Brian Beam's Blog, page 14
November 10, 2012
Book 2 of Korin's Journal Title Reveal
The first draft of Book 2 of Korin's Journal is rapidly approaching the finish. Only 5-6 more chapters to go! An early 2013 release (March or before) is looking likely!
Anyway, given that I have reached the chapter which is named for the title of the book, I feel I'm ready to announce the title. So, here goes:
The Forgotten KingBook 2 of Korin's Journal
So, who is this forgotten king? I'd tell you, but I've forgotten (yes, it is a dumb joke, and no, I don't expect you to laugh). As I finish up this draft, get it sent off for review, get info about the cover art, etc., I'll continue to update this blog with more The Forgotten King info.
It's so refreshing to know I won't have to keep referring to this book as Book 2 anymore :).
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Anyway, given that I have reached the chapter which is named for the title of the book, I feel I'm ready to announce the title. So, here goes:
The Forgotten KingBook 2 of Korin's Journal
So, who is this forgotten king? I'd tell you, but I've forgotten (yes, it is a dumb joke, and no, I don't expect you to laugh). As I finish up this draft, get it sent off for review, get info about the cover art, etc., I'll continue to update this blog with more The Forgotten King info.
It's so refreshing to know I won't have to keep referring to this book as Book 2 anymore :).
Have a great weekend, everyone!
November 4, 2012
Exciting Things
Okay, it's been a bit since my last blog post, but only because I've been investing a lot of time into Book 2 of Korin's Journal.
Since I wasn't really in a place in which NaNoWriMo would work out for me this year, I decided that I would make set a goal of finishing my first draft of this book. I've even set up time with a proofreader in the beginning of December to keep myself on track in pulling it off. Now, I don't have 50,000 words left of the book(the typical NaNoWriMo goal), so I have the benefit of having the time to really make the end of this book what I want it to be without worrying about falling behind on word count.
I'm working on getting some great illustrative cover art for this one. I'm excited about the concept for it. If it turns out the way I'm hoping, I would like to have a new cover made for The Dragon Gem as well in the near future.
Lastly, Book 2 of Korin's Journal surpassed the 200,000K word mark over the weekend. This story has grown beyond my original vision in, what I believe to be, a good way. I think this will stand as the longest volume in the trilogy in the end.
So there you have it. Just wanted to give a little update. As things stand, I'm looking at a Feb/early March release. I'll be sure to keep you up to date on the release as things progress.
Now, since I've been setting goals, my next one will be to reveal the title in my next blog post.
Have a great week everyone!
Brian Beam
Since I wasn't really in a place in which NaNoWriMo would work out for me this year, I decided that I would make set a goal of finishing my first draft of this book. I've even set up time with a proofreader in the beginning of December to keep myself on track in pulling it off. Now, I don't have 50,000 words left of the book(the typical NaNoWriMo goal), so I have the benefit of having the time to really make the end of this book what I want it to be without worrying about falling behind on word count.
I'm working on getting some great illustrative cover art for this one. I'm excited about the concept for it. If it turns out the way I'm hoping, I would like to have a new cover made for The Dragon Gem as well in the near future.
Lastly, Book 2 of Korin's Journal surpassed the 200,000K word mark over the weekend. This story has grown beyond my original vision in, what I believe to be, a good way. I think this will stand as the longest volume in the trilogy in the end.
So there you have it. Just wanted to give a little update. As things stand, I'm looking at a Feb/early March release. I'll be sure to keep you up to date on the release as things progress.
Now, since I've been setting goals, my next one will be to reveal the title in my next blog post.
Have a great week everyone!
Brian Beam
October 24, 2012
Book 2 Excerpt From a Lazy Writer
Okay, so I'm too lazy to come up with a blog post, so I'm going to post an excerpt from Book 2 of Korin's Journal instead. Well, maybe it's not laziness, but the desire to get a bit more writing done tonight. I had originally planned to knock out a good chunk of my current chapter and then work a little on a short story I'm toying with. Alas, the chapter I'm working on has decided to be difficult(yes, I'm blaming the chapter instead of the person writing the chapter) and the short story must be put aside yet again and my planned blog post constrained to this paragraph and a small excerpt. So, the following is from a dream sequence in the latter third of the book and the first line afterwards. Enjoy.
Brian Beam
Note: This has not been fully edited and a couple words have been changed to avoid spoilers.
The world was dead. Blackened splinters, the sole remnants of trees, stabbed into the sky as ash descended from above. The ground was charred black, fissures marring its surface in spider-webbed patterns as far as the eye could see. From my vantage atop a bluff covered with deadened, brown grass that crunched under my feet, I felt an overwhelming sense of loss and dread. In my heart, I knew that the state of the land was somehow my fault.“Impressive, is it not?” a confident male voice announced from behind me. I turned my head, the background blurring nauseatingly as I did. My eyes met those of my father. He stood there in his regal robes, the crown on his head dull in the gloom of the darkened sky. His mouth curved up in sinister satisfaction as he looked out over the ruined landscape, his usually blue eyes appearing a dull gray. “No, this is wrong,” I argued. My mind could not make sense of why my father would appear so pleased about the dead land around us. I started to accept that this was who my father truly was, not the benevolent man from my dreams. “Why would you want this?” With a condescending arch of an eyebrow, my father stepped towards me. As he did, his face morphed for a split-second into someone else’s face, his crown suddenly rusted over and fitted with dull, cracked jewels. As quickly as the change occurred, it vanished and left me with the recognizable image of my father, save the disturbing expression and gray eyes.“You understand so little,” he accused, his voice different from my earlier dreams. There was a malicious quality in its tone, though it held the same strong confidence. He swept out his arm, gesturing outwards from the bluff. “Do you think that prophecy will serve you? Do you think that you can stop this? Stop me? You do not have the strength. This is far beyond the comprehension of mortals.”“I don’t understand,” I admitted, my heart pounding in fear.“This world will bow to me,” my father continued, ignoring my response. His face and crown flickered again so quickly that I wasn’t even sure it had actually happened. “You will not stop me. You cannot stop me. You are weak. Fragile. You are...”
****
“…quite possibly the most dull-witted idiot I have ever known,” a raspy voice finished as consciousness seeped back into my body.
Brian Beam
Note: This has not been fully edited and a couple words have been changed to avoid spoilers.
