Brian Beam's Blog, page 10
June 28, 2013
Book Review: Crimson and Cream
Book Review
Crimson and Cream
Crimson and Cream is the debut fantasy novel from author, C.M. Skiera, and a wonderful beginning to what promises to be an exciting series.
The story begins with Flotsam and Jetsam, twin orphans nicknamed for the water they were pulled from after fleeing from the men who killed their parents. Their parents had been killed for being sorcerers after the king outlawed magic. On their birthday, they sneak onto the grounds of the king's castle at the behest of the headstrong Jetsam, in hopes to procure fruit from the abundant orchard there. After being spotted, the twins are sent into a dangerous chase, one that serves as a catalyst for the adventure to follow.
This seemingly innocuous beginning turns into a quest to discover the secrets of the twins' past while being hunted by a bounty hunter whose sole motivation is to cement his legacy, no matter the cost. Intense battles with trolls, being abducted by a group of men with questionable motivations, fleeing from a vicious bounty hunter, and encountering a massive beast out of legend are just a few of the exciting situations we find the unlikely protagonist thrust into. And let me tell you, it's an intense, fast-paced ride until the end.
One thing that really struck me with Crimson and Cream is the massively emotional whack over the head that C.M. Skiera introduces fairly early into the story(sorry, not going to spoil anything here). Although the story doesn't quite reach the same level of emotional impact afterwards, the scene is bold, and is plays a pivotal role in character growth throughout the book.
The story is very well written and plotted. C.M. Skiera has a wonderful talent for description and dialogue, and his characters are unique and interesting. The story introduces several original concepts, though also treads familiar fantasy ground, mostly in Tolkienesque fashion(completely meant as a compliment). Though having Book One included in the title of this book, you can't help but be a little disappointed as the last page ends, leaving many unanswered questions. Hopefully we won't have to wait long for the answers!
5/5
You can find out more about C.M. Skiera on:
AmazonFacebookBlogGoodreads
Crimson and Cream
Crimson and Cream is the debut fantasy novel from author, C.M. Skiera, and a wonderful beginning to what promises to be an exciting series.
The story begins with Flotsam and Jetsam, twin orphans nicknamed for the water they were pulled from after fleeing from the men who killed their parents. Their parents had been killed for being sorcerers after the king outlawed magic. On their birthday, they sneak onto the grounds of the king's castle at the behest of the headstrong Jetsam, in hopes to procure fruit from the abundant orchard there. After being spotted, the twins are sent into a dangerous chase, one that serves as a catalyst for the adventure to follow.
This seemingly innocuous beginning turns into a quest to discover the secrets of the twins' past while being hunted by a bounty hunter whose sole motivation is to cement his legacy, no matter the cost. Intense battles with trolls, being abducted by a group of men with questionable motivations, fleeing from a vicious bounty hunter, and encountering a massive beast out of legend are just a few of the exciting situations we find the unlikely protagonist thrust into. And let me tell you, it's an intense, fast-paced ride until the end.
One thing that really struck me with Crimson and Cream is the massively emotional whack over the head that C.M. Skiera introduces fairly early into the story(sorry, not going to spoil anything here). Although the story doesn't quite reach the same level of emotional impact afterwards, the scene is bold, and is plays a pivotal role in character growth throughout the book.
The story is very well written and plotted. C.M. Skiera has a wonderful talent for description and dialogue, and his characters are unique and interesting. The story introduces several original concepts, though also treads familiar fantasy ground, mostly in Tolkienesque fashion(completely meant as a compliment). Though having Book One included in the title of this book, you can't help but be a little disappointed as the last page ends, leaving many unanswered questions. Hopefully we won't have to wait long for the answers!
5/5
You can find out more about C.M. Skiera on:
AmazonFacebookBlogGoodreads
June 16, 2013
The Dragon Gem: Chapter Two Commentary
Commentary from The Dragon Gem Chapter 2 - Counts and Contracts
MAJOR SPOILERS
-This chapter introduces Galius Firmon, the count that employed Korin to find a stolen gem. Originally, he was going to play a much larger role as a villain when I still thought of Korin's Journal as a series of novellas. His reason for wanting his stolen gem returned so badly was because he planned to use it to blackmail the dragons into helping him take rule over the entire kingdom. In this version of the story, dragons were not banished, but were an endangered species who Galius assumed would do anything for the gem. Not only did I make major changes when the idea for a trilogy coalesced, but I though that the story was a bit weak.
