1. What is your name and where do you call home?
My name is Brian Beam. I was born and raised in Kentucky and currently reside there, but will be moving for my wife's work in the next few months. So far it's looking like I'll be calling North Carolina home by the end of the summer.
2. Do you have a pen name?
Nope, just Brian :)
3. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?
I just recently debuted my fantasy eBook, The Dragon Gem, on Amazon in March. In it, the protagonist's quest to find his birth parents becomes a fight for survival as his past is revealed.
4. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
I am currently hard at work on the sequel to The Dragon Gem. The Dragon Gem is the first in a planned Trilogy called Korin's Journal.
5. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
My parents had some friends who had published books, and as a kid I found that amazingly awesome. As for writing fantasy, when I started reading fantasy in middle school, I fell in love with books that not only told a great story, but took you away to completely different worlds. I used to write a lot of short stories when I was 8 or 9, but didn't start attempting full novels until about 15 or so.
6. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?
Yes, I do. Anybody want one? :)
7. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
I had a friend, Jonathan Jolly, do the cover. I just wanted something that would be simple, yet convey an important moment in the book.
8. Which is your favourite cover of all the books you have written?
The Dragon Gem earns those honors...mainly because it is my only completely finished/released book.
9. Is there anything you would change about your book covers?
For the sequel, I want to have something more artistic and then go back and redo The Dragon Gem cover for cohesion.
10. Would you have different book covers for different countries?
Hmm...I've never really thought about that. As an indie author, I have to say no.
11. How did you come up with the title for your book?
The Dragon Gem is an gem that drives the main storyline of the book. This storyline is resolved in the book with the bigger story of the trilogy building around it.
12. Is there anything you would change about your book? And why?
As of now, no. After I've had some more reviews, that may change :)
13. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
No, I don't, but I think they are a great idea. If I had the time/resources right now, I'd be very interested in making one. I'm still keeping the option open for the future.
14. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
I'm going to depress myself with this answer, but e-books. For years I would say that I could never bring myself to buy an e-reader. I would talk about how I loved the feel and smell of a new book(still do by the way) and that I loved going to bookstores to find my next book by aimlessly wandering the fantasy section until something popped out at me. Now, I buy ALL of my books on my Kindle. It's easier than toting around an armful of books and it allows me to help support indie authors such as myself who often will only have their book available digitally.
15. Are you a self-published / Indie author?
Yes, and proud to be so. Writing is my passion and self-publishing allows me to write what I want, on my own terms, at my own pace, and still be able to get it out to the readers. I've learned just how awesome the indie community is too.
16. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?
When I was younger, I would re-read Robert Jordan's WOT books or Terry Goodkind's SOT books when new books in their series were released. Not so much now, though. Being happily married with an awesome little toddler, life doesn't allow as much time for reading books more than once. When I read new additions to book series now, I just head to wikipedia for synopses of the previous books.
17. Have you ever bought a specific edition of a book because of it’s cover? (For example a UK, US or Canadian version)
No, can't say I have. Then again, I really don't put that much research into the books I read to actually notice the different covers from different regions.
18. Have you ever read a book just based on it’s cover?
Not so much now, but when I was in middle school, that's how I picked out my fantasy books!
19. Has the quality of the cover of a book ever put you off of reading it?
Again, when I was younger that may have been a factor in dismissing a book, but now I look more at book descriptions and reviews. If a description pulls me in, the cover could be a roller-skating stick figure for all I care.
20. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
I'm reading Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings on Kindle. Brandon Sanderson became my favorite author when I came across his Mistborn books a couple years ago. I have pointedly put off reading Way of Kings until he was closer to finishing Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series so that I wouldn't have to wait years and years before the next in his Stormlight Archives series was released.
21. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?
Write what you love, and love what your write(a little hypocritical since I'm always harsh on my own writing). The best advice I have been given is that your opening sentence is what can either draw your reader in or turn them away. I apply that advice to every one of my chapters, not just my book opening.
22. Where can your readers follow you?
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor
Email: bbeams32@gmail.com
Amazon:
The Dragon Gem: http://www.amazon.com/The-Dragon-Korins-Journal-ebook/dp/B007P02OHU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334410842&sr=8-1
Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!
Thanks for giving me the chance to do this interview!
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