The world was dead. Blackened splinters, the sole remnants of trees, stabbed into the sky as ash descended from above. The ground was charred black, fissures marring its surface in spider-webbed patterns as far as the eye could see. From my vantage atop a bluff covered with deadened, brown grass that crunched under my feet, I felt an overwhelming sense of loss and dread. In my heart, I knew that the state of the land was somehow my fault.“Impressive, is it not?” a confident male voice announced from behind me. I turned my head, the background blurring nauseatingly as I did. My eyes met those of my father. He stood there in his regal robes, the crown on his head dull in the gloom of the darkened sky. His mouth curved up in sinister satisfaction as he looked out over the ruined landscape, his usually blue eyes appearing a dull gray. “No, this is wrong,” I argued. My mind could not make sense of why my father would appear so pleased about the dead land around us. I started to accept that this was who my father truly was, not the benevolent man from my dreams. “Why would you want this?” With a condescending arch of an eyebrow, my father stepped towards me. As he did, his face morphed for a split-second into someone else’s face, his crown suddenly rusted over and fitted with dull, cracked jewels. As quickly as the change occurred, it vanished and left me with the recognizable image of my father, save the disturbing expression and gray eyes.“You understand so little,” he accused, his voice different from my earlier dreams. There was a malicious quality in its tone, though it held the same strong confidence. He swept out his arm, gesturing outwards from the bluff. “Do you think that prophecy will serve you? Do you think that you can stop this? Stop me? You do not have the strength. This is far beyond the comprehension of mortals.”“I don’t understand,” I admitted, my heart pounding in fear.“This world will bow to me,” my father continued, ignoring my response. His face and crown flickered again so quickly that I wasn’t even sure it had actually happened. “You will not stop me. You cannot stop me. You are weak. Fragile. You are...”
****
“…quite possibly the most dull-witted idiot I have ever known,” a raspy voice finished as consciousness seeped back into my body.
October 18, 2012
The World of Tomorrow
A little Wizard of Oz is all it takes for sleepy timeThere was a time when I swore I would never use an eReader. See, I love the smell of books, the feel of the pages, and the feeling of going into a bookstore and doing my shopping based on what I find there instead of by reviews on websites. Then, about 2 years ago, I took the plunge. I'm not sure what made me change my mind, but now I buy nearly all my books on the Kindle.
Of course there are the standard benefits: the ability to carry hundreds of books around anytime, not having to take the time to go to a physical bookstore, not having to worry about the book you're looking for being out of stock, etc. However, I quickly learned that one major perk is getting exposed to tons of authors that you would never find in a bookstore, usually because their books are indie books only available in ebook format. I have read some wonderful books from authors that I never would have known about without my Kindle. Heck, if not for eBooks, many indie authors would never get their work out there - and many times, their work deserves to be in the hands of readers.
The main problem, though, is that I still love the smell and feel of books. I love turning pages instead of clicking through them. I love being able to see the cover art any time I pick up the book. This problem has been tempered by buying books and reading to my son as I talked about in my last post. He loves his picture books, but before bed, I've started reading to him from chapter books as well. I thought this was all I needed to get my physical book fix. Today I learned otherwise.
My favorite author, Brandon Sanderson, just released his newest book, a fantasy novella called The Emporer's Soul. It's not yet available in eBook(a major disadvantage to eReaders sometimes) and so I ordered the physical copy off Amazon. When I got it in the mail today, I got that old feeling again and my excitement to read it grew beyond just having a new work from my favorite author(yeah, I'm a dork like that). I learned today that every now and then, I'm going to need to buy a nice paperback or hardcover book to get my fix.
So, what's your preference. eBook or physical books?
In other news, progress on Book 2 of Korin's Journal has been slowed a bit, but will hopefully pick up over the next couple weeks. I'm a couple chapters away from hitting that home stretch. In other words, right now, I'm at the calm before the storm(those who hate cliches, I apologize for that last sentence).
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Brian Beam
October 13, 2012
Public Service Announcement...or Something Like That
Starting him early.
Alright, time to step up on this soapbox for a moment. To anyone with children who reads this, I want to plead for you to expose your child to books as early as you possibly can. Take a step back and look at today's youth. Today's children live in a generation of iPods/Phones/Pads, video games, television, and parents who are happy to just let them remain transfixed by such devices to keep them out of their hair. I know I'm still relatively young, but even in my youth, this was not the case.
My parents exposed me to books very early on. Both read to me regularly and I remember the excitement of going to the public library and bringing home a big armful of books. I even partially taught myself to read due to that love of books and stories instilled in me at such a young age.
Books, in my opinion, are critical in a child's development. They expand their vocabulary, speech, logical thinking, communication skills, and encourage the use of their imagination(once they're beyond picture books). Also, books can be a wonderful bonding tool in a child's first years. For example, reading a book to your child every night before bed is time just between you and them, and they will remember that.
So, read to your children and take them away from the electronic age for a bit. They will benefit more from it than you will ever know.
Plus, they may be the ones supporting us writers in the future :).
Brian Beam
October 7, 2012
Remnants of the Past Part II
So, a few posts back, I posted the prologue to a manuscript I abandoned years ago. I figured that since I was nine chapters into it, I may as well use it for something and post bits from it every now and then. The following is chapter one. Be prepared to see some familiar names if you've read The Dragon Gem. Korin was the name of the protagonist in this story as well, and a character named Menar serves as the villain at first. Alright, here's chapter one of The Secret of the Kolari: Book One of the Broken Cycle Saga(It has seen no editing, so no promises on grammar, spelling, etc).
If you missed the first blog with the prologue, you can check it out first: http://brian-beam.blogspot.com/2012/0...
