Austin Dragon's Blog, page 7

Want to Stay Alive in the Lands of Magic and Monsters? (Fabled Quest Chronicles)

Then Build a Team That Rocks!

For more than six months, I've been immersed in my new epic fantasy series, the Fabled Quest Chronicles. I call it “Lord of the Rings meets King Solomon's Mines.” From Avalonia, one of the Seven Empire regions of the Lands of Man on Pan-Earth, begins the most fantastic and dangerous journey beyond imagination, both mortal and magical, of men and monsters, by day and night—all to reach the limitless riches of the magic kingdom of Atlantea. The year-long trek winds through Titan's Trail from the realm of humans to those of the fae. The caravan encounters unicorns and mermaids, but they also face ogres, trolls, and many malevolent creatures of evil. 

We meet the mysterious Traveler—a human who hasn’t only visited the lands of magic but lived there for a time. Now the epic adventure begins. But how does one survive?

Part I

Character Tease (Non-Spoiler) – “Character Cloud”

Magical swordsman + animal shape-shifter + elfin princess + exorcist/spectral slayer + king + berserker warrior + forge/weaponsmith + young scribe + the man Hobbs + and more!

Intrigued? 

Part II

Character Snapshot (Spoiler)

*Do not read anymore if you want to be surprised when you read the books

Character Profiles

1 Hobbs – the steward of Titan's Caravan, formerly of the Theogar Royal Family. He is the first one we meet and as the story unfolds we come to realize that he is the foundation of the caravan. 

2 Traveler – the caravan master, both trailmaster and guide, swordsman, and healer. His knowledge of the magical lands surpasses even most fae. With his magical sword, he can even defeat an elf in battle, which, for a human, is supposed to be impossible.

3 Dog – the dog is actual not a dog. Traveler's animal companion is a shape-shifter from another world. (Yes, I had to add a little sci-fi to the series.) 

4 Lady Aylen – the princess of Sirnegate. Strong-willed like most nobles but she is much more than human. She is a being of magic too.

5 Maiden Gwyness – Lady Aylen's aid, who wears a unique amulet. She, too, has secrets.

6 Estus the Forge – the caravan's jovial forge, weaponsmith, and weaponsmaster. Where else could one handle elfin, dwarvin, and goblin steel but on a journey into the lands of magic? 

7 Pangolin the Berserker – the caravan's master-at-arms and warrior, bearer of a magical ax-mace called the Mountain Breaker, and wearer of enchanted body armor.

8 Quillin the Scribe – the caravan's young scribe and chronicler of a bestiary of the magical lands of myth and fables–an account of its fantastic beasts, races, and monsters.

9 King Aereth the Wise – the caravan's sage King of Helm Earldom, and the royal trio known as the Kings Elder. He has “history” with the evil Four Kings.

10 Fae members (Books 2 and 3) – fairies, sprites, fauns, elves and more.

Titan's Caravan is a human-fae caravan on a fabled trek to a legendary kingdom of riches and power.

Which is Your Favorite Character?

The post Want to Stay Alive in the Lands of Magic and Monsters? (Fabled Quest Chronicles) appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

Minotaurs, Manticores, and More

As my readers know, I write the stories that would captivate me. So, I finished Book One of my Fabled Quest Chronicles: Through Titan’s Trail and I said, “Don’t stop the story yet! What happens next?” If that was my reaction, I knew it would be yours. The book’s initial reviews also reflect that.

REVIEWS

Fantastic Start to a Fun New Adventure

By meitniear on April 29, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Through Titan's Trail is a fantastic start to a fun new fantasy world and adventure. I've come to love Austin Dragon's stories, partly because he doesn't just stick to a genre, but he blends elements and makes it his own. You'll find that with this series as well. It's different from the other genres I've read from him (After Eden series and the Liquid Cool series). Through Titan's Trail conjured up similar thoughts and feelings to the Lord of the Rings series. I'm not saying this is the next Lord of the Rings, though. I grow tired of every fantasy series being labelled the next Lord of the Rings. This series, while feeling similar in ways, also isn't afraid to do it's own thing and as such, it should be measured in it's own light.

