Brian Beam's Blog, page 16
July 22, 2012
Book 2 Excerpt
Here's a (very)small excerpt from Book 2 of Korin's Journal to A) prove that I'm actually working on it and B) prove that some answers about Korin's past will finally be revealed in this book. I had to reword the first sentence to avoid a major spoiler from The Dragon Gem. I'm still a long ways from finishing the story and even further from having it fully edited and ready for publishing(still shooting for Dec 2012 release if possible). If anyone is interested, I would love to put up more excerpts every now and then just to give clues as to what to look forward to in this book. Maybe I'll reveal the title one of these days too :-P Enjoy!
Brian Beam
Max stared solemnly across the waters.. “You know, a part of me thought I would never tell you all of this. There was a time when I lost hope, when I truly believed that my life would be spent watching you grow up on that farm.” He shook his head and looked up at me. “I must start this with a heartfelt apology.”I licked my dry lips to work up some moisture. My nerves had dried out my mouth. “It’s okay, Max.”“No,” he replied, staring back out across the lake. “I told you before that it was for your own good. When I really think about it, it was actually more for my own.” He paused for a moment. The chilly breeze picked up as if to prod him to speak. “I just ask that you allow me to speak this out. I know you will have questions, but I just ask that they wait.”
Brian Beam
Max stared solemnly across the waters.. “You know, a part of me thought I would never tell you all of this. There was a time when I lost hope, when I truly believed that my life would be spent watching you grow up on that farm.” He shook his head and looked up at me. “I must start this with a heartfelt apology.”I licked my dry lips to work up some moisture. My nerves had dried out my mouth. “It’s okay, Max.”“No,” he replied, staring back out across the lake. “I told you before that it was for your own good. When I really think about it, it was actually more for my own.” He paused for a moment. The chilly breeze picked up as if to prod him to speak. “I just ask that you allow me to speak this out. I know you will have questions, but I just ask that they wait.”
July 18, 2012
Useless Body Parts
So, for anyone who doesn't know, one of my birthday presents this year was appendicitis. Went in, got it taken out, had to stay an extra day because of a high white blood cell count, and am now back at home. Fun stuff. What better way to ring in the big 3-0.
Appendectomies are fairly routine and they caught my appendicitis early, so it wasn't anything too major. Just lots of pre-op pain followed by some post-op soreness. My wife has gotten on me about how instead of focusing about recovering, I have been getting on myself about my lack of writing. You would think that surgery would be a great excuse to just lay around and write, but instead, I find the nausea and pain-med loopiness does not lend well to writing. The worst part is that I'm at a place in Book 2 of Korin's Journal that I've wanted to get to from the very beginning. It is a pivotal point in not just this story, but the series as a whole. I don't want to screw it up by thinking, "Wow, this sounds great" while on Vicodin only to look at it the next week and see that I actually just wrote a short story about bunny rabbits from Venus or something.
Complaints aside, I have officially started on a couple other writing projects as I work on Book 2 of Korin's Journal. I have some ideas I am really loving, so I hope something comes out of them. Anyway, if any of this came across as whiny, feel free to hunt me down and give me a good smack and say "Shape up, wuss!" or something along those lines.
Have a great week, everyone!
Brian Beam
Appendectomies are fairly routine and they caught my appendicitis early, so it wasn't anything too major. Just lots of pre-op pain followed by some post-op soreness. My wife has gotten on me about how instead of focusing about recovering, I have been getting on myself about my lack of writing. You would think that surgery would be a great excuse to just lay around and write, but instead, I find the nausea and pain-med loopiness does not lend well to writing. The worst part is that I'm at a place in Book 2 of Korin's Journal that I've wanted to get to from the very beginning. It is a pivotal point in not just this story, but the series as a whole. I don't want to screw it up by thinking, "Wow, this sounds great" while on Vicodin only to look at it the next week and see that I actually just wrote a short story about bunny rabbits from Venus or something.
