Kevin James Breaux's Blog, page 4

A Mistletoe Mix-Up: Balbo’s Bizarre Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, while the tavern was stirring,
Old Balbo saw old Ms. Miller, and he swore she was purring.

Good evening, Lady Miller, how be you tonight?
When she suddenly leaned in for a kiss, Balbo put up his hands for a fight.

Ms. Miller, what are you doing?
You know I can’t go around kissing all my customers, the barmaids would start booing!

She looked disappointed and spit on his right leather boot,
What did I do wrong? He’d asked, but the topic was moot.

As Balbo walked away, his mind would not stop.
Until skipping across the room, he watched Evelyn flop.

Hey Balbo, I got a question for you? she asked.
What is It, Evelyn, have you completed all that I have tasked?

I did. I did. All but the mistletoe hung above the door.
I left you a note on the box of sprigs, Balbo. Did you find it on the floor?

I found it. No worries. It was done.
I hung them up, Evelyn. Every last one.

You hung them all up, Balbo? Are you sure?
You didn’t leave one on the table, maybe forgot one on the floor?

I’m positive, now let me be.
There’s a big celebration tonight, I should check if there are enough gifts under the tree.

Balbo wandered away, while listening to Evelyn giggle.
He wondered what sort of naughtiness she was up to, when she was being bad, her hips always had an extra wiggle.

When Balbo set his eyes straight, they fell on the Widow, Stevens the hag.
She always looked like a corpse and smelled just as bad.  

May I help you, Lady Stevens? He asked. Is there something you need?
Pucker up, Balbo, on your lips I must feed!

Balbo staggered back with fright.
What the hell is wrong with this crazy night?

He looked about the tavern, then met Evelyn’s eyes.
When he saw the size of her smile, he let out some sighs.

Evelyn! He bellowed like a roaring mountain lion.
As she approached, she was laughing so hard she was practically cryin’.

What is going on here? He asked. You seem to know!
Balbo, sometimes it shocks me, Evelyn giggled. You’re as dull as a giant’s toe.

Evelyn stepped up to Balbo and gave him a long kiss.
What’s that for? What is this?

While staring deep in his eye, Evelyn reached out and touched his face.
She’s never stroked my beard before, I hope there is no haste.

Her fingers twisted and turned and then suddenly popped out with a fresh mistletoe spring.
Balbo, you’ve been wearing mistletoe in your beard like mud on a pig.

Well, Balbo groaned, no wonder the ladies were all chasing me for a kiss,
Evelyn laughed. You dodged a few, tonight, Balbo, but my kiss did not miss.

The post A Mistletoe Mix-Up: Balbo’s Bizarre Christmas Eve appeared first on Tabletop Beard.

The 5 Santas with the Best Beards

Ho there, Christmas questers!

We at Tabletop Beard were just thinking about holiday films. Let’s be honest, a lot of times we see Santa in the movies, his beard is large, stark white, and very fake looking.

This could be for a lot of reasons. For example, maybe the actor who stepped in to represent the jolly St. Nick could not grow an actual beard. Or maybe they just did not try.

We are looking at you, Billy Bob Thorton. Your movie BAD SANTA (although funny) had a bad Santa beard. And Billy Bob did not even try to keep that fake beard on. We’re afraid it, along with other things, totally broke the illusion of him being Santa…lol.

However, there are actors who have truly invested themselves into the role of Santa and either grew a nice beard or managed to find a fake one that looked real enough. Let’s not spoil the truth about Santa’s beard and just assume the ones on this list were real.

ELF – Ed Asner

It’s hard to avoid the hit movie Elf during the holiday season. Will Ferrel really knocked this one out of the park back in 2003 and every year it is a staple for many families who build “must watch” Christmas movie lists.

But what about Santa? Can you clearly picture who played him? Here is a hint. It was a famous actor and he looked very much the part of the role.

Ed Asner played Santa in Elf and his beard looked great. In many ways it looked real, as far as those stark white ones go. You could almost see the lines the comb made in it. Which makes us happy that Santa knows the importance of grooming his beard.

