Austin Dragon's Blog, page 20

"Thy Kingdom Fall" Pre-Release/Pre-Book Launch Contest Group

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Published on April 24, 2014 07:48

Twenty Days

No, it’s not the name of another Zombie movie. In twenty days, on May 4th, the third book in my science-fiction thriller After Eden Series, Rising Leviathan will be released in e-book form, with the paperback and hardcover versions available later in the month.

The Writing

The first book was in America. The second one took place in America, Australia and Mexico. Book Three is almost exclusively in Russia or, in this time 82 years in the future, the Russian Bloc. In the 2060s, Western Europe falls to Islam and Eastern Europe merges with Russia. The series makes a lot of predictions and follows many of our current trends to their logical (and sometimes disturbing) path into the future.

Two weeks after I was writing about turmoil in the streets of Russia, Putin is rolling into Crimea in the Ukraine. In the After Eden series, there are many international changes: Western Europe is Islamic, China and India have merged into an alliance, and Russia “owns” Eastern Europe, including the Crimean Peninsula being the permanent base of the Russian Fleet.

I’ve never written an epic, anthology-type story like this before and won’t again, not because I don’t love everything about the story, but as a writer it’s like climbing Mt. Everest or K2. It is just so massive. The linking of current times to seventy years and over a century later, the people, politics, ideologies, religions, and technologies. But again, I love the series.

Each book increases the stakes and even though the very first chapter of Book One tells you exactly where we are going to end up in the series, how we get there is nothing like what you would have imagined. There are four more books in the After Eden Series ending with that final explosion of World War Three.

Fun Stuff

Okay, I’ve finished another novel—three books in a year (Not bragging, I was simply made this way). The book comes out in less than three weeks. I’m tired, you’re happy, so… I’m happy. Let’s have some fun with this.

“A Future Imperfect” Blog Tour: May 4th not only kicks of the book release, but I’m a science-fiction fan too so why not take advantage of Star Wars Day. For the whole month, ending on June 4th, I will be on a whirlwind virtual book tour with over 15 bloggers from around the world. We’ll get to talk about all things Rising Leviathan, the After Eden Series, and science fiction in general. My goodness, X-Men: Days of Future Past and Godzilla come out in May too! So maybe we can throw that in there too.

Sharing the Love: Everybody loves contests, so for the whole month of our Future Imperfect Blog Tour there will be a free Rising Leviathan Gift Card Contest. You don’t have to buy a thing (I’ll save that for later). Just enter, or have your pet, clone or robot do it for you.

Surprises: It’s been done before but one of the best episodes of Doctor Who (Blink) reminded me of it. In addition to the regular contest, we’re going to do some kind of special “Easter Egg” contest. Find something; know a piece of trivia—something fun.

More Announcements: I’ll mention it later in the week. So to recap: May 4th, Book Release, Blog Tour, Cool Contest.

Happy Monday!

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Writer Musings

A Living, Breathing (Tek) City

Online Event: You’re Invited!

For more info and to RSVP

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Published on April 14, 2014 13:13

Online Event: Next Week!

First Online Book Tour in One Week!

Join me for a free online book tour event: After Eden Series Online Book Tour – A Conversation with Author Austin Dragon, next March 27th, 4PM to 5PM EST / 1PM to 2PM PST.

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Get After Eden Books #1 and #2 Today!

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Published on March 20, 2014 13:00

Inspirational: Innovate Like Great Explorers

I have to admit it. When I see grown adults (and kids older than two) ride around with those bicycle helmets, I laugh inside. If they do fall, will they fall directly on their head like Mr. Potato-Head? Okay, I am very political incorrect on this. If one is doing some kind of extreme sports or riding down a mountain, yes. Otherwise, please. You should have seen all the things we did as kids on a bike on the streets of Long Island, New York.

Take a look at this advertisement that ran in a London newspaper in 1913:

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating blind recklessness or a mindless suicide mission. What I like about this paragraph, is it emphasizes the sense of adventure and risk-taking risks that used to be a lot more common in America and is essential t in every entrepreneur here and abroad.

Read the full What Inspires Me: Innovate Like Great Explorers article here.

