Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Kristian Dambrino’s history reads like a script for a CW or even ABCFamily drama; girl competes in pageants, can’t handle the pressure and struggles with alcoholism; succumbs to image discrepancies (who she is v/s who everyone else wants her to be), etc.  I naively expected her to have a weak voice at best and an album full of auto tune and Britney Spears’s reject songs.  This debut, however, is anything but weak, and there’s nothing about this record that screams cutting room floor leftovers.

Dam Brino has a rich voice and a beautiful tone.  I loved that her lower register is just as luxurious as her higher notes, and the absolute best quality about her singing is that it is all so unexpected.  It’s not just that her immense talent is shocking; it’s the fact that she is so very different.  The narrow scope of a CW writer couldn’t have dreamed her genre up; she doesn’t fit into any one of them, and she’s least of all a cheap cliché.  Sometimes, she has something old fashioned about her, whimsical and romantic like in “Kissing In October” and “Good Night White Knight” and other times she is closer to mainstream like in “Leave the Light On” and “One Foot Out the Door.” The other songs on the album are anything in between, but there is nothing to pigeon hole here.

The self-titled debut begins with “Good Night White Knight” which features whistling and the line “You had me at goodbye.”  Wanting to develop an image that told her story, Dam Brino “wanted to create a character that was a more satirical version of myself…sort of a reincarnated rebel queen who maintains vulnerability and self-effacing humor.”  And in the process, she reveals a depth and strength needed to rebuild and move on.  While “Swallow the Key” explores the fact that she doesn’t feel at all lovable and even reachable, she has discovered by the last song, “One Foot Out the Door” that there’s victory in leaving what otherwise would destroy her.  Whether she realizes it or not, she’s telling all that will listen that it is herself that will make the decisions to save her and that there is no reliance on someone else to do it for her.

Favorite lyrics were found in “Original Face” (everything that she sings) and “Kissing In October.”  Questioning a relationship that ends as the leaves fall from the trees, she sings, “Do I have a great future behind me/Or is the past still present with me?”  Absolute favorite song was “One Foot Out the Door.”  The entire song is so honest and beautiful, but the chorus captures a realization that determines a future, “I can’t stand here/With one foot out the door/And the other in sinking sand.”

There’s a lot to love here.  The only gimmick used is her voice, which is flawless.  And while there’s a little bit of a character drawn up here, it is her own creation, with her rules…or the lack thereof.  And while some of it might be a joke to poke fun at herself, I believe the old proverb that many a truth is said in jest.  Dam Brino reveals what she wants to about who she is, and I admire her strength.

Dam Brino will be available for purchase on March 30.  Please visit www.dambrionmusic.com for more information.

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

According to their face book biography, Garden Window was created with two purposes.  The first was to merge all their influences which include, but are not limited to, Blonde Redhead, Sigur Ros, and Radiohead.  Their other goal was to reflect on who they are as people and let what surfaces describe who they are and what they believe in.

Regarding the first purpose, O’Brother succeeds victoriously at making a record that escapes the walls of genres.  Sometimes writhing with anger like Metallica, sometimes ambient and illusive like Sigur Ros, and sometimes simply satisfying rock, they excel at being unique.  I don’t even begin to understand how they make this work.  But it does.  And while they strive to be the “loudest band ever,” don’t be fooled.  This isn’t a mess of noise thrown together.  It is anything but.

As for their influences defining who they are and what they believe in…this is not so easily explained or understood.  The album begins with “Malum” where they demand, “How great is my debt that my penance should be endless?”  The very question saddened me, the perspective that life is nothing but trials and tribulations and can be considered nothing more than a “penance.”  They respond to their own asking with the repeated vow, “Lo, my eager eyes will behold the truth.”  The song then softens somewhat into a more upbeat “Lo,” the mood transitioning from one of wrath to one that is a little more eager, as if they are searching with more urgency rather than with so much despair.

That search and the questions they have for God are never far from their focus.  “Lay Down,” appearing almost halfway through the album, has the chorus that repeats, “So abba, father, are you sleeping/As we toil through your gardens keeping/I’ll lay down and begin to grow/Right beneath your garden window.”  Coupled with the music and the vocals, this is a band that doesn’t question God’s existence.  They question His abandonment.

