Important Update!

Hey, been a while. So, if you're a regular reader of this blog and have been wondering why I haven't posted lately, that's because I have moved. My official website used to connect to Blogspot, but since moving the site to Wordpress a couple months back, it no longer connects. All my old posts have been loaded into the new site though, and I've already posted a bunch of new ones, so head on over to KylieJude.Com, check out my newer posts, and feel free to explore my new website! Lots of new-ness that you hopefully will enjoy. See you there! Keep in touch ;) 

Be The Lightning,

Kylie Jude.

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P.S. I may still keep this account around for possible future use, so if you're a subscriber and want to keep following it just in case, feel free. 

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Frozen Creek Studios

"Hues Of Blue"

Some of you know about the budding photography company my husband and I are trying to get off the ground, but I wanted to have a link everyone could come to and find all the details about it. Plus, we've really been struggling with getting the word out there, so hopefully this will help with that too.

Cincinnati Panorama

Frozen Creek Studios focuses on capturing beautiful still shots (mostly of nature and wildlife), which my talented husband takes himself, as you can see in the collage of BTS shots below. But we're at a bit of a standstill right now, until he can get a new camera. So please donate here if you can, and spread the word.

But FCS is about so much more than just photography. We also do cinematography, video editing, photo editing, graphic art and more. Below is a list of all the services we currently offer (from the FCS Facebook page). It's hard to put a set price on said services, since prices range anywhere from as low as $20 to $100 or more, depending on how much work and time the job entails - but as a general rule, the services are listed in order from cheapest to not as cheap. We will always give discounts for friends and family though, so check them out and please let us know if you have any questions:

Photography: 
 
8x10 prints now on sale for $15! 
Order 10 prints & get free shipping & a free print of your choice! We have over 200 prints to choose from here.


Photo Restoration:
 
Old family photos that are water-stained or ripped? We can restore old or damaged photos to look like new.
 

Graphic Design:
 
Need a logo for your business? 
Need original art for your website, book cover or album cover? We can create almost anything you can think of. 


Video Editing:
 
Want to remember a special occasion in a unique & heartwarming way? We can create slideshows of past events, & we can capture future events through video &/or photography & create a slideshow or music video to keep for memories & to give to friends/family. We can also create book trailers, ETC.


Please contact us to discuss pricing and to ask us anything at all. 
We will always respond. :)

-Eric & Kylie
Frozen Creek Studios

There you have it! I know this is a bit different from what I normally post here, but we needed a place to direct customers to, so I donated my blog for the task. I hope you'll check out my husband's beautiful photography HERE and follow FCS on Facebook and Twitter.

By the way, the book trailers are a fairly new development. Of course I've made trailers for my own books and my husband's books (I will let you know when they're up), but it never dawned on me that I could be offering my services to other authors too, until our good friend Stephen Zimmer asked me to make one for his newest book, Heart of a Lion. I had lots of fun putting the trailer together and hope to make more for other authors in the future. Below is the trailer as an example. Enjoy, and feel free to check out the book too!

Future book trailers will be on my website, so be sure to check them out!

I leave you with some before-and-after shots of our photo restoration work.

Stay Frosty,
 Kylie Jude.


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Imaginarium 2014 - Review from a Film Festival Queen.

The first annual Imaginarium Convention is over, and we are both exhausted and exhilarated. It was my first convention, so I don't have much to compare it to, but my gut tells me it went extremely well for a first year convention. Word of mouth seems to state the same, so that's quite exciting. We've also heard ravings about how well the convention area was laid out, with most of the panels and events being centered in the same hallway, making it easy to find the room you're looking for. It's so great to hear that so many people enjoyed Imaginarium, and it definitely makes us excited for the coming years.

When we volunteered to help our friend Stephen Zimmer with this event, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We ended up being deemed "King and Queen" of the Film Festival, a title we will gladly be reprising next year and hopefully for many years to come. Working the Film Festival requires late hours as some of the films run until 1 or 2 A.M. but we don't mind at all because it's so great to be able to sit in on some of the films being shown, and to appreciate people's work with them.

