Hello everyone and Happy Wednesday!
It's a really nice day, but it's also a really confusing day. I want to go on a walk since I do not have Spanish class today, but I have a lot of other things I have to get done by the end of the semester. I would also like to get an hour in of writing since I am three chapters away from finishing Rockybado 3 and Rockybado 4 (I decided that one chapter in the fourth novel was completely irrelevant and it was a ridiculous chapter. I did not trash it; I am just simply putting that chapter in with another series). I should work on one project for school, but another project has higher priority. Decisions, decisions. Well, for the past few weeks, I discussed with you how I decided to come up with the ideas for the Rockybado, The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs, and The Magic Video Game series. But....have you ever wondered about The Amazing Sci-Fi Compilation series? That's right. You will find out about what I've thought about for these series in just a second. One....(okay, I should start now). Here it goes with my thought processes on this series. Q: Why is this series called The Amazing Sci-Fi Compilation Series as opposed to something different? A: Short and simple. This series has its name because it's amazing. I wrote it, so of course it's going to fit that description! Also, I wanted something a little simple because all of the novels in this series are different (same characters, of course, but contrasting plot lines). Q: So....what is this series? A: Well, I'm glad you asked! You know the other three series that I've written, correct? I decided that it would be a cool idea to mesh the characters from each series into one compilation, hence the name. In the first novel of The Amazing Sci-Fi Compilation, David Ingram (Rockybado), Andrew Grzedek (The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs), and Levi Cranston (The Magic Video Game) go on an adventure to Texamilio (Rockybado), Galavanti Island (The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs), and Wakahakai (The Magic Video Game). I will give you no more spoilers. There are two common themes in this specific series: "It's a small world," and "Pigs can fly." Q: What are some ideas for future novels in this series? A: I don't have ideas on the plot yet. However, I am for sure adding Brody Ingram (Rockybado), Caleb Grzedek (The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs), and Rhody Leyman, one of Levi's neighbors and close friends, since Levi does not have any brothers (The Magic Video Game). However, because there are six characters, I will definitely include chapters where there are two characters because I don't want my readers to get lost in the reading! Q: So....one of my common themes is "Pigs can fly." Can there be some elaboration on that? A: This is going to be a very long answer. People have said to not believe everything you read, hear, or see. But this idea is an exception. If people say that pigs can fly, then pigs can fly. On a related note, Rockybado, its sequel, A Run in the Game, and my first sci-fi compilation novel, The Crazy Chicken Escapade will be FREE on Amazon for Kindle on THIS FRIDAY MAY 1ST AND SATURDAY MAY 2ND!!!! Look for them on Amazon, and please read the summaries below! Rockybado: "It is June 2006, and, after school lets out for the summer in Crown Point, Indiana, five boys find out about a robot in Texamilio, a fictitious island due west of the eight Hawaii Islands. When they meet Rockybado and his two close Bobino comrades, they are all confronted by Susan and Claude McSmith, who are both out to steal Rockybado's position as King of Texamilio, after a sour debate regarding physics in high school." A Run in the Game: "It is the summer of 2006 in Crown Point, Indiana, and Brody Ingram and Andrew McCalsky make it on the Watsons baseball team, and the team must try hard to defeat the Pratts team, their opponent, from Hebron, Indiana, that plays rough. In the meantime, Brody's older brother, Brett, must come out of his shell in order to communicate effectively with his love interest. Everyone is faced with different challenges throughout the summer." The Crazy Chicken Escapade: "It is summer of 2006 in Northwest Indiana. Three boys meet at a birthday party and realize that they have more in common than what they have previously thought. David Ingram, from Crown Point, Indiana, Andrew Grzedek, from St. John, Indiana, and Levi Cranston, from Valparaiso, Indiana, then play a magic video game at Levi's house. They all eventually meet Marty and his creature friends in Wakahakai, Dacston and his dinosaur comrades on Galavanti Island, and Rockybado, the King of Texamilio. Everyone finds out that the nearby chicken community has been taken advantage of, and they all set foot to free Radcliffe, the elected leader of the chicken community, as well as bring the overall group back to normal." Until the weekend, peeps. B. Levi
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Hi everyone and Happy Friday!
