Hugo Negron's Blog - Posts Tagged "dragons"
Gen Con 2014!
We are all set to once again booth at Gen Con August 14-17th in Indianapolis! I'll be selling and signing copies of Books 1 and 2 of Forging of a Knight, along with hopefully having copies ready for Forging of a Knight Book 3, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt!
There were some great authors, actors, and lots of gaming fun last year - and this year should be more of the same. If you can make it, you have to come down and say hello!...
There were some great authors, actors, and lots of gaming fun last year - and this year should be more of the same. If you can make it, you have to come down and say hello!...
An interview with author Brian Beam!
“With nothing to go on but a vague dream which may or may not be memory, Korinalis Karell has spent the last three years searching Amirand for his birth parents. With a Contract to fund his journey and a magic talking wizard cat named Max to keep him company, Korin has tenaciously traveled from one kingdom to the next with no success to speak of. However, after being hired by Count Galius Firmon to retrieve a stolen gem, Korin finds himself faced with revelations about his past that not only flip his world upside down, but throw him into a fight for his very survival. With the aid of a mediocre wizard on a dragon hunt, a chatterbox Kolarin thief, and Max, Korin sets out to discover the truth of his past so that he may live to see his future. Join Korin in this fantasy adventure as he faces a ruthless count, evil wizards, a furious dragon, godsforsaken creatures of death, and even worse, a sarcastic cat.”
…Thus reads the premise for The Dragon Gem (Korin’s Journal) (Volume 1)
I first came across Brian over at www.indiesunlimited.com, a great site for indie authors (and for readers too!) to showcase and share their works. Since then, I’ve wanted to learn more about his writing and his wonderful series Korin’s Journal, and with my taking a breath from a final go-around with Forging of a Knight Book Three, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt, I finally had a chance!
Hi Brian – thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Brian Beam is.
HN: When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
BB: I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I was a little kid of 8 or 9 years old. My parents had these friends who had written books, and something about that gave me the inspiration to write my first real story—The Scary Halloween. Once I sat down to write it, I remember how amazing it felt to write a story outside of the context of school and how proud I was of it when I finished. Obviously, if I still had a copy of that story, it’d be an international bestseller. Unfortunately, the sequel, The Spooky Easter was never completed.
HN: How did you develop the idea for Korin’s Journal?
BB: Starting in 2011, I was a stay-at-home dad for about 18 months. Sometime in the first few months, I decided to secretly write a book during my son’s naps to surprise my wife with. The plan was to write a novella that would be the first in a series (if I decided to continue the story, that is), and find a decent on-demand printer to give my wife and family a copy of it at Christmas. After the first couple chapters, my original concept began to expand in my head. Most of my ideas come to me when jogging, and I was doing a lot more of it then than now, and that caused the story to evolve a lot as well. Before I knew it, I had a 140,000 word novel that would be the first of an epic trilogy.
HN: Which characters were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?
BB: Max is by far the most fun character of the Korin’s Journal series for many reasons. He’s sarcastic and pretentious, yet one of the most loving and caring characters in the series. My main reason for making him a cat was that his personality fits perfectly with a cat’s (if you’ve ever had a cat, you’ll know what I mean). He’s been endlessly fun to develop because there’s a lot of secrets associated with his past that are slowly revealed throughout the books. Well, in the case of book 2, The Forgotten King, a lot of his past is put out there for the reader.
As for the most challenging, I’d have to say . . . Max. Yeah, I know, I just used him for the first question. Even so, the challenge is part of the fun with him. He’s a complex character. Most of Max’s actions are based on motivations that Korin knows nothing about, something I found difficult to write with the story being told in first person through Korin’s eyes. There was always the question of how much Korin would accept from Max before finally just losing it and choking his secrets out of him. It’s a bit of thin line when writing Max’s scenes.
HN: What is your plan long-term for the series? How many more stories do you have in mind for Korin and Max?
