Maruszewski
Literary newcomer Dave Maruszewski of Carmel will start a multi-book series for middle graders beginning with the exciting The Dark Beast. The Dark Beast is the first book of the Raven, Romda and Ravai series. This trio will embark on journeys of epic fantasy while dealing with everyday challenges that most youth face.
This story is about three friends (Raven, Romda and Ravai) who are recently knighted. Their first mission seems like a simple task of helping a kingdom priest. However, it starts to spiral as they cross paths with the Dark Beast. They realize the Beast’s plans to destroy an entire town. As they journey to this town, they meet people who tell large tales about the Beast. Each person tells a little more of his story. How much of it is true? The three will find out when they finally face the Dark Beast.
“With a fast-moving plot and exciting action scenes, Raven, Romda and Ravai: The Dark Beast will grab the attention of even the most restless young readers.” – The Book Review Directory
“The narrative is told in a readable, chronological manner, and the squires are appealing characters, as is their comical banter.” – BlueInk Review
The book series will premiere on Feb. 8 and is focused on creating an enjoyable experience to those youth who normally don’t like to read. Shorter paragraphs, higher dialogue and focusing on interactions are some of the devices that are employed to encourage non-traditional readers. Parents can feel comfortable as this book avoids mature themes and language. It is suggested, but not reserved, for ages 8-14.
Maruszewski plans to make this series ongoing, although each book will be a self-contained story. He currently has planned out the first eight books, and he says he hopes to go well beyond that. The second volume is written and going through the early stages of publishing. It is presently scheduled to be out between July and November.
As a person of a varied background, Maruszewski tries to employ aspects of all of his past pursuits in his writing. He is a former/current detonation physicist, teacher, painter, 3D modeler, animator, video game maker, software engineer, comic book dealer and engineering analyst. He maintains that all of these are useful in writing … at least for a paragraph.
Dave Maruszewski moved to the Carmel area last year and says he is enjoying this great area with his family. He didn’t have to move for his or his wife’s job. No! They picked Carmel and Indiana out of all other areas in the whole country. They haven’t regretted it for a minute, and they say they both hope to earn their “Hoosier” titles sometime soon.
The Dark Beast is published by BookBaby. It is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, Booktopia, BulkBookstore, Indigo, Kindle, thriftbooks and BookBaby. Most of these outlets have pre-order copies available now. Official sales start on Feb. 8, and at that time stores will make all forms of the book accessible.
Learn more about the series at ravenromdaandravai.com.