Today is a day where I go to class. Today is a day where I work. Today is a day where I walk 3 miles. Today is a day where I dye a t-shirt. Today is a day....where I have a homework party with one of my best friends. Well, that summed up my day. And tomorrow will only get busier. However, I would like to talk to you about Andrew McCalsky, Brody's best friend from grade school and college, so here we go! Full name: Andrew Cameron McCalsky * Date of birth: November 17, 1992 * Relationship status (As of 2014): In a relationship with Annie Cervantes * Residence (As of 2014): Crown Point, Indiana * Year of high school graduation (If applicable): 2011 * College degree received (If applicable): Working toward two degrees in Marketing and Management * Likes: Tennis, baseball, video games, Spanish culture, Spain, Mediterranean food, listening to music, reading, making goofy voice impressions with Brody * Dislikes: Singing in public * Favorite music genre: Rock, a little bit of everything (except classical) * Most favorite event(s) in life: Visiting Spain with family * Strangest event in life: Singing at a variety show at school with older brother David. Andrew was eight years old, and David was fifteen. They sang one of their favorite rock songs, which ended horribly. David ended up laughing very hard because he was so nervous, and Andrew ended up crying on stage. Now, on to more business. The Magic Video Game and its sequel, The Tennis Summer, will be #FREE on #Amazon for #Kindle TOMORROW, so please check them out before the end of the day tomorrow! The summaries are listed below. The Magic Video Game: "Summer of 2006 begins in Valparaiso, Indiana, and two siblings acquire a video game that lets them go to the island of Wakahakai to meet a cool polar bear and his friends, including a forensics science fanatic, an athletic walrus, a crazy penguin, a distinguished snowman, a simplistic Eskimo pig, and a beautiful princess. Together, they must keep Darveda, Nelson, and Hilda from taking part of Winderplassic Estate." The Tennis Summer: "It is summer of 2006 in Valparaiso, Indiana, and Levi and his friends have to prepare for the upcoming tennis season as freshmen in high school. With two new boys who join Levi's group of friends, a date gone wrong with his girlfriend, a renovation of his family's garage, and the beginning of many tennis practices, this summer proves to be very eventful." Have a great weekend! B. Levi Happy Tuesday, errbody!
I am sitting in the computer lab with one of my best friends, and I am drinking tea. I got that fix, finally. After two rounds of hot tea, I got exactly what I've been desperate for. To top it off, I'm pretty sure that I'll get Mediterranean food tonight with my mom (whom I have not seen in a while). How exciting! Well, I am going to talk about The Magic Video Game and the fact that it exists. I'm sure people have referred to video games as magic video games in the past. However, there is only the magic video game. Only one, and this is it. Make yourself a cup of tea, coffee, hot Toddie, or anything that you like, and read on! Q: Was The Magic Video Game always The Magic Video Game? A: No. The Magic Video Game was not always The Magic Video Game. Actually, it was called The Magic Button for the longest time. I fell head over heels in love with that title, but, alas, I had to give it up. Why? Because there was another book with the same name. I came up with a few other names, including The Angry Gamer (I honestly don't remember the other names that I had briefly thought up), but I thought it didn't fit. The Magic Video Game was the best fit for obvious reasons. I thought of The Angry Gamer because Levi briefly gets angry when he doesn't want to go to Wakahakai but his sister does. Still, I didn't like it. Q: How long have I been writing whatever name this series has? A: Since 2005. The inspirations came from a Cinco de Mayo celebration that my intermediate school had, and also the day that my class went to a local arcade room. When I first started working on this, the characters were different, and they lived in a fictitious