Complaints aside, I have officially started on a couple other writing projects as I work on Book 2 of Korin's Journal. I have some ideas I am really loving, so I hope something comes out of them. Anyway, if any of this came across as whiny, feel free to hunt me down and give me a good smack and say "Shape up, wuss!" or something along those lines.
Have a great week, everyone!
Brian Beam
July 11, 2012
Some Hometown Love
So, I gave a couple freebie copies of the Dragon Gem to my hometown's independent bookstore just for the fact that my book could A) Be available in a bookstore, and B) Be available in a bookstore I spent so much time at as a kid(well, in their old location at least).
Anyway, since the bookstore also doubles as a candy store, my wife stopped by the bookstore to get me some chocolate covered gummy bears(shut up, they're delicious!) and took this pic of The Dragon Gem displayed in the front of the store. I'm not sure how I feel about Fifty Shades Darker trying to rub up on it, though...
In all seriousness, as a writer, seeing my book displayed like this makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...even if they were giveaway copies that I won't see a dime for. A special thank you to Bardstown Booksellers in Bardstown, KY for stocking it and already selling one of the copies I gave them!
Brian Beam
Anyway, since the bookstore also doubles as a candy store, my wife stopped by the bookstore to get me some chocolate covered gummy bears(shut up, they're delicious!) and took this pic of The Dragon Gem displayed in the front of the store. I'm not sure how I feel about Fifty Shades Darker trying to rub up on it, though...
In all seriousness, as a writer, seeing my book displayed like this makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...even if they were giveaway copies that I won't see a dime for. A special thank you to Bardstown Booksellers in Bardstown, KY for stocking it and already selling one of the copies I gave them!
Brian Beam
July 6, 2012
You Might Be A Writer If...
You have nightmares about getting bad reviews.
Last night I dreamed that I received a scathing review for The Dragon Gem on Amazon. The reviewer stated that after the first couple of chapters, they saw absolutely no reason why anyone would want to continue reading the rest. Then they attacked the length of my book, saying it was way too short for the price, though my book is a healthy 140,000 words. Anyway, this actually woke me up with my heart speeding. Sad, huh?
Coincidentally, this morning on my favorite indie author site, Indies Unlimited, there was this great feature that listed one-star reviews for some of the most classic literary works of all time. Be sure to check it out at http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2012/07/06/one-star-reviews-of-the-hundred-greatest-novel-100-76/. It was an eye-opener in that it helped me realize that, as with all books, whether my book is good or bad, eventually, someone is going to dislike it enough to want to let the world know that they felt it was a nice big pile of...
That day hasn't come yet, but I think when it does, I think I'll be better prepared now.
That said, The Dragon Gem just received a good review from The Ink Puddle! It can be found at http://ink-puddle.blogspot.com/2012/07/review-dragon-gem-book-one-of-korins.html. It's a great review blog, so give it a look!
Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!
Brian Beam
Last night I dreamed that I received a scathing review for The Dragon Gem on Amazon. The reviewer stated that after the first couple of chapters, they saw absolutely no reason why anyone would want to continue reading the rest. Then they attacked the length of my book, saying it was way too short for the price, though my book is a healthy 140,000 words. Anyway, this actually woke me up with my heart speeding. Sad, huh?
Coincidentally, this morning on my favorite indie author site, Indies Unlimited, there was this great feature that listed one-star reviews for some of the most classic literary works of all time. Be sure to check it out at http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2012/07/06/one-star-reviews-of-the-hundred-greatest-novel-100-76/. It was an eye-opener in that it helped me realize that, as with all books, whether my book is good or bad, eventually, someone is going to dislike it enough to want to let the world know that they felt it was a nice big pile of...
That day hasn't come yet, but I think when it does, I think I'll be better prepared now.
That said, The Dragon Gem just received a good review from The Ink Puddle! It can be found at http://ink-puddle.blogspot.com/2012/07/review-dragon-gem-book-one-of-korins.html. It's a great review blog, so give it a look!
Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!