In the last song, aptly titled “Last Breath,” they have yet to come to any real conclusions.  They label G.O.D. as an acronym-giver of damnation and then demand to know why He has even bothered with human existence.  As a Christian, it hurt to hear this, for obvious reasons.  And often times, it felt personal.  When they finish the song with the lyrics, “You are the only thing I hope is real in a dark world,” all I felt was confused.  While they acknowledge that sin is rampantly running amok, their picture of God for the entire album is this entity who has become despondent and isolated.  If O’Brother’s real vision of God is something they hope they will see in the end, they’ll open their eyes to a different perspective.  He is alive and around us, and while sin is out of control, He is the light to the believers that makes it all worth it.

This, really, is my opinion and my perception of an album that is very wide open to interpretation.  And, I accept a questioning, even doubting reflection every now and again.  But, as my thoughts wondered, the music encouraging my own exploration of what I think and believe as this album is so much more than their philosophy forced down the listener’s throat, I often felt defensive and even angered.  Not by their vision, but by their overall conclusion.

He is not sleeping.  We are.

If the music alone was being evaluated and recommended, I would say O’Brother’s Garden Window is one of the most creative albums that I’ve heard in awhile.  The lyrics, however, and the darkness of what they believe, shed very little light on what I believe.  In essence, it only weighed me down.

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Review by Joanna Paula L Cailas

Conquer your nameless gods

These nine stones were the Tombs of Atuan… They were the tombs of those who ruled before the world of men came to be, the ones not named, and she who served them had no name.

The Tombs of Atuan

But she does have a name.

If you tell a little girl that she is alone, she won’t reach out to others, won’t make friends easily. If you take away her name and call her the Eaten One instead, what else would she think, except that she is a slave to her Masters, the Ones who had ‘eaten’ her?

This is what happens to Tenar, literally, and this is what happens to countless other misguided girls and women, figuratively. Ursula K. Le Guin is known for her allegorical talent. But more than that, her prose is poetry, and her worlds are wonderful despite and in their realistic flaws, vivid landscapes, and diverse people.

In Tombs of Atuan, we see Tenar, who is sought and found to be the reborn Priestess of the Tombs of Atuan. At age five, she is taken away from her home, at age six she is brought to the altar, sacrificed and swathed in black. For that was what she served, Darkness. In the domain of her Masters, light is forbidden. She is renamed Arha, the Eaten One, servant of the Nameless Ones.

This happens more often than we think. And in the real and modern world, where advertisements, so-called facts and bandwagon mentality eat away our souls.

Arha ruled the Place–which is what they called the dessert-locale of the temples and priestesses. They all bow the knee to her and call her Mistress. Even the Godking, the one who rules the Kargish lands of which Atuan was part, make offerings to Arha. And then there is Thar, the High Priestess of the Twin-Gods, and Kossil, the High Priestess of the Godking.

Thar is the sharp but benevolent teacher. When she dies, Arha is left in the hands of bitter and power-hungry Kossil.

This battle with Kossil is triggered by Arha’s discovery of a wizard in the Undertomb. Kossil wants him killed, but Arha keeps him alive. This wizard was none other than Ged, he who is a dragonlord and trained in the wisdom of Art Magic, and he restores to Arha things that she has never truly lost, like her name and her freedom.

It takes tears and effort and is only gained after enduring an earthquake! But living in and achieving the light is far more worth the fear and uncertainties than when existing shackled in the dark.

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Kelly Clarkson: Stronger

As a rule, I don’t review popular mainstream artists. There are literally thousands of
reviews written for them, by the media and the general public. I doubt Relate readers
want a rehashing of what they could read elsewhere. But when it comes to Kelly
Clarkson, I want nothing more than to write an homage to her.

When she first entered the music industry ten years ago, she had something special that
other vocalists didn’t have. I remember watching her in concert for the first time on her
Hazel Eyes tour and being astounded by the fact that this little blonde belting it from the
stage was someone I felt I could relate to, someone I could have a conversation with,
someone who wasn’t so disconnected from my reality that she wouldn’t understand me.
While massive voices haven’t been elusive, there’s been a Whitney and Mariah for every
generation, for once an ordinary person with humble ambitions had become a pop star.
Ten years have lapsed, and she’s still that down to earth person who just happens to be
able to sing.

From my perspective, I don’t see her songs as angry. Okay, yes, there is that
song “Never Again” where she may be slightly miffed, but even songs like “Since U
Been Gone” and the latest single, “Mr. Know It All” aren’t about anger to me. All I hear
is a girl declaring her independence, a girl who has spent some time evaluating what the
relationship meant to her and what she wants in the future, whether it is freedom from
what holds her down to a man who can offer her what her last relationship didn’t.

