wanted to write I would find the time. I have also read so many authors say that you can’t really be a writer unless you write every day or write at least two hours every day. Well, sometimes life gets in the way. I cannot write in this way. Maybe someday I can hope to achieve this, but for now, it’s not really possible.
Even still, I feel like a writer. To me, written words are the best form of communication. I can be eloquent, because I can re-read, go back, correct, re-write. My writing may not always be perfect, but it’s easier to express myself if I can check it before it leaves my presence to its intended audience. Still I am not really sure why some people feel the need to draw a line about whether or not one is a “real” writer. Where would you in fact draw that line? If you write a blog, a book, a novel, literary fiction, financial success, number of books written, critical acclaim? I much prefer the answer – if you write, you are a writer.
So why do I write? I enjoy it. I love playing with words, creating characters, working plot, building worlds. I love poetry for the rhythm and sound and building something with words. I love coming up with situations and finding where my characters go from there. I love inventing new stories and trying to see where they will go. I like getting inside a characters head, because what they say or do may be completely different than what they think. (I guess that’s the Psych major in me coming out.) I have no deep dark past that I need to write about for therapeutic reasons, but writing is escapism for me. I love to be taken out of this world and transported into another. I have not been in a war or a victim of some violent act, where I might be suffering PTSD. Still, writing or reading or any way to lose myself in a good story is a way to relieve the stresses and sorrows that everyday life brings. I guess that’s why I tend to write more humor in my fiction, although this blog tends to be more an outlet for serious considerings. (Yes, I know, not a real word.) Sometimes I just write to clear my head of thoughts that won’t seem to go away. Writing is freeing in this way.
Is writing the same for me as breathing? No. Writing is more like dancing. I enjoy both and wouldn’t want to give up either. Why I write… I write for the love of it. I write for joy.
*******************************************************
Also, I forgot that I should tag someone. I have a very difficult time asking people for things, especially like this. So, if this idea appeals to you, consider yourself tagged and put your blog info in the comments. Happy Writing! :)
October 6, 2014
KEXP listener Poll top 100
Below are the top 100 artists from the poll. It was so much fun listening to this all last week. See if any our your favorites made it to the list. (For the complete list click here.)
Top Artists Poll Of 2014!
Follow along as we count down the top artists of all time as selected by KEXP listeners! Donations this week during the Fall Drive help you discover and share great music every day of the year! Power KEXP with a donation Today.
Rank
Artist
1
The Beatles
2
Radiohead
3
Led Zeppelin
4
The Clash
5
Nirvana
6
Pixies
7
David Bowie
8
Bob Dylan
9
The Rolling Stones
10
Neil Young
11
R.E.M.
12
Pink Floyd
13
Johnny Cash
14
The Smiths
15
Talking Heads
16
The Cure
17
Arcade Fire
18
Beastie Boys
19
Jimi Hendrix
20
Pearl Jam
21
U2
22
Wilco
23
Joy Division
24
Modest Mouse
25
Lcd Soundsystem
26
Prince
27
New Order
28
Elliott Smith
29
Beck
30
The Velvet Underground
31
The National
32
Bob Marley & The Wailers
33
The Replacements
34
Built To Spill
35
Tom Waits
36
Ramones
37
Jack White
38
The Who
39
Depeche Mode
40
Queen
41
Sonic Youth
42
The White Stripes
43
Bruce Springsteen
44
Neko Case
45
Sigur Ros
46
Elvis Costello
47
Death Cab For Cutie
48
Miles Davis
49
Bjork
50
Michael Jackson
51
The Kinks
52
James Brown
53
Grateful Dead
54
Pavement
55
Stevie Wonder
56
PJ Harvey
57
Smashing Pumpkins
58
Van Morrison
59
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
60
Spoon
61
Fugazi
62
Nine Inch Nails
63
Aretha Franklin
64
Nina Simone
65
The Doors
66
The Flaming Lips
67
Patti Smith
68
Leonard Cohen
69
Soundgarden
70
Public Enemy
71
Belle & Sebastian
72
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
73
Fleetwood Mac
74
Queens Of The Stone Age
75
Lou Reed
76
Paul Simon
77
Otis Redding
78
Alt-J
79
The Shins
80
Tool
81
Black Sabbath
82
Jane’s Addiction
83
The Decemberists
84
Ryan Adams
85
X
86
Yo La Tengo
87
Kate Bush
88
My Morning Jacket
89
Sufjan Stevens
90
Willie Nelson
91
Elvis Presley
92
Outkast
93
The Beach Boys
94
Neutral Milk Hotel
95
Guided By Voices
96
Massive Attack
97
The Black Keys
98
The Mountain Goats
99
Nick Drake
100
The Police
September 17, 2014
KEXP 12 Top Artists of All Time | What does your list look like?