-Two details foreshadow the gem's power that is revealed later on. The first is that Galius, a completely detestable man, was elected to his position. Despite Byweather being full of corrupt politicians, the fact that Galius, basically a whiny child in a man's body, was elected indicates that there is something else behind his position. The second is that Galius's thugs leave him to work for a man with lower political rank. Such an action would be unheard of in a city where money and power is everything. Later on, these two events can be linked to Galius's loss of the gem.
END MAJOR SPOILERS
-After the lighthearted feel of the first chapter(if a tavern brawl is lighthearted . . . ), I wanted to ensure with this chapter that the reader realizes just how much Korin has at risk. Korin is not some super human. He is vulnerable and the stakes he faces are high.
-Korin's nicknaming Galius's thugs Thug One and Thug Two is a not-so-subtle reference to Thing One and Thing Two from The Cat in the Hat :).
-If you find it strange that Korin can remember the details he does of his birth parents when he'd only seen them as an infant, you'll get your explanation at the end of The Forgotten King.
Okay, so I feel like there's a few more points I wanted to make, but given my mind isn't completely back to reality yet(just coming off a vacation), it's not coming to me. Maybe they'll get thrown in with the next chapter.
As of now, I'm projecting a late Aug/early Sept release for The Dragon Gem 2nd Edition. Afterwards, I plan on releasing a novelette in September that has some awesome things in the works for it. I'll share more soon, I promise! I'm really excited about it, though, and can't wait to share!
Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there and to all the mothers who fill the same role!
Brian Beam
MAJOR SPOILERS
-This chapter introduces Galius Firmon, the count that employed Korin to find a stolen gem. Originally, he was going to play a much larger role as a villain when I still thought of Korin's Journal as a series of novellas. His reason for wanting his stolen gem returned so badly was because he planned to use it to blackmail the dragons into helping him take rule over the entire kingdom. In this version of the story, dragons were not banished, but were an endangered species who Galius assumed would do anything for the gem. Not only did I make major changes when the idea for a trilogy coalesced, but I though that the story was a bit weak.
-Two details foreshadow the gem's power that is revealed later on. The first is that Galius, a completely detestable man, was elected to his position. Despite Byweather being full of corrupt politicians, the fact that Galius, basically a whiny child in a man's body, was elected indicates that there is something else behind his position. The second is that Galius's thugs leave him to work for a man with lower political rank. Such an action would be unheard of in a city where money and power is everything. Later on, these two events can be linked to Galius's loss of the gem.
END MAJOR SPOILERS
-After the lighthearted feel of the first chapter(if a tavern brawl is lighthearted . . . ), I wanted to ensure with this chapter that the reader realizes just how much Korin has at risk. Korin is not some super human. He is vulnerable and the stakes he faces are high.
-Korin's nicknaming Galius's thugs Thug One and Thug Two is a not-so-subtle reference to Thing One and Thing Two from The Cat in the Hat :).
-If you find it strange that Korin can remember the details he does of his birth parents when he'd only seen them as an infant, you'll get your explanation at the end of The Forgotten King.
Okay, so I feel like there's a few more points I wanted to make, but given my mind isn't completely back to reality yet(just coming off a vacation), it's not coming to me. Maybe they'll get thrown in with the next chapter.
As of now, I'm projecting a late Aug/early Sept release for The Dragon Gem 2nd Edition. Afterwards, I plan on releasing a novelette in September that has some awesome things in the works for it. I'll share more soon, I promise! I'm really excited about it, though, and can't wait to share!
Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there and to all the mothers who fill the same role!
Brian Beam
June 6, 2013
The Dragon Gem: Chapter One Commentary
Alright, I don't have a ton of time for this with my family vacation coming up tomorrow, so I'll pretty much do what I did in the last blog and post some little facts about the Dragon Gem, this time pertaining to Chapter 1: Come on, It's Only a Game.
