2012 in Review: Favorite Songs

fun. - We Are Young

When the Grammy nominations were announced some days back, I was very much excited to learn that fun. had scored a total of six nominations. These include Record of the Year and Song of the Year nominations for their breakout hit single, We Are Young. There's something very special about Nate Reuss, lead singer of the band. He has a vocal style that is reminiscent of Queen's Freddy Mercury, but one that is still very unique when compared with today's crop of lead singers from other bands. And together with his bandmates, he was able to deliver one of the most anthemic songs of the year, a song about the inevitable ups and downs of a relationship (and of course the splendor of youth). We Are Young is a song that takes a few listens to fully appreciate, with its abrupt beat changes and its oddball fusion of hip-hop and indie rock. But it is these very things that give it its lasting appeal, and sets it apart.

Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe

From the first time I heard Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe, during its early days of relative obscurity, I knew it was going to be a hit. Although I had no idea just how big a smash hit it was going to be. A quick trip to wikipedia puts the current tally at over 10 millions legal downloads, making it "one of the best-selling digital singles of all time." Arguably the ultimate sing-along song of 2012, Miss Jepsen has had one of the best debuts by a pop singer in recent years. My only concern for her though is would she be able to break away from the bubblegum pop image and carve a true identity for herself, the same way past chart toppers like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Ke$ha have been able to do. Only time would tell I guess.

M83 - Midnight City

I have been listening to music since before I was born (I was named after the King of Pop after all). Today, I take much pride in my massive collection of songs and albums, amassed over the course of many years. In all that time, I've grown to love everything from EDM to classic rock 'n roll, and even folk and country. And just when I thought I'd heard all that music had to offer, a song from a little-known French electronic band comes out of the woodwork to prove me wrong. That band is M83, and their song, Midnight City, is quite possibly the greatest song of all time. Okay, those of you who've known me long enough would know that I tend to say things like that all the time. But put simply, if pure awesomeness was a song, this would be it.

Toya Delazy - Love is in the Air

The current queen of the South African music scene was one of the few new artist to strike a chord with me this past year. And the song that catapaulted her towards superstardom was the electro pop hit, Love is in the Air. It is one of those few songs that I never get tired of listening to. It is also helped by a rather creative music video, most of which was spent showing her ascending a stairwell over and over again, with somewhat magical results. What I love most about her music is her unique blend of Pop, Jazz, R&B and EDM. Much like Bruno Mars, she is an artist whose music cannot be shoehorned into one particular genre, due to the wideness of her influences.

Good Music - Mercy

I'm a firm advocate of minimalism. That is, I always appreciate works of art where the artist takes a minimalistic approach in creating something that is deceptively simple but ultimately complex. Big Sean, Pusha T, Kanye West and 2 Chainz (known collectively as Good Music) have somehow managed to create such a song, with its simple instrumental, nonsensical lyrics (an entire song that is literally centered around getting a hand job from a rival's girlfriend - in a Lamborghini Murcielago nonetheless), and basic black-and-white video. It is a song that rewards mulitple listens, each one revealing hidden layers of complexity and brilliance, and it's no surprise that it has earned the quartet a Best Rap Song nomination at next year's Grammy Awards.

Psy - Gangnam Style

And just like last year, when I had to sneak in a sixth finalist in my list of favorites (LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem), I am rounding up this year's list with another viral hit. Youtube's most watched music video of all time also happens to be one of the best music videos of 2012. Very few songs have been able to transcend language and cultural barriers as well as Psy's Gangnam Style. The last song that comes to mind is Los Del Rio's Macarena. And just like Macarena, there's a lot to love about Psy's song and video, like its outrageous dance moves and over-the-top depiction of bright colors. It is clear that the stars have aligned for the South Korean rapper, and I hope he'll be able to follow up the success of Gangnam Style with more hits in the months/years to come.

And the winner is...