subdivision in Plymouth, Indiana. They were twins named Andrew and Taci (Anastacia) Grzedek (note how one of these names is in another series), and they were in third grade. Andrew's best friends were Stephen Levi, Sam Elczek, and Ben Morquist. Now, the series includes two siblings, Olivia (older sibling) and Levi (younger sibling) Cranston, and they live in downtown Valparaiso, Indiana. Levi's best friends include Jack Andrews and Asad Prejesh. Otherwise, the storyline is pretty much the same. Q: How long was my sabbatical from whatever name this series has? A: Well, I had been working on what was The Magic Button for a few months, I'd say from April 2005 to early 2006 (don't remember the exact month offhand). Then, I went back to it in August 2012. Not quite sure who to include, I decided to include Levi as an inspiration. This came from watching the tennis matches during the first week of August when I was in Rhode Island. Levi plays tennis, and he is originally from Rhode Island. Q: Do I have a lot of inspirations for this? A: This will be the longest answer that you will get today. Yes, I have a lot of inspirations for this series. I just can't name all of them, since I have so many. Speaking of which, The Magic Video Game and its sequel, The Tennis Summer, will be FREE on Amazon this Friday, April 24th to Saturday, April 25th, so please check them out by reading the summaries below! The Magic Video Game: "Summer of 2006 begins in Valparaiso, Indiana, and two siblings acquire a video game that lets them go to the island of Wakahakai to meet a cool polar bear and his friends, including a forensics science fanatic, an athletic walrus, a crazy penguin, a distinguished snowman, a simplistic Eskimo pig, and a beautiful princess. Together, they must keep Darveda, Nelson, and Hilda from taking part of Winderplassic Estate." The Tennis Summer: "It is summer of 2006 in Valparaiso, Indiana, and Levi and his friends have to prepare for the upcoming tennis season as freshmen in high school. With two new boys who join Levi's group of friends, a date gone wrong with his girlfriend, a renovation of his family's garage, and the beginning of many tennis practices, this summer proves to be very eventful." Until this weekend, B. Levi Today is Friday. Today is a Friday that has nice weather. Today is a great day.
I get to listen to Irish music tonight, so that will be fun. Also, I get to go back to my "home," most commonly known to man as Chicago. I haven't been there in two days, and I am so sad! I am also very excited to be able to write again! Life is just coming back together after much time back from a wonderful country, known commonly to man as Ireland. And now, I get to give you a profile of Toby Ingram, the youngest Ingram and only adopted child in the family. He is from the Rockybado series. Full name: Toby Laschwanze Urzyscha Ingram * Date of birth: May 15, 1996 * Relationship status (As of 2014): Single * Residence (As of 2014): Crown Point, Indiana * Year of high school graduation (If applicable): 2015 * College degree received (If applicable): N/A * Likes: Music, piano, guitar, video games, pizza, cats, tennis, bowling, the Hawaiian Geeks, spending time with family, spending time with friends, math, biology, comedy movies, horchata * Dislikes: Other sports, people who don't stop talking excessively * Favorite music genre: Rock, a little bit of everything (except classical) * Most favorite event(s) in life: Playing cards and music with the Hawaiian Geeks * Strangest event in life: Toby once had a tenuous girlfriend, Liz Peters, for only two months. When they broke up, which was when they were both juniors in high school, the reason for the break-up was the fact that they did not think they were ready for a serious relationship. They are still friends, however. This is Toby Ingram for you guys. Stay tuned for next Wednesday (or some time next week), and you will learn more about how I was inspired to write The Magic Video Game series. Now, I log off and get ready for my friends to come over to my house! Peace, B. Levi Hello everyone, and Happy Hump Day!