“Mr. Know It All” has taken some slack for being “boring” and not being that anthem
that everyone expected. Yawn. It really is so tired. Personally, I love the song. We’ve
all been judged because we all do it…judge, that is. Every time I hear it, I get all feisty as
I remember every person who has slapped a label on me, and just when I’m getting full of
myself, I’m reminded of that pretty girl who intimidated me, the one I wanted to paint in
a corner and say she wouldn’t understand my life. In reality, though, it is me who doesn’t
understand a thing about her. Think about it. If you say you don’t judge, you’re not
human. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make an effort to do less of it. Nothing
like a pop song to hold up a mirror and make me want to hide from the reflection.

“Honestly” is Stronger’s SoberAddictedBecauseofYou power song that in my opinion,
All I Ever Wanted didn’t have. This song is so incredibly raw and exposed, it’s gut
wrenching. “If you’re hating me, do it honestly.” Only Kelly could do this song and
carry off the emotion it requires. I look at all the gimmicks and attention seeking
female “entertainers” charting right now, and the thought of any of them attempting this
makes me cringe. I repeat, only Kelly could do this song.

“Hello” is another song that made an impact with me. The guitars in the intro are a nice
deviation from the tracks preceding it, and all I can think is the Stones need to roll right
on out of here to make room for this one. She’s also channeling Sheryl Crow, which is
weird for me because I never thought of the Rolling Stones when I hear Crow, yet I’m
putting the two together in this song. While the thought of Kelly ever feeling invisible
sounds ludicrous to me, she sings this (and “Hear Me” from Breakaway) with such
conviction, I really am wondering if any of our journal passages would read the same.
While it’s an up tempo track, this is all about loneliness.

“Dark Side” and “The Sun Will Rise” (from the deluxe version) are the only other two
songs I will dedicate a paragraph to. “Dark Side” is again, an up tempo song, but its
lyrics are not. Reading the lyrics before I heard this left me disappointed, but once I got
the album, I understood it really is about her voice and her gigantic ability to interpret
a song’s depth that is amazing. I cried the first time I heard this. Here is Kelly feeling
vulnerable to losing someone, not only because she has faults, but because she has
something darker lurking. Coming from a family with debilitating depression, I’ve seen
this first hand; friends will disappear when they are needed most. “The Sun Will Rise” is
the answer. Sung with Kara DioGuardi (co-judge on Idol; she has many writing credits
with Kelly over the years), this isn’t sappy the way “If No One Will Listen” is from
AIEW. Kara holds her own with Kelly, and I love the uplifting message, the country
vibe, and the way the momentum keeps the song from weighing itself down.

Every other song on this album (buy the deluxe, it’s worth it) are memorable and
remarkable in their own way. The songs with longer titles (“Standing in Front of
You,” “The War Is Over” and “Breaking Your Own Heart”) are generally the slower
songs, but these aren’t typical ballads, and again, they were what was missing from
her previous record. “Standing in Front of You” is my favorite; I love the message of
opening yourself up to what has been right there all along. The songs with three word
titles (“Let Me Down,” “I Forgive You,” “You Can’t Win” and “You Love Me”) are
faster tempo. Incredibly catchy. Irresistable. And of course, there is “What Doesn’t Kill
You (Stronger).” This will be all over radio soon enough; it is this album’s “Since U
Been Gone.”

Kelly’s vocals have always been front and center; even in all those “angry” anthems she
does, no one can carry them off as well as her. But, really, it’s her personality that is the
backbone of everything she has ever done. She emotes like no one else. She reveals like
no one else. I love her for who she is and who she has always been. She’s been strong
these past ten years, under the glare of the media who wants her to look and act different,
and under the scrutiny of an industry that wants her to bend and fold according to what
they deem popular. And she’s maintained integrity throughout. The example she sets
makes her fans stronger. She’s just now been able to give an album this title, however,
because it is only just now that the public may be able to accept it and understand that it’s
true.

Be sure to download from a digital retailer of your choice (but I recommend the deluxe
edition found on iTunes or at Target).

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Carley Tanchon: Leave the Light On

The first thing I noticed about Carley’s CD was the words “I want to fly towards
something and not just fly away” written across the inside of the cardboard jacket. I love
those moments in life that make you pause, those moments that so unexpectedly take
your breath away, and everything, including all the noise in your head, stops. After a
moment of brief personal introspection, the flow and hurry of my life resumed, and I’m
sorry to say that it took me a few listens to get into this album. Once I did, however,
Carley’s lyrics pushed that pause button of my life several more times, and I was floored
by the insights this album gave me and impressed by the artistry contained here.