I wanted to start the book out with a little action to draw the reader in, but also give the reader a good feel for Korin in the first few pages. Korin's obviously the hero, good, but flawed. I wanted that to come across naturally by putting him in a dangerous situation (Nothing pulls out a character's personality more than great loss or danger in my little ol' opinion).Korin was also the name of one of the protagonists of my first novel(the unfinished The Secret of the Kolari: Book One of the Broken Cycle Saga). He had a twin in that novel. Korin was planned to die at the end of the first book after appearing to be the good guy and his twin, Kris, the bad guy. I guess I used to have a little George R.R. Martin in me . . . on a much smaller scale.The story begins in the city of Geeron, the same name as the village that The Secret of the Kolari started with.Brennor was originally intended to be a recurring character, almost as comic relief. He was going to show up through the book several times, bumbling his attempts to retrieve the gem back from Korin. I quickly scrapped that idea; it was a bit sitcom-y and though I try to put a decent amount of humor in the book, I thought it was going a bit far. Therefore he only makes one more appearance, albeit in a more realistic and logical fashion.At first, the chapter was written with Korin chasing after the black-cloaked gem thief, chapter 2 consisting of a chase through the city. I scrapped it in order to move into the story a little quicker. I felt that two major action pieces in the very beginning with no plot progression would make this a Michael Bay movie . . . er, would lose the reader's attention.This chapter was a lot of fun to write, and with it under my belt in the 2nd ed., I really like how it flows (the 2nd ed. version can be found here. I'm nearly a fourth of the way through the 2nd edition edit/rewrite now, so progress is being made, even if slowly. I also have a new project that I'll be releasing later this year which I'll be announcing very soon.
Hope you've enjoyed these little tidbits, and if not, here's a cute picture of my son to make up for it :)
"Daddy says buy The Forgotten King!"Note: Jonas never actually said this, but feel free to imagine he did.
Brian Beam
I wanted to start the book out with a little action to draw the reader in, but also give the reader a good feel for Korin in the first few pages. Korin's obviously the hero, good, but flawed. I wanted that to come across naturally by putting him in a dangerous situation (Nothing pulls out a character's personality more than great loss or danger in my little ol' opinion).Korin was also the name of one of the protagonists of my first novel(the unfinished The Secret of the Kolari: Book One of the Broken Cycle Saga). He had a twin in that novel. Korin was planned to die at the end of the first book after appearing to be the good guy and his twin, Kris, the bad guy. I guess I used to have a little George R.R. Martin in me . . . on a much smaller scale.The story begins in the city of Geeron, the same name as the village that The Secret of the Kolari started with.Brennor was originally intended to be a recurring character, almost as comic relief. He was going to show up through the book several times, bumbling his attempts to retrieve the gem back from Korin. I quickly scrapped that idea; it was a bit sitcom-y and though I try to put a decent amount of humor in the book, I thought it was going a bit far. Therefore he only makes one more appearance, albeit in a more realistic and logical fashion.At first, the chapter was written with Korin chasing after the black-cloaked gem thief, chapter 2 consisting of a chase through the city. I scrapped it in order to move into the story a little quicker. I felt that two major action pieces in the very beginning with no plot progression would make this a Michael Bay movie . . . er, would lose the reader's attention.This chapter was a lot of fun to write, and with it under my belt in the 2nd ed., I really like how it flows (the 2nd ed. version can be found here. I'm nearly a fourth of the way through the 2nd edition edit/rewrite now, so progress is being made, even if slowly. I also have a new project that I'll be releasing later this year which I'll be announcing very soon.
Hope you've enjoyed these little tidbits, and if not, here's a cute picture of my son to make up for it :)
"Daddy says buy The Forgotten King!"Note: Jonas never actually said this, but feel free to imagine he did.Brian Beam
June 1, 2013
The Dragon Gem: Behind the Scenes
Working on the 2nd Edition of The Dragon Gem(a much slower process than anticipated), I have realized that it could be fun to talk a little about the chapters as I make my way through them-a commentary, if you will. My favorite author, Brandon Sanderson, has done this with nearly all of his books, giving insight into his writing and providing a little behind the scenes information about the story. So, starting next week, I'll start doing this for each chapter, posting a couple chapters worth of commentary each week.
