Beem Weeks's Blog, page 3
January 8, 2016
Jazz Baby Gets a New Cover
Okay, so Jazz Baby has a brand new cover. Why the change? Well, to be honest, I hated the original cover—hated it with a passion. Everything I had hoped it would be fell well short of the original vision I saw for my first novel. I had intended for the image to convey a feel for the era in which the story unfolds. It failed miserably.
There are elements of the original cover that were in line with what I envisioned. Unfortunately, the main image came off as cartoonish and amateurish. This detracted from the story itself. I recall a few readers mentioning that cover as a hurdle they had to overcome when deciding to purchase the book. How many others chose to pass on it?
So here it is, with its brand new cover, spine, and back cover. We also cleaned up the few typos that slipped past the editorial process. It’s a fresh new day for Jazz Baby.
A very special thank you to Fresh Ink Group for creating this amazing new cover.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Baby-Beem-...
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jazz-...
There are elements of the original cover that were in line with what I envisioned. Unfortunately, the main image came off as cartoonish and amateurish. This detracted from the story itself. I recall a few readers mentioning that cover as a hurdle they had to overcome when deciding to purchase the book. How many others chose to pass on it?
So here it is, with its brand new cover, spine, and back cover. We also cleaned up the few typos that slipped past the editorial process. It’s a fresh new day for Jazz Baby.
A very special thank you to Fresh Ink Group for creating this amazing new cover.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Baby-Beem-...
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jazz-...
October 9, 2015
It's A Wonderful Life (Maybe)
It’s A Wonderful Life. Most of us know the story: George Baily lives a carefree life built around a dream to travel the world. Then reality sticks its nose into things, causes life to slide sideways, knocking the wheels off of Mr. Baily’s travel plans. It’s when George utters those six words that the story really begins.
“I wish I’d never been born.”
Clarence the angel is sent from on high to give our protagonist a glimpse at a world in which he’d never existed. George begins to see that without him, certain important factors could not have occurred without his presence; lives of others would have turned out quite differently—sometimes horrifyingly so. It’s a warmhearted story, though cautionary. One designed to make viewers give pause, to find reasons to be thankful for what they have rather than find disappointment in what they’ve missed. A simple story, really. But is this rooted in reality?
Have you ever considered your own life, what the world might be like had you not been born into it? Most certainly your presence has impacted the courses other lives have taken—and you may not even realize it.
Every time we interact with the world around us—no matter how short the time—we’ve had some sort of influence. There are the obvious situations: “If Tommy hadn’t been there to yank that kid from the burning car…” or “Thankfully Jenny stopped to talk to me at the grocery store. If she’d have left a few minutes sooner, she’d have run right into that tornado…” and even “My son the doctor just discovered a cure for…” Interesting, sure, but those could be chalked up to right place, right time. In other words, those situations could have had similar outcomes regardless if Tommy or the doctor had or hadn’t existed, and Jenny, she may have been tied up in traffic and missed certain catastrophe. Another person may have been nearby, able to rescue the boy from a burning car. And no telling how many doctors may have cracked the code on some dreaded disease if given time and resources.
I’m more interested in the seemingly insignificant situations we tend to overlook or dismiss as unimportant.
One May evening in 1990, I was getting ready to go out to my favorite rock and roll night club with a good friend. At the last minute, this friend was called into work. She couldn’t get out of it. I didn’t want to go to the club alone. Where’s the fun in that? So I decided to just spend the evening at home, watching television. But a phone call I received changed my plans, changed my entire life and future.
A small party, the little sister of one of my best friends explained. Would I be interested? If so, could I be persuaded to bring the beer? In those days, I never turned down an invite to a party.
I showed up, a pair of twelve packs in hand and, long story short, I’d caught the eye of the blonde who’d caught my eye. We’d never met before this night. Less than a year later, we were married. Nine months after that, our daughter came into this world. A son followed about sixteen months later.
Okay, so now we come to the fork in the road. My little brother is introduced to my wife’s best friend. A wedding is performed, a son is born, and a daughter quickly follows. So now, two marriages and four children are the direct result of a last minute change of plans one evening in May of 1990.
But there is another life-altering situation that took place right around that same May moment. I’d been working at a local K-Mart shortly after moving back to Michigan from a two year stay in Florida. A co-worker had just lost a roommate and asked if I’d be interested in moving in, maybe help him pay the rent.