M83 - Midnight City

 

This year's choice has proven more difficult than last year's winner (Foster the People's Pumped Up Kicks). Every single one of my picks would have been worthy of being crowned favorite for 2012. I was especially leaning towards fun. this year, and if it had been any other year, We Are Young would've taken the crown. But if we're talking raw numbers (play counts), emotions and sheer excitement, then M83 comes out on top. Midnight City is the closest thing to sonic perfection I have heard (pretty big claim, I know), a song that couldn't possibly be improved upon in any way or manner. From its barely discernable vocals, to its pulsating bassline and synths, to the sweetness of the saxophone solo (can we ever have too many of those?) that kicks in at the climax, not to mention one of the best videos I've seen in years, Midnight City is a song that redefines the word, awesome.

P.S: Merry Christmas everyone.

2012 in Review: Favorite Books

11/22/63

 

The very first book I read in 2012 also happened to be my first ever Stephen King novel, not counting my feeble attempts to read Cujo when I was eight (didn't quite make it past the first two pages). I've never considered  myself a fan of horror, despite being a fan of Thomas Harris (or more aptly his character, Hannibal Lecter), which explains why I'd avoided Stephen King books like the plague. That is until I found out that he also wrote in my favorite genre, science fiction. 11/22/63 is just such a book, an 800-page monster of a novel that tells the story of a man who travels back in time to stop the assassination of U.S. president, John F. Kennedy, in a bid to better the future. It also has elements of historical fiction and alternate history, and should appeal to fans of those genres.

The Rise of Nine

 

The third book of the I am Number Four series continues the adventures of the six remaining Gardes from Lorien as they develop their legacies in preparation for an inevitable showdown with the Mogadorians. I got into the series after watching (and being pleasantly surprised by) the movie adaptation of the first book. While they might not be as popular with today's kids as the likes of Twilight and The Hunger Games, these books still appeal to that same part of me that loved reading Animorphs back in the day. Admittedly though, it is with this book that it becomes safe to wonder whether the series might be running out of steam. Hopefully the authors would be able to wrap everything up in the next book or two, without trying to milk the whole thing dry.

Insurgent

 

Just like The Hunger Games, Divergent was another work of dystopian fiction that managed to strike a chord with fans of the ever-popular YA genre. One of the things I loved about it was its post-apocalyptic setting, a futuristic Chicago were everything is split between five ideology-based factions. The second book expands upon that world, all the while revealing more back stories, key players, and of course government conspiracies. And while not as engaging as the first book, Insurgent still does a decent job of setting the stage for the third and final book. I can't wait to see how it all translates onto the big screen when the movies come out.

 

Wool (Omnibus Edition)

 

And right here is another book-to-movie adaptation that couldn't possibly come soon enough. Every now and again, a book/movie/TV series comes out of nowhere and simply blows your mind away. In 2012, that book was Wool by science-fiction writer, Hugh Howey. It is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the remnants of humanity have been forced underground after the Earth's surface becomes uninhabitable. The omnibus edition brings together the first five books in the series, and we follow the lives of the inhabitants of Silo 17 (an underground city of sorts) as they slowly uncover a vast conspiracy that could very well lead to the next great uprising. It is one of those rare stories that you just have to experience for yourself, in order to understand its true magnitude.

The Casual Vacancy

 

I've been a Harry Potter fan ever since I'd read the opening lines of the first book. From the very beginning, I was captivated by J.K. Rowling's writing style and her dark sense of humor, both of which carry over nicely into her first book for adults. The closest parallel I can draw to The Casual Vacancy is the TV show, Desperate Housewives. Both take place in small communities, and their events are set into motion by the death of a prominent member of the community. Here, it is a parish councilor called Barry Fairbrother that dies, and we get to see, through the course of the novel, the impact his death has on the residents of Pagford. Ms. Rowling has definitely proven here that she can write whatever see very well chooses, and write it to near perfection. But if you're looking for the same sense of magic and wonder found in Harry Potter, then kindly look elsewhere, because The Casual Vacancy paints a very crude and realistic picture of modern-day life.