Chapter 1
“Why her?” Korin questioned angrily, ducking to avoid a low hanging branch only to rise up to meet another across his face as they raced their horses through the forest. The small scratches covering his face and arms were beginning to fray his nerves. Kris turned to look back at his twin brother and gave out a throaty laugh. “Come on bro, how could I pass up a chance with her?” Kris turned back around just in time to veer his horse left of a thick branch. “Was it really worth all this trouble?” Korin was trying his hardest to dodge through the trees with little luck. He couldn’t quite understand how his brother could be enjoying the experience so much. “Where’s your sense of adventure? Besides, a little excitement will be good for ya’!” Kris pushed his horse harder until the horse was at full speed. Korin followed suit, although wary about how long the horses could keep such a pace. Korin stole a glance behind him to check for the pursuing guards. He couldn’t see the guards, but he could still hear the hoof beats of several horses on dry leaves in the distance. They were still close. They wouldn’t give up until the brothers were taken into custody. “Sorry if I’m not exactly happy about being chased from the only home I’ve ever known for reasons that I don’t even understand yet,” he muttered sarcastically. Korin shifted his gaze back in front of him, meeting with several more branches. The twins were of average height with raven black hair just long enough to drape over their eyes. Their twenty-three years of age seemed less in their young looking, slightly tanned, clean shaven faces. The only difference in the twins’ natural appearance was their eyes. Korin’s were as blue as the sea while Kris’ were as green as the forest that they raced their horses through. Another small branch slapped into Korin’s face. “I’ve had enough of this!” Blood from the new scratch above Korin’s eye streamed down past his azure eyes. “I refuse to have these back-wit farmers hunt us down like this! I’ll take hawk, you take finch!” “Why do you always….” Korin cut off his brother’s protest by passing him the reins to his horse and grabbing a tree branch above himself, nimbly climbing to a sturdier branch higher up and assuming a crouching position among the spring green leaves. Korin’s long sleeved green shirt and his tan pants were perfect camouflage, even if unintentionally. Kris led the two horses onward while Korin waited patiently in the tree. After a few moments, the guards came into view. Four muscular men wearing the black uniforms of the City Guard and one in a sleeveless uniform, his red cape billowing behind him and a sword at his hip quickly followed the trail of the brothers on their own sturdy horses. Korin spotted one who trailed slightly behind the others. His thoughts suddenly shifted back to the childhood years when his father had taught them the “hawk and finch” for just such a situation. Having been a member of King Agmon’s royal army of the kingdom of Calthair, their father, Tammar, had learned many attack procedures such as the “hawk and finch.” The “hawk and finch” was a military tactic that concentrated on loners in battle. By taking out these loners, one could systematically reduce an attacker’s force, and cause confusion among them in the process. Their father had told them of various accounts of how invaluable the procedure had been in situations dealing with small numbers such as the group that chased them now. As the first four guards passed under Korin, not even noticing his presence on the tree branch above them, he remained motionless and quiet as the fifth guard approached behind them. As soon as the trailing guard crossed under the branch, Korin quickly dropped down onto the guard’s horse, knocking the guard off in the process. The guard landed with a loud thud and a grunt on the ground. The four guards ahead of him turned their heads to see Korin as he swung one leg over the horse and veered it off in a different direction into the forest as the stunned man on the ground reached out hopelessly as if he could stop him. At the command of the head guard, two of the men turned their horses to chase Korin as he and the other guard continued their pursuit of the other brother. Unsure how to feel about his new rider, the gray horse Korin had acquired put up some resistance to Korin’s attempts to control it. Still, Korin maneuvered it sloppily through the trees while keeping it running strong. As Korin interweaved through the forest, he kept his bearings in mind; always knowing which way was which and where Kris would be. Looking back over his shoulder he could barely see the guards who couldn’t drive their horses around trees as easily as he could. Finally he came upon a hill and he pressed the horse even harder up to the top. When he topped the hill and went halfway down, he brought the horse to a halt and looked back, not seeing the guards quite yet. As Korin dismounted the horse, he took the reins, hastily tied the horse to a low tree branch, and ran off in yet another direction. Korin stopped running long enough to slip a fist sized rock off the ground into his pocket and continued to run until he found a tree with low, sturdy branches. He quickly stripped off his dark green shirt and hung it from a branch in clear view for anyone with a good eye to see. After his initial attack on the first guard, he was sure they’d be checking the trees. Korin took the rock from the cloak and ran off to hide behind another tree. Less than a minute later, the guards finally came to the top of the hill, clearly unused to chasing anyone through a forest. Their lack of knowledge of the forest will be their downfall this day, Korin thought to himself. The guards stopped at the abandoned horse, quickly surveying the area around them. One of the men pointed in the direction they had been chasing him, sending the other man off the same way they’d been going. The first man then turned towards the direction where Korin hid in silence.The one who approached Korin’s hiding spot began speeding at first but slowed as he began to see the green of Korin’s shirt in the tree. The guard was dressed in the black uniform of the City Guard with a silver crest holding a black cape that only hung halfway down his back. Full capes were reserved for only the head Guard. Smiling as if he had outsmarted him, the guard gently brought his horse to a halt and then slowly reached down and unhooked a crossbow from the horse’s saddle. Still making slow movements like they’d be less conspicuous if Korin had been watching from the tree, he slowly aimed it toward the shirt and the arrow was shot true, right into the center of the shirt. The guard laughed to himself and began trotting his horse over to the tree. At the base of the tree, the guard continued to chuckle until he noticed that the shirt just swayed in the wind on a branch, not on Korin. The guard’s smiling face took on a look of fear as he noticed the trap and he spun his horse around just in time to see the rock as it struck his head and knocked him unconscious to the ground sending the horse fleeing in terror off into the forest. Korin sped over to the guard and crouched beside him, placing one hand on the guard’s chest and one under his nose to check for breath. Once he was convinced that the guard was just unconscious, he sped back up the tree and yanked away the arrow that pinned his shirt to the tree. Korin dropped back to the ground, buttoning his shirt as he sped over to the horse that he had tied to the low branch. He could barely notice the arrow hole in his shirt and it was nothing that a few stitches couldn’t fix anyway.After untying the frightened horse and setting it free, he took one last look towards where the other guard had been sent and saw no sign of his returning yet. Once the guard did get back, he’d be more concerned with helping the man Korin dropped with the rock than trying to capture Korin. “Well, that’s three down,” Korin muttered to himself. Korin spun around and sped off to where Kris would be waiting, hopefully alone and having outsmarted the other two guards.
* * * *
As soon as Korin leapt into the tree, Kris kicked his horse in the sides with both feet while securely holding the reins of Korin’s horse to bring them to full speed. Kris weaved his way through the trees, keeping a special notice to keep Korin’s horse as close to his own as possible. Kris stole a quick glance behind him to see the head Guard and his lackey gaining ground on him. “Damn it Korin, you did a good job luring the others away, but now you’re going to get me killed.” Kris let loose the reins of Korin’s horse allowing it to run free from the pursuit. Gripping his own horse’s reins tighter, he leaned down and kicked his horse into full gallop. “By the god Loranis, I will not be captured on this day!” The trees became a blur and the only sound was the rush of wind blowing past him as he pushed his horse harder and harder, yet every time he looked back, the two guards were still pushing forward just as much as he. “Come on, Telis, you can get us through this,” he reassured the horse as he ducked even lower to miss a dangling branch. After several minutes of darting through the trees, Kris quickly took one more glance behind him to only see an empty forest. “Whoa!” Kris commanded the horse, pulling the reins and bringing Telis to a halt. Kris perked his head up and listened to the world around him. “Ha ha, we lost them,” he chuckled. “I don’t think Korin’s going to be too happy about us losing his horse though. We better let you rest a minute. You’ve done a fine job today,” Kris told his horse. Kris stepped out of the saddle and jumped to the ground and surveyed the forest, seeing no sign of the guards. Kris sighed to himself as he brushed off the leaves that had stuck to his white shirt. “I just hope Korin’s having the same luck we ha….” Before he could finish, Kris felt a bola wrap around his legs, dropping him down to the ground, scaring Telis and sending her fleeing into the woods. “Oof! What is this?” he demanded. Kris looked up to see one of the guards. “This is me getting promoted,” the black clad guard laughed. “Guess I’s lucked out. I went after your brother and ended up findin’ you. The mayor’s going to be mighty happy with me.” The guard broke into a big smile, flaunting a mouth with more than one missing tooth.