In addition to the wonderful authors we met at Imaginarium, we also met some great filmmakers. And there were plenty of awards given out for the Film Festival during the banquet on the final day of the convention (see the winners HERE). But for us, the winner of most memorable moment from the Film Festival definitely goes to our friend and fellow Eastern Kentucky native, Jeffrey Reddick (creator of Final Destination and much more), who sat in on a short film he wrote called "Paralyzed" (Directed by Aaron Sims) and when we experienced some technical difficulties with the film, Jeffrey handled it like a pro, rolling up his sleeves and joining Eric on the floor to help fix the problem. So major kudos to him and his team for that :)

And I also have to mention Amy McCorkle's film "Letters To Daniel" which, in addition to its announced award, also had the best turn-out of the whole weekend. Also, "Scenes From A Gay Marriage" (Written and Directed by Matt Riddlehoover) which won the most awards, and deservedly so. Its characters were so well written and so well portrayed that you could have sworn they were real. And of course Jackie Gamber's short film "America's Got Superpowers" which was an awesome take on the popular reality competition show "America's Got Talent" and had a surprisingly touching theme.

To those filmmakers who we weren't able to sit with for their films, it wasn't because we didn't want to, but we just had so much to do during those times. In addition to running the Film Festival, we also ran errands for Stephen and his crew, opened doors for people with heavy loads, and other various odds and ends like making and holding up banners.

No matter what we were doing, we had a blast, because not only were we honored to be part of the beginning of something as epic as Imaginarium, but just being around so many like-minded and artistic people made everything awesome. You could literally feel the positive vibes in the air, and I think everyone there got the sense of belonging, which is a rare thing to be felt all around. Kudos to Stephen and the rest of the team for making us feel so at home, and for putting this amazing convention together. We really are excited for what's to come and can't wait to see Imaginarium grow even more epic with each coming year. :)

Speaking of coming years, don't forget to join us for Imaginarium 2015! It's gonna be awesome. I'll add the exact dates when they're revealed. Keep an eye out. ;)

I leave you with some photographic highlights from the weekend: 

 

Some shots of us in our shirts on day one.

On "guard duty" on day one.

Part of the vendor hall.

 

Watching the table for Hydra Publications.

Story time with T. Lee Harris in the smoking area.

Some shots from the Masquerade Ball on night two.

More shots of us working the Film Festival.

The Awards Banquet on the last night.

  The final post, as promised HERE, & a group hug.

See you at Imaginarium 2015!

Be the lightning, 

Kylie Jude.

}i{

Star-Crossed: Review and Video.

UPDATE 1: 

Sadly, the CW chose to cancel Star-Crossed, with only one episode left in the breathtaking first season. I thought it was doing well & was absolutely shocked when the news hit (as were many others). Overall, 23 shows were axed. Some other great shows were cancelled, but Star-Crossed was probably the most shocking, & the most heartbreaking. There is so much left for this wonderful show, & I hate seeing the fans so crushed, as well as all the work put into this show going to waste. 

When a show has been cancelled, it's pretty unlikely it will get picked back up. Nonetheless, many Statgazers (fans of the show) have started campaigning for the CW to reconsider, or for another network to pick it up. Don't get your hopes up, but if you want to join us in the Twitter campaign, we are using hashtags like #SaveStarCrossed in addition to the usual hashtag, #StarCrossed. Some are also trying to get Netflix to pick it up. I personally think Syfy would be a good channel for it, but, we'll see. It's worth trying, but again, don't get your hopes up too high. Closure is important.

^ That was my first reaction. Just in shock. There are plenty more that feel the same, which is definitely apparent when you search for #SaveStarCrossed or any of the related tags on Twitter. It's even more shocking when compared to some of the shows that were renewed, and some of the new crap coming out to replace the cancelled. It makes no sense whatsoever. The brilliant minds behind Star-Crossed deserve a second chance to tell their amazing story, and even if it does no good, Stargazers will not go down without a fight.