I am currently sitting in the computer lab at my college, eating a brownie and drinking tea, trying to decide if I should start working on some papers that are due in the near future, or if I should just slack off like we've all been doing for the whole semester. In an hour and a half, I will be celebrating with fellow student employees because it is National Student Employee Appreciation Week (or something to that effect; not quite sure if I got the full name right). Anyway, before I do anything else, I will give you my thoughts and ideas about how The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs came to be. So, prepare some popcorn and buy a soda from your nearest convenient store, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Q: Why is this series called The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs? Why wasn't it called The R&B/Soul Island of Dinosaurs, etc.? A: The answer is quite simple, really. For one, The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs sounds better than the latter choice. And two, I had to come up with another name for my series. Originally, it was called The Land of Dinosaurs, and I loved that name. However, after doing much research online, there was something else with that name, so I had to come up with something else. My last reason for this title? Many of the dinosaurs on Galavanti Island (the name of the island as you most likely know) play saxophones. Q: Is the published series the next "original" version of the same series? A: What exactly does this question imply? In order to fully answer this question, no; my published version was not the original version. It could possibly be the "next original" version, whatever that means. So, when I was little (many eons ago), I was writing. I came up with this idea because I liked a lot of movies that involved dinosaurs, so why not come up with my own ideas? Q: What were the characters like in my original writings? A: I will give you a straight-up answer. Nothing like they are now. As a matter of fact, EVERYTHING was different back then. In what I had originally done, there were four characters (I actually don't remember their names, except for Wendy) who lived in Kenya, and then they visited dinosaurs. In what I have published, five siblings (Andrew, Caleb, Adam, Cameron, and Alyssa) live in St. John, Indiana, which is about 45 minutes away from Chicago. They visit some dinosaurs on an island, and they have to find a missing case of saxophones (no more spoilers). Q: How old was I when I was writing this stuff? A: Are you talking about The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs in particular, or as a whole? I'm assuming you mean as a whole. Okay, cool. I think I was about five or six when I would write some random stuff in folded sheets of legal paper, and I called it "The Land of Dinosaurs." See why I'm putting the title in quotes? It was a short story back then. I would work on this in particular off and on, but I have worked on the published version since sophomore year in college. At first, I was not happy with what I had worked on, so I threw it out of the entire series (each of the three series are in one series; very hard to explain). Then, a few weeks later, I started writing The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs again, and it's obviously published on Amazon, along with its sequel, The Sound of a B Flat. So, now you know a little more about how The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs came to be. Tune in some time this weekend for a profile of Toby Ingram (Rockybado). Now, I gotta peace out and "hopefully" work on my papers and homework. Until this weekend, B. Levi Happy Saturday, everyone!
Today is a beautiful spring day, or at least I think it is. I could definitely go for some baklava and wine while sitting on a beach overseeing the Mediterranean Sea with my laptop in hand and writing. However, since I am now back in the States, I can't just book a flight today and expect to be there in an hour. Well, I was in Ireland, so that also counts. This weekend, I will give you more information about Brody Ingram from Rockybado. Brody is biologically the youngest of the Ingram’s, excluding Toby, who was adopted. Full name: Brody Andrew Ingram * Date of birth: September 23, 1992 * Relationship status (As of 2014): In a relationship with Candace Seales * Residence (As of 2014): Crown Point, Indiana * Year of high school graduation (If applicable): 2011 * College degree received (If applicable): Working toward a degree in Computer Engineering (major) and Marketing (minor) * Likes: Tennis, running, soccer, baseball, basketball, listening to music, Candace, family, friends, Felicia and Honeybunny (their cats), Chicago, playing the guitar, watching basketball games, roller-blading, Chinese food, video games, watching comedy movies, math, drawing, science, reading business magazines, Dad's mostaccioli, French silk pie * Dislikes: Annoying people, throwing up, wake up pranks * Favorite music genre: Rock, a little bit of everything (except classical) * Most favorite event(s) in life: Going to a basketball game in Chicago with their dad, Uncle Alan, and David * Strangest event in life: One day when Brody was a sophomore in college, he and his roommate were making so many goofy jokes. Then, suddenly, Brody got very sick and started throwing up. He knew that he had strep throat (since he has had strep before), and possibly an ear infection. While throwing up, the toilet lid hit his head pretty hard. His parents took him home to see the doctor, who diagnosed him with both strep throat and an ear infection. Brody spent a week at home before coming back to school. Well, here is Brody Ingram! The Magic Video Game, its, sequel, The Tennis Summer, and my very first sci-fi compilation, The Crazy Chicken Escapade, will be FREE on Amazon TODAY AND TOMORROW, so please check them out! Below are the summaries and links for each novel. The Magic Video Game: "Summer of 2006 begins in Valparaiso, Indiana, and two siblings acquire a video game that lets them go to the island of Wakahakai to meet a cool polar bear and his friends, including a forensics science fanatic, an athletic walrus, a crazy penguin, a distinguished snowman, a simplistic Eskimo pig, and a beautiful princess. Together, they must keep Darveda, Nelson, and Hilda from taking part of Winderplassic Estate." http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Video-Game-B-Levi-ebook/dp/B00DTVZQXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428767098&sr=8-1&keywords=the+magic+video+game+b.