Kris narrowed his eyes angrily at his gap-toothed capturer. “Oh great, I get to be caught by this ill-bred idiot.” The sound of hoof beats drew closer and announced the other two guards catching up to Kris. After they came to a halt, the leader of the guard dismounted and walked with a sense of pride towards Kris, his black cloak billowing in the wind. The man was tall and muscular with long earthen brown hair pulled back into a ponytail behind him. He had a sharp-featured handsomeness in his face, with gray, seemingly emotionless eyes that betrayed his middle years age. His black uniform was sleeveless with a long red lined cape connected by a golden, sun shaped crest. “Well look at what we’ve got here. I’ve been wanting to take you down for so long, Krisalin Karell.” Dismounting his black horse, the man gave a closed smile, void of humor, and then spit off to the side. “The mayor of Huransburg’s not so happy with you and now we get to take you back for a nice public flogging. Huransburg is not the place for people like you!” Kris brought himself up on his hands and glared coldly at the guard with his emerald eyes. “Menar, nothing would give me more pleasure than to rip out your throat right now….” A swift kick to his jaw ended Kris’ sentence. Kris arched back and collapsed to the ground again. Kris rolled onto his side and wiped the blood from his mouth, returning his glare to Menar, the head Guard, giving a slight smile. “Suppose you’re just jealous.” Menar walked around Kris and then kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of Kris and initiating a series of rapid breaths from the fallen man who now clutched his arms to his stomach. “Jealous? Ha! I could have a woman like that if I wanted.” Menar knelt down beside Kris and lifted Kris’ chin with a finger. “And I wouldn’t even have to use force like some people I know,” he mocked, dropping Kris’ head down to the ground. Kris looked up at Menar with a scowl. “Anyway, looks like I’m going to get quite a reward for catching the biggest criminal in Huransburg.” The lower ranked guard who was on foot turned his eyes from the man in pain on the ground to Menar. “No, I caught him and I’s gonna be the one ta’ take him to Gregar. I’s was chasin’ after the other one and ended up seein’ this un’ comin’ up so I ditched my horse and hid. I’s the one that found him fair and square!” Menar rose from Kris slowly and placed his hand on the sword hanging from his belt. “Oh, I see. You want to take my place. You, an uneducated, dirty, ugly excuse for a human being. I’m higher than you, and Gregar knows this. This is why I’m the Captain of his Guard and you’re nothing more than a peasant!” Kris burst into laughter that sounded more like coughing as he still struggled to regain his breath. “You act as if you’re the Captain of the King’s guard!” Another kick to Kris’ stomach ended Kris’ comments. Menar’s face twisted into anger. “I may not be, but I should be!” Menar turned back to the other guard and drew his sword. “But until the day I do rise to that rank, I can’t be bothered with this country folk trash!” The unarmored guard tried to grab the dagger he kept in his belt, but Menar fluidly spun around and slashed his sword across the man’s neck before the man could even pull it out. The body slumped over Kris, blood spilling onto his long-sleeved, white shirt. Menar wiped his sword across the forest floor and sheathed it again, looking back at the guard still on horseback. “Not a word of this is to be spoken to anyone, or you’ll be the next to feel my blade.” The other guard swallowed and nodded his head, too scared to talk back to Menar. Smiling, Menar turned his attention back to Kris. “Looks like you’re going to have murder added to your charges. Tsk, tsk. Looks like we may just have an execution on our hands, you…” Menar was cut off by a grunt and turned to see his other guard fall from his horse. Before he could even act, he spun to a sound behind him only to be greeted by a thick tree branch to his face. Menar dropped to the ground, unconscious. Kris rolled himself out from under the dead guard to find himself staring at Korin propping himself up on the tree branch like it was a walking stick. “What took you so long Korin?” Kris sat up and began undoing the bola around his legs. “I swear, your cockiness is going to be the end of you. You should never have dropped your guard like this,” Korin lectured. Before he could berate his brother anymore, bile began to rise in his throat at seeing the dead guard and the pool of blood below him. Korin drew his attention from the body to the sky, choking back the vomit. Neither brother had ever seen such a gruesome sight before. Nausea swept through Korin as he realized that looking away from the body didn’t erase the image from his mind. Kris pushed himself to his feet slowly, the pain in his stomach keeping him from moving too quickly at that moment. His face had paled and his eyes widened as he looked down and really took in what had happened for the first time. The movement in his throat as he swallowed showed that Kris was having the same battle with keeping the contents of his stomach at bay. Turning to Korin, his ashen face took on a sheepish look. “Well, I guess you’ve saved me this one time, but we have more pressing matters. I lost the horses.” Korin sighed with resignation. “We’ll just have to hurry up and find a town or something and hopefully someone kind enough to put us up for a night on what little money we have on us. Geeron should be close if we can find the road.” Kris looked up at his brother disbelievingly. “What do you mean? Everything we had was on those horses: food, money, and clothes. I mean, look at me! I’m covered in blood and you expect us to just be able to waltz into some town, offer a couple of coppers and be able to get a room and food for the night? They’re going to think we’re a couple of bloody murderers!” “Well, it wouldn’t be down to this if you hadn’t dropped your guard and lost both horses! I’d have thought dad’s teachings would have had more meaning to you!” Korin looked into Kris’ eyes and could see the pain from what he had said. “I’m sorry, Kris. I know that you loved dad as much as I did, but you know I’m right about what we must do.” Kris just nodded solemnly and then glanced down at the unconscious guards. “What about them? I wouldn’t mind finishing off Menar,” he muttered with a scowl. As soon as the words had left his throat, he immediately regretted it, remembering the dead guard. “They’ll be out for a time yet. Let’s just make haste and find the road to Geeron. Besides, you have some explaining to do about this whole situation on the way there.” Again, Kris nodded his agreement and looked back up at his twin. “We better start off then,” he began, pulling off his blood soaked cloak, dropping it to the ground, “before these guards wake up and I really do end up killing Menar.”