Here are some petitions you can sign that MIGHT help:

Petition 1: Change.Org

Petition 2: Twitter 

Petition 3: DVD Release

Petition 4: Netflix

(If you know of more please let me know & I will add them here)




UPDATE 2:

 The season (and most likely series) finale of Star-Crossed aired this week (5-12-2014) and it was even better than the rest of the series, with plenty of eye candy, all sorts of feels, some plot twists, and tons of action. I joined in on Twitter during commercials, and it seems the finale had the best online ratings yet, with it not only being a crazy amazing episode, but with the fans desire to see another season, and the hopes that tweeting like crazy about it would help. Only time will tell if it did. All I know is, after the finale, I now love Star-Crossed even more than before.

~ Clearly, I was impressed. And the show used the perfectly dark cover of "Stand By Me" by one of my favorite musicians Ki: Theory for the disturbingly epic end of the episode, which only made it better. Like I said on Twitter, the editing was done so well during the song that it was almost like a music video (which is great since Ki: Theory unfortunately had to remove the original "Stand By Me" video from Youtube because of 'violence' - which was crazy, BTW). And the way the show ended was absolutely without a doubt a cliffhanger, obviously written when they expected a second season. So now the fans are even more distraught, because while Star-Crossed did most definitely end on a high note and go out with a bang, not to mention an exciting science fiction shot that made scifi nerds like me squeal, it's obvious that this wonderfully intricate show wasn't given the proper ending it deserved. Good shows have ended before, such as The CW's other show Nikita, and the wonderful Being Human on Syfy, but both shows were given a proper ending. So, while I miss both shows to this day, the emptiness we felt when they ended doesn't compare to the void that this cancellation has left. Star-Crossed deserves to go on.

Like Amee said on Twitter (pictured) the main reason that the cancellation of Star-Crossed is so heartbreaking is that it never had a chance to tell its story, and it didn't get the proper ending it deserved. Season one left us with a huge cliffhanger, making us want to know what happens next season. Like I said, other shows (such as Nikita) at least had a good ending, so it was easier to say goodbye with everything tied up nicely. But Star-Crossed is left wide open, and while the finale was amazing, it just didn't wrap up the story as much as a series finale should. Some are even speculating that the CW is just messing with us and will soon laugh and say it was all a joke, but if it is a joke, it's not funny.

Even Ki: Theory (the musician who's music played at the end of the finale, pictured) enjoyed the final episode of Star-Crossed. Others such as the great William Shatner joined in on live tweeting in an attempt to "save scifi" - because in the end, I think that is what we're all fighting for. Good science fiction. And Star-Crossed was just that. It also had the rare ability to make you think, to make you question your own morals, and to open people's eyes about so many things. That is the main reason I will miss this show. Sure, I'll miss the Science Fiction aspect, and the graphics, and all the hard work that went into creating the Atrian history and culture, but the message of the show is what will stick with me more than anything. There just isn't enough "decent" programming on television these days, and this cancellation proves that networks would love to keep it that way.


If there is a silver lining to this cancellation, it might be that it brought people from around the world together for a cause. People bound by their love for this wonderful show, and by their similar feelings about it being wrongfully cancelled. Stargazers are pretty awesome, and I hope this fandom is around for a long time. Whether it's a tattoo of Atrian markings or the beautiful Sondiv language from the show, or whether it's music videos commemorating Star-Crossed, or whatever it is, I have a feeling Stargazers will keep shining for years to come.


So keep shining, Stargazers. And never forget the impact that Star-Crossed had on you. Hopefully the rest of the world will realize how unique, beautiful and innovative this show was, and if not, well, that's their loss. ;)

Phew! That was long. 
Now for my original post:

The CW has created some amazing TV shows, including Reign, The 100, The Tomorrow People, and much more. All of them have intriguing plot lines, epic quotes, stunning visual effects and cinematography, and perfect music that ties it all together for a great experience. But my favorite show of theirs so far is Star-Crossed, which is loosely based on Shakespeare's timeless tale of Romeo and Juliet, but with an alien twist.