+levi The Tennis Summer: "It is summer of 2006 in Valparaiso, Indiana, and Levi and his friends have to prepare for the upcoming tennis season as freshmen in high school. With two new boys who join Levi's group of friends, a date gone wrong with his girlfriend, a renovation of his family's garage, and the beginning of many tennis practices, this summer proves to be very eventful." http://www.amazon.com/Tennis-Summer-Magic-Video-Game-ebook/dp/B00IICVHNQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1428767098&sr=8-2&keywords=the+magic+video+game+b.+levi The Crazy Chicken Escapade: "Three boys meet at a birthday party and realize that they have more in common than what they have previously thought. David Ingram, from Crown Point, Indiana, Andrew Grzedek, from St. John, Indiana, and Levi Cranston, from Valparaiso, Indiana, then play a magic video game at Levi's house. They all eventually meet Marty and his creature friends in Wakahakai, Dacston and his dinosaur comrades on Galavanti Island, and Rockybado, the King of Texamilio. Everyone finds out that the nearby chicken community has been taken advantage of, and they all set foot to free Radcliffe, the elected leader of the chicken community, as well as bring the overall group back to normal." http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Escapade-Amazing-Sci-Fi-Compilation-ebook/dp/B00R5982OA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428767159&sr=8-1&keywords=the+crazy+chicken+escapade+b.+levi Have a great weekend! B. Levi Happy Tuesday everyone!
As promised, I am going to give you some background on what has inspired me to write Rockybado, The Jazzy Island of Dinosaurs, and The Magic Video Game. Today, though, I am just going to reiterate what I have said before in what inspired me to write these specific novels, since what I have said before has been almost a year ago, and I'd love to have more people learn more about my inspirations! Today, I am going to talk about some of my inspirations for Rockybado, so here we go! Q: So, how did I start writing Rockybado? A: I was doing an advertising assignment for fifth grade, and I was the only girl in a group of three. The two other guys had no idea what to do for the project, so I was the one who was "thrown under the bus" and who actually came up with the product. I taped a picture of a robot that I drew in thirty seconds to an old video game and showed it to my teammates the next day. Since they didn't have any ideas, they went with mine. If memory serves me correctly, we did pretty well on the project. Our product was called Rockybado video games (again, another name that I had come up with in thirty seconds), and the slogan was: "Rockybado Video Games, the video games that will last forever," or something to that extent. Q: When did I officially start writing Rockybado? A: I started writing Rockybado near the end of fifth grade, which would have been in 2004, and in inspiration of a guy that I thought was cute. The initial setting was in a fictitious place in Michigan called Nesterville, which would be close to Benton Harbor and New Buffalo (way southwest). The main character's name was Adam Levistad, and he had two younger brothers, Alec and Alex. Adam's best friends were Michael Malakins and Matthew Wickenden. He had another friend, Kevin Maxwell, who moved at the beginning of the story. Q: When did I go back to writing Rockybado? A: Funny story. I wrote Rockybado until mid-sixth grade. I don't know what happened, but I suddenly lost interest in writing that series. I had stopped writing Rockybado until 2012, and I wanted the stories to be a little more realistic. Now, the story takes place in Crown Point, Indiana, which is actually about 35 minutes away from where I live. Rockybado, however, still lives on an island by Hawaii, known commonly to man as Texamilio (does it really exist?). When I initially started writing the series, Rockybado lived in Texamilio, but it was in Mars. Again, I wanted something a little more realistic. Q: How are my characters different now? A: Well, their names are different, except for one. The main characters are David, Brody, and Toby Ingram (Toby is a more minor character) who have two older brothers, Dawson and Brett. Their best friends are Andrew McCalsky and Adam Levistad (I see Vegas lights now), and their other friend, John Garfield, who moved at the beginning of the first novel. Luckily, he only lives about 25 minutes away. Otherwise, Rockybado and his comrades are the exact same in this "remake" (I don't know if that's the right word, since I didn't publish the initial writings). Here is some background information on what has inspired me to write Rockybado. Stay tuned for Saturday, when I give you the character profile of Brody Ingram (Rockybado)! Also, check out The Magic Video Game, The Magic Video Game 2: The Tennis Summer, and The Crazy Chicken Escapade on Amazon. All three novels will be FREE on that site from Friday April 10th to Sunday April 12th (The Crazy Chicken Escapade will only be FREE on Saturday April 11th and Sunday April 12th). Have a happy Tuesday! B. Levi Hello everyone and Happy Saturday!