The story and characters are really interesting. There's a lot of mystery all the way through the book as you learn new information about each character a little at a time. This helps the story to stay fresh as it leads you along. Traveler is an excellent character and my favorite of the series. Of course that includes his faithful companion who is ferociously protective of his master. The villains are ruthless and your dislike of them is well earned. As I already mentioned, Austin likes to make a genre his own and that is evident in some of the character/creatures you meet on this journey. There are familiar fantasy story elements and creatures, but also some new takes on those or new ones entirely.

As I've come to expect from an Austin Dragon story, this one is told excellently. I always enjoy the way the author weaves a story together and his take on the fantasy genre is no exception. The characters are well written with heroes you want to root for and villains you want to root against. There's enough new here to keep the fantasy genre fresh as the author does a great job of world building in this new adventure without giving away all of the secrets up front. There are revelations to be discovered and some more mysteries to solve.

This book is the first part of a series and does not hide that.The book ends with a satisfying conclusion that I would not call a cliffhanger, but it's obvious the adventure is not over and it continues in the next book. I cannot wait to see what's in store next and will be back for the next book when it's released. This book was a satisfying length. Not so long as the Lord of the Rings series, but long enough to get immersed in the journey. I think it's the right size to pick up and read through a good fantasy adventure over a weekend. I'll be anxiously awaiting book 2!

Entertaining

By Liberrian on May 5, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

What starts out to be a pleasant caravan turns into a journey from one horror to another. This book is full of chills, thrills, and surprises. The plot is very entertaining. The characters are enthralling. And, the pace is bruising. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Loved this book

By lucky Lil ELF Nora on May 4, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

I can't wait to find out what happens next. I could hardly put this down to continue the work I've been doing here at my home. This book is very fresh with new outlook that makes you think about the real life around you.

A barn burner. A must read if you want to be challenge and enjoy the book

By Kindle Customer on April 18, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

It hook me It from the start. I read it and wanted more when I finish. It was not predictable, funny at times. It was an excellent read. Worth the cost at 10 times the price

Loved it I read it in 2 nights it kept me turning pages.

By Harland Monroe on May 1, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

This is the first book by Austin that I have read, it is not going to be the last. Traveler and his dog are great the story is a lot of fun to read. There are Royals, Commoners, Fae and on and on how he keeps everything flowing I don't know but he is spinning a hell of a story. I can't wait for the next installment.

Overview

This first volume of the Fabled Quest Chronicles will be six novels. Last month, with Book One released, I decided to finish up both Book Two (In the Shadow of the Kings) and Book Three (Comes the War Wizards’ Wrath) to release together this month of June. This series is not as expansive as my first series, The After Eden Series, but it’s close. All VIP Readers’ Club Members will also get the series prequel free.

In the weeks ahead, look out for the Cover Reveals and official release date of the next books in the series. Also, if you haven’t already pick up the first book for the discounted price of only 99 cents HERE. Enjoy!

*Feature artists: Minotaur, Manticore, and Ogre

The post Minotaurs, Manticores, and More appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

Minotaurs, Manticores, and Magical Things

I'm back from Pan-Earth, or more accurately, back from my writing “retreat.” Late April/early May I released my debut epic fantasy series that you, my VIP Readers’ Club members, picked. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been teasing the series and my own spin on the epic fantasy series.

Article: Top 10 Themes of My New Upcoming Epic Fantasy Series

As my readers know, I write the stories that would captivate me. So, I finished Book One of my Fabled Quest Chronicles: Through Titan’s Trail and I said, “Don’t stop the story yet! What happens next?” If that was my reaction, I knew it would be yours. The book’s initial reviews also reflect that.