In the show, Roman (who's name is an obvious play on Romeo) is among the aliens (called Atrians on the show) who come to Earth for sanctuary, and are in stead met with prejudice. Emery is the human girl (the equivalent of Juliet) who, unlike most humans, stands with the Atrians. After she befriends Roman as a child, they are separated for years, until a special program puts him and a group of his fellow Atrians at her high school, and the friendship (as well as romance) rekindles. Most of the humans continue to discriminate against the Atrians for being different, which is escalated by a few violent mishaps, and Emery continues to defend the Atrians, showing that not all humans are bad. Which is as true in the real world as it is in this show. Not all humans are bad. :)

Obviously, the romance between Roman and Emery is the main plot of the show, but it's done tastefully - the Atrians aren't "little green men" but look very similar to humans, aside from the markings on their skin, which are unique to each Atrian and glow blue in water "to light the way" - which hints at an amazingly intricate alien culture we want to know more about, and is intensified even more by their unique language, created by the wonderful David J. Peterson (who also created languages for HBO's Game of Thrones and Syfy's Defiance). There's a lot more to this show than just romance, and it holds a beautiful message about acceptance, tolerance, and the power of love. Which brings me to my music video. ;) 

After the long awaited and shockingly passionate first kiss between Roman and Emery in "To Seek A Foe" (yes, the episode titles are all quotes from Romeo and Juliet, which is awesome), I decided I had to make a music video. So, I went to work getting as much footage as possible from that episode and the ones before it. I didn't get as much as I would have liked (I especially wanted to include footage from "An Old Accustom'd Feast" which was the next episode, but our internet connection coupled with the replacement of Star-Crossed reruns on Fridays by Hart of Dixie made it impossible). So, I did what I could with what I had to work with. I also added a few photos from the show, and animated lens flares over them to make them more interesting. I hope it worked.

I apologize for the poor quality. Since we don't have DVR or anything like that, I have to get most of my footage by recording the TV screen with a video camera. So that's why. That's also why you can barely hear the audio clips from the show, but I added text so you can at least know what they are saying. I just loved the quotes and had to use them, one way or another. I know it's not my best video, especially because of all this, but please try to ignore it and enjoy. The second half is hopefully better than the first, so try to stick with it!

When it came to choosing a song, I was stumped. So I posted about it on Twitter and got a couple song suggestions from fellow Stargazers (that's what fans of the show call themselves). @ThiaBaybee suggested "The Power Of Love" (the cover version performed by Gabrielle Aplin) and @MarsAmee suggested "Aquarius" (also a cover, performed by Digital Daggers - who I love BTW). Both great suggestions! 

I had heard Gabrielle Aplin's cover of "The Power Of Love" on CW's other wonderful show Reign (it played during the "Frary" wedding scene), and I thought the lyrics were perfect for the storyline of Star-Crossed, but the music, although beautiful, didn't have quite enough "oomph" to edit to. But I decided to soldier on and add my own drum beats to the song to make it more powerful and easier to showcase my editing "skills" with. LOL.

I also added some subtle clips of the other request (the Digital Daggers cover of "Aquarius") over the song, essentially blending the 2 songs together. I have done this before, but never while adding my own beats, so the music alone is a pretty exciting reveal for me. You might need to blast it on headphones, but hopefully you can hear the changes. I will definitely be editing more music like this in the future, so keep those eyes peeled! 

Oh, and "Aquarius" was used at the end of the very first episode of Star-Crossed, so I finished off the video with a clip of that song (also with drums added). I suggest listening to the whole song though - it really is amazing. 

I hope both Stargazers who suggested songs will approve of the music and the video! I tried to give it the best of both worlds ;) And I added clips of the drums I used during the video credits (without music), in case you're curious.

Caution: This video is pretty romantic. Not only is the main song called "The Power Of Love" and the clips chosen accordingly, but it was made right after the first "Romery" kiss, so just keep that in mind. More than anything, I guess this is a "Romery" video, mainly for fangirls, LOL. So, watch with care. And possibly tissues? IDK.

Side note: This is my first official TV show music video and review! I plan to do more in the future (such as Syfy's recently deceased Being Human & hopefully some more CW shows) so again, keep your eyes peeled. And be nice. Keep in mind this is my first. No better show than Star-Crossed to break the ice with. :) 

You can see Star-Crossed every Monday on the CW, 

and you can see my video RIGHT HERE:

*Squeals* I hope you liked it! Please comment here or on the video itself and let me know! And please "like" and share and subscribe and all that jazz. Thanks for reading, and thanks for watching! 