Brian Beam
June 29, 2012
Shameless Plugging
Thanks to B&N offering the print version of The Dragon Gem for 28% off, Amazon has it price matched. You may now pick up your physical copy for $11.51(as opposed to 15.99) from either site (or $2.99 for Kindle or Nook).
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Dragon-Gem-Korins-Journal/dp/1477610006/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341030534&sr=8-2&keywords=korin%27s+journal
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dragon-gem-brian-beam/1111603924?ean=9781477610008
Today I dropped off a couple of free printed copies of The Dragon Gem to be sold at the independent bookstore in my hometown. It feels weird, yet awesome, to have my book available at the same bookstore I used to walk to on countless days after school many years ago.
Anyways, have a great weekend, everyone!
Brian Beam
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Dragon-Gem-Korins-Journal/dp/1477610006/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341030534&sr=8-2&keywords=korin%27s+journal
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dragon-gem-brian-beam/1111603924?ean=9781477610008
Today I dropped off a couple of free printed copies of The Dragon Gem to be sold at the independent bookstore in my hometown. It feels weird, yet awesome, to have my book available at the same bookstore I used to walk to on countless days after school many years ago.
Anyways, have a great weekend, everyone!
Brian Beam
June 28, 2012
The Dragon Gem, Nookified
The Dragon Gem is finally available on the Nook!
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dragon-gem-brian-beam/1111866222?ean=2940014643634
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dragon-gem-brian-beam/1111866222?ean=2940014643634
June 27, 2012
The Doctor Is In
Be forewarned, this will not be the most original blog post, nor will it be the last of its type.
So, as I was getting my little guy ready for a nap today, I read to him as I usually do. Today's book was Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss. Now, I've read plenty of Dr. Seuss through my life and the meanings and morals so cleverly hidden in his fun books have always had a major effect on me. I've been so happy to pass along the magic of Dr. Seuss' words, pictures, and worlds with my son(even if at 19 months he's not quite able to understand the wonder of Dr. Seuss). Today, though, when reading Yertle the Turtle, the last line really hit me: "And the turtles, of course...all the turtles are free, As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be."
Maybe it's the fact that Mr. Ted Geisel(Dr. Seuss) was able to write such powerful sentiments in only a couple lines of rhymed metric verse. Any writer would be hard pressed in writing, or even finding, more effectively written and powerful messages.
Though Dr. Seuss' stories carry wonderful messages from the Lorax's conservationalism message, to The Grinch's commercialization of Christmas, to The Sneetches equality message, I solely want to focus on a couple two-line quotes that I feel embody his ability to pack such deep, thoughtful messages in so few words.
"And the turtles, of course...all the turtles are free
As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be." -Yertle the Turtle
"I can't put it down. And I won't! After all
A person's a person. No matter how small." - Horton Hears a Who
"'Maybe Christmas,' he thought, 'doesn't come from a store.
'maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!'" - How the Grinch Stole Christmas
"The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches
And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beeches." - The Sneetches
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose." - Oh, The Places You'll Go
And maybe most of all:
"Who sees who sew whose new socks, sir?
You see Sue sew Sue's new socks, sir." - Fox in Socks
Okay, that last one was just for fun.
Anyway, what I'm getting at is this: Dr. Seuss was a master of words. Sure, he wrote books aimed towards children, but can you name another writer as proficient in embodying the massive amount of meaning and thought provocation as Dr. Seuss was able to in two rhyming lines? Scratch that. Two lines of any kind? Two paragraphs of any kind?
I am proud to pass on Dr. Seuss' stories to my own child. Though I write stories geared for adults, I hope that maybe one day I will have the a millionth of Dr. Seuss' brilliance with words.
Have a great week, everyone!