BB: Korin’s Journal will be a trilogy. There’s a definitive story in my head, and I’m not going to draw it out for the sake of lengthening out the series. I love my characters, and I’ll hate to say goodbye to them after the third book, but it’s what my story calls for. The entire story will be wrapped up completely with book 3.
I won’t completely rule out going back to Korin’s world later. If I did, though, it would likely be in novella or short story form. I promise that I won’t pull a “hey, there’s actually a more dangerous threat” or a “the bad guy wasn’t actually defeated” sequel to the trilogy.
HN: You have written other books, such as Alinor’s Shard – do you have additional/different works in mind?
BB: I have several ideas rattling around in my head at the moment. When It comes to writing, I’m pretty much only interested in fantasy. Part of my love of writing involves building worlds along with the characters, something I feel is best fitted to sci-fi/fantasy. That said, all my ideas are fantasy related. Among my ideas are a Dr. Who inspired stand-alone epic, a young adult series, a potential novelette/novella series(the first is written and just needs a heavy edit and maybe some additional scenes at some point in time), as well as a novella I’ve started that is currently shelved until I’ve finished Korin’s Journal.
HN: As a self-published author, I share the challenge of getting the word out on my works. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your books?
BB: Honestly, I really don’t do much marketing. All of my books are currently exclusive to Amazon, so I do some free ebook days(which I’ve had a lot of success with) for one. I submit my books to as many book bloggers as I can to be considered for reviews, participate in giveaways, do a little Facebook advertising, and try to connect with readers through sites such as Goodreads. I always reply to anyone who offers me any feedback(both good and bad) about my books. I know there’s a lot of resources out there I could use to do more, even some that I’m decently familiar with. Even so, I strive to meet the balance between work, family, and writing time in my life.
HN: This question will start off sounding like an old joke – a person walks into a bar (or convention or bookstore) and bumps into Brian Beam – what would be your elevator pitch to showcase your work?
BB: “Hey, wanna read a book about dragons, magic cats, and monsters?”
Kidding, of course. In all honesty, I’m horrible with elevator pitches and taglines, so I’m going to just steal this from my own blurb – After being hired to recover a stolen gem, Korin finds himself faced with revelations about his past that not only flip his world upside down, but throw him into a fight for his very survival. Join Korin in this exciting fantasy adventure as he deals with a ruthless count, evil wizards, a furious dragon, godsforsaken creatures of death, and even worse, a sarcastic cat
HN: As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your stories? Were there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?
BB: There’s nothing I would change about the stories when it comes to the plot or characters, but I’d make some minor editing tweaks if I could make a few more passes over them. There have been loads of ideas that have ended up on the cutting floor with the Korin’s Journal series, but I couldn’t tell you one of them. I have this strange ability to keep stories in my mind(I never plot on paper or outline), but the moment I decide I don’t like something, it leaves my brain and never comes back. I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing . . .
HN: I have a 21 month old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to write your stories?
BB: By not sleeping. I’m 99% not joking. Really. *yawn*
HN: Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?
BB: Music helps me a lot. And really, just any band I like. The only exceptions are action scenes. I do better with them when listening to fast-paced, heavy-ish music.
HN: What are you reading right now?
BB: Funny you should ask. Forging of a Knight: Rise of the Slavekeepers by, well, you, and Tales of the Bodhisattva by Justin Dockins. I’m about to pick up Words of Radiance, the second in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series. The first one was amazing. Finding time to read another 300K+ word book right now, however . . .
HN: What’s your next upcoming project?
BB: Book 3 of Korin’s Journal (there’s an actual title, but it’s going to be secret a while longer). After that, either finishing my novella, cleaning up my next novelette, or the stand-alone epic. I’ve mostly been finding my mind going to the latter of these choices recently, so probably that. Hmm . . . with my second son due in a couple weeks, I can probably just say he’s going to be my upcoming project ☺.
HN: Where can readers go to find out more about Brian Beam?