Vote for your favorite 12 Top Artists of All Time. Join KEXP and cast your vote by Friday, September 19th. While
they mostly play alternative music and indie rock, they have everything on their list from Beethoven to Zola Jesus.
My list looks like a soundtrack to an 80’s high school movie, combined with a few new artists. There were so many that I couldn’t put on the list. Remember this is not what artists you think are most successful or talented, but simply your favorite. I realize this may even change from day to day. It’s hard to pick. What does your list look like?
Thank You For Voting!
Dear Sonya,
Thank you for voting in the KEXP Top 12 Artist Poll. Below are your recorded selections!
Cyndi Lauper
Broken Bells
Elvis Costello
Joe Jackson
Elvis Presley
Kate Bush
Ramones
Blondie
X
Daft Punk
David Bowie
Tom Petty
Be sure to listen to KEXP starting Sept 27th to hear the results!
Best Regards
KEXP 90.3
Donate to KEXP at http://kexp.org/donate
September 9, 2014
Meet My Characters Blog Hop – Lix of the Shredded Orphans
Meet My Character – Lix
What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?
Lix’s full name is Felix Eugene Adams. He goes by “Lix”, but is also known to some by the nickname “Gene”. He is a fictional character created from my head with elements I found intersting. Although he is a completely fictional character, he often thinks the same way I do. He is from my science fiction novel Space Tripping With the Shredded Orphans and will continue on in other Shredded Orphan series books.
When and where is the story set?
Lix is from the fiction series about the seismic rock band, the Shredded Orphans. He is often cruising around space in their transport vessel, the Verity Aquinas, with the rest of the band and occasional visitors. Their world is in another universe where workers are slaves to the corporate class. Mostly people are treated well, but if Lix and the band find a case where they’re not, he has made it his personal mission to save them.
What should we know about him/her?
Lix used to be a very successful advertising slave. When he managed to free himself from his manager, Baebeli Brand, he reinvents himself by getting a space worm tattoo on his arm and sporting a bright pink mohawk. He is very loyal to his band and that’s what keeps him going.
What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?
In the current book I’m working on Lix has an argument with the drummer Mac and he thinks this might be the end.
“What? Do you want out now? Well, it’s a little too late for that!” Lix’s head was spinning. He hadn’t meant to say that, but the momentum of his emotions carried it out and he couldn’t take it back. He had dreaded this moment. He knew they couldn’t continue like they had been. They had barely been hanging on and now the thread that held them together was broken.
However, what seems like the end is just the beginning of their troubles.
What is the personal goal of the character?
Lix’s work is the band and he enjoys the creative spirit of making music together. What really drives him, though, is a strong need to make himself a better person. His past haunts him and he does his best to save others from bad owners the likes of Beabeli Brand.
Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
The title of this new book is The Shredded Orphans and the Space Pirates. You might have guessed that this book will have space pirates in it. Right now I don’t have anything more about this book, but I promise to write more tidbits here in the coming future and you can also check my profile on Goodreads.
When can we expect the book to be published?
I’m working on edits for this book now. I had planned to have the book out by this summer, but since summer seems to be over… Anyhow, the new release date is for Christmas 2014.
Thanks for reading about my character, Lix. Thanks again go to Liz Fountain for including me in this blog hop. I’m coming back from vacation and getting kids off to their first week in school, so I don’t have any tag for this blog hop. If you would like to tag yourself, then I encourage you to put a link to your blog in the comments. I’d love to read about your characters!
September 6, 2014
National Buy A Book Day – September 7th
By a smattering of info on the internet, I have found that tomorrow is National Buy A Book Day. While this is not an official national holiday, what a good excuse to go out and buy a book. If for some crazy unknowable reason you don’t need a book, then what a great excuse to go out and buy one for someone else. So invade your bookstores in person or on-line and buy a book on September 7th.
See you there!