REVIEWS

Fantastic Start to a Fun New Adventure

By meitniear on April 29, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Through Titan's Trail is a fantastic start to a fun new fantasy world and adventure. I've come to love Austin Dragon's stories, partly because he doesn't just stick to a genre, but he blends elements and makes it his own. You'll find that with this series as well. It's different from the other genres I've read from him (After Eden series and the Liquid Cool series). Through Titan's Trail conjured up similar thoughts and feelings to the Lord of the Rings series. I'm not saying this is the next Lord of the Rings, though. I grow tired of every fantasy series being labelled the next Lord of the Rings. This series, while feeling similar in ways, also isn't afraid to do it's own thing and as such, it should be measured in it's own light.

The story and characters are really interesting. There's a lot of mystery all the way through the book as you learn new information about each character a little at a time. This helps the story to stay fresh as it leads you along. Traveler is an excellent character and my favorite of the series. Of course that includes his faithful companion who is ferociously protective of his master. The villains are ruthless and your dislike of them is well earned. As I already mentioned, Austin likes to make a genre his own and that is evident in some of the character/creatures you meet on this journey. There are familiar fantasy story elements and creatures, but also some new takes on those or new ones entirely.

As I've come to expect from an Austin Dragon story, this one is told excellently. I always enjoy the way the author weaves a story together and his take on the fantasy genre is no exception. The characters are well written with heroes you want to root for and villains you want to root against. There's enough new here to keep the fantasy genre fresh as the author does a great job of world building in this new adventure without giving away all of the secrets up front. There are revelations to be discovered and some more mysteries to solve.

This book is the first part of a series and does not hide that.The book ends with a satisfying conclusion that I would not call a cliffhanger, but it's obvious the adventure is not over and it continues in the next book. I cannot wait to see what's in store next and will be back for the next book when it's released. This book was a satisfying length. Not so long as the Lord of the Rings series, but long enough to get immersed in the journey. I think it's the right size to pick up and read through a good fantasy adventure over a weekend. I'll be anxiously awaiting book 2!

Entertaining

By Liberrian on May 5, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

What starts out to be a pleasant caravan turns into a journey from one horror to another. This book is full of chills, thrills, and surprises. The plot is very entertaining. The characters are enthralling. And, the pace is bruising. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Loved this book

By lucky Lil ELF Nora on May 4, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

I can't wait to find out what happens next. I could hardly put this down to continue the work I've been doing here at my home. This book is very fresh with new outlook that makes you think about the real life around you.

A barn burner. A must read if you want to be challenge and enjoy the book

By Kindle Customer on April 18, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

It hook me It from the start. I read it and wanted more when I finish. It was not predictable, funny at times. It was an excellent read. Worth the cost at 10 times the price

Loved it I read it in 2 nights it kept me turning pages.

By Harland Monroe on May 1, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

This is the first book by Austin that I have read, it is not going to be the last. Traveler and his dog are great the story is a lot of fun to read. There are Royals, Commoners, Fae and on and on how he keeps everything flowing I don't know but he is spinning a hell of a story. I can't wait for the next installment.

Overview

This first volume of the Fabled Quest Chronicles will be six novels. Last month, with Book One released, I decided to finish up both Book Two (In the Shadow of the Kings) and Book Three (Comes the War Wizards’ Wrath) to release together this month of June. This series is not as expansive as my first series, The After Eden Series, but it’s close. All VIP Readers’ Club Members will also get the series prequel free.

In the weeks ahead, look out for the Cover Reveals and official release date of the next books in the series. Also, if you haven’t already pick up the first book for the discounted price of only 99 cents HERE. Enjoy!

*Feature artist info HERE.

The post Minotaurs, Manticores, and Magical Things appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

Intro – Through Titan’s Trail: (Fabled Quest Chronicles, Book 1)

Introduction

Once upon a time …

The known world of Pan-Earth, or the Lands of Man, was divided into the major continental regions of Larentia, Gondwana, Oceania, Laurasia, Baltica, Avalonia, and the uninhabited Borea. Of all the Seven Empires, however, it was only Avalonia, at its northernmost tip, that possessed the sole legendary gateway to the realm of the Magical Lands. Men had passed through the gateway in the millennia since its discovery in search of adventure and, later, riches—a gateway created by the ancient Titans themselves.