BB: www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor
brian-beam.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/brianbeam2
www.amazon.com/author/brianbeam
HN: Thanks Brian, for sharing some of your time!
…Thus reads the premise for The Dragon Gem (Korin’s Journal) (Volume 1)
I first came across Brian over at www.indiesunlimited.com, a great site for indie authors (and for readers too!) to showcase and share their works. Since then, I’ve wanted to learn more about his writing and his wonderful series Korin’s Journal, and with my taking a breath from a final go-around with Forging of a Knight Book Three, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt, I finally had a chance!
Hi Brian – thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Brian Beam is.
HN: When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
BB: I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I was a little kid of 8 or 9 years old. My parents had these friends who had written books, and something about that gave me the inspiration to write my first real story—The Scary Halloween. Once I sat down to write it, I remember how amazing it felt to write a story outside of the context of school and how proud I was of it when I finished. Obviously, if I still had a copy of that story, it’d be an international bestseller. Unfortunately, the sequel, The Spooky Easter was never completed.
HN: How did you develop the idea for Korin’s Journal?
BB: Starting in 2011, I was a stay-at-home dad for about 18 months. Sometime in the first few months, I decided to secretly write a book during my son’s naps to surprise my wife with. The plan was to write a novella that would be the first in a series (if I decided to continue the story, that is), and find a decent on-demand printer to give my wife and family a copy of it at Christmas. After the first couple chapters, my original concept began to expand in my head. Most of my ideas come to me when jogging, and I was doing a lot more of it then than now, and that caused the story to evolve a lot as well. Before I knew it, I had a 140,000 word novel that would be the first of an epic trilogy.
HN: Which characters were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?
BB: Max is by far the most fun character of the Korin’s Journal series for many reasons. He’s sarcastic and pretentious, yet one of the most loving and caring characters in the series. My main reason for making him a cat was that his personality fits perfectly with a cat’s (if you’ve ever had a cat, you’ll know what I mean). He’s been endlessly fun to develop because there’s a lot of secrets associated with his past that are slowly revealed throughout the books. Well, in the case of book 2, The Forgotten King, a lot of his past is put out there for the reader.
As for the most challenging, I’d have to say . . . Max. Yeah, I know, I just used him for the first question. Even so, the challenge is part of the fun with him. He’s a complex character. Most of Max’s actions are based on motivations that Korin knows nothing about, something I found difficult to write with the story being told in first person through Korin’s eyes. There was always the question of how much Korin would accept from Max before finally just losing it and choking his secrets out of him. It’s a bit of thin line when writing Max’s scenes.
HN: What is your plan long-term for the series? How many more stories do you have in mind for Korin and Max?
BB: Korin’s Journal will be a trilogy. There’s a definitive story in my head, and I’m not going to draw it out for the sake of lengthening out the series. I love my characters, and I’ll hate to say goodbye to them after the third book, but it’s what my story calls for. The entire story will be wrapped up completely with book 3.
I won’t completely rule out going back to Korin’s world later. If I did, though, it would likely be in novella or short story form. I promise that I won’t pull a “hey, there’s actually a more dangerous threat” or a “the bad guy wasn’t actually defeated” sequel to the trilogy.
HN: You have written other books, such as Alinor’s Shard – do you have additional/different works in mind?
BB: I have several ideas rattling around in my head at the moment. When It comes to writing, I’m pretty much only interested in fantasy. Part of my love of writing involves building worlds along with the characters, something I feel is best fitted to sci-fi/fantasy. That said, all my ideas are fantasy related. Among my ideas are a Dr. Who inspired stand-alone epic, a young adult series, a potential novelette/novella series(the first is written and just needs a heavy edit and maybe some additional scenes at some point in time), as well as a novella I’ve started that is currently shelved until I’ve finished Korin’s Journal.
HN: As a self-published author, I share the challenge of getting the word out on my works. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your books?