Brian Beam
So, as I was getting my little guy ready for a nap today, I read to him as I usually do. Today's book was Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss. Now, I've read plenty of Dr. Seuss through my life and the meanings and morals so cleverly hidden in his fun books have always had a major effect on me. I've been so happy to pass along the magic of Dr. Seuss' words, pictures, and worlds with my son(even if at 19 months he's not quite able to understand the wonder of Dr. Seuss). Today, though, when reading Yertle the Turtle, the last line really hit me: "And the turtles, of course...all the turtles are free, As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be."
Maybe it's the fact that Mr. Ted Geisel(Dr. Seuss) was able to write such powerful sentiments in only a couple lines of rhymed metric verse. Any writer would be hard pressed in writing, or even finding, more effectively written and powerful messages.
Though Dr. Seuss' stories carry wonderful messages from the Lorax's conservationalism message, to The Grinch's commercialization of Christmas, to The Sneetches equality message, I solely want to focus on a couple two-line quotes that I feel embody his ability to pack such deep, thoughtful messages in so few words.
"And the turtles, of course...all the turtles are free
As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be." -Yertle the Turtle
"I can't put it down. And I won't! After all
A person's a person. No matter how small." - Horton Hears a Who
"'Maybe Christmas,' he thought, 'doesn't come from a store.
'maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!'" - How the Grinch Stole Christmas
"The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches
And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beeches." - The Sneetches
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose." - Oh, The Places You'll Go
And maybe most of all:
"Who sees who sew whose new socks, sir?
You see Sue sew Sue's new socks, sir." - Fox in Socks
Okay, that last one was just for fun.
Anyway, what I'm getting at is this: Dr. Seuss was a master of words. Sure, he wrote books aimed towards children, but can you name another writer as proficient in embodying the massive amount of meaning and thought provocation as Dr. Seuss was able to in two rhyming lines? Scratch that. Two lines of any kind? Two paragraphs of any kind?
I am proud to pass on Dr. Seuss' stories to my own child. Though I write stories geared for adults, I hope that maybe one day I will have the a millionth of Dr. Seuss' brilliance with words.
Have a great week, everyone!
Brian Beam
June 21, 2012
Dragon Gem Free Today!
The Dragon Gem is free all day today, 6/21, for Kindle on Amazon! Be sure to get your free copy!
Also, welcome to my new followers from IU! Great to have you here!
Brian Beam
Also, welcome to my new followers from IU! Great to have you here!
Brian Beam
June 16, 2012
Here, Have Some News
So, Book 2 of Korin's Journal is coming along nicely(will be closing in on 100k words in the next few days on this first draft so far). So far, I think the sequel's going to be a fair bit longer than the first book(especially, just like with Book 1, I'm finding myself taken down paths I didn't expect). There's going to be three major plot arcs to the story and I'm getting close to ending the second. Though I'm having lots of fun writing this book, I'm really looking forward to this third part.
I just made The Dragon Gem available in paperback. It's on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/The-Dragon-Gem-Korins-Journal/dp/1477610006/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1339894222&sr=8-1 and will soon be available on B&N as well. The eBook will still be exclusive to Amazon for now, though.
I would like to write more, maybe something witty or poignant, but I'm running on little sleep given my 18 month old has taken a habit to waking up in the middle of the night pretty much every night and I got up early for a 5K(that part's completely my fault). Maybe I'll have something more interesting to say next time. Until then...
Brian Beam
I just made The Dragon Gem available in paperback. It's on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/The-Dragon-Gem-Korins-Journal/dp/1477610006/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1339894222&sr=8-1 and will soon be available on B&N as well. The eBook will still be exclusive to Amazon for now, though.
I would like to write more, maybe something witty or poignant, but I'm running on little sleep given my 18 month old has taken a habit to waking up in the middle of the night pretty much every night and I got up early for a 5K(that part's completely my fault). Maybe I'll have something more interesting to say next time. Until then...
Brian Beam
May 28, 2012
A Good Excuse
It's hard to be motivated to work on your book when a pivotal band from your teenage days plays nearby. Maybe my word count suffered, but had a great time seeing Eve 6 last night. Here's a pic of me and my wife meeting the band.