And the winner is...

Wool (Omnibus Edition)

 

If 2011 was the year I became a self-published writer, then 2012 must be the year that I discovered the wealth of talent in the vast pool of self-published writers. I read Wool #1 back in June, after hearing nothing but good things about the series as a whole. And I was blown away by one of the best endings I've come across in years. The remaining four books in the omnibus where just as mind-blowing (if not more so). The characters are well-written, and the story itself is very visual, painting a vivid picture of an underground city and the desolation that has kept its inhabitants from returning to the surface. You can almost feel the claustrophobia of their hallways, and the strain they go through ascending the steps of the stairwell that links the many levels of the Silo. I really hope Ridley Scott does the movie adaptation the justice it deserves, and that we don't have to wait 10 years to see it.

The Other Side (Guardians, #6)

The final book of my epic fantasy series, Guardians & The Lost Paradise, is here ladies and gentlemen. I can't believe it's been six months already. So many things going through my mind right now. Joy. Relief. Fear. Exhiliration. I can't find the right words to sum it all up. Would need at least a dozen blog posts to say it all. So I'll just go straight to the business of the day.

You can grab the final book from Amazon US and Amazon UK. Alternatively, you can get all six books in an ebook bundle. Here are the links for that:

Amazon US | Amazon UK

If you're still reading this, then I want to use this opportunity to thank you. For all the love, support, and kind words. But mostly for just being present and bearing with all my self-indulgent ramblings over the months. These books represent six years worth of my life's work. I'm beyond grateful having people like you to share them with. *cough* buy the books *cough*

Thanks everyone, for being awesome.

The Morning Star

Back in June, I took part in a writing contest for the Fantasy-Faction Anthology. The winners were recently revealed and surprise, surprise, I wasn't one of them. The Morning Star was the short story I wrote as my entry, and from the get-go, I had every intention of giving it away for free, in the quite likely event it wasn't chosen as one of the six winning entries.

It is set in the same universe as my dark/epic fantasy series, Guardians & The Lost Paradise, and it centers on one of my favorite characters from the series, the fallen archangel, Lucifer. This is the first time I'll be basing a story around an antihero, and I had loads of fun during the one week it took me to write it.

So how do you snag your free copy? Simple. Just sign up for my new releases newsletter, and I'll e-mail it to you in mobi, epub and pdf formats. And don't worry, I won't give out your e-mail addresses or spam them with endless information about my books. The newsletter only goes out when there is a new book you might be interested in, no sooner, no later.

Here's a link to the sign up form for the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/nWAW9. Can't wait to welcome you on board with a brand new (and very shiny) ebook copy of the book. ;)

The Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's been six months since I joined the IWSG. And since that time, the pages of my blog have been graced by some of the nicest writers on this side of the blogosphere. So thank you Alex, once again (I'm sure you must be tired of hearing this by now), for starting the group, and to all its members, who share their insecurities and words of encouragement every month.

My sole regret is not being able to visit everyone on the blog hop, due to some serious device limitations on my end. I do most of my browsing on a mobile phone, and my present one doesn't even allow me to leave comments on the few blogs I do manage to visit. *sigh*

Today, I'd like to pose a question to the members of the group. I know a lot of you have books on Amazon and other online retailers, be it traditionally published, self-published, or published by a small press. The one thing all three paths to publication have in common is the need to market those books. So my question is this:

How do you go about marketing your books?

I've been self-publishing my books a few days shy of one year now. So far, my marketing strategy (if you could call it that) includes posting about new releases on this blog, and running KDP Select free promotions (just three thus far). And that's it. No ads, no leveraging of social media, which probably explains the reason behind my relatively modest sales.

The reason why I am posing this question at this time is because, two weeks from now, I'll be releasing the final book of my Christian/dark/epic fantasy series, Guardians & The Lost Paradise. I've been working on these books for six years now, and I feel I need to give them the fighting chance they deserve, in a market dominated by big name writers and publishers.