Be the lightning, 

Kylie Kerosene. 

}i{

Blog Hop: The Writing Process.

If you happen to have any questions about the extremely secretive Science Fiction series I've been working on, some of those questions are about to be answered... Sort of. ;)

This is my very first Blog Hop! I was tagged by a fellow writer from Google+ named Emma Lindhagen in this blog. Thanks Emma! I love answering questions, especially about my passions, so I'll never turn down something like this. :)

Blog Hop Rules:  

Answer the four questions below, link back to the person who invited you, and link to the people who will be posting the following Monday.

1. What am I working on? 

I recently finished draft 8 of my very first novel, the first in a Science Fiction series of graphic novels (sort of). So right now I'm working on draft 9, and on getting draft 8 ready for my beta readers. Finishing this book is taking a lot longer than I thought it would, but it's getting there! And I'm already working on some illustrations for the next novel in the series, so that I can have those out of the way and save lots of time. Always something in the works for me, and not just writing related, but that's what I'm working on writing-wise right now. 

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Well, first of all, the fact that my novels have illustrations is pretty different. It's not a comic book, and I'm not sure it can even be classified as a graphic novel. It's a novel, with illustrations included every now and then. Also, it's more than just Science Fiction (which will be more apparent once the second book comes out). It could also be classified as Romance (Although there isn't much of that ewey gewey sex stuff in it, it is romantic. It's been referred to as "Twilight for robots" if that tells you anything, LOL); Young Adult (which I guess is more of a target audience than a genre, although it's not just for young people - I like to think there's something in it for everyone); and maybe even Horror (lots of gore in both the novels and the illustrations - not so much that it's hard to read, I hope, but just enough to turn the stomach a bit). But I suppose lots of books do that... I think... Which reminds me, I'm probably the only writer on the planet that doesn't like to read books. It's not that I don't want to, I just don't have the patience. Too much going on in my head. So, that probably makes my novels different from writers who do read (hopefully in a good way, but we'll see). 

3. Why do I write what I write?

Because the writing gods demand it, and would probably drive me completely insane if I didn't write what I write. Also, this isn't just a hobby for me - it is my purpose. It feels good to finally be able to say that with confidence.  If I do nothing else before I die, I want my books to be read. Not because I want money or fame, but because I know they will change people. That is the real purpose of my novels. Each of them has a message for specific people. People with a purpose, like me. I want to ignite a generation of dreamers and thinkers, of warriors and peace-keepers. I want to change the world in some small way... But doesn't everyone? (I hope that's the case anyway) 

4. How does your writing process work?

3 words: Music, music, MUSIC. It is what inspires the stories in my novels, it is what keeps me writing when I feel like quitting, and it is what reminds me that this is my purpose. Even as I write this blog, "Like A Ray" by Ki: Theory is blasting in my ears. It's the song that inspired a huge event in my novel (which was also forged in the fires of music from LIVE, Ours, Coldplay, M83, and especially 30 Seconds To Mars, who's music has inspired over half of this trilogy). The very first thing I do when a novel idea comes to me is make a playlist of the music that inspired it, and listen to it while I write (and illustrate). More on my writing process can be found in this guest blog I wrote for a friend a while back, in which I also give writing advice (to the best of my current noob-ability, LOL). 

Well, there you have it. My first Blog Hop. :)

I now direct you to some awesome writer friends from Twitter. 

R. James Stevens (author of Clarity), and

Andrew Baker (author of H.C. To Light State), 
who also has a cool fanboy profile here.

Both these guys are great writers, as well as great friends who have been so supportive. They really are awesome, and I can't wait to read their answers to these questions next week! I hope you'll check out their blogs and read them too ;) 

}i{

Update.

Fair Warning: This blog is more personal than most. It's sort of how I worked through these emotions and found my way back to writer sanity... Sort of... Anyway, UPDATE.