Long ago, before the dawn of man, fae, and beasts of light and darkness, was the Age of the Titans. They were gigantic humanoid beings of such size that their heads reached high above the clouds into the heavens. According to myth, a Titan known as the Maker of All Mountains was so devastated by the death of his beloved, he walked the entire circumference of Pan-Earth, dragging his fabled weapon, the Star Slayer, upon the earth. He inadvertently carved a massive valley, before he killed himself by leaping off the world to disappear into the void of space. This valley, cut through not only the known world, but every other realm, was known as Titan’s Trail, and the Avalonia gateway was its entrance.

Every three years, the northwestern lands of Avalonia became the starting point of the Kings’ Caravan—or simply the Caravan. Some twenty years ago, the Kings of Xenhelm began their royal ritual journey attracting men—royal, noble, and commoner alike, farmer and knight, apprentice and warrior—from every corner of the Lands of Man. It was a year-long journey like no other through unimaginable dangers, mortal and magical, by day and night, all for one reason—to obtain the limitless riches of its final destination—the magical kingdom of Atlantea. Most brave men would never risk such a venture filled with danger and death, even with the protection of the Caravan. However, there were plenty of men who would and gladly did so under the auspices of the Four Kings.

Caravan’s Row was the name given to that final road to the gateway, which wound through four main settlements. The journey even here was long and lonely. Many would die along the way, never to fulfill their dreams of beholding the Magical Lands, victims of robbers and marauders. So much sacrificed before even leaving the Lands of Man, possibly forever, as those that left on Caravan were never heard from again. The rural town of Hopeshire was the first of the settlements of Caravan Row.

The Fabled Quest Chronicles begin.

Grab your copy HERE

The post Intro – Through Titan’s Trail: (Fabled Quest Chronicles, Book 1) appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

Cover Reveal: New Fantasy Series!

Last month, you got the Name Reveal of both the series and the debut novel–Through Titan's Trail (Fabled Quest Chronicles, Book 1). This month is the reveal of the new cover above!

The release date is May 1st! You can Pre-Order HERE!

As many of you know, I love working with artists for my books. Well, I found a great new one to do this one and more.

What do you think of the cover? Comment below:

 

#Epicfantasy #Fantasybooks #Jrrtolkien #Thriller

The post Cover Reveal: New Fantasy Series! appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

New Fantasy Series: Name Reveal!

Last year in 2017, I gave my VIP Readers’ Club members the opportunity to pick my next new series. Fantasy won out by a whopping 60%; the other options weren’t even close. As mentioned in earlier posts, I’m not a Game of Thrones fan, but a big Lord of the Rings fan. However, as many of you already know I always put my own twist on a genre. So what is this new fantasy series?

The best way to describe it is in one teaser sentence: It’s King Solomon Mines meets The Lord of the Rings.

I was always planning to write my own version of King Solomon’s Mines. When I saw the classic 1950 movie starring Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr in reruns, I was hooked. It was a quest across another continent for the riches of the wealthy and legendary sage king of Israel. I was going to do a modern version and still may in the future but then I thought, what if I merged that story with other elements—fantasy elements? Again, I love genre-blends, so my series would be that quest but instead take place in an epic world of fantasy. Lions, elephants, and warring tribesmen would be replaced with mythical beasts, elves and goblins. The territories of the continent of Africa would be replaced with unknown and unexplored magical realms.

Series Name Reveal: The Caravan Chronicles

Book One Name Reveal: Through Titan’s Trail

What do you think? Comment below:

The post appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

“4 Weeks of Fantasy” Kindles & Books Giveaway

In anticipation of the upcoming release of my new fantasy series, we kick off our “4 Weeks of Fantasy” Kindles & Books Giveaway! It begins today, March 1st and ends March 28th at midnight. Enter to win below!