To kick things off, I'd like to list a couple general facts about The Dragon Gem(well, really the Korin's Journal trilogy as a whole)
* The series was originally going to be a series of novellas, each one focused on the individual Activated Contracts Korin takes on as he travels. Each would add a piece to a larger story, while allowing for pretty much as many smaller stories as I wished to write. However, just a couple chapters into the first book, something bigger took shape in my mind and inspired me to shift to an epic trilogy. Trust me, it's better this way.
* The name of the land that the Dragon Gem takes place in, Amirand, is a not so subtle nod to my wife, Miranda :).
* I actually prefer not to write in first person, but Korin's character was just begging to be expressed in such a perspective.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. Now, back to editing/rewriting/revising The Dragon Gem(Now 20% complete)!
To kick things off, I'd like to list a couple general facts about The Dragon Gem(well, really the Korin's Journal trilogy as a whole)
* The series was originally going to be a series of novellas, each one focused on the individual Activated Contracts Korin takes on as he travels. Each would add a piece to a larger story, while allowing for pretty much as many smaller stories as I wished to write. However, just a couple chapters into the first book, something bigger took shape in my mind and inspired me to shift to an epic trilogy. Trust me, it's better this way.
* The name of the land that the Dragon Gem takes place in, Amirand, is a not so subtle nod to my wife, Miranda :).
* I actually prefer not to write in first person, but Korin's character was just begging to be expressed in such a perspective.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. Now, back to editing/rewriting/revising The Dragon Gem(Now 20% complete)!
May 19, 2013
The Dragon Gem 2nd Ed . . . A Work In Progress
Well, I've gotten the edit/partial rewrite of The Dragon Gem up to 13% over the weekend. That may just be a result of my wife and son being on a trip to our home state to visit family. A pesky little thing called work has kept me rooted here at home. Apparently teaching would have been a better field to go into, a point that I will continue to have driven into my mind over the next three months of my wife's summer break.
Back to The Dragon Gem. So one thing I'm trying to do with this edit is decrease the chapter length. Case in point, I'm up to Chapter 7 which actually begins with the original book's Chapter 4 midpoint. Did that make any sense? I'm tired enough to not be able to tell. The point is, I've added 3 chapters to the book's total and I'm only 13% in. I believe this version will flow much better with this change.
This will be the only book I ever do this with. Being the first book I ever released, I was a tad naive and a little careless(or a lot naive and ridiculously careless). Again, this will be a free update for anyone who has already downloaded The Dragon Gem, so it's not some underhanded way to try to get people to buy my book twice.
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. As for me, back to editing!
Brian Beam
Back to The Dragon Gem. So one thing I'm trying to do with this edit is decrease the chapter length. Case in point, I'm up to Chapter 7 which actually begins with the original book's Chapter 4 midpoint. Did that make any sense? I'm tired enough to not be able to tell. The point is, I've added 3 chapters to the book's total and I'm only 13% in. I believe this version will flow much better with this change.
This will be the only book I ever do this with. Being the first book I ever released, I was a tad naive and a little careless(or a lot naive and ridiculously careless). Again, this will be a free update for anyone who has already downloaded The Dragon Gem, so it's not some underhanded way to try to get people to buy my book twice.
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. As for me, back to editing!
Brian Beam
May 10, 2013
The Forgotten King is Here!!!
So, after over a year of blood, sweat, and tears, The Forgotten King's finally released for Kindle.
Okay, so I'm being a little overdramatic. There was no blood, sweat, or tears. Well, there was almost tears twice: once when writing a certain part, and once when editing it. Oh, and I guess there was some sweat when I thought up a lot of the story when jogging . . .
But I digress.