If you missed the first blog with the prologue, you can check it out first: http://brian-beam.blogspot.com/2012/0...
Chapter 1
“Why her?” Korin questioned angrily, ducking to avoid a low hanging branch only to rise up to meet another across his face as they raced their horses through the forest. The small scratches covering his face and arms were beginning to fray his nerves. Kris turned to look back at his twin brother and gave out a throaty laugh. “Come on bro, how could I pass up a chance with her?” Kris turned back around just in time to veer his horse left of a thick branch. “Was it really worth all this trouble?” Korin was trying his hardest to dodge through the trees with little luck. He couldn’t quite understand how his brother could be enjoying the experience so much. “Where’s your sense of adventure? Besides, a little excitement will be good for ya’!” Kris pushed his horse harder until the horse was at full speed. Korin followed suit, although wary about how long the horses could keep such a pace. Korin stole a glance behind him to check for the pursuing guards. He couldn’t see the guards, but he could still hear the hoof beats of several horses on dry leaves in the distance. They were still close. They wouldn’t give up until the brothers were taken into custody. “Sorry if I’m not exactly happy about being chased from the only home I’ve ever known for reasons that I don’t even understand yet,” he muttered sarcastically. Korin shifted his gaze back in front of him, meeting with several more branches. The twins were of average height with raven black hair just long enough to drape over their eyes. Their twenty-three years of age seemed less in their young looking, slightly tanned, clean shaven faces. The only difference in the twins’ natural appearance was their eyes. Korin’s were as blue as the sea while Kris’ were as green as the forest that they raced their horses through. Another small branch slapped into Korin’s face. “I’ve had enough of this!” Blood from the new scratch above Korin’s eye streamed down past his azure eyes. “I refuse to have these back-wit farmers hunt us down like this! I’ll take hawk, you take finch!” “Why do you always….” Korin cut off his brother’s protest by passing him the reins to his horse and grabbing a tree branch above himself, nimbly climbing to a sturdier branch higher up and assuming a crouching position among the spring green leaves. Korin’s long sleeved green shirt and his tan pants were perfect camouflage, even if unintentionally. Kris led the two horses onward while Korin waited patiently in the tree. After a few moments, the guards came into view. Four muscular men wearing the black uniforms of the City Guard and one in a sleeveless uniform, his red cape billowing behind him and a sword at his hip quickly followed the trail of the brothers on their own sturdy horses. Korin spotted one who trailed slightly behind the others. His thoughts suddenly shifted back to the childhood years when his father had taught them the “hawk and finch” for just such a situation. Having been a member of King Agmon’s royal army of the kingdom of Calthair, their father, Tammar, had learned many attack procedures such as the “hawk and finch.” The “hawk and finch” was a military tactic that concentrated on loners in battle. By taking out these loners, one could systematically reduce an attacker’s force, and cause confusion among them in the process. Their father had told them of various accounts of how invaluable the procedure had been in situations dealing with small numbers such as the group that chased them now. As the first four guards passed under Korin, not even noticing his presence on the tree branch above them, he remained motionless and quiet as the fifth guard approached behind them. As soon as the trailing guard crossed under the branch, Korin quickly dropped down onto the guard’s horse, knocking the guard off in the process. The guard landed with a loud thud and a grunt on the ground. The four guards ahead of him turned their heads to see Korin as he swung one leg over the horse and veered it off in a different direction into the forest as the stunned man on the ground reached out hopelessly as if he could stop him. At the command of the head guard, two of the men turned their horses to chase Korin as he and the other guard continued their pursuit of the other brother. Unsure how to feel about his new rider, the gray horse Korin had acquired put up some resistance to Korin’s attempts to control it. Still, Korin maneuvered it sloppily through the trees while keeping it running strong. As Korin interweaved through the forest, he kept his bearings in mind; always knowing which way was which and where Kris would be. Looking back over his shoulder he could barely see the guards who couldn’t drive their horses around trees as easily as he could. Finally he came upon a hill and he pressed the horse even harder up to the top. When he topped the hill and went halfway down, he brought the horse to a halt and looked back, not seeing the guards quite yet. As Korin dismounted the horse, he took the reins, hastily tied the horse to a low tree branch, and ran off in yet another direction. Korin stopped running long enough to slip a fist sized rock off the ground into his pocket and continued to run until he found a tree with low, sturdy branches. He quickly stripped off his dark green shirt and hung it from a branch in clear view for anyone with a good eye to see. After his initial attack on the first guard, he was sure they’d be checking the trees. Korin took the rock from the cloak and ran off to hide behind another tree. Less than a minute later, the guards finally came to the top of the hill, clearly unused to chasing anyone through a forest. Their lack of knowledge of the forest will be their downfall this day, Korin thought to himself. The guards stopped at the abandoned horse, quickly surveying the area around them. One of the men pointed in the direction they had been chasing him, sending the other man off the same way they’d been going. The first man then turned towards the direction where Korin hid in silence.The one who approached Korin’s hiding spot began speeding at first but slowed as he began to see the green of Korin’s shirt in the tree. The guard was dressed in the black uniform of the City Guard with a silver crest holding a black cape that only hung halfway down his back. Full capes were reserved for only the head Guard. Smiling as if he had outsmarted him, the guard gently brought his horse to a halt and then slowly reached down and unhooked a crossbow from the horse’s saddle. Still making slow movements like they’d be less conspicuous if Korin had been watching from the tree, he slowly aimed it toward the shirt and the arrow was shot true, right into the center of the shirt. The guard laughed to himself and began trotting his horse over to the tree. At the base of the tree, the guard continued to chuckle until he noticed that the shirt just swayed in the wind on a branch, not on Korin. The guard’s smiling face took on a look of fear as he noticed the trap and he spun his horse around just in time to see the rock as it struck his head and knocked him unconscious to the ground sending the horse fleeing in terror off into the forest. Korin sped over to the guard and crouched beside him, placing one hand on the guard’s chest and one under his nose to check for breath. Once he was convinced that the guard was just unconscious, he sped back up the tree and yanked away the arrow that pinned his shirt to the tree. Korin dropped back to the ground, buttoning his shirt as he sped over to the horse that he had tied to the low branch. He could barely notice the arrow hole in his shirt and it was nothing that a few stitches couldn’t fix anyway.After untying the frightened horse and setting it free, he took one last look towards where the other guard had been sent and saw no sign of his returning yet. Once the guard did get back, he’d be more concerned with helping the man Korin dropped with the rock than trying to capture Korin. “Well, that’s three down,” Korin muttered to himself. Korin spun around and sped off to where Kris would be waiting, hopefully alone and having outsmarted the other two guards.