We worked different shifts, so we hardly saw each other at home. But we shared the same days off. This guy didn’t have much of party sort of personality. He liked the idea of having girls around, though. Did I know of any girls we could invite over, maybe catch a movie?
A close friend—the older sister of the girl through whom I met my wife—arrived later that day, a friend of hers in tow. I didn’t make a connection that night, but my roommate sure did. He and the friend of the friend married a year or so later. They had one child last I heard. I lost touch with them over time and haven’t seen them in nearly twenty-five years, so I don’t know if they’re still together or if other children were born, but I do know that had I not lived with this co-worker for a brief two month period, he most likely would not have met his wife. Different circles; but all it takes is for that one moment and that one person to make circles intersect.
My marriage ended in divorce—as did my little brother’s. Then we lost my brother in 2010. But the children remain. Some of these children now have children of their own; lives that would not exist but for a change of plans.
These are the small details we tend to overlook or fail to recognize. We don’t get to have a George Baily moment. Clarence the angel isn’t likely to come show us the importance of a single life. But it’s there, if only we take the time to search for it, to really appreciate how connected we all truly are in our tiny space in time.
It’s this appreciation that allows us to proclaim: “It’s a wonderful life!”
“I wish I’d never been born.”
Clarence the angel is sent from on high to give our protagonist a glimpse at a world in which he’d never existed. George begins to see that without him, certain important factors could not have occurred without his presence; lives of others would have turned out quite differently—sometimes horrifyingly so. It’s a warmhearted story, though cautionary. One designed to make viewers give pause, to find reasons to be thankful for what they have rather than find disappointment in what they’ve missed. A simple story, really. But is this rooted in reality?
Have you ever considered your own life, what the world might be like had you not been born into it? Most certainly your presence has impacted the courses other lives have taken—and you may not even realize it.
Every time we interact with the world around us—no matter how short the time—we’ve had some sort of influence. There are the obvious situations: “If Tommy hadn’t been there to yank that kid from the burning car…” or “Thankfully Jenny stopped to talk to me at the grocery store. If she’d have left a few minutes sooner, she’d have run right into that tornado…” and even “My son the doctor just discovered a cure for…” Interesting, sure, but those could be chalked up to right place, right time. In other words, those situations could have had similar outcomes regardless if Tommy or the doctor had or hadn’t existed, and Jenny, she may have been tied up in traffic and missed certain catastrophe. Another person may have been nearby, able to rescue the boy from a burning car. And no telling how many doctors may have cracked the code on some dreaded disease if given time and resources.
I’m more interested in the seemingly insignificant situations we tend to overlook or dismiss as unimportant.
One May evening in 1990, I was getting ready to go out to my favorite rock and roll night club with a good friend. At the last minute, this friend was called into work. She couldn’t get out of it. I didn’t want to go to the club alone. Where’s the fun in that? So I decided to just spend the evening at home, watching television. But a phone call I received changed my plans, changed my entire life and future.
A small party, the little sister of one of my best friends explained. Would I be interested? If so, could I be persuaded to bring the beer? In those days, I never turned down an invite to a party.
I showed up, a pair of twelve packs in hand and, long story short, I’d caught the eye of the blonde who’d caught my eye. We’d never met before this night. Less than a year later, we were married. Nine months after that, our daughter came into this world. A son followed about sixteen months later.
Okay, so now we come to the fork in the road. My little brother is introduced to my wife’s best friend. A wedding is performed, a son is born, and a daughter quickly follows. So now, two marriages and four children are the direct result of a last minute change of plans one evening in May of 1990.
But there is another life-altering situation that took place right around that same May moment. I’d been working at a local K-Mart shortly after moving back to Michigan from a two year stay in Florida. A co-worker had just lost a roommate and asked if I’d be interested in moving in, maybe help him pay the rent.
We worked different shifts, so we hardly saw each other at home. But we shared the same days off. This guy didn’t have much of party sort of personality. He liked the idea of having girls around, though. Did I know of any girls we could invite over, maybe catch a movie?
A close friend—the older sister of the girl through whom I met my wife—arrived later that day, a friend of hers in tow. I didn’t make a connection that night, but my roommate sure did. He and the friend of the friend married a year or so later. They had one child last I heard. I lost touch with them over time and haven’t seen them in nearly twenty-five years, so I don’t know if they’re still together or if other children were born, but I do know that had I not lived with this co-worker for a brief two month period, he most likely would not have met his wife. Different circles; but all it takes is for that one moment and that one person to make circles intersect.