The Forgotten King grew much bigger than I'd anticipated, which is part of the reason it took me a little longer to get it out. I am incredibly proud of it though, and hope that any of you who read it have a great time experiencing Korin's next adventure. There's tons of people I'd like to thank for helping to make this possible, but I'm too tired right now to even try to list them without forgetting someone. You likely know who you are. A general thank you to everyone who read The Dragon Gem, however. You've made this journey more than worth it. I can't begin to express my gratitude for your support.
Alrighty, so my next step is getting the book on Smashwords this weekend, and in print through CreateSpace within the next couple of weeks. Now, you may notice that there won't be much marketing done for this book, and I am keeping it that way deliberately for now. As you may have read on here, my next project is a massive revision of The Dragon Gem. I'm not changing anything story wise, but I'm going to bring it to a much higher level of quality so it can stand proudly next to The Forgotten King. Also, I have some awesome new cover art for it(which has been posted on here not too long ago). I plan on having The Dragon Gem 2nd ed. out by the end of the summer. And then, with the definitive versions of both books completed, I will tout the heck out of The Forgotten King. Think of its release today as an advance release for previous readers of The Dragon Gem.
And then, I'll be getting out a little book of short stories, and will start the final volume of Korin's Journal towards the end of the year. I've got some big plans for it. At some point towards the end of the year, a couple other projects may pop up on my nifty progress bars on the right side of the screen here.
Again, thank you to everyone involved in making The Forgotten King a reality. If you're reading this, you're probably one of them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart(you probably deserve better than that cliche . . . I'm sorry).
So check out The Forgotten King! 213K + words for the low price of $4.99! That's like . . . an incredibly small decimal amount per word that my caculator won't compute for me.
You can pick it up on Amazon!
Plus, a certain someone has big plans for his share of the profits . . .
Okay, so I'm being a little overdramatic. There was no blood, sweat, or tears. Well, there was almost tears twice: once when writing a certain part, and once when editing it. Oh, and I guess there was some sweat when I thought up a lot of the story when jogging . . .
But I digress.
The Forgotten King grew much bigger than I'd anticipated, which is part of the reason it took me a little longer to get it out. I am incredibly proud of it though, and hope that any of you who read it have a great time experiencing Korin's next adventure. There's tons of people I'd like to thank for helping to make this possible, but I'm too tired right now to even try to list them without forgetting someone. You likely know who you are. A general thank you to everyone who read The Dragon Gem, however. You've made this journey more than worth it. I can't begin to express my gratitude for your support.
Alrighty, so my next step is getting the book on Smashwords this weekend, and in print through CreateSpace within the next couple of weeks. Now, you may notice that there won't be much marketing done for this book, and I am keeping it that way deliberately for now. As you may have read on here, my next project is a massive revision of The Dragon Gem. I'm not changing anything story wise, but I'm going to bring it to a much higher level of quality so it can stand proudly next to The Forgotten King. Also, I have some awesome new cover art for it(which has been posted on here not too long ago). I plan on having The Dragon Gem 2nd ed. out by the end of the summer. And then, with the definitive versions of both books completed, I will tout the heck out of The Forgotten King. Think of its release today as an advance release for previous readers of The Dragon Gem.
And then, I'll be getting out a little book of short stories, and will start the final volume of Korin's Journal towards the end of the year. I've got some big plans for it. At some point towards the end of the year, a couple other projects may pop up on my nifty progress bars on the right side of the screen here.
Again, thank you to everyone involved in making The Forgotten King a reality. If you're reading this, you're probably one of them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart(you probably deserve better than that cliche . . . I'm sorry).
So check out The Forgotten King! 213K + words for the low price of $4.99! That's like . . . an incredibly small decimal amount per word that my caculator won't compute for me.
You can pick it up on Amazon!
Plus, a certain someone has big plans for his share of the profits . . .
April 21, 2013
Just a quick update
So, for the past two weeks I have skipped putting up a book review on here. I also probably won't be putting up preview chapters for the next two Fridays either. Yes, I know it's lazy, but getting the Forgotten King ready for its May 10 release has taken a bit more time than I'd planned, so the next couple weeks will be 100% focused on it.