So once again, the question: how do you go about marketing your books?

The Passage (Guardians, #5)

The penultimate book of my epic fantasy series, Guardians & The Lost Paradise, is out now. I've always wanted to use that word. Penultimate. Feels good to finally get to do so.

Anyways, book 5 is here, and as usual, it can be picked up from Amazon US, and Amazon UK. I can't believe we're almost there. Just one more book remaining, then I can tie a nice ribbon around the entire series and pop some champagne. It's been fun, exhilarating, and of course hectic, just to name a few words. A small part of me sorta wishes it could keep going perpetually. But all good things must come to an end.

Here are the links for book 5 once again:

Amazon US | Amazon UK
 

The Insecure Writer's Support Group

The first Wednesday of a new month means it's time for another round of Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) posts. The Insecure Writer's Support Group is a blog hop hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, where members share their writerly challenges or successes, and at the same time show some support for their peers.

For today's post, I'll be highlighting a recent achievement. I've been self-publishing my books on Amazon (and more recently Kobo) for close to a year now. And in all that time, I finally managed to cross my first major milestone. As at the first of November, 2012, I'd sold 100 books on Amazon. I know there are those who sell several times that amount on a daily basis. But for me, this is a major milestone indeed.

I'll like to use this opportunity to thank all those who have supported my writing either by buying one of my books, or spreading the word about my new releases. Right now, I have my sights set on the next major milestone down the line. 1000 books. Here's hoping it would come soon enough.

The Shadow (Guardians, #4)

The fourth book of my ongoing fantasy series, Guardians & The Lost Paradise, is now on sale at Amazon US, Amazon UK and Kobo. It is the first of two books in the series I drafted during a writing challenge back in February. The first book in the series is now free on Amazon US. I'm still waiting for it to go free in the UK though, but for now, UK readers can either grab an ePub version from Kobo, or e-mail me personally for a Kindle version.

Right. I should be doing NaNoWriMo right now, but can't due to outstanding rewrites and edits for the two remaining books in the series. There's always next year I guess, or the other NaNo variants sprinkled in-between. More on that on Wednesday's IWSG post. For now, here are the links for Book 4 once again:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Kobo

The Journey is Free on Kobobooks

That's right folks, the first book of my epic fantasy series, Guardians & The Lost Paradise, is free on Kobobooks.com. To snag your free epub copy, simply head over to the following url:

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Journey-Guardians-1/book-SrvF_m5uJEWHA5av1MaacA/page1.html?s=ZOR_T_eA1kOKjrO18cdDaA&r=1

I'm currently trying to get Amazon to price match, so it can be offered for free over there as well. To make this happen, you can help by reporting the lower price on the book's Amazon page. Just click on the link that says "tell us about a price" on the Amazon page and paste the above url in the feedback dialog, along with the lower price (0.00).

Books 2 and 3 are currently in the pipeline, so you can expect to see them on Kobobooks real soon as well.

The Insecure Writer's Support Group

Hello again, IWSG writers. And for the benefit of those who don't know what the IWSG is... it is a monthly blogfest started by science-fiction blogger, Alex J. Cavanaugh, wherein members can share their writerly challenges, and also provide support to one another.

Right now, my number one challenge seems to be getting some actual writing done. At the start of the year, one of my resolutions was setting aside some time each day to write; in a bid to make the transition from aspiring writer to full-time writer. But ever since I started to self-publish my epic fantasy series, Guardians & The Lost Paradise, I've been bugged down with edits, cover design, and the like.

So far, this year, I have written about 60,000 words, most of which was put down during a writing challenge back in February. I would really love to do NaNoWriMo next month; God knows I could really use that extra 50,000 words. I even have the perfect project to work on, long-since outlined and waiting for realization. But with my current workload that prospect seems rather slim.

But who knows, I just might experience the spark of inspiration I need to push me in that direction. In the meantime, I have a climax and denouement still waiting to be written for my current project. I should ideally get that over with before embarking on anything new. *sigh* Oh well.