Author Austin Dragon's “4 Weeks of Fantasy” Kindle & Books Giveaway

For those leaving comments for an entry: If you win the giveaway prize, what is the first ebook you'll get — title, author, genre and why? Leave Your Comments Below.

The post “4 Weeks of Fantasy” Kindles & Books Giveaway appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

Inspirational Artwork: My Upcoming Fantasy Series

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are some of the inspirational artwork I'm been collecting for my upcoming cyberpunk detective series. I have them all my Pinterest board HERE.

What do you think?

 

#EpicFantasy #Fantasy #Artwork #Pinterest

The post Inspirational Artwork: My Upcoming Fantasy Series appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

Top 10 Themes of My New Upcoming Fantasy Series

Strangely, for as much as I loved the Lord of the Rings saga, both the Rankin-Bass animated movies of the late ‘70s and 1980 to the epic Peter Jackson movies of the early 2000s, I had no intention of ever writing fantasy as a published author. That was until HBO’s adaption of Game of Thrones hit TV. Despite its popularity, and don’t be offended if you love it, I loathed it and barely got past the first episode. In fact, I really don’t consider it fantasy–it's more like a medieval and lesser version of House of Cards with a dragon or two thrown in. As for the books, I can’t comment because I have yet to finish even one of Martin’s novels–I'm more of a sci-fi, mystery and thriller reader.

Always, I try to put a new spin on a genre that I write in, whether it’s the provocative “religious science fiction” of my After Eden series, or my Liquid Cool series being cyberpunk reimagined—personally, I love the term “cyber-noir”–I wanted to do the same for my new fantasy series.

So what are the major themes of the fantasy genre that I'd put my unique twist on? Here’s my Top 10 List!

1) Good Versus Evil.

It doesn't have to be the over-used, two-dimensional Hero versus Dark Lord structure, fulfilling some ancient prophecy. I'm equally unimpressed with most anti-hero(ines) or evil versus evil stories. Good versus evil is a universal trope for a very good reason (with good triumphing over evil in the end)–because that's how audiences expect the universe to be, any universe, even the ones we fiction writers create.

2) A New World.

Also, called world-building, the first novel often has to spend some time acclimating the reader to your universe. If done well, it all feels natural and welcome. For a lot of fantasy, it seems there's some boilerplate that everyone follows. If we're doing fantasy, okay elves and dwarves are fine–I have the former and not the latter. However, there's a lot more in historical mythology than just that, a lot more.

For my new fantasy series, I want to show readers sophisticated and diverse societies, realistic nation-states, and complex social structures. When I use the word “diverse” I don't mean the often silly, politically-correct use of it in our time, for the new series, I mean one where humans are merely one of many in this “universe”.

3) Mythical Races.

I need to expand of this point because it has been a source frustration with me for a long time. As a kid who was fascinated with Ancient Greek and Roman mythology and latter medieval mythology, much of due to my Lord of the Rings fandom, I often asked why do we see only dwarves, elves, orcs, satyrs, and a couple of others? Folks, there are dozens and dozens of different races. I do add quite a few of my own, but finally you get to see some of those other races from historical myths.

4) Mythical Creatures.

Dragons? Sorry, no, and it's not just because that's my last name. I have often felt that throwing in some dragon to be a cheat in most epic fantasy fiction. I even polled my VIP Readers' Club members and they too came up a ton of mythical creatures that I'd like to see too. In my new fantasy series, you'll get to see them!

5) Magic.

I do believe magic is an important ingredient in fantasy. It goes beyond wizards, warlocks, sorcerers, witches or whatever term we use for the practitioners. At the core, these are lands, beings, and creatures of magic. It plays a key role in my new fantasy series as well.

6) Medievalism and Mythology.

Kings and queens, princes and princes, knights and swords? Yes, to all of the above. Some critics say this is the never-ending “McEuropeanizing” of epic fantasy–all the major themes are from Western European mythology. I agree, though nothing is wrong with that by itself; people like Western mythology. However, when I was a kid diving into mythology, I started with Western European mythology, but then moved to other parts of the world, with Chinese mythology being my absolute favorite. In fact, my Sleepy Hollow Horrors series will delve into Native American and Old North American mythology when it relaunches.