I have just come back from Ireland, and I had a blast! My whole trip has given me a lot of ideas for where I would like to go with ideas for my future novels and whatnot. Even though I was unable to write for a great deal of the time, I was definitely coming up with a lot of ideas. On one day that I was in Dublin, I met with someone who writes for a well-known newspaper in Ireland, and she also just published some books. I spoke with her about how I could market my novels better, and she gave me a lot of ideas on how to better my blog. Instead of one long blog post per week, this person suggested two shorter blog posts per week. With this in mind, I am considering posting a blog on one day during the week (probably Wednesday) and then one blog over the weekend. I believe this will bring in more interest and more awareness for my website and what I have accomplished. I think that, during the week, I will talk more about my inspirations for my novels, and, over the weekend, talk more about my characters. I believe that this will be good because you can learn more about how I decided to write these novels and just in general, and you will also get to learn more about my characters. Also, next weekend from Friday April 10th to Sunday April 12th, The Magic Video Game and its sequel, The Tennis Summer will be FREE on Amazon for Kindle (Sorry to those who do not have a Kindle. I am still working on getting a hardcopy version of each book in order). Then, my first ever sci-fi compilation, The Crazy Chicken Escapade, will be FREE on Amazon from Saturday April 11th to Sunday April 12th. Below are the summaries for each promoted novel. The Magic Video Game: "Summer of 2006 begins in Valparaiso, Indiana, and two siblings acquire a video game that lets them go to the island of Wakahakai to meet a cool polar bear and his friends, including a forensics science fanatic, an athletic walrus, a crazy penguin, a distinguished snowman, a simplistic Eskimo pig, and a beautiful princess. Together, they must keep Darveda, Nelson, and Hilda from taking part of Winderplassic Estate." The Tennis Summer: "It is summer of 2006 in Valparaiso, Indiana, and Levi and his friends have to prepare for the upcoming tennis season as freshmen in high school. With two new boys who join Levi's group of friends, a date gone wrong with his girlfriend, a renovation of his family's garage, and the beginning of many tennis practices, this summer proves to be very eventful." The Crazy Chicken Escapade: "Three boys meet at a birthday party and realize that they have more in common than what they have previously thought. David Ingram, from Crown Point, Indiana, Andrew Grzedek, from St. John, Indiana, and Levi Cranston, from Valparaiso, Indiana, then play a magic video game at Levi's house. They all eventually meet Marty and his creature friends in Wakahakai, Dacston and his dinosaur comrades on Galavanti Island, and Rockybado, the King of Texamilio. Everyone finds out that the nearby chicken community has been taken advantage of, and they all set foot to free Radcliffe, the elected leader of the chicken community, as well as bring the overall group back to normal." Have a great rest of the weekend! B. Levi |
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About my BlogMy blog contains anything and everything one should know about my books. Aaaaand a lot more as well. |