BB: Honestly, I really don’t do much marketing. All of my books are currently exclusive to Amazon, so I do some free ebook days(which I’ve had a lot of success with) for one. I submit my books to as many book bloggers as I can to be considered for reviews, participate in giveaways, do a little Facebook advertising, and try to connect with readers through sites such as Goodreads. I always reply to anyone who offers me any feedback(both good and bad) about my books. I know there’s a lot of resources out there I could use to do more, even some that I’m decently familiar with. Even so, I strive to meet the balance between work, family, and writing time in my life.
HN: This question will start off sounding like an old joke – a person walks into a bar (or convention or bookstore) and bumps into Brian Beam – what would be your elevator pitch to showcase your work?
BB: “Hey, wanna read a book about dragons, magic cats, and monsters?”
Kidding, of course. In all honesty, I’m horrible with elevator pitches and taglines, so I’m going to just steal this from my own blurb – After being hired to recover a stolen gem, Korin finds himself faced with revelations about his past that not only flip his world upside down, but throw him into a fight for his very survival. Join Korin in this exciting fantasy adventure as he deals with a ruthless count, evil wizards, a furious dragon, godsforsaken creatures of death, and even worse, a sarcastic cat
HN: As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your stories? Were there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?
BB: There’s nothing I would change about the stories when it comes to the plot or characters, but I’d make some minor editing tweaks if I could make a few more passes over them. There have been loads of ideas that have ended up on the cutting floor with the Korin’s Journal series, but I couldn’t tell you one of them. I have this strange ability to keep stories in my mind(I never plot on paper or outline), but the moment I decide I don’t like something, it leaves my brain and never comes back. I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing . . .
HN: I have a 21 month old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to write your stories?
BB: By not sleeping. I’m 99% not joking. Really. *yawn*
HN: Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?
BB: Music helps me a lot. And really, just any band I like. The only exceptions are action scenes. I do better with them when listening to fast-paced, heavy-ish music.
HN: What are you reading right now?
BB: Funny you should ask. Forging of a Knight: Rise of the Slavekeepers by, well, you, and Tales of the Bodhisattva by Justin Dockins. I’m about to pick up Words of Radiance, the second in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series. The first one was amazing. Finding time to read another 300K+ word book right now, however . . .
HN: What’s your next upcoming project?
BB: Book 3 of Korin’s Journal (there’s an actual title, but it’s going to be secret a while longer). After that, either finishing my novella, cleaning up my next novelette, or the stand-alone epic. I’ve mostly been finding my mind going to the latter of these choices recently, so probably that. Hmm . . . with my second son due in a couple weeks, I can probably just say he’s going to be my upcoming project ☺.
HN: Where can readers go to find out more about Brian Beam?
BB: www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor
brian-beam.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/brianbeam2
www.amazon.com/author/brianbeam
HN: Thanks Brian, for sharing some of your time!
Interview tag-team!
Brian Beam author of the Korin's Journal fantasy series and other works such as Alinor's Shard, was gracious enough to interview me back. Check out the story at his blog:
http://brian-beam.blogspot.com/2014/0...
http://brian-beam.blogspot.com/2014/0...
The review is in on Forging of a Knight, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt!
Check out The Book Plank's review and see how the Forging of a Knight series did this time around!
http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
Anyone remember this TV commercial from Time Life Books?
"The Enchanted World" - I'm glad I kept the books I bought from this series so long ago - I still re-read them when I get the chance. The commercial worked on me, hook, line, and sinker! Do you remember it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdxNwB...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdxNwB...
How many orcnes does it take to lift a sword?