My marriage ended in divorce—as did my little brother’s. Then we lost my brother in 2010. But the children remain. Some of these children now have children of their own; lives that would not exist but for a change of plans.
These are the small details we tend to overlook or fail to recognize. We don’t get to have a George Baily moment. Clarence the angel isn’t likely to come show us the importance of a single life. But it’s there, if only we take the time to search for it, to really appreciate how connected we all truly are in our tiny space in time.
It’s this appreciation that allows us to proclaim: “It’s a wonderful life!”
April 20, 2015
When Does It End? (And Other Writing Matters!)
Writing entertaining stories and articles takes skill and know-how. But there’s more to writing than simply constructing sentences, scenes, and characters—though these are worthy and necessary talents to possess.
Outlining helps keep the plot in place. An outline is merely a road map meant to guide the author from the beginning of the journey to its ultimate climax many chapters later. An outline allows for travelers (both writer and reader) to exit the highway and visit attractions found in that area between start and finish.
Creating characters that are compelling and alive will ensure the reader retains interest throughout the story. This is perhaps the most important aspect of telling a great story: If your characters are dull and lifeless, than so too will be your story. The only good dead characters are zombies and vampires.
Okay, so you’ve outlined your story. You’ve developed believable characters that you can actually hear inside your head. They have personality and charm; they can even make your readers laugh or cry or feel anger. You sit at your desk (or wherever it is you feel most comfortable) and you begin your story. This is actually the easy part. The scenes unfold with ease as your fertile imagination gives birth to word combinations that nobody else has considered. Time ceases its existence. Days blur into weeks, weeks run together forming months. Before you know it, the journey is almost over.
Next on the itinerary is the ending. That perfect place to bring the characters, the plot, and the months of your hard work to its ultimate close.
But how and when and under what circumstances will this story end? The ending can make or break a story. A misplaced ending will sink even the best stories. So how do we decide on the finish line? That is something the author should always have figured out before putting the very first sentence onto the page. You should know exactly where you are going before you load the kids, the dog, and suitcases in the car and jump onto the highway. The getting there, those spaces in between start and finish, are open to changes and tinkering along the way. The ending is something that must stand out. It is the very last moments of your creation. It’s what remains with readers in their immediate memories. An ending that lingers and comes back to a reader without invitation is usually the best sort of finish.
There really is no stock answer for a proper ending. Some authors prefer to tie up all loose ends, leaving little to ponder—Jimmy and Thelma eloped and ran off to Fiji, where they grew old together and lived happily ever after. However, some authors choose to leave endings loose and open to interpretation—Jimmy and Thelma ran away together, but did they marry? Did they ever get to Fiji? Or did they decide on Hawaii, because Jimmy had gone there as a child and had always dreamed of returning?
By tying up loose ends, the author signals closure to this particular journey. By leaving ends dangling in the breeze, this invites readers to become part of the journey. We get to decide what has happened to these characters that we’ve invested time into getting acquainted. Neither way is wrong.
When do we end our story and prep it for that first rewrite? Only the author will truly know that answer. Have your characters and plot line arrived at that point you imagined before beginning? Is Disney World in sight? Check the map; make sure your destination isn’t supposed to be the Eiffel Tower. If everything feels right, go back to the beginning and start that rewrite! Most importantly, have fun.
Outlining helps keep the plot in place. An outline is merely a road map meant to guide the author from the beginning of the journey to its ultimate climax many chapters later. An outline allows for travelers (both writer and reader) to exit the highway and visit attractions found in that area between start and finish.
Creating characters that are compelling and alive will ensure the reader retains interest throughout the story. This is perhaps the most important aspect of telling a great story: If your characters are dull and lifeless, than so too will be your story. The only good dead characters are zombies and vampires.
Okay, so you’ve outlined your story. You’ve developed believable characters that you can actually hear inside your head. They have personality and charm; they can even make your readers laugh or cry or feel anger. You sit at your desk (or wherever it is you feel most comfortable) and you begin your story. This is actually the easy part. The scenes unfold with ease as your fertile imagination gives birth to word combinations that nobody else has considered. Time ceases its existence. Days blur into weeks, weeks run together forming months. Before you know it, the journey is almost over.
Next on the itinerary is the ending. That perfect place to bring the characters, the plot, and the months of your hard work to its ultimate close.