* * * *
As soon as Korin leapt into the tree, Kris kicked his horse in the sides with both feet while securely holding the reins of Korin’s horse to bring them to full speed. Kris weaved his way through the trees, keeping a special notice to keep Korin’s horse as close to his own as possible. Kris stole a quick glance behind him to see the head Guard and his lackey gaining ground on him. “Damn it Korin, you did a good job luring the others away, but now you’re going to get me killed.” Kris let loose the reins of Korin’s horse allowing it to run free from the pursuit. Gripping his own horse’s reins tighter, he leaned down and kicked his horse into full gallop. “By the god Loranis, I will not be captured on this day!” The trees became a blur and the only sound was the rush of wind blowing past him as he pushed his horse harder and harder, yet every time he looked back, the two guards were still pushing forward just as much as he. “Come on, Telis, you can get us through this,” he reassured the horse as he ducked even lower to miss a dangling branch. After several minutes of darting through the trees, Kris quickly took one more glance behind him to only see an empty forest. “Whoa!” Kris commanded the horse, pulling the reins and bringing Telis to a halt. Kris perked his head up and listened to the world around him. “Ha ha, we lost them,” he chuckled. “I don’t think Korin’s going to be too happy about us losing his horse though. We better let you rest a minute. You’ve done a fine job today,” Kris told his horse. Kris stepped out of the saddle and jumped to the ground and surveyed the forest, seeing no sign of the guards. Kris sighed to himself as he brushed off the leaves that had stuck to his white shirt. “I just hope Korin’s having the same luck we ha….” Before he could finish, Kris felt a bola wrap around his legs, dropping him down to the ground, scaring Telis and sending her fleeing into the woods. “Oof! What is this?” he demanded. Kris looked up to see one of the guards. “This is me getting promoted,” the black clad guard laughed. “Guess I’s lucked out. I went after your brother and ended up findin’ you. The mayor’s going to be mighty happy with me.” The guard broke into a big smile, flaunting a mouth with more than one missing tooth.
Kris narrowed his eyes angrily at his gap-toothed capturer. “Oh great, I get to be caught by this ill-bred idiot.” The sound of hoof beats drew closer and announced the other two guards catching up to Kris. After they came to a halt, the leader of the guard dismounted and walked with a sense of pride towards Kris, his black cloak billowing in the wind. The man was tall and muscular with long earthen brown hair pulled back into a ponytail behind him. He had a sharp-featured handsomeness in his face, with gray, seemingly emotionless eyes that betrayed his middle years age. His black uniform was sleeveless with a long red lined cape connected by a golden, sun shaped crest. “Well look at what we’ve got here. I’ve been wanting to take you down for so long, Krisalin Karell.” Dismounting his black horse, the man gave a closed smile, void of humor, and then spit off to the side. “The mayor of Huransburg’s not so happy with you and now we get to take you back for a nice public flogging. Huransburg is not the place for people like you!” Kris brought himself up on his hands and glared coldly at the guard with his emerald eyes. “Menar, nothing would give me more pleasure than to rip out your throat right now….” A swift kick to his jaw ended Kris’ sentence. Kris arched back and collapsed to the ground again. Kris rolled onto his side and wiped the blood from his mouth, returning his glare to Menar, the head Guard, giving a slight smile. “Suppose you’re just jealous.” Menar walked around Kris and then kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of Kris and initiating a series of rapid breaths from the fallen man who now clutched his arms to his stomach. “Jealous? Ha! I could have a woman like that if I wanted.” Menar knelt down beside Kris and lifted Kris’ chin with a finger. “And I wouldn’t even have to use force like some people I know,” he mocked, dropping Kris’ head down to the ground. Kris looked up at Menar with a scowl. “Anyway, looks like I’m going to get quite a reward for catching the biggest criminal in Huransburg.” The lower ranked guard who was on foot turned his eyes from the man in pain on the ground to Menar. “No, I caught him and I’s gonna be the one ta’ take him to Gregar. I’s was chasin’ after the other one and ended up seein’ this un’ comin’ up so I ditched my horse and hid. I’s the one that found him fair and square!” Menar rose from Kris slowly and placed his hand on the sword hanging from his belt. “Oh, I see. You want to take my place. You, an uneducated, dirty, ugly excuse for a human being. I’m higher than you, and Gregar knows this. This is why I’m the Captain of his Guard and you’re nothing more than a peasant!” Kris burst into laughter that sounded more like coughing as he still struggled to regain his breath. “You act as if you’re the Captain of the King’s guard!” Another kick to Kris’ stomach ended Kris’ comments. Menar’s face twisted into anger. “I may not be, but I should be!” Menar turned back to the other guard and drew his sword. “But until the day I do rise to that rank, I can’t be bothered with this country folk trash!” The unarmored guard tried to grab the dagger he kept in his belt, but Menar fluidly spun around and slashed his sword across the man’s neck before the man could even pull it out. The body slumped over Kris, blood spilling onto his long-sleeved, white shirt. Menar wiped his sword across the forest floor and sheathed it again, looking back at the guard still on horseback. “Not a word of this is to be spoken to anyone, or you’ll be the next to feel my blade.” The other guard swallowed and nodded his head, too scared to talk back to Menar. Smiling, Menar turned his attention back to Kris. “Looks like you’re going to have murder added to your charges. Tsk, tsk. Looks like we may just have an execution on our hands, you…” Menar was cut off by a grunt and turned to see his other guard fall from his horse. Before he could even act, he spun to a sound behind him only to be greeted by a thick tree branch to his face. Menar dropped to the ground, unconscious. Kris rolled himself out from under the dead guard to find himself staring at Korin propping himself up on the tree branch like it was a walking stick. “What took you so long Korin?” Kris sat up and began undoing the bola around his legs. “I swear, your cockiness is going to be the end of you. You should never have dropped your guard like this,” Korin lectured. Before he could berate his brother anymore, bile began to rise in his throat at seeing the dead guard and the pool of blood below him. Korin drew his attention from the body to the sky, choking back the vomit. Neither brother had ever seen such a gruesome sight before. Nausea swept through Korin as he realized that looking away from the body didn’t erase the image from his mind. Kris pushed himself to his feet slowly, the pain in his stomach keeping him from moving too quickly at that moment. His face had paled and his eyes widened as he looked down and really took in what had happened for the first time. The movement in his throat as he swallowed showed that Kris was having the same battle with keeping the contents of his stomach at bay. Turning to Korin, his ashen face took on a sheepish look. “Well, I guess you’ve saved me this one time, but we have more pressing matters. I lost the horses.” Korin sighed with resignation. “We’ll just have to hurry up and find a town or something and hopefully someone kind enough to put us up for a night on what little money we have on us. Geeron should be close if we can find the road.” Kris looked up at his brother disbelievingly. “What do you mean? Everything we had was on those horses: food, money, and clothes. I mean, look at me! I’m covered in blood and you expect us to just be able to waltz into some town, offer a couple of coppers and be able to get a room and food for the night? They’re going to think we’re a couple of bloody murderers!” “Well, it wouldn’t be down to this if you hadn’t dropped your guard and lost both horses! I’d have thought dad’s teachings would have had more meaning to you!” Korin looked into Kris’ eyes and could see the pain from what he had said. “I’m sorry, Kris. I know that you loved dad as much as I did, but you know I’m right about what we must do.” Kris just nodded solemnly and then glanced down at the unconscious guards. “What about them? I wouldn’t mind finishing off Menar,” he muttered with a scowl. As soon as the words had left his throat, he immediately regretted it, remembering the dead guard. “They’ll be out for a time yet. Let’s just make haste and find the road to Geeron. Besides, you have some explaining to do about this whole situation on the way there.” Again, Kris nodded his agreement and looked back up at his twin. “We better start off then,” he began, pulling off his blood soaked cloak, dropping it to the ground, “before these guards wake up and I really do end up killing Menar.”