That being said, Ed Asner’s beard looked like it could have used a little beard balm to keep it under better control. We have what you need here, Santa.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – James Cosmo

So many of us grew up reading the Narnia books. So, when the movies were made, we all jumped on board.

For this young reader, one of the things that stood out in the movie was when James Cosmo, someone you might remember from Highlander or Braveheart, appeared as Father Christmas.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was released in 2005 and James Cosmo was 57 at the time, granted he looked like he was 77 with his long straggly light grey hair and beard.

His beard looked real because it appeared dry and brittle. The winter weather has a way of drying out facial hair, so wouldn’t it be nice if someone gave him a gift of beard oil?

Which scent do you think he would like? We have a few he might like, maybe some Winter Solstice?

The Christmas Chronicles – Kurt Russell

When not driving the Pork Chop Express, or crashing cars as Stuntman Mike, Kurt Russell is steering Santa’s sleigh and rocking a killer beard.

In 2018, The Christmas Chronicles was released and to everyone’s surprise, Kurt made an amazing-looking Santa. And guess what, that beard was at least 80% real!

Yep, Kurt grew most of it himself! And we bet he used all the best beard care products on it, because it looks pretty healthy.

What did you think of his portrayal of Santa? Better yet, what did you think of his killer beard? Any guesses which scent Kurt Russell would choose? We say, Rogue.

Miracle on 34th Street – Richard Attenborough

This is the 1994 version, not the original one. Yes, there was one made way back in 1947! Crazy right! And it’s a classic. Check it out sometime.

In the 1994 version of Miracle on 34th Street, we are rewarded with the loveable Richard Attenborough (yes, the Jurassic Park guy) playing the role of Kris Kringle and wow, he looks great!

In fact, I am going to believe that his beard is 100% real.

Not only that, I bet Sir Richard Attenborough brushed his beautiful Santa beard several times a day to get it to wrap around his face like that. If you would like to know what tools to use when grooming your beard, we have a perfect article for you to check out here.

Ernest Saves Christmas – Douglas Seale

We saved the best for last. A true classic. Just kidding!

Although Ernest Saves Christmas is a cult classic, this 1988 movie is unceremoniously left off most people’s holiday movie watchlists. Which is sad, because Ernest Saves Christmas is one of the higher rated movies of the ten Ernest movies he made.

Okay…okay…that’s not saying much. Sorry, Ernest, we tried. We still loved you in Ernest Scared Stupid.

One thing Ernest Saves Christmas does right is cast Douglas Seale as Santa with bad memory loss. Seale was a British classical actor/producer/director who popped up in a lot of things back in the day.

But in this movie, he played a believable Santa with a realistic beard. Not one of those giant white as snow things. Nope, he wore a beard that any man his age could have been wearing. And if properly cared for that beard would glisten and sparkle like diamonds under the light of a Christmas tree.

We applaud you for wearing a beard that looked so nice, Douglas.

Honorable Mention – Violent Night – David Harbour

David is well known for his role in Stranger Things. We’ve seen him grow a beard on that show, as well as wear one in the Black Widow Marvel movie.

So, could this Santa beard be real? Like really-real? Let’s pretend it is.

In Stranger Things, he grew a beard during captivity, and we guess the gulag did not have lots of premium beard care products for him to use. Of course, if you had the address of that Russian prison, we send a few sampler packs there to help the other prisoners take better care of their facial hair. It’s the least we can do.

It appears David grew a beard and just kept it from one acting gig to another. There are lots of promotional photos of him with it.

Granted he spent his share of nights on popular late-night shows and red carpets, but let’s be honest, sometimes David looked a little unkempt.

There is no reason to look so disheveled David, all you need is to read up on some simple and easy-to-apply beard care tips and tricks.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

No matter if you are Santa or one of his hard-working elves, you can look your best by adding simple beard care into your daily routine.

It starts with keeping your beard clean, and then hydrating it with some beard oil or beard butter. Lastly, style it. Make it look nice. Apply some beard balm to tame those flyaways before taking that romantic sleigh ride across the night sky with Ms. Santa.