But how and when and under what circumstances will this story end? The ending can make or break a story. A misplaced ending will sink even the best stories. So how do we decide on the finish line? That is something the author should always have figured out before putting the very first sentence onto the page. You should know exactly where you are going before you load the kids, the dog, and suitcases in the car and jump onto the highway. The getting there, those spaces in between start and finish, are open to changes and tinkering along the way. The ending is something that must stand out. It is the very last moments of your creation. It’s what remains with readers in their immediate memories. An ending that lingers and comes back to a reader without invitation is usually the best sort of finish.
There really is no stock answer for a proper ending. Some authors prefer to tie up all loose ends, leaving little to ponder—Jimmy and Thelma eloped and ran off to Fiji, where they grew old together and lived happily ever after. However, some authors choose to leave endings loose and open to interpretation—Jimmy and Thelma ran away together, but did they marry? Did they ever get to Fiji? Or did they decide on Hawaii, because Jimmy had gone there as a child and had always dreamed of returning?
By tying up loose ends, the author signals closure to this particular journey. By leaving ends dangling in the breeze, this invites readers to become part of the journey. We get to decide what has happened to these characters that we’ve invested time into getting acquainted. Neither way is wrong.
When do we end our story and prep it for that first rewrite? Only the author will truly know that answer. Have your characters and plot line arrived at that point you imagined before beginning? Is Disney World in sight? Check the map; make sure your destination isn’t supposed to be the Eiffel Tower. If everything feels right, go back to the beginning and start that rewrite! Most importantly, have fun.
March 21, 2015
Introducing The Jazz Baby Book Trailer!
Greetings, all. I would like to share the brand new Jazz Baby book trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rgyru...
This incredible trailer is produced by 4 Wills Publishing. If you are interested in scoring a quality trailer for your book, visit: https://4willspublishing.wordpress.co...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rgyru...
This incredible trailer is produced by 4 Wills Publishing. If you are interested in scoring a quality trailer for your book, visit: https://4willspublishing.wordpress.co...
March 16, 2015
A Solid Collection of Dark Tales
Gates of Erebus: Dark Paranormal Short Stories by Su WilliamsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Gates of Erebus: Dark Paranormal Short Stories is a collection of fantastically wicked tales by talented indie authors from across the globe. These stories run a gamut from witchcraft to vampires to monsters. But perhaps the scariest of all are the humans, those who often tend to be more frightening than goblins and ghouls and ghosts.
Imagine, while preparing a pot of chicken soup, an exact mixture of spices and herbs has called up an ancient demon who, by rule of contract, cannot return to its place in hell without purchase of some poor unsuspecting soul.
Drop in during the final moments in the life of one convicted of the crime of witchcraft. You decide which one between accused and accuser is the true abomination.
A Jack-The-Ripper type preys on the weak, only to find his own ending at the hands of his very own monster.
The dead become the living while those alive exhibit their true evil nature in this collection of delightful darkness.
Originality is the hallmark of this creative collection. If darkness beckons you, this is a book you’ll want in your collection.
View all my reviews
February 10, 2015
Rhani D'Chae Gets It Right
Shadow of the Drill by Rhani D'ChaeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rhani D’Chae is not a man, but she sure writes like one. That’s not to say women are less talented or less skillful writers than men. Three of my top five favorite authors are women. What I mean is Rhani D’Chae knows how to write hard-boiled characters just as gritty and believable as those written by Mickey Spillane, Robert B. Parker, and Jonathan Kellerman.
With Shadow of the Drill, D’Chae introduces the world to Decker, known by the nickname the Drill. Decker is a strong, well-built man who gets paid to hurt people. Some might say he enjoys his job at times. Once upon a time, Decker wasn’t quite so strong. Years of guilt eat away at the man over a brutal attack on a friend he wasn’t yet strong enough to defend. But times and circumstances have changed when Decker crosses paths with the three fugitive rapists responsible for the brutal attack on his friend.
This is a revenge story told in vivid and graphic detail. D’Chae’s mastery in the art of storytelling is on full display. At first it’s likely you’ll not like the character Decker. He’s not too far from being a thug himself. But over the course of the story, the author draws the reader in and, soon enough, you find yourself rooting for him. It’s what great writers do. Stories like this are usually told by men. But trust me when I say Rhani D’Chae gets it right. An entertaining read!
View all my reviews
January 30, 2015
My Review of A House Without Windows
A House Without Windows by Stevie TurnerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dr. Beth Nichols, recently engaged to Liam Darrah and having just learned she is pregnant, is snatched out of her life and world by a former patient named Edwin Evans. For the next ten years the unspeakable takes place on a daily basis in the basement dungeon to which her captor has banished the helpless woman. After Beth gives birth, she must find a way to keep her young daughter safe from the monster who believes the child is his. But when Beth becomes pregnant again, her life—and that of her daughter—is about to change in ways even she couldn’t have seen coming.