The CD begins with a great introduction to “Missing You,” and while it lasts only a few
seconds, I appreciated that it wasn’t Carley’s beautiful voice that starts the album off
right away. It needs to be recognized that all the bases are covered on all the tracks: with
horns, saxophone, and guitars that range from pop to blues, the music is always good
and never repetitious; her voice that often reminded me of Paula Cole features an airy
yet strong falsetto; and the lyrics are honest and real and poetic. Her songs contain the
personal struggles and the wisdom extracted from the experiences, and it was a delight to
share them with her. They are the type to shed light on your own life and allow you to
look at your circumstances with new perspective.

“Missing You” is a great song about a great love lost unexpectedly. “I never turned to
see you/Drive away from my view/I thought you’d be back soon.” I’ll never listen to the
second song “The Great Unknown” without listening to the previous track first; it’s about
realizing that your life is better, more colorful, because of what someone else was able
to teach you. “Now I never feel alone/Even when you’re gone.” I love that we become
better people through other people; there is no wisdom in isolation. And sometimes, it’s
impossible to see loss because of all that we gained.

Those two tracks weren’t my favorites, though. “Strung Out on Love” is too fun and
relatable to be skipped; it’s just too well done. “Stones,” however, will be put in an all-
time favorites list just because the lyrics are brilliant and inspiring. While the theme of
letting go what holds you down may be a common one, Carley is a masterful writer, and
she shares her insight beautifully. If I were to quote my favorite lyrics from this song, I’d
have to share the entire thing, which I won’t do. In her case, Carley’s pen is as mighty as
her voice.

Two other top contenders for favorites were “Walk Away” where she struggles to
understand why she can’t say I love you to a man who is convinced she is the one he has
waited for. The comforting and fun “Love Will” recognizes several wrong paths people
can make and how if love is chosen instead, it “Will get you through.” I loved the blues
inspired “Blues in C (Fearlessly)” and even though “Guess I Know” wasn’t in my top
ten, I would listen just for the drum sequence delivered just after each line she sang. She

gives me a reason to keep listening, long after this review is submitted, and I love that.

Carley’s closing words on her liner notes are as powerful as the words that are her
introduction to this CD: “Let’s live fearlessly.” I believe that those words said by
different people could hold different connotations. But after listening to this album
several times and taking the time to read through the lyrics many more, I am inspired that
she understands fearlessly and recklessly are not synonymous. I listen and want to spread
my wings and fly on my journey to somewhere, too, with a plan and a purpose.

Please visit www.carleytanchon.com for more information and be sure to download from
a digital retailer of your choice.

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Life After Liftoff: Memory of You

Life After Liftoff’s press release contains a mission statement of sorts from Lee Weiss,
founding member and vocalist for the band: “If you look around the world and you
are in a bad place yourself, you have the power to change your own circumstances as
well as the world around you. Having the opportunity to get that message out there is a
humbling thing for all of us. Our hope is that people walk away from our shows inspired
and feel there is hope to make changes for the better in the world.”

Um, yeah. Read that again. I’ll wait…

So you reread it? Awesome. Not exactly what you’d expect, right? I certainly don’t
anticipate reading those kinds of things in my email box. And to be honest, I didn’t want
to listen. Lee’s vision is so admirable, that I just want to give him a high five and tell him
to get to it. And to be brutally honest, there’s a huge breath that I take and expect to be
disappointed. He talks a really great talk. But can they walk that walk? As I wait for
that download bar to complete and my finger hovers over play, I’m expecting to be let
down.

But here’s the thing…I’m not! Disappointed, that is. I listened to “Someday,” which is
really the third track on the three song EP, first. And while their sound may be somewhat
familiar and identifiable (think Blink 182; a nice blend of power pop/punk), their overall
message is not necessarily as easily found. Here is this college age band singing about
a relationship with a girl, and it’s not (gasp!) predictable/cliché. Not even a little bit.
Seriously, he wants to end a relationship, but he wants to do it respectfully and doesn’t
want to ruin the friendship or the potential relationship that they could have in the future.

Stop it. So, like, one out of three, right? Maybe the other two are more typical fare?

Nope. In fact, the other two songs, “The Promise” and “Memory of You” are even more
positive. My favorite was “The Promise.” The lyrics paint a promise of the type of
friend he will be as long as you “promise me truth/Don’t hurt me with lies.” “Memory
of You” is even more upbeat, both in meaning and tempo. If you find yourself dancing
along to this song that lingers in your head, don’t blame me. In fact, I’ll be found in my
little corner of the world doing the same.