4th going-over with book four and then its off to the editor for the advanced round! These orcnes are like a combination of the seven dwarves and the three stooges. How many putdowns do they give each other? I had to start tracking....
mud muckers
bumbling ninny
stodgy old dullard
scum covered sludge dog
muckrats
dirty haired stone squatter
rot faced old gutter
worm eaters
bilge rat
flabby face
squirmy nose
stink pot
toothless old pig wart
overstuffed blubber skins
mutton head
ninny brain
hoof muck
dog nosed slop
tail end of a horse's...
pimple spotted maggot heap
yellow spined swamp dog
sucking filth rag
snot face
prickle chin
halfwit
hookface
drivel lips
nincompoop
fat belly
lump face
bristly face
and frog face...and that's not even all of them...
mud muckers
bumbling ninny
stodgy old dullard
scum covered sludge dog
muckrats
dirty haired stone squatter
rot faced old gutter
worm eaters
bilge rat
flabby face
squirmy nose
stink pot
toothless old pig wart
overstuffed blubber skins
mutton head
ninny brain
hoof muck
dog nosed slop
tail end of a horse's...
pimple spotted maggot heap
yellow spined swamp dog
sucking filth rag
snot face
prickle chin
halfwit
hookface
drivel lips
nincompoop
fat belly
lump face
bristly face
and frog face...and that's not even all of them...
THANK YOU!!!
Hello all,
I wrote this on my Facebook author page, but wanted to add it here as well for those not following me there. Just a great big shout out to all of those readers of Forging of a Knight - thanks so much for giving the series a look-see, whether you are loving the characters, reeling from the dastardly plans of Those That Stand in Shadow, or using the paperback versions to balance that shaky coffee table in the kitchen. Many thanks for joining the adventure! With all the options out there vying for time, your interest is helping fuel the storylines ever further, and for that, I am deeply appreciative.
I wrote this on my Facebook author page, but wanted to add it here as well for those not following me there. Just a great big shout out to all of those readers of Forging of a Knight - thanks so much for giving the series a look-see, whether you are loving the characters, reeling from the dastardly plans of Those That Stand in Shadow, or using the paperback versions to balance that shaky coffee table in the kitchen. Many thanks for joining the adventure! With all the options out there vying for time, your interest is helping fuel the storylines ever further, and for that, I am deeply appreciative.
pssst - 99 cent sale!
So Gen Con has come and gone - and the withdrawal symptoms have started to sink in. Film festivals, cosplay parades, amazing games, live adventure dungeons, and amazing people - that's pretty much it in a nutshell, but that last part is the best. As an author at Author's Avenue, everyone is an instant familiar friend, as are the many readers who stop by year after year to buy a book, talk about the older ones in the series, and ask what's coming up in the next.
Everyone gets involved - even the local bars and restaurants - take this example from the Tavern on the South's menu: "Wandering Monster Plates", "Kicking Open the Door" appetizers, and "Halfling Approved Sandwiches".
If anyone is on Facebook, I invite you to my Forging.of.a.Knight page where you can see pictures and videos of the amazing cosplay parade. You have to see it to believe it!
And that leads to the title sale - The first TWO books in the Forging of a Knight series (Forging of a Knight, and Forging of a Knight, Rise of the Slavekeepers) kindle versions are on sale on Amazon.com for 99 cents each until Sunday to celebrate the fun of Gen Con. If you haven't tried them yet, you cant beat Book Two at 423 pages for 99 cents!
I'll be writing soon about Book Five's status, upcoming events, and updates to that fun contest that will reveal itself when Book Five is live...
Everyone gets involved - even the local bars and restaurants - take this example from the Tavern on the South's menu: "Wandering Monster Plates", "Kicking Open the Door" appetizers, and "Halfling Approved Sandwiches".
If anyone is on Facebook, I invite you to my Forging.of.a.Knight page where you can see pictures and videos of the amazing cosplay parade. You have to see it to believe it!
And that leads to the title sale - The first TWO books in the Forging of a Knight series (Forging of a Knight, and Forging of a Knight, Rise of the Slavekeepers) kindle versions are on sale on Amazon.com for 99 cents each until Sunday to celebrate the fun of Gen Con. If you haven't tried them yet, you cant beat Book Two at 423 pages for 99 cents!