There’s a sadness running through the narrative voice of 9-year-old Amy, the child born into captivity. She’s never seen a real bird or the sea or the sun and moon. Young Amy has never set foot outside of the basement cell into which she was born. This is the only life the child has ever known, sharing that tiny scrap of space with her mother.
The story subject is one familiar to anybody following the news: Three girls held captive in a house of horrors in Cleveland, Ohio; young Jaycee Dugard stolen away from family and friends, abused for eighteen years by a madman; Elizabeth Smart, taken from her own bedroom in the middle of the night, a prisoner for nine months. There are plenty of others, with names we’ve heard and many more we’ll never know.
In A House Without Windows, author Stevie Turner has put forth a solid read filled with tight prose, vivid descriptions, and realistic narrative voices. The story, told by multiple POV characters, comes together via thoughts, memories, letters, and diary entries. I found it to be a compelling story that held my attention all the way through. The only downside: Readers don’t really get a look inside of Edwin Evan’s head. I would have loved to see what this man was thinking, what made him tick, what made him choose such a dark path to travel upon. But still, this is a book that I can recommend to anybody who enjoys the spirit of indie authored stories.
View all my reviews
January 12, 2015
My Review of Rave Soup for the Writer's Soul
RAVE SOUP FOR THE WRITER'S SOUL Anthology by Nonnie JulesMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The indie publishing world is filled with some of the most amazing writers on the planet. Many are raw and filled with potential, just waiting to be discovered by the masses, while others are refined and polished, ready to shine beside any named author the traditional publishing houses serve up. Rave Soup for the Writer's Soul offers a buffet of short stories written by many from both camps.
This collection of short fiction and poetry comes from Rave Reviews Book Club and showcases the talents of club members, many of whom are quickly gaining popularity among fans of indie-published works. Genres vary, offering something for every taste and preference. The talent levels shine.
Readers are treated to samples from some of the better indie authors in the market today. This mini library serves as an introduction to those writers who have also penned novels and poetry collections. If you're a fan of indie and you're looking for a new favorite, this is one of those books that should be on your shelf.
View all my reviews
December 22, 2014
Rave Soup for the Writer's Soul
Have you heard the news? Rave Reviews Book Club has released their first-ever anthology of short stories by amazing indie authors from across the globe. The book is entitled Rave Soup for the Writer’s Soul, and is currently available through Amazon.
This collection contains dozens of short stories and poems from some of the brightest talents in the indie world. Names like Beth Hale, Bruce A. Borders, Gwendoline Plano, Harmony Kent, Jan Hawke, Nonnie Jules, and others grace these pages. A wide array of genres is represented between the covers, offering something of interest for every reader.
Rave Soup for the Writer’s Soul presents authors from The United States, The United Kingdom, Canada, Greece, and other points on the globe. If you are a fan of incredible short fiction and poetry, this is one book you’ll want to add to your library.
Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/RAVE-SOUP-WRITE...
This collection contains dozens of short stories and poems from some of the brightest talents in the indie world. Names like Beth Hale, Bruce A. Borders, Gwendoline Plano, Harmony Kent, Jan Hawke, Nonnie Jules, and others grace these pages. A wide array of genres is represented between the covers, offering something of interest for every reader.
Rave Soup for the Writer’s Soul presents authors from The United States, The United Kingdom, Canada, Greece, and other points on the globe. If you are a fan of incredible short fiction and poetry, this is one book you’ll want to add to your library.
Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/RAVE-SOUP-WRITE...
December 13, 2014
My Review of Over My Dead Body
Over My Dead Body by Bruce A. BordersMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
With Over My Dead Body, author Bruce Borders creates a situation that, though fictional, certainly carries frightening potential in the real world.
When financial adviser Jeff Blake refuses to divulge insider information with the director of the local Child Protective Services, it’s Blake’s own child who suffers the consequences. How far would a parent go to protect his/her child from a corrupt system? Blake goes all out, leaving damage in his wake and uncertainty in his future.
Bruce Borders has written an intriguing story filled with twists and turns reminiscent of old-fashioned hard-boiled thrillers. This is one of those books that is difficult to put down, and will ultimately force readers to ponder the obvious question: “What if this happened to my family?”
Well written, and well worth a read.
View all my reviews