October 4, 2012
Running Through My Head
Yeah, I'm so cool I run in the rain.So, if you're a writer like me (the ones who don't fully outline your stories except for in your mind), you run into snags or plotholes more often than the (probably smarter) outliners. This just happened to me last night with Book 2 of Korin's Journal. It wasn't even the part I was working on. It was something from the next chapter that I didn't feel was going to connect the way I was going to want it to in Book 3. My productivity was killed for the night.
So, this morning, I went for my triweekly jog...is that the right word? Anyway, running is my go-to to think things through with my book, and generally, when I do hit snags, I not only think my way through them, but discover ways to make the story even better with how I approach the solution. In this case, what was to be a small scene in the next chapter will now be at least a couple times longer and will provide more emotional impact, allow another glimpse at the main villain of Book 2, and tie into exactly how I see Book 3's story flowing. All plotted in about 3.13 miles.
The point is, for any writers out there, there is always something that can help clear your mind and push through issues like this or writer's block or just pure lack of motivation. Maybe you already have yours. What kinds of things help you push through these situations?
Brian Beam
September 30, 2012
How I Met Your Magic Talking Wizard Cat
How I Met Your Mother is one of my favorite television shows...er...off and on at least. The most recent seasons have made me question why I still spend 22 minutes with characters that are barely shades of their earlier selves, back when the show was truly something special...I better stop before I get to rambling. No one wants that.
Now, this may seem like a random topic, but I feel that this show has taught me something about writing and should be a little bit of a lesson for other writers out there.
[image error] Do not do this with your books...pleaseSo, for any unfamiliar with HIMYM, it follows Ted Mosby as he tells his children the story of how he met their mother, thus the show's title. The show centers around Ted and his closest friends(Marshall, Lily, Robin, and Barney). I'm not going to go into much about the show, but I want to point out that is currently on season 8...and Ted still hasn't met the mother.
Ted not meeting the mother is not my complaint. I mean, that's the whole vehicle for this show. Take that away, and it would have to be renamed, How I Knocked Up Your Mom or something(as Ted seems to have no qualms about detailing his sexual escapades to his children...why not traumatize them a little more?) No, my complaint is about something I read about the show recently.
See, HIMYM has been getting its highest ratings over the past couple seasons, and higher ratings means more money. More money = studio pressure to continue the show. This led to a 2 season pick up before season 7, probably to keep hold of Jason Segal(Marshall), and Neil Patrick Harris(Barney), who probably command a pretty hefty paycheck at this point. The show has started to really drag. There's been a ton of build up to the reveal of the mother, going as far to showing clips from the exact day it happens at a particular wedding. Now all we have is filler to get there. Each new girl Ted meets before that day = instant pointless, waste of time relationship. One that will most likely last over a half-season arc or so. The other characters are mere shadows of their former selves and do little to help balance out the dragging mother storyline.
See, I've started rambling anyway. Damn.
The series creators have said that they are going into season 8 as if it is the last while keeping a plan B in mind in case they are picked back up for season 9. Here's where I start to have a problem with the whole thing. They know the ending. They know it would fit into this season. Yet, they're ready to drag it out. Hell, they are basically admitting they have a plan to drag it out.
So, I plead to any writers out there: don't drag out your stories.
In Korin's Journal, I have a trilogy in mind. There is a beginning and end. It will occur over three books. I don't care if somehow when book 2 is released I sell a million copies of it. Book 3 will end the story. Can more stories be told in its universe? Maybe. But as for the main story, it will stop at 3. And honestly, I love my characters. When I start book 3, I'm going to have moments where I want to keep it going just to hold on to them (Don't worry, I won't, though). I know the story, and it does not need the fluff.
A lot of writers are guilty of this. I hate to name this one because of his impact on my own writing and the legacy he left with his passing, but Robert Jordan was a good example of this. Now, that said, I love every book in the Wheel of Time series. Yet, from book 6 or 7 until about book 10, there is a ton of material that feels like a means of drawing the story out over an extra book or 2. I know that the series was originally pitched as a trilogy, and I am glad that it did not turn out that way; the story turned into something so much bigger and better. However, there are a couple books worth of content that could easily be scrapped from the series and it would not be missed. Kind of like most of seasons 6 and 7 of HIMYM.
For any who saw all this text and just scrolled down here to the bottom, if you are a writer, don't drag out your works just for the sake of holding onto characters or because of success. Doing so will eventually come back to bite you if your readers pick up on the fact of what you are doing, and, they probably will.
Now, here's a palate cleanser after my little rant:
The truth behind the writing of Korin's Journal. I'm off camera taking a nap.
Brian Beam
Now, this may seem like a random topic, but I feel that this show has taught me something about writing and should be a little bit of a lesson for other writers out there.
[image error] Do not do this with your books...pleaseSo, for any unfamiliar with HIMYM, it follows Ted Mosby as he tells his children the story of how he met their mother, thus the show's title. The show centers around Ted and his closest friends(Marshall, Lily, Robin, and Barney). I'm not going to go into much about the show, but I want to point out that is currently on season 8...and Ted still hasn't met the mother.