So, if like me, you don’t think three songs are enough, there’s good news: a second
installment is scheduled for sometime this winter. Please be sure to download (Legally!
) from a digital retailer of your choice, and visit www.LifeAfterLiftoff.com for more
information. And, if you’re fortunate enough to ever meet these guys, give them that
high five for me; for not only having a great mission statement, but for doing their best to
deliver it.

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Rains: Stories

Maybe it’s the fact that I grew up less than two hours from Ft. Wayne, IN, where this
band is from, or the fact that their music is so much like the other bands that comprise
the soundtrack of my life, but I connected to the music of Rains. A little grungier
than Daughtry, they have that effortless rock sound. I could listen to music like theirs
endlessly and never get bored.

To add to that gravitational pull rock music has for me, the band titled their album
Stories. Mix music together with writing, and I seriously can’t help myself. There used
to be a journalist on primetime tv convinced that everyone had a story, and so he would
call a random phone number then meet with the person who answered. A five year old
boy picked up the phone once, and this journalist wondered if he had bit off more than he
could chew, but he discovered that this child, too, had a story. I absolutely love that. We
all have a story to tell. And how we process and perceive what other people tell us about
themselves is filtered by our own life experiences.

I digress. Sort of. Through the tracks that make up the album Stories, Rains tells big
stories that encompass many years and small ones, like snapshots of a person’s life; their
own and what others have shared with them. “Hurricane” tells the story of a young old
man who had lost his family in an accident. He recounts his losses and asks, “Can you
imagine?” No, but I love that the listener has taken the time to hear it all out, as if just
spending the time listening could ease some of the burden.

My favorite two songs were “Wait” and “Five Minutes.” Told from the perspective of
watching someone else endure these trials, “Wait” was about not giving up before dreams
are realized. “Five Minutes” tells the story of someone who puts things off, thinking
she has a lifetime ahead of her to really live, and then discovers too late that she wasted
too much time and the opportunities have passed. I loved the poetic sensibilities, the
messages of these songs put so crisply that I got them both on the very first listen.

“Right or Wrong” seems to be from the perspective of a father who realizes he has made
mistakes and may not have left the best examples for his child, but regardless, he loves
so much that he knows that is the best and only thing he can do to compensate for his
choices. And “American Dream” offers a different vision, of one who has chased the
dreams that America tells us we all need to follow only to find depression and poverty
instead. It is, at the essence, an urging to walk the path that is best for you and discover
your dreams, no matter how different they may be from everyone else’s.

The remaining tracks are as good, with the exception of two: “Pressure” and “Hate.”
Both feature profanity that would have made me reject a lesser album. But Rains have
some great stories to share, told from different perspectives with some great insights.
I loved the undercurrents of piano in some songs, the edgy violin in others, and some

great acoustic guitar that fill out this rock band and give them a great overall sound. As
a reviewer, I feel this album has a depth that makes it one that I was not only grateful to
hear from the entertainment standpoint, but it’s one of those rare rock albums that makes
me feel that I’m better off hearing and taking to heart.

Please be sure to visit www.myspace.com/rainsband for more information and be sure to
download legally from a digital retailer of your choice.

Written by: Jill Sheets

Aleron, Kane

Recently, I had the great honor of interviewing author of the book “Aleron,” Kane.
Continue to read on and learn more about Kane and his books series. Not only that, but
read about the research he did in Romania and see some of his pictures.

R: Tell us a little bit about yourself? At what age did you decide to become a writer?

K: From childhood, fantastical creatures have always been a part of my life. Whether
it was super heroes or greek mythology, supernatural beings captured my imagination
on a daily basis. Artistically expressing myself start at a very young age in the form
of drawing. My talent was very prevalent early on as I began to love the arts and the
depiction of the super human form on paper. I would draw heroes, villains, and monsters,
anything that was of note in the realm of the supernatural.
My fascination with suspense grew from my affinity for horror and thriller films,
which I have watched from a very young age. I remember when I was in Jr. High I was
writing a short story based on a common fear that everyone shares, being alone in
complete darkness in an unfamiliar place. I paid some classmates to spend ten minutes in
an old abandoned building with no light and equipped only with a voice recorder. I got
lots of information for my story. I realized writing involved more than just words, it
involves all of the senses. And that is where I began detailed descriptive writing.
I was always the center of attention in Jr. High when it came to story telling time.
The assignment was for all the students to write a story and share it. I began writing plays
and the teacher would allow my class mates to act out the roles of the play. Story time
became the highlight of the month, for everyone always enjoyed my plays and stories.
Once I entered high school, I had already written several short stories and began
at least four novels, which were all lost once I moved. Of course this was before laptops
and personal computers were in every home. Shortly after beginning high school, I began
writing poetry. My teachers loved my poems and encouraged me to enter the schools
poetry contest. I did and won. This occurred time and time again, I’d write a poem, and
win the contest. Understand, this was very intriguing to my peers since I attended an
engineering school which mathematics was the emphasis. This right brain affinity of
mine was explored in more detail during College.
My area of concentration in college was mathematics until I saw the movie
Silence of the Lambs. I was so impressed with Hannibal Lector, that I decided to enter a
dual degree, adding psychology to my concentration. This new understanding of the
psyche helped me understand why people love fantastical creatures, namely the immortal
undead, or strigoi.
I began doing research about the world of the undead including werewolves,
warlocks, strigoi, and eventually vampires; a dessert I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into.
Thus, after research on location in Romania, Aleron was born.