One of the things about my new fantasy series is that it will be focused on Western European mythology, but that is only the start. In fact, some of the key characters are not from “Western Europe” lands.

7) Prophecies.

No. It's one common fantasy device I will not be using. I've always felt that its overuse suggests that none have free-will and that everyone is just going through the motions of the universe. It's one thing to say that good should triumph in the end. It's another to say that evil has no chance of winning in the end. If that were the case, then it wouldn't be good drama.

8) The Quest.

This is another staple in fantasy fiction. Whether you consider it boring and overused, or a satisfying standard depends on whether it’s a good story or not. Actually, this is what originally attracted me to writing in the genre. I was going to write a thriller story about a quest (more about that next month) but when my VIP Readers' Club members wanted me to write a fantasy series, I simply modified the thriller quest story I was already going to write. As some readers and fans know already, I love genre-blends.

9) Romance.

Does fantasy have to have a good romance? Good question and I have no idea, but I can't think of any fantasy story I enjoyed that didn't have it. Though, I still had no obligation to add it, if I didn’t want to. I don’t follow crowds; I prefer to lead them or not be in them at all. However, in this case, it adds to the quality of the story, which is the only reason a writer should add anything to their work. What's an example of what I consider a good romance story? (Yes, I’m a guy but from my 2017 Year End Survey of my VIP Readers’ Club, I was surprised to learn that 72% are women!) Here's an example: Besides the subplot in the Lord of the Rings between Aragon and Arwen, how about the 1985 classic movie Lady Hawke starring Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer? 

10) Fantasy novels of 800 pages or more.

This is why I haven't read George RR Martin's A Game of Thrones yet. I'm busy and when I do read it's a binge of multiple books. So would I rather read five books in a sitting or just one GRRM book? Obviously, I have chosen the former for the last four years. I have a personal rule never release a single book of more than 500 pages, with 400 being the targeted standard. So that's what I will do with the new fantasy series. I'll write lots of content, but not bury people with 1000-page single novel tomes.

There's it is.

What do you think about my “Top 10 Themes of My New Upcoming Fantasy Series”? Leave a Comment Below.

#Fantasy #EpicFantasy #ActionAdventure #Thriller

The post Top 10 Themes of My New Upcoming Fantasy Series appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

Hello 2018!

Welcome back. It’s 2018! I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year’s holiday!

I start Year 6 as an indie author with 15 (yes, I can’t believe it either) books in three different genres. As I’ve said in the past, I don’t make New Years’ resolutions in January. I always plan out everything in the November and December of the previous year. So what’s the goal for 2018?

Well, right up front I probably will not do what I did last year by focusing exclusively for the year on only one series. There are many reasons I did so, but releasing six Liquid Cool novels in a year won’t happen again. Though, I know for fans, you couldn’t be happier. Liquid Cool is a great series, but this year will be more balanced. Here's the overview:

#1. The release of my new Fantasy series! It was my VIP Readers’ Club Members who picked the genre. This spring I'll deliver!

#2. More Liquid Cool! There will be two, so you'll get more of Cruz & company in the ever-rain supercity of Metropolis with all the action and laughs you've come to expect.

#3. After Eden. This was my first series and it will be every bit an epic as my fantasy series. I now realize that I’ve been…stalling. The series involves multiple characters, groups, religions, nations all over the world, and takes place over the course of 100 years. Many of its fans say it's not fiction but prophetic. It’s an epic that ends in the explosion of World War III. This year it gets its re-launch.

#4. Surprise. If I do the above, then I’ll do this one. So I’ll just keep it a secret until then. As with every year my goal is to do things Bigger and Better!

Also, I can’t leave this post without adding my link to my perennial post: Bobba Fett’s Top 12 New Year’s Resolution Tips! 

Oh…what do you think of the new website look?

The post Hello 2018! appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.