Ted not meeting the mother is not my complaint. I mean, that's the whole vehicle for this show. Take that away, and it would have to be renamed, How I Knocked Up Your Mom or something(as Ted seems to have no qualms about detailing his sexual escapades to his children...why not traumatize them a little more?) No, my complaint is about something I read about the show recently.
See, HIMYM has been getting its highest ratings over the past couple seasons, and higher ratings means more money. More money = studio pressure to continue the show. This led to a 2 season pick up before season 7, probably to keep hold of Jason Segal(Marshall), and Neil Patrick Harris(Barney), who probably command a pretty hefty paycheck at this point. The show has started to really drag. There's been a ton of build up to the reveal of the mother, going as far to showing clips from the exact day it happens at a particular wedding. Now all we have is filler to get there. Each new girl Ted meets before that day = instant pointless, waste of time relationship. One that will most likely last over a half-season arc or so. The other characters are mere shadows of their former selves and do little to help balance out the dragging mother storyline.
See, I've started rambling anyway. Damn.
The series creators have said that they are going into season 8 as if it is the last while keeping a plan B in mind in case they are picked back up for season 9. Here's where I start to have a problem with the whole thing. They know the ending. They know it would fit into this season. Yet, they're ready to drag it out. Hell, they are basically admitting they have a plan to drag it out.
So, I plead to any writers out there: don't drag out your stories.
In Korin's Journal, I have a trilogy in mind. There is a beginning and end. It will occur over three books. I don't care if somehow when book 2 is released I sell a million copies of it. Book 3 will end the story. Can more stories be told in its universe? Maybe. But as for the main story, it will stop at 3. And honestly, I love my characters. When I start book 3, I'm going to have moments where I want to keep it going just to hold on to them (Don't worry, I won't, though). I know the story, and it does not need the fluff.
A lot of writers are guilty of this. I hate to name this one because of his impact on my own writing and the legacy he left with his passing, but Robert Jordan was a good example of this. Now, that said, I love every book in the Wheel of Time series. Yet, from book 6 or 7 until about book 10, there is a ton of material that feels like a means of drawing the story out over an extra book or 2. I know that the series was originally pitched as a trilogy, and I am glad that it did not turn out that way; the story turned into something so much bigger and better. However, there are a couple books worth of content that could easily be scrapped from the series and it would not be missed. Kind of like most of seasons 6 and 7 of HIMYM.
For any who saw all this text and just scrolled down here to the bottom, if you are a writer, don't drag out your works just for the sake of holding onto characters or because of success. Doing so will eventually come back to bite you if your readers pick up on the fact of what you are doing, and, they probably will.
Now, here's a palate cleanser after my little rant:
The truth behind the writing of Korin's Journal. I'm off camera taking a nap.Brian Beam
September 25, 2012
The OCD Writer
When I write, I tend to subscribe to the "letting the story flow" school of thought. Writing outlines does not work for me, even if my ideas are basically outlined in my head. Most times, though, I have an idea for the beginning, end, and a couple stopping points on the way. As I make my way through these points, my mind tends to start doing its own thing and taking me down paths I didn't expect(usually with good results.)
That said, I may not be 100% structured when it comes to story planning/writing, but I sure am organized. Here's a picture of what all I have pulled up when working on my current projects:
[image error] (Click to enlarge)
OCD much? Yeah, a little.
Brian Beam
That said, I may not be 100% structured when it comes to story planning/writing, but I sure am organized. Here's a picture of what all I have pulled up when working on my current projects:
[image error] (Click to enlarge)
OCD much? Yeah, a little.
Brian Beam
September 19, 2012
Ask a Question, Get an Answer
Hello all,
Not that I like to show my son off or anything...
So, I find myself heading back into the world of...gulp...employment. After a nice, extended length of time as a stay at home dad, I will once again be out in the world of work.
Why am I blogging about this? Well, naturally my writing time will take a hit. As you may have noticed from my progress bars to the lower left of the blog(I'm just pimping 'em cuz I love 'em), I've got the vast majority of the first draft of Book 2 of Korin's Journal wrapped up. I still plan on finishing by the end of the year with a release before March 2013. Mid December at the earliest, March at the latest. So, while I chip away at the homestretch of book 2, I may be blogging less. However, I will continue to post updates on Book 2 (excerpts, etc.). I'll do a title reveal soon, I swear. I'm just paranoid that I'll announce it, and then twenty books with the same title will appear on Amazon and I'll have to change it. Before you go thinking that I'm full of myself, I don't think that anyone would snag my title idea(I like it, but it's not that amazing), I just think it's my luck that it would coincidentally occur.
Now, to address my blog post title. For anyone who has read The Dragon Gem, or even just the synopsis, feel free to send me an email with a question for any (living) character(s) from the book to bbeams32@gmail.com or message them to me on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor. I'll post the questions here on a future blog(if anyone actually does it) and the answer from whoever the question was directed to. They can just be silly questions or even attempts to glean some book 2 information. Of course, I'll make sure they don't give away anything too major, but the questions will be answered....in some form or fashion.
So, let's see some questions...cause if you don't send them, I may have to make them up and use up valuable brain power doing so :).
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Brian Beam
Not that I like to show my son off or anything...So, I find myself heading back into the world of...gulp...employment. After a nice, extended length of time as a stay at home dad, I will once again be out in the world of work.
Why am I blogging about this? Well, naturally my writing time will take a hit. As you may have noticed from my progress bars to the lower left of the blog(I'm just pimping 'em cuz I love 'em), I've got the vast majority of the first draft of Book 2 of Korin's Journal wrapped up. I still plan on finishing by the end of the year with a release before March 2013. Mid December at the earliest, March at the latest. So, while I chip away at the homestretch of book 2, I may be blogging less. However, I will continue to post updates on Book 2 (excerpts, etc.). I'll do a title reveal soon, I swear. I'm just paranoid that I'll announce it, and then twenty books with the same title will appear on Amazon and I'll have to change it. Before you go thinking that I'm full of myself, I don't think that anyone would snag my title idea(I like it, but it's not that amazing), I just think it's my luck that it would coincidentally occur.
Now, to address my blog post title. For anyone who has read The Dragon Gem, or even just the synopsis, feel free to send me an email with a question for any (living) character(s) from the book to bbeams32@gmail.com or message them to me on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor. I'll post the questions here on a future blog(if anyone actually does it) and the answer from whoever the question was directed to. They can just be silly questions or even attempts to glean some book 2 information. Of course, I'll make sure they don't give away anything too major, but the questions will be answered....in some form or fashion.
So, let's see some questions...cause if you don't send them, I may have to make them up and use up valuable brain power doing so :).
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Brian Beam