So I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I've been so busy lately.

Finishing my novel.

That's right! ...Sort of. 

I'll probably have to do some more editing after my beta readers hit me with their best shot, but for now, it feels pretty final. 

Here are a couple posts from Twitter in case you missed them:

I've been listening to music (such as "Like A Ray" by Ki: Theory and "Recover" by Chvrches), and just soaking it in. This feeling of finality. This joy and pride and excitement and euphoria running through me like a surge of electricity... Could be partly from the music, but it's definitely related to the novel. I know that. It might sound crazy, but I rarely work on this novel without crying tears of joy, for some reason. So, that's a good sign... Right? 

(Also, it seems my music taste has changed and/or expanded through writing this novel, but that's another story for another blog)...

 Even though it isn't over, and I'm still not published (probably won't be for a while yet),  it feels like I'm on the edge of a cliff, about to jump. I feel like once I jump, I just might fly, but not knowing what's next makes it feel like I could fall too.

I'm sure seasoned authors would agree that finishing that first novel is scary. But then they would probably tell me that it's also worth it. They would probably tell me that even though I can't see through the fog of uncertainty in front of me, I just need to jump, and hope for the best. because, like I said in this guest blog, "Finish that book, get it out there, and spread your wings. It's the only way to know if you can fly."

So, with both excitement and fear gripping my racing heart, I'm taking my own advice and the advice of my fellow writers, and jumping blindly off of this cliff that is the threshold between the present and the future. If you don't hear from me, I didn't make it...

LOL, JK, you'll hear from me.

Hopefully soon. ;)

Fairytale In Red (Malukah Remix)

I first heard Malukah's angelic voice when she posted her very first Skyrim cover on Youtube a couple years back, and since then, I've become hooked. Then a couple months ago when I heard her original song "Reignite" (inspired by and including clips from one of my favorite game series "Mass Effect") I knew she was a star. She has become just that among gamers all over the world, and rightfully so. 

I commented on her Reignite video saying something like "Keep writing songs. That is where your true power lies." THEN I discovered that she had released a whole CD of original songs under her real name Judith de los Santos, called "All of the Above" and what do you know, I was right - her original songs are in my opinion even better than her covers. She puts so much emotion into everything, and this album is no exception. The sound is masterfully produced and the lyrics are surprisingly brilliant. 2 of my favorites from the album are "Covered in Red" which has that dark intensity I always look for in music, and "Fairytale" which weaves words together in a mind-blowingly impressive way. 

The 2 songs seem to have a similar theme, as well as similar notes (each of them still standing alone as separate songs though) so I had the idea to try mixing these 2 songs together. I used "Fairytale" as the base (it plays the whole time) and added clips of "Covered in Red" over it (it's quiet but it's there - I would have made it louder but the drums would have clashed). Mind you, I don't have the best equipment to do stuff like this with, but hey, I tried. And my husband tells me that despite my lack of good equipment it still sounds like one fluid song, which is a huge compliment coming from him (he tells me the truth whether it's ugly or not) so, I hope you guys will like it too! 

 

Screenshot from "Fairytale In Red" (animation)

They say all musicians are capable of hearing 2 songs in their mind at once, and I've always been able to do that. As a result of this bizarre talent, I've been wanting to mix songs together for a few years now (even made a list - lost it since then but it's quickly growing again - this will be the first of many mixes), but I never actually tried it until now. And Malukah was the one I wanted to mix music from first, since that first project is always so special, and Malukah is also so special. Her covers alone have helped me through some pretty hard times, especially "Reignite" (which also got me through beating Dragon Age: Origins for the first time) and not only does she have this amazing talent, but she is one of the sweetest people you'll ever encounter. She always takes the time to reply to people online (which is quite the feat considering how many people interact with her every day) and it amazes me how humble she still is. The following wasn't even in reply to anything, which I thought was awesome of her.