I currently reside in Atlanta where I spend the majority of my time writing.

Vampire_Rose_by_kaboomachu

Picture credit: Kane

R: What is your writing process? Do you out-line or do you just start to write?

K: My process begins with the idea and a well defined plot. I then began to introduce
the main characters and develop a detailed character sketch. My next step is research
regarding the setting and environment. Once I’m satisfied with the information gathered,
I begin writing chapter one. And once I begin, many more characters and subplots are
born, as well as my main characters come to life and take on their own personalities,
some of which I never knew existed. Sometimes I would get into character for a few
weeks, pretending to be a particular character, interacting with EVERYONE as that
character would. Some people love it. Others can do with out it. But it’s a fascinating
way to learn your character’s behaviors. Truly enlightening. Once I have the story
completed, I give it to my editors and proof readers for their suggestions.

R: Tell us about your book series Strigoi. How many books do you have planned for the
series?

K: With the Strigoi Series, I am bringing back respect to the vampire genre. Ever since
the dawn of man, we have been fascinated by tales of immortal souls and supernatural
strength and angelic beauty. And why not? We were made to be just that. Of course the
Strigoi Series reintroduces the darker side of immortality. Stealing souls, passionate love,
betrayal, historically inspired events are all entangled in my tales of Aleron’s journey
from fledgling blood sucker to powerful vampire. And of course he will encounter some
of the most beautiful creatures known under the moon. There will be five books for now,
designed to quench the thirst of all vampire lovers and those who simply can not sleep
without a good book to curl up with.

R: Tell us about the first book in the series Aleron.

K: With Pleasure. The setting is 18th-19th century Eastern Europa and Egypt. Vlad, the
father of all vampires, has surrounded himself with a coven of powerful female vampires
who are loyal to the death. He nurtures them like a father and loves them like a king.
Their beauty and mesmerizing control over men is Vlad’s most powerful weapon, which
he wields to increase his power, wealth and influence over Romania and the surrounding
countries.

All of the females love him in their own way, and most get along within the
coven; however there are some who despise their immortal sisters and would do anything
to be named the vampire queen and rule at Vlad’s side. This creates an environment full
of deception, lies, and blood feuds among his princesses. Fully aware of the the secret
hateful desires some of them harbor, Vlad maintains balance. For he has but one rule,
they are forbidden to make another male vampire.
Mynea, Vlad’s second born, decides her heart deserves exclusivity and breaks the
one rule, and thus sets into motion a tale only to be told through the eyes of the one who
lives in secret. The one who she keeps for herself. He that is unaware of the others. The
powerful fledgling, Aleron.
Secrets and lies fail to remain buried as love for his maker, and his lust for his
new found thirst drives Aleron ever so close the a being more ancient and more powerful
than anything he could imagine.

moonlight, Kane

Picture credit: Kane

R: Can you tell us a little bit about the other books in the series?

K: You would enjoy that, now wouldn’t you? I can’t reveal too much, however I will
disclose this: Book two will provide many answers to Aleron and why Mynea chose
him. We will also discover the true reason for Vlad’s unflinching rule. And we will
loose someone that we have grown quite fond of. Book three will be the conclusion of
the conflict born from Aleron’s blasphemous existence. Book four and five will be back
stories for Vlad, and another vampire who made Vlad. Of course I can not reveal her yet.
Who knows, if the readers want more after five, then I will certainly oblige.

R: How did you come up for the ides for the series?

