Blog Tour: Avalon by Mindee Arnett

It is a well-known fact that I adore AVALON by Mindee Arnett. I am also a huge music fan, so I asked Mindee what songs inspired this brilliant book and she compiled a soundtrack, complete with YouTube links, for me.

Avalon: The Soundtrack of Space

     Babel by Mumford & Sons. (http://www.amazon.com/Babel/dp/B0099G7LWG/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1389622803&sr=1-1&keywords=Babel+by+mumford+and+sons ). This song represents Jeth. It has from the very first time I heard it. It captures his defiant, tear-down-the-powers-that-oppress-me attitude.

     Beast by Nico Vega.  (http://www.amazon.com/Beast/dp/B00B6N204E/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1389622860&sr=1-1&keywords=Beast+by+Nico+Vega) Similar to Babel, this song captures the crew’s rebellious attitude, especially toward their crime lord employer.

     The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. (http://www.amazon.com/The-Gambler/dp/B000TE38VA/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1389622907&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Gambler+by+Kenny+Rogers )Yes, I realize this is old school. Waaay old school. But it’s a necessary shout out. So much of Avalon is about gambling, not in a gaming sense, but in a life-and-death sense. The song’s appropriate. Plus, it’s timeless.

     Blaze of Glory by Jon Bon Jovi. (http://www.amazon.com/Blaze-Of-Glory-Album-Version/dp/B000V62V9G/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1389623001&sr=1-1&keywords=Blaze+of+Glory+by+Jon+Bon+Jovi) Again, old school. But still classic. And the song captures the outlaw feel of Avalon.

     Free by Zac Brown Band. (http://www.amazon.com/Free/dp/B001KW1O0W/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1389623089&sr=1-1&keywords=Free+by+Zac+Brown+Band) This is Jeth’s dream song. It captures all that he wants out of life—to be free to do what he wants, go where he wants, and to have no one to answer to. Just replace “van” with “Avalon” and you’ve got it.

     Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons. (http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Crown/dp/B0099G8562/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1389623197&sr=1-1&keywords=Broken+Crown+by+Mumford+%26+Sons) This song captures Jeth’s complicated relationship to his parents’ legacy. I don’t want to say too much because of spoilers, but the sense of wanting to deny a heritage is pretty clear here, I think.

     Mr. Golden Deal by Tonic. (http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Golden-Deal/dp/B001NZGV18/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1389623357&sr=1-1&keywords=Mr.+Golden+Deal+by+Tonic) This song contains a lot of metaphors about the sea and sailing, which can easily be representative of space. Its mournful sound just fits certain parts of the book. Plus, it’s one of my favorite songs of all-time.

     The Downeaster “Alexa” by Billy Joel. (http://www.amazon.com/The-Downeaster-Alexa/dp/B00136LIGA/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1389623712&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Downeaster+%22Alexa%22) This one just really continues that theme of the sea. Also, it reminds me of the way Jeth loves Avalon and how much he wants the ship to be fully his in every sense of the word.

     Little Talks by Of Monster and Men. (http://www.amazon.com/Little-Talks/dp/B007QVLMR6/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1389624527&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Little+talks+by+Of+Monters+and+Men) This one too has that “sea” feel to it, which puts me in mind of Avalon.

     Into the Mystic by Van Morrison. (http://www.amazon.com/Into-The-Mystic/dp/B00FR0MPWO/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1389624997&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=Into+the+mystc+by+Van+morrison) I’m not going to say anything at all about this song except that it’s a little bit of a teaser for the Avalon sequel. Make of it what you will.

Thanks for the chance to share the music of Avalon!

Title: AVALON

Author: Mindee Arnett

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages: 432

Pub. Date: January 21, 2014

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.

Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.

Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly.

About Mindee:

Mindee Arnett lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. She’s addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space. She has far more dreams than nightmares.

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1/13/2014- IceyBooks- Interview

1/14/2014- Word Spelunking- Guest Post

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