Carl Begai

This page features overviews and sales information for books I’ve written. With luck it’ll become a very busy place in the years to come.
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FIRE AND FAME (on sale now)
Joerg Deisinger & Carl Begai

Television would have you believe stardom is only an elimination round away. Indeed it is… if you want to settle for being a flash in the pan.

Before nightly programming became cluttered with “talent” shows, before wide-eyed wannabe stars lined up every year by the thousands for another season of throwing away their dignity on TV in the hopes of grabbing the brass ring, people used to work for the fame and fortune they desired. They didn’t allow a jury of overpaid celebrities to dumb them down and decide who should live to see another day, they created something for themselves to be shared with anyone willing to pay attention. All in the pursuit of a not-so-impossible dream. FIRE AND FAME is one such story. Every word is true.

Co-written by Joerg Deisinger, former bassist for the German hard rock band Bonfire, and Canadian music journalist Carl Begai (BW&BK), Fire And Fame traces Deisinger’s journey from small town kid to international recording artist, to his inevitable fade from the stage. Inspired by his escape from certain death at the hands of the 2004 tsunami that ripped through Southeast Asia, it is a recounting of the blood, sweat and hairspray he invested in his search for the spotlight, ultimately earning the right to tour the world and bask in the public eye. Penned in Begai’s unique and entertaining style, the focus is on the good, the bad, the often hilarious, and utterly mind-boggling aspects of the music industry, including first hand encounters with artists such as Accept, ZZ Top, Bon Jovi, Judas Priest, vocalist Don Dokken, W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes, photographer Ross Halfin, and actors David Hasselhoff and Brigitte Nielsen. Rather than being a cautionary tale, it celebrates the circus on the other side of the curtain.

Fire And Fame is a real life behind-the-scenes look at how a kid from a small town with the seemingly impossible self-appointed task of becoming a rock star actually managed to pull it off. On the outside an all too familiar cliché, but every cliché is born from a simple truth. Or a dream. Fire And Fame is a book for anyone who has ever had a similar dream, for those who have lived it, and for those who continue to do so.

*****

Press quotes:

MICHAEL WAGENER (producer) — “What a great book, written with the heart and soul of a real Rock musician. I was transported back in time and re-lived every single page. Thank you Joerg.”

OLLY HAHN (SPV) — “Fire And Fame is an interesting journey through the glorious ’80s. I had no idea Bonfire was so successful. Informative and entertaining.”

SANDER GOMMANS (HDK / After Forever) — “Fire And Fame is a book that has the magic and energy of a hard rock album! Personally, I could read this book over and over again because it captures the mystery about the world of music in the ’80s and early ’90s so well. Bonfire fans will certainly be pleased, but every hard rock fan in general should be able to enjoy this great document of a man that lived his musical dream!”

CRISTINA BISHOP (Scarlet Sins) — “I swear Joerg was sitting in front of me, drinking a beer and telling me the story; it was so good I forgot I was reading!”

DAVID PERRI (BW&BK) — “The highest compliment you can pay a book, in my estimation, is that you don’t want it to end. Fire And Fame’s charm lies in its easy-going recounting the goods times style and vibe, which translates into a highly recommended read even if, like me, you’re not exactly familiar with Bonfire.”

CHRISTOF LEIM (Sinner / The New Black / Metal Hammer Germany) — “If you want to know what’s next in a book, that’s never a bad sign while reading, right?”

MIF (Slash Puppet / Disney XD’s Aaron Stone) — “An enjoyable read about a true rock ‘n’ roll experience that kept me enthralled, entertained and reminiscing every step of the way down my own memory lane.”

CHAD BOWAR (About.com) — “I was somewhat skeptical going in, but once you dive into Fire And Fame you’ll be hooked.”

NEIL DANIELS (author / journalist): “A well-written and entertaining book that will be a welcome addition to your collection of rock autobiographies.”

*****

Excerpts from the book can be found in the Fire And Fame online press kit. Go to this location for my nterview with About.com about the making of the book.

Order via PayPal below:

PAYPAL – INTERNATIONAL
€21,49 (€14,99 + €6,50 shipping and handling)

PAYPAL – GERMANY
€15,99 — (€14,99 + €1,00 shipping and handling)

Please note that shipping and handling prices do not include insurance. When ordering, please state whether you would like your copy autographed and, if so, by whom. Please note that we CANNOT accept returns on signed or unsealed books. This is non-negotiable.

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WON’T GO QUIETLY (work in progress)
Carl Begai

Won’t Go Quietly is a work of fiction based on my own real life experiences in and around the music industry.

Having been in the business of pushing and promoting metal for 15 years now, the last 12 of those with BW&BK as one of the mag’s key writers, I’ve seen and done more in this biz than I ever expected I would. It’s only natural that I’d sit down and write a book at some point. As for choosing to write a work of fiction rather than offer up a band biography or a volume of amusing anecdotes, diary entries, and alcohol fogged memories of puking on the side of the Autobahn after a 12 hour drinking binge with Stratovarius, it didn’t interest me to play it straight. Especially when I look at the phenomenal biographical work of people like my colleague Martin Popoff or Joel Gausten. Now THOSE guys can write.

Won’t Go Quietly is a work in progress (as of February 2009) but should be completed well before summer. Chances are it will be an independent release, but should I acquire the services of an agent and/or publisher that won’t soak me for 99.9% of the profits that could change.

I will be posting excerpts on this site in the near future. Stay tuned…

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