K: The ideas came to me as a culmination of need. The need to cater to ALL vampire
lovers. The need to steal the reader from the grips of their reality, and drop them into a
world far removed from what they have come to know, but close enough to make them
wonder if it’s real. This combined with my love for story telling equally matched by my
affinity for the vampire and their allure on human cultures past and present.
The characters were born from pieces of my personality, experiences, and desires,
with the exception of Vlad. The character Vlad is based on the real life Vlad Tepes
who ruled Wallachi, Romania in the 15th century. Bram Stoker’s Dracula was loosely
based on this very person; however, I find the life and personality of Vlad to be far more
intriguing than that of Dracula.

R: What kind of research went into these books?

K: In a word, “ALOT.” I began researching vampires online. Not just what’s popular
right now, but the origin of the folklore and the religion of true modern vampires.
I realized in order to tickle all of the reader’s senses, I had to do more than google
and wiki. I had to touch, taste, smell, see, and hear the vampire’s lair, the vampire’s
origin, the original home of the strigoi. Armed with my camera and need to conquer the
unknown, I flew to Romania. I visited many places described in ‘Aleron’ such as, The
Poenari Citadel, Castle Bran, Sighisora, Bucharest, and Brasov. I spoke to the elders
who do not dare roam the streets after sunset. I visited the headless grave of Vlad Tepes
buried within the Snagov Monastery. I ate the food and lived the life of the 21st century
Romanian, which is not far removed from their 15th century predecessor. In other words,
I became what I now know to exist for a brief period of time. I walked in the footsteps of
the vampire.

Picture credit: Kane

R: If they were to make a movie from you book series, who would you dream cast be?

K: Very good question! I am still at a lost for actors depicting Aleron on the big screen.
However, Paula Patton as Mynea, Angelina Jolie as Pandora, Michael Sheen as Vlad,
Mina Kunis as Eliza, Rhianna as Sasha to name the major cast.

R: Where can people get your books?

K: Aleron can be purchased at Barnes & Nobles, Amazon, Smashwords, IBooks, Google
Books and everywhere else scream for it! It is also available in ebook format for Nook
and Kindle along with a host of other e-readers.

R: What is the best advice you have ever gotten and by who?

K: The best advice I have ever received was from my father. At the age of twelve I was
lifting weights in the garage one morning before school and he said to me: “Be sure to
exercise your mind as often as you exercise your body.” I have made it a priority ever
since.

R: What advice would you give someone who wanted to become a writer?

K: Do it! Write. Write. Write. Do not concern yourself with what others think of your
work. As long as you love it, that’s all that matters. And if someone else likes it, kudos!

R: What are five things people may not know about you?

K: All I do is read and write. Still trying to improve in both!
I dream while fully awake.
I sleep between 7 and 10 AM
I believe we are not alone. Vampires exist!
My teeth are all fake! Just kidding. I floss 6 times a day.
I often become aware when I am dreaming and immediately start controlling the dream
sequence and bending the laws of physics.

Picture credit: Kane

R: Other than this one, what is the strangest question you have ever been asked?

K: That was a strange one. However, not as strange as a Romanian woman asked me
would I make love to her vampire grand daughter to release the undead curse. I looked
at her with a smile, gave her some goat cheese which I just purchased from her grand
daughter, and backed away.

R: Are you on any social networking sites? If so, which ones and what are their
addresses? Do you have an official website?

K: The official Aleron site is www.Aleron.CO
I am on FaceBook and Twitter (Who isn’t?) AleronKane, Aleron11 respectively. I am
also on Authors Den as Kane A.

R: Anything else you would like to add or say to your readers?

K: Yes. Aleron has been nominated for the prestigious Reader’s Favorite Award 2011 in
not one but two categories! Be sure to pick up your copy and one for a gift so you too can
enjoy the latest vampire tale! Thanks for having me.

R: Kane, thank you for the interview. Have a great day.

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Hannah Miller

On first listen of Hannah Miller’s newest EP, I was enamored by the crisp cleanliness of
her voice. Soft as a pillow under your head and as refreshing as a gentle summer rain,
Hannah’s voice is soothing and enticing from the very first note. With the first listen, I
kept thinking of a girl in a church, singing alone. More intimate than a hymn sung to lead
a congregation, I heard the intimate prayers of a soul that was bearing it all, and while
I almost felt awkward for intruding on something so personal, I approached and went
inside anyway. The second listen was easier, nothing uncomfortable about it as Hannah
shares her stories and struggles and yearnings, and by the third listen, I felt as if she was
singing songs of my own.