Tags: After Eden Books, Gijs van Wulfen, inspirational, Linked In

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Writer Musings

A Living, Breathing (Tek) City

"Thy Kingdom Fall" Pre-Release/Pre-Book Launch Contest Group

Genesis of World War Three: Book Relaunch

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Published on March 17, 2014 07:00

Online Event: You’re Invited!

Yes, you’re Invited!

No matter where in the world you are, join me for a free online book tour event: After Eden Series Online Book Tour – A Conversation with Author Austin Dragon. March 27th, 4PM to 5PM EST / 1PM to 2PM PST.

We’ll be discussing the After Eden Series, the soon-to-be-released third book in the series (Rising Leviathan), the first two books in the series (Thy Kingdom Fall and Stars & Scorpions), and more. We’ll also give away three signed copies to three lucky attendees.

RSVP Here

Tags: After Eden Series, Online Event, Rising Leviathan, Stars and Scorpions, Thy Kingdom Fall

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Cover Reveal and Russia

Thy Kingdom Fall Gift Card Giveaway Contest!

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Published on March 14, 2014 07:00

Cover Reveal and Russia

One of the two top stories on the international stage is the actions of Russia in the neighboring country of Ukraine (the other story being the missing Malaysian commercial airliner). Last week was quite strange for me because my third sci-book, Rising Leviathan, takes place in Russia. The series may be set over seventy years in the future, but to write about chaos and military action in the Russian region and then weeks later have the same thing happen in real life can be quite surreal. As one friend said to me, “Austin, stop writing.”

Science fiction has always been a favorite genre of mine precisely because it allows the author to examine modern day social, political, and cultural issues with more freedom and more poignancy. The other powerful aspect of the genre is today’s science fiction can become tomorrow’s science fact or reality.

There are a lot of commentators on television speaking about Russian, Putin, the Ukrainian people, and the Crimean people. I feel that 99% of them have no idea what they’re talking about—most are saying the same things or repeating what others have said. I wish I could hear directly from native Russians and Ukrainians on the ground. Like Motherland Calls Statue with sword extended high, on the cover of my next book, Russia is stretching its political muscles and there’s really not much anyone can do about it.

Tags: After Eden Series, Cover Reveal, Putin, Rising Leviathan, Russia, Ukraine

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A Living, Breathing (Tek) City

Writer Musings

Here’s an excerpt of one man overcoming failure: (Go the source and read the full article here)

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Published on March 10, 2014 15:59

Inspirational: Lincoln Never Quit

President’s Day Month

The nation is 238 years old with over 315 million people and we’ve had only 44 presidents. I have a few favorites and my personal list has not changed in over 30 years. About a half dozen would get favorable mentions, but the top of my list are George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. However, not to be cliché, my #1 favorite from since I was a child, is still Abraham Lincoln.

He is a man with countless articles, books, and movies (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter doesn’t count) about his life and that life’s impact on the nation and beyond. Many have said it before me but “they don’t make them like him anymore.” What drew me to him as a young kid who loved reading about the past as much as the future was his struggles and his triumphs over those setbacks and defeats. He was the real Terminator in public life, he never stopped, and he did so much that we’re still talking about it today.

One inspirational quote by our 16th President: “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”

Simply put, Abraham Lincoln is one of the most inspirational case studies in examining the leadership traits of persistence, commitment, determination, passion, conviction, and overcoming failure. There is perhaps no greater lesson the world can offer in overcoming failures and understanding the value of persistence than what can be learned from looking at the life of Abraham Lincoln. Born into poverty, Mr. Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout most of his life. He twice failed in business, lost eight different elections and suffered a nervous breakdown.

1816: Lincoln’s family lost their home and he had to quit school to support them.

1818: His mother passed away.

1831: He failed in business.

1832: He ran for state legislature and lost, also lost his job, and while he wanted to go to law school he couldn’t get in.

1833: He borrowed money to start a new business and was bankrupt by the end of the year. He spent the next 17 years paying off the debt.

1834: He ran for state legislature again and this time he won.

1835: He was engaged to be married and his fiancé died.

1836: Mr. Lincoln suffered a total nervous breakdown and spent six months in bed recovering. 1838: He sought to become speaker of the state legislature and was again defeated.

1840: He sought to become elector and was defeated.

