Blog Tour: Die Young with Me: A Memoir by Rob Rufus | Guest Post | Giveaway

Welcome to Day #10 of the Die Young With Me Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of Die Young With Me by Rob Rufus (9/20/16), blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Rob and 10 chances to win a copy of Die Young With Me, as well as two chances to win a Punk Rock Prize Pack in the Grand Prize Giveaway!

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Die Young with Me: A Memoir

Author: Rob Rufus
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genres: Nonfiction
Release Date: September 20th 2016
Publisher: Touchstone
 

In the tradition of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl comes the incredibly moving true story of a teenager diagnosed with cancer and how music was the one thing that helped him get through his darkest days.

Punk’s not dead in rural West Virginia. In fact, it blares constantly from the basement of Rob and Nat Rufus—identical twin brothers with spiked hair, black leather jackets, and the most kick-ass record collection in Appalachia. To them, school (and pretty much everything else) sucks. But what can you expect when you’re the only punks in town?

When the brothers start their own band, their lives begin to change: they meet friends, they attract girls, and they finally get invited to join a national tour and get out of their rat box little town.

But their plans are cut short when Rob is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that has already progressed to Stage Four. Not only are his dreams of punk rock stardom completely shredded, there is a very real threat that this is one battle that can’t be won.

While Rob suffers through nightmarish treatments and debilitating surgery, Nat continues on their band’s road to success alone. But as Rob’s life diverges from his brother’s, he learns to find strength within himself and through his music. Die Young With Me is a raw, honest account of a brave teen’s fight with cancer and the many ways music helped him cope through his recovery.

Ten Favorite Songs About Dying Young by Rob Rufus

The concept of dying young has always been romanticized in music – especially rock-n-roll music, and especially punk rock music.  Live fast, die young, fuck it all, ‘cause who cares.  It isn’t hard to see why a counter culture would adopt this mantra – I think that scoffing at social norms is key to any artistic endeavor, and there is no social norm as universal as the reverent fear of death.  So as someone who scoffs more than most, I’ve always got a kick outa this sort of thinking.

But when I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer at the age of seventeen, my attitude about dying young sobered up, a little.  I started listening to death-centric songs more critically, to say the least.  It was weird listening to so many different artists sing about the void that I was currently peering straight into.  

As a songwriter, a punk rocker, and a survivor of teenage cancer, I can look at death songs with a pretty broad lens.  And you know what?  I still fucking love them.  Because no matter if their tone is defiant, reflective, upbeat, downbeat, whatever, the point behind them is the same – life is short.  Too short to worry too much about anything.  Too short to let the man get you down.  And way too short not to rock-n-roll.

Below are ten of my favorite songs about dying young.  Give ‘em a listen, go on, live a little.

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Rob Rufus is a musician and writer living in Nashville. His band, Blacklist Royals, has released two full-length albums and played in sixteen countries over the past five years. Rob has written articles for Modern Drummer, Amp Magazine, Digital Tour Bus, and many music sites.

Rob also works closely with the cancer community, including the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Stupid Cancer Podcast (the largest advocacy/support organization worldwide for teens with cancer), and Make-A-Wish Foundation. You can find him online at robrufus.net, on Twitter @rob_rufus, and Instagram @dieyoungwithme_official.

 

GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY

• Two (2) winners will receive a Punk Rock Prize Pack featuring a finished copy of Die Young With Me, an exclusive poster, a mix tape (ft. an excerpt of the book), Die Young With Me switchback comb (not pictured), and Rob Rufus punk rock vinyls
• Enter via the rafflecopter below
• US Only
• Ends 10/2 at midnight ET

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Die Young with Me: A Memoir by Rob Rufus

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Die Young with Me: A Memoir

Author: Rob Rufus
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genres: Nonfiction
Release Date: September 20th 2016
Publisher: Touchstone
 

In the tradition of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl comes the incredibly moving true story of a teenager diagnosed with cancer and how music was the one thing that helped him get through his darkest days.

Punk’s not dead in rural West Virginia. In fact, it blares constantly from the basement of Rob and Nat Rufus—identical twin brothers with spiked hair, black leather jackets, and the most kick-ass record collection in Appalachia. To them, school (and pretty much everything else) sucks. But what can you expect when you’re the only punks in town?

When the brothers start their own band, their lives begin to change: they meet friends, they attract girls, and they finally get invited to join a national tour and get out of their rat box little town.