“O Black River” is about cleansing and redemption. Whether those who are “lonely
and forlorn” are seeking to ease their burdens or the “blind man” who wants to see is
searching out healing, this song is about rebirth. While the Christian in me immediately
thought of baptism, I also considered the times in my life when I needed to renew my
priorities and shed myself of all that was holding me down long after that immersion took
place. Sometimes, we get lost in it all.

“To the Swift” and “Bleed Out” were my favorite songs on this too-short EP. “To
The Swift” is that last minute of holding on, that moment where everyone around you
and even your own reality tell you it’s crazy to keep knocking on that door. But for
that one last second, you hold on to defiance and stubbornness. It’s that last second
before walking away. “Bleed Out” is a song about scars and healing, about knowing
that someone can’t hurt you anymore. It’s about reevaluating yourself after a battle and
realizing you’re stronger than you originally thought; you’re still standing.

The EP closes with a song called “Refuge,” which really sums up the six songs on O
Black River. Hannah’s beautiful voice accompanied often by the sweeping of blues
guitar is solace to me. I felt comfortable listening to her, safe and understood. It really is
such a rare accomplishment for an album to be able to do both at the same time.

Please be sure to visit www.hannahmillermusic.com for more information and download
the EP from Amazon or iTunes. O Black River is the second in a series of three EPs, so
there is more Hannah Miller music to enjoy; whether it is previously recorded or yet to
come.

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Matt Hammitt: Every Fallen Tear

When I wrote my first review for a Sanctus Real album, I labeled their music as soul
food. On my ongoing quest for spiritual growth, their lyrics feed me on an even deeper
level than most music does. I’ll forever remember the first time I really listened to them;
I was standing in the second row from stage, and while everyone around me was standing
up, I felt weak in the knees as the songs impacted me, each one just as much as the last.
And I remember looking to the girl on my right and I saw it in her face; it wasn’t just me
who felt that way. We met Matt on our way out, and while I was too speechless to say
anything, she tells him, “I love your lyrics.” He told her thank you with such sincerity,
as if no one else had ever said that to him, and I realized that sometimes it’s that way.
Words themselves don’t have profound meaning.

It’s the way you put them in order. It’s the way that you say them.

Matt, the lead singer for Sanctus Real, willingly shares his story of his son Bowen born
with a congenital heart defect. Facing two heart surgeries and numerous complications,
Matt wrote the album Every Falling Tear to sing at his son’s bedside in the hospital. The
songs alternate between comfort for Bowen and comfort for himself and the rest of his
family. I wondered, as I eagerly anticipated listening for the first time, if I would be able
to relate to any of the songs the way I did with Pieces of a Real Heart. After all, I’ve
never had to deal with the hardship of watching a child, much less my own, struggle to
survive.

The answer is a resounding yes! This album means as much to me, and affected me
much the same way.

Some of the songs are about loving completely. Like “All of Me,” the opening track.
“Let me recklessly love you,” he sings passionately and then acknowledges, “Even if I
bleed.” Other songs are about surrendering our fears like “Let Go” which he co wrote
with Joy Williams from the Civil Wars. “You know what I don’t/So help me to let go/
You’re in control/So help me to let go.” It’s not surprising that “Trust” follows. “Even
in the darkness/Even in the questions/Even in the times I’m not meant to understand.”

In the midst of his pain and fear, Matt shines on worship ready songs like “Without You,”
and “Let it Bring you Praise,” and “This is Grace.” “Let it Bring You Praise” was my
personal favorite, full of personal revelations to me.

“Little Light,” sung and written by Audrey Assad, is a great song of comfort. “I Couldn’t
Love You More” is one of those songs that must bring comfort to Matt and Bowen at the
same time; a God that loves you more than any father could is profound for any child to
comprehend while knowing this as a parent is more powerful than words can express.

Matt ends the album with “This is Grace,” a victorious song of praise that is uplifting and
powerful. God is ever present, as we walk through darkness but await the morning sun.
The bridge, specifically, is moving and triumphant.

While these songs are Matt’s testimony, born from a personal struggle no parent wants
to face, they are general as he puts to music questions, fears, sorrow, and joy that we
have all felt. He expresses what I have felt but didn’t know how to say, he makes sense
of things I didn’t understand, and he walks a walk with Christ that inspires me. Just as
words are so much more meaningful in the way you say them, lives are more powerful in
the way we live them.

A portion of the proceeds of Every Falling Tear go to Whole Heart Foundation, a
foundation Matt set up to assist families of children with congenital heart defects. Please
visit www.bowensheart.com or www.sanctusreal.com for more information. Sanctus
Real is on tour with Casting Crowns this fall; don’t miss them if they come to a venue
near you.