I'll be writing soon about Book Five's status, upcoming events, and updates to that fun contest that will reveal itself when Book Five is live...
Forging of a Knight, Knighthood's End!
Greetings, all!
Lora Lee continues to amaze with her renditions of my cover ideas. Her latest is a true knockout! Should be coming your way in a couple of months or less, as it goes through a final once-over.
For the sake of a forbidden love, Qualtan will find himself on the run with a Mah-Zakim to free her from her curse, or be consumed by it. No longer a knight, his friends now turned against him, how great will the price be that must be paid? Can a Mah-Zakim truly love back, or has the curse that has followed the First Knight for so long come true at last?
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...
Lora Lee continues to amaze with her renditions of my cover ideas. Her latest is a true knockout! Should be coming your way in a couple of months or less, as it goes through a final once-over.
For the sake of a forbidden love, Qualtan will find himself on the run with a Mah-Zakim to free her from her curse, or be consumed by it. No longer a knight, his friends now turned against him, how great will the price be that must be paid? Can a Mah-Zakim truly love back, or has the curse that has followed the First Knight for so long come true at last?
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...
Book Five ready at last!
It's here, it's finally here! Book Five in the Forging of a Knight series is available at last. A hearty 536 pages, which explains the delay from the original intent for an October release. There was just too much to cover in this addition to the series! Without trying to list ALL the characters that show up, both new and old, you have Sir Qualtan, Sir Bartholomew, Sir Euric, Sir Rutt, Sir Jesepha, Termenon, the Sword of Eagles, Cassandra, Glaive, and the half-orcne's nemesis Lord Thule from his past. Plus, you have a return to the Woodworm Ports, the School of the Arch-Mages, and a lot more.
It will be making its way out soon to the typical online vendors like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc., for both the paperback and ebook versions, but if you can't wait, both are available now through Lulu.com. The price tag based on its girth is $24.99 for the paperback, the usual $2.99 for the ebook, but you can get the paperback version at a special 15% discount ($21.24) on Lulu if you go there:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/HugoN
A twisted love story, for redemption, and for hope. Or is it NOT a love story at all? The blurb from the back cover says it all:
"For the sake of a forbidden love, Qualtan will find himself on the run with a Mah-Zakim to free her from her curse, or be consumed by it. No longer a knight, his friends now turned against him, how great will the price be that must be paid? Can a Mah-Zakim truly love back, or has the curse that has followed the First Knight for so long come true at last?"
This one puts a major change into Qualtan's life, and shifts him into a new direction that will doubtless bring a ton of problems, more than he ever expected, in the two-puncher that will follow.
And speaking of follow - that brings us to a fun contest that I'll be staging shortly concerning this volume and how a particular character has a connection to an earlier volume in the series! More details will be coming soon.
In the meantime, please be safe, and happy holidays to everyone out there!
It will be making its way out soon to the typical online vendors like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc., for both the paperback and ebook versions, but if you can't wait, both are available now through Lulu.com. The price tag based on its girth is $24.99 for the paperback, the usual $2.99 for the ebook, but you can get the paperback version at a special 15% discount ($21.24) on Lulu if you go there:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/HugoN
A twisted love story, for redemption, and for hope. Or is it NOT a love story at all? The blurb from the back cover says it all:
"For the sake of a forbidden love, Qualtan will find himself on the run with a Mah-Zakim to free her from her curse, or be consumed by it. No longer a knight, his friends now turned against him, how great will the price be that must be paid? Can a Mah-Zakim truly love back, or has the curse that has followed the First Knight for so long come true at last?"
This one puts a major change into Qualtan's life, and shifts him into a new direction that will doubtless bring a ton of problems, more than he ever expected, in the two-puncher that will follow.
And speaking of follow - that brings us to a fun contest that I'll be staging shortly concerning this volume and how a particular character has a connection to an earlier volume in the series! More details will be coming soon.
In the meantime, please be safe, and happy holidays to everyone out there!