Via Google+

Anyway, since I'd already talked to her a few times, I felt like I needed to ask her permission before uploading this mix. So, I sent her an email and crossed my fingers, not wanting to get my hopes up. To pass the time until I heard from her, I tweeted things such as this to get people excited: 

And I think it worked ;)

Then, to my surprise, Malukah said yes! I was happier than a kid on Christmas morning, and it definitely showed in my posts on Twitter. LOL. And @MarsAmee (a mutual fan) was pretty excited too, which was awesome ;)

I quickly got to work finalizing the project, making a simple lyric video (to clarify which parts I used where) and even adding some animation (which is apparently MUCH harder than it looks) and finally, after much blood, sweat, tears of frustration & tears of joy, staying up until 5am for 3 nights in a row, working on it for most of my birthday (today - New Years Eve), 34 Movie Maker files and over 520 Photoshop files, I'm happy to finally say IT IS FINISHED! I know it's not perfect, but I hope it will showcase her music in a fresh new way and attract even more fans for this amazing musician and wonderful person. :)

 

Screenshot from "Fairytale In Red" (animation)

If you haven't heard the album "All of the Above" you can check it out at Malukah.Com - I recommend listening to each song on its own before listening to the mix. I also recommend checking out her Youtube if you haven't yet. Get over there and see what you've been missing! 

Anyway, enough rambling. Here it is. My mix and lyric video of these 2 amazing songs (I've also combined the titles of the songs to get "Fairytale In Red") - Hope you like it! 

I'd suggest headphones & full-screen. Just saying.

So, there you have it. Remember, this was my first time mixing 2 songs together, and also my first attempt at actual animation. So be gentle with me, but let me know what you think! I loved making this, and I hope I get to collaborate with Malukah (again) in the future. I think this arrangement would make for a great duet (might have to try that if Malu and I are ever in the same town LOL) and I already have a little something in mind (actually kind of a BIG something) for a possible future project with her if she's up for it. Hint: The song in the credits. ;) 

Whatever the future holds, I feel brilliance on the horizon. New year, new passion. I'm so excited to bring you more stuff like this :) If you like it, please subscribe to the channel and also to my channel where I'll be posting some future stuff like this too. 

Happy New Year! 

 Be The Lightning ;)

}i{

UPDATE:

Here is Malukah's sweet and thoughtful response to the blog and the mix: 

   Thanks Malu :)


}i{

Movie Review: Pacific Rim

Here is my review of Pacific Rim from GetGlue, redefined: 

When news of this film began circulating, I immediately wanted to see it. Not only is it right up my alley (as the novels I'm writing involve robots among other things) but Guillermo del Toro was behind it. When the trailer hit, I was sold. It looked so epic, & it didn't even try to hide the fact that they were trying to be epic, with the trailer's tagline "Go big or go extinct." - They definitely went big with this movie, & I'm sure its effects will not go extinct any time soon.

This movie is essentially "Godzilla" meets "Power Rangers" but 100 times more epic than both of them put together. The graphics are top of the line, delivering spectacular eye candy that you can't help but marvel at, & the score (composed by Ramin Djawadi) creates a beautifully heroic backdrop for the story & the events that unfold. I also loved how the song in the end credits (written for the film & titled "Drift") goes perfectly with the film score. It's this kind of attention to detail I love about films such as After Earth & Sucker Punch, & I feel like this movie is in the same elite category. Parents should know that the human violence in this movie is very minimal & there is absolutely no sexual content, making it a great movie for the whole family.

There is one image from this film that sticks out more than anything to me, of a little girl walking alone through a decimated city. It's such an iconic image of the destruction & chaos we sometimes find ourselves in, & what happens afterwards is a symbol of hope. It says to the viewer that no matter how dark things may seem, there is always hope. Lots of little messages like that run through this movie's veins, but I think the main message is unity. 

The Jaegers need 2 people to operate them, & in order to do this, they have to be completely in sync. I think the song in the end credits says it best when it says "United we can never fall." - It's the oldest trick in the book (united we stand, divided we fall), but somewhere along the way, humanity has begun to lose its grasp of the concept of unity. We can accomplish so much more together than we can apart. We can defeat greater challenges together than we can alone. I think that's what this movie tries to communicate, & it pulls it off well. & did I mention beautifully? See it on the big screen. You will not regret it. 