1843: Lincoln ran for Congress and lost.

1846: He ran for Congress again and this time he won.

1848: Lincoln lost his re-election race for Congress.

1849: He sought the position of land officer in his home state and was turned down.

1854: Lincoln ran for the US Senate and lost.

1856: He sought the Vice-Presidential nomination and lost receiving less than 100 votes.

1858: He ran yet again for the US Senate and lost.

1860: Abraham Lincoln was elected as the sixteenth President of the United States!

Tags: Abraham Lincoln, inspirational, president's day

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Genesis of World War Three: Book Relaunch

Hello Readers!

Thy Kingdom Fall Gift Card Giveaway Contest!

The Meaning of the “After Eden” Series

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Published on February 10, 2014 11:58

Writer Musings

Seriously, Three Books in a Year?

It’s hard to believe that I’ve only been an “official” author for less than a year (ten months in fact.) I say that but I’ve actually been writing all my life. I just never published any of it and I was too busy with “real work” to ever consider being a published author. I still have the illustrated adventure book (less than 12 pages) I wrote when I was three years old. Thanks mom for keeping it! And there’s the YA mystery series of four books I wrote in middle school–maybe I’ll redo them and release them one day.

Last year one of my book reviewers emailed me, worrying that I might have some kind of breakdown because she couldn’t wrap her mind around how I was able to write these two books like these in less than a year. For those who’ve read the books, they are provocative and a creation of some serious research. My initial response to her probably made her concerns even worse because I told her that I wrote Book Two before Book One. But no worries. I just write fast. I guess since I can’t drive fast with my New York lead-foot in Los Angeles (From a Speedsters Anonymous meeting: “My name is Austin and I am a speed demon”), I can at least write fast without any anxiety over tickets.

Also, the story had two years to percolate in my brain before I sat down at the local Coffee Bean every day until I had a first draft. As someone who has always been fascinated with the future, the catalyst for the series with all the politics, religion, technology, and conflict was simple: I’m a reporter and I’m transported over seventy years in the future. Write what you see.

So yes, there will be three new books this year for the After Eden Series. That’s what I get for not using my talent for 15 years. It’s in overdrive and will never be bottled up again.

Tags: After Eden Series, Writer Musings, Writing

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"Thy Kingdom Fall" on Goodreads

Thy Kingdom Fall Gift Card Giveaway Contest!

"Thy Kingdom Fall" Summer Gift Card Giveaway Contest Today!

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Published on January 24, 2014 06:00

Thy Kingdom Fall Gift Card Giveaway Contest!

It’s back! Because we love contests too!

$100 Amazon / Barnes & Noble / i-Tunes Gift Card

Tags: Amazon $100 Gift Card, Barnes and Noble $100 Gift Card, Contest, Giveaway, I-Tunes $100 Gift Card, Thy Kingdom Fall

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Get After Eden Books #1 and #2 Today!

What is"Tek World?"

"Thy Kingdom Fall" Pre-Release/Pre-Book Launch Contest Group

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Published on January 23, 2014 11:00

Genesis of World War Three: Book Relaunch

The campaign launches!

In a few months my eagerly anticipated third novel of the After Eden Series, Rising Leviathan, will be released. But we need to remind readers where it all began. The promotion campaign has started with the re-launch of the previous books in the series. First up: Thy Kingdom Fall, Book #1.

”After Eden, Thy Kingdom Fall. All Kingdoms Fall, New Kingdoms Rise.” World War III. It was inevitably going to be one of religion, this great, grim, evil war of humans, machines, and other things in the shadows that have never existed before… No one could ever have imagined that it would not just be the third of the world wars, as that is unremarkable, but the explosion of the first global war of the Technological Age, the Tek Age—a hell we had never seen before.

With my new marketing team, the Genesis of World War Three Book Relaunch Campaign will include a blog tour, giveaway and prize contest, interviews, and other promotions.

Get involved. Help spread the word. Click to Tweet. Stay connected. Enter the contest. Get the book. Have fun!

2014 will be even bigger and better than 2013. More announcements in weeks ahead.

Tags: Announcement, Thy Kingdom Fall

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"Thy Kingdom Fall" Summer Gift Card Giveaway Contest Today!