In addition, I just realized that the deadline for the Reader's Favorite Book Contest which I entered The Dragon Gem in last year is coming up on May 1st. Since I had planned on entering this year, I really need to get the manuscript ready before then. Thankfully, they will take it in manuscript format(Word, PDF, etc.) and not necessarily the finished ebook or printed book.
Anyway, just wanted to get that update out there. Once I get the book out, I'll be diving into the 2nd edition of The Dragon Gem.
Hope all are doing well!
Brian Beam
In addition, I just realized that the deadline for the Reader's Favorite Book Contest which I entered The Dragon Gem in last year is coming up on May 1st. Since I had planned on entering this year, I really need to get the manuscript ready before then. Thankfully, they will take it in manuscript format(Word, PDF, etc.) and not necessarily the finished ebook or printed book.
Anyway, just wanted to get that update out there. Once I get the book out, I'll be diving into the 2nd edition of The Dragon Gem.
Hope all are doing well!
Brian Beam
April 18, 2013
April 12, 2013
Friday Preview - Chapter 4 of The Dragon Gem 2nd Ed.
Here's Chapter 4 of the upcoming The Dragon Gem: Book One of Korin's Journal 2nd ed. Enjoy!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/135693230/TDG-Chapter-4
TDG Chapter 4
http://www.scribd.com/doc/135693230/TDG-Chapter-4
TDG Chapter 4
April 6, 2013
Sunday Reviews: Joe Cafe
Sunday Reviews Week 9
Joe Cafe
Joe Cafe surprised me on so many levels, in a good way.
A grisly murder at Joe Cafe shakes up an otherwise quiet town. We meet Michael, the police officer investigating the murder, the task sending him into a downward spiral that makes him question his life, and possibly his sanity. The story also follows the murderer and his hostage, Sara, who gives him his first reason to consider changing his ways. To round out the story, we have Dogan, wanting Sara back and enlisting the mob to help him do so.
Yeah, it all seems a bit crazy. And it is. And it's incredibly fun. Dark, gritty, and violent, but fun.
JD Mader is a master of delving into the minds of his characters, each one unique and full of inner torment. The characterization takes the forefront in Joe Cafe, though the common story between the characters will pull you along this twisted journey, making it hard to put down. What appears to be a typical crime drama or mystery in the first chapters quickly turns into something much more.
Following these characters as they are thrust into a situation that makes them question everything they've done and everything they are makes this an enjoyable read from beginning to end. You never quite know where JD Mader is going to take you in Joe Cafe, but you can be sure it is somewhere dark and twisted in the minds of this book's varied cast.
I 100% recommend Joe Cafe (unless you can't stomach a fair bit of language, violence, and a writing style that pulls no punches.)
5/5
Joe cafe is available on Amazon.
Find out more about J.D. Mader:WebpageFacebookAmazon
Joe CafeJoe Cafe surprised me on so many levels, in a good way.
A grisly murder at Joe Cafe shakes up an otherwise quiet town. We meet Michael, the police officer investigating the murder, the task sending him into a downward spiral that makes him question his life, and possibly his sanity. The story also follows the murderer and his hostage, Sara, who gives him his first reason to consider changing his ways. To round out the story, we have Dogan, wanting Sara back and enlisting the mob to help him do so.
Yeah, it all seems a bit crazy. And it is. And it's incredibly fun. Dark, gritty, and violent, but fun.
JD Mader is a master of delving into the minds of his characters, each one unique and full of inner torment. The characterization takes the forefront in Joe Cafe, though the common story between the characters will pull you along this twisted journey, making it hard to put down. What appears to be a typical crime drama or mystery in the first chapters quickly turns into something much more.
Following these characters as they are thrust into a situation that makes them question everything they've done and everything they are makes this an enjoyable read from beginning to end. You never quite know where JD Mader is going to take you in Joe Cafe, but you can be sure it is somewhere dark and twisted in the minds of this book's varied cast.
I 100% recommend Joe Cafe (unless you can't stomach a fair bit of language, violence, and a writing style that pulls no punches.)
5/5Joe cafe is available on Amazon.
Find out more about J.D. Mader:WebpageFacebookAmazon