If you haven't seen the trailer, marvel here: 

Leader Of The Pack

I was talking about wolves with my husband Eric & my mother in law Rachel, & how humans are similar to them. In a wolf pack, you have the Alpha wolf, who rules the pack with power & authority, & needs followers to function. Then you have the Beta wolves, who follow the Alpha without question. They require a leader to function. Then there's the Omega wolf, who desires to be the Alpha, & is eventually exiled from the pack because of it. Humans are the same way. Our personalities reveal whether we are an Alpha (leader), a Beta (follower), or an Omega (rebel/outcast). 

As Eric says, most humans are Betas. They need a leader. This doesn't make them inferior, just typical. There are a few Alphas, who lead others. A great example of this is apparent in disaster scenarios. Most people run around panicking, trying to find someone calm to lead them. These are Beta people. Then there are the few who remain calm enough to think & act responsibly in times of stress. They are Alphas, and they tend to lead & advise the others. According to this, Eric & I are both Alphas. We both remain calm & focused when disaster strikes. But in our marriage, things work a bit differently. 

When I met Eric, I had never been in a relationship with an Alpha before. In most aspects of my life I had been an Omega (an outcast) but  in my past relationships, I had always been the Alpha, and had been drawn to Beta's, probably out of a subconscious desire for control, in order to make up for certain times I'd been severely controlled & taken advantage of in the past. So here were 2 Alphas, both trying to rule the relationship. I have finally given Eric his rightful place as Alpha in the relationship. Not just because he's the male, but because, let's face it, he is just smarter than me. :p & I think that although I was drawn to Betas in the past, what I really needed was an Alpha to put me in my place. Not that he hits me or anything (if he ever did I'd leave him & he knows that) but I look to him for advice on every single decision I make, just like a Beta with an Alpha. 

Anyway, what I'm saying is that I've now become more of a Beta than an Alpha. People can change from one to the other, depending on their life phases & relationships. 

Then there are the Omegas, who are constantly challenging authority & most times have been outcast from the pack because of it. Every family &/or social circle has at least one of these. They are not necessarily bad people, but are usually misunderstood. 

Anyway, I think this is a cool way to categorize personalities & relationships. So which are you? Alpha, Beta, or Omega?

Do Something.

Since I've grown older, I've realized a few things. There is no roadmap to life - no set course we just fall into - destiny is real, but we have to CHOOSE our destiny by ACTING on it. Also, there are no do-overs, no second chances. Sure we may reincarnate after we die, but as far as this life, we get ONE chance to get it right. If we don't get it right this time around, chances are we won't next time either. 

And most importantly, we have a LOT less time than we think. 

I am currently 28 years old. To most, this age is considered the prime time of life. But a crippling injury has caught up to me (sciatica, herniated disk, emotional buildup), and I am in constant, at times paralyzing pain. Did I know this would happen? No. If I'd known, I would have made better choices, taken care of my body, and stayed in touch with my emotions, even the tough ones. (Yes, repressed emotions can contribute to chronic pain. Face them.) When I was younger, I never imagined feeling so old at only 28! We don't think that something like this can happen until we're much older, but the truth is, you never know. 

Young people - I'm not trying to scare you, I'm trying to open your eyes. To fill you with a burning desire to DO SOMETHING about each of your lives before it's too late. Something meaningful. 

Is it working?

When we're young, we think "I have all the time in the world" and we proceed to waste our best years away by partying, watching TV, playing video games, and before we know it, our lives have passed us by. 

Our dreams. 

Our future. 

Our destiny. 

When we're old, we look back and think "I wish I'd done this" or "I always thought I'd have the time for that." Well, don't be one of those people. 

Don't be like me. 

Don't be a statistic. 

Break the cycle and DO something with your life while you are still young and able. Your best years don't come when you graduate, or after you find love, or after you land a high paying job. 

Your best years are NOW. 

Don't waste them. 

Once again, young people, I'm not trying to scare you. I'm trying to inspire you to get up and move. 

To be a leader. 

To do something that matters.

To start a revolution in your world.

I'm trying to light a fire inside of you. 

Is it working?