But their plans are cut short when Rob is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that has already progressed to Stage Four. Not only are his dreams of punk rock stardom completely shredded, there is a very real threat that this is one battle that can’t be won.

While Rob suffers through nightmarish treatments and debilitating surgery, Nat continues on their band’s road to success alone. But as Rob’s life diverges from his brother’s, he learns to find strength within himself and through his music. Die Young With Me is a raw, honest account of a brave teen’s fight with cancer and the many ways music helped him cope through his recovery.

If you're feeling blue and need some words of inspiration, look no further. Die Young with Me: A Memoir is an inspiring story that will lift your spirit. And even if you're not into punk, like myself, this story will teach you that even the most darkest time, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Die Young with Me is the story of Rob Rufus. He and his brother are the outcast of the group. After a family reunion, they discover the wonders of Punk music. They become obsessed. Everything becomes Punk. They even start a band and as mentioned, it becomes their life. They even want to make it professionally. As they work hard to make their dream come true, things are looking bright for them. Until Rob becomes very ill. He goes to many doctors and not many can figure out what is wrong with him. Until finally a female doctor diagnosed him with advanced stage cancer. Like many patients, Rob goes thru many trials. Not only is he going thru chemo, but cancer destroys his friendship and his career down the drain. Yet this doesn't stop Rob. He fights for his life to the very end, but his strength is greater and by grace he survives. 

I really enjoyed this story. Rob's story tells you how cancer can affect everyone and destroy relationships. And the fact that it contains strong language, makes the story raw and honest. Still, Rob is a fighter and kicks cancer to the curve. After all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Overall, I recommend this book to everyone. Rob will encourage you to live life as you were given this life because you are strong enough to live it. 

Book Review: Never Say Never by Victoria Christopher Murray

Never Say Never
Author: Victoria Christopher Murray
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Christian Fiction
Released: June 4th 2013
Review Source: Purchased

In this emotionally charged and inspiring novel, a passionate and dangerous love affair threatens to destroy both a marriage and a friendship.

When Miriam’s fireman husband, Chauncey, dies in a school fire, Miriam feels like her life is over. How is she going to raise her three children all by herself? How will she survive without the love of her life? Luckily, Miriam’s sister-friend Emily—and Emily’s husband, Jamal—are there to comfort her. As Chauncey’s best friend, Jamal is happy to step in and help Miriam with the funeral and her children, and he gives her hope that she has a future. But all the time that they spend together—grieving, sharing, and reminiscing—brings the two closer in ways they never planned, and they soon find themselves in the middle of a heated affair.

Lost in the fog of grief and lust, neither is even sure if their passionate affair is real. While Jamal is filled with guilt, sure that this new relationship is all about loss, Miriam believes that she is in love. But then, Emily finds out, and Emily and Jamal have to deal with this woman scorned—and her hunger for revenge. In this tangle of love, longing, and loyalty, can any of the relationships survive?

Victoria Christopher Murray, where have you been in my world of reading? How could I have possibly missed your awesome writing and real life characters? Never Say Never is literally like no book I've ever read. The genre is a first for me. When a friend stated that she was reading a book that was Christian Adult Fiction, with a little more, my interest was peaked immediately! Very seldom do I have time to read books that aren't on my review list, but I made space for this one and boy am I glad. Never Say Never received 5 trees from me, the best rating which I find very hard to give. This novel has everything. An amazing storyline, amazing characters, and amazing flow! It captured my heart and mind with every single page.

We all have those moments in life where we connect with people and build a lasting friendship and bond that is inseparable. That is the lives of Miriam, Emily, and Michelle. Brought together through college, as always, inseparable. Two married to their soul mate, one married to their career. When a disaster takes the life of a loved one, the healing process is a hard one. Surrounded by love ones is very encouraging, but in Never Say Never, the reader is taken to a place where the void of loosing a loved one could be filled with something that doesn't belong to them.

Victoria Christopher Murray has developed characters that are extremely real, believable and yes, unforgettable. Told from the point of view of two best friends, your mind will never wonder while reading. I purchased this book for my kindle. When I noticed it one day on the book store shelf, I must admit, that it wouldn't have been a book that I would have quickly picked up and purchased. I like a natural and soft cover of features that leaves a lot of questions yet to be answered. However, it isn't the cover that draws excitement, it's the writing, the writing, the writing! I can't wait to grab anything from the many, many titles written by Ms. Murray as I'm sure they will not disappoint.