Hey, she knows when you are bad or good too. Just saying…

The post The 5 Santas with the Best Beards appeared first on Tabletop Beard.

Resident Bard – That’s me!

Hi all, I have not been blogging here because I’m busying writing for multiple other sites, blogs, and people.

Today, I would like to feature the blog/site/company I’m most proud of. It’s a new small business called Tabletop Beard. I’m the Resident Bard there. I have been creating content and writing the blog articles there for 6+ months now. Wow, it’s been tons of fun!

Tabletop Beard is a beard care company featuring fantasy-themed, premium, all-natural, homemade products like beard oils, butters, and balms. In fact, more products are on their way! The best part about this company is the owners. Three brothers with lots of great ideas and excellent business sense. These guys truly care about their customers!

I’m very lucky to be involved with this venture. Not only is it exciting, but it allows me to exercise my passions. I love fantasy themes. I love tabletop and roleplaying games. I also love being a valued part of an amazing team and community.

So, check out Tabletopbeard.com to see all the new content I have been creating.

FYI – I have been using Tabletop Beard’s beard oils for several months and I must say, THEY ARE AMAZING! I not only use them for my beard, but as a cologne. I recommend the Bard, Warlock, Barbarian, and Cleric scents. You can order here: https://tabletopbeard.com/product-category/beard-care/

Thanks all!

Kevin James Breaux

Write Makes Might!

I’ve been writing…for another blog! *gasp*

Hi all,

I have not forgotten my blog. I just. Well… I started writing articles for other people. Yes, I am down with other people’s blogs (OPB).

If you would like to read what I have been writing, please visit 90sanime.com. I have written a bunch of articles about anime and video games inspired by anime there. It has been a ton of fun. But realistically, it has had great meaning to me.

My best friend, Chris Straup, passed a few years ago. He was my hero. When we were in high school, back in the 90s, we both got into anime. He did a much deeper dive into it than I did. But through the years, he and I kept watching and occasionally talking about the shows and movies we enjoyed. Anime was one of his passions.

I feel like I am honoring him by writing about 90s anime now. And that is really meaningful to me.

I am also ghostwriting for an anime/game website. And will be ghostwriting articles for a start-up company soon. I wish I could tell you which ones. Maybe if you message me on social media, I might give you a hint.

Remember to follow my social media for updates. @author_kjb on twitter and instagram and @castlebroskull also on twitter and instagram.

Write Makes Might!

Kevin James Breaux

www.kevinbreaux.com

The “I don’t want to buy something I already own” Blues

This is an old article I wrote back in 2014. I feel it’s worth reposting.

One of my biggest fears is having to re-buy all my DVD’s in another “New Gen” form of media. It’s a nightmarish notion I refer to as the “Mediapocalypse!”

Remember when we all had cassette tapes? I had maybe thirty tapes in my collection, and I really drug my feet over to CDs.  I think I had to re-buy maybe fifteen of my albums again. Even at the young age of 18-19 years old, I felt a very clear sense of wrongness in that act. Dude, I paid $8 for that Metallica Master of Puppets tape and now I got to pay another $12 for the CD! That’s bullshit!

Oh, but I have done much worse since…

Back in the early and mid 90’s, there was a monthly comic book convention that I attended in King of Prussia, PA. I almost always drove up with my friends, Chris and Sean. (And we almost always forgot Bob.) (That’s a story for another time.) We mostly went to meet comic book artists and hold rounds of witty banter with them while getting sketches done, but Chris and I were also into Japanese Animation.

This little comic convention, held in the basement of a Holiday Inn, was perfect for just that. They always had a bunch of different vendors blaring clips from movies, so it was easy to get an idea of what you might like by just standing near a vendor’s table for five minutes.

One day, I bought something like seven VHS tapes. All of a fantasy anime called The Record of Lodoss War. They were bad copies, and get this, they were subtitled by fans. “FOR FANS BY FANS” – the title screen would say. What that meant was: missing words, wrong words, and different names for different characters. It was a year before I knew the main character’s name was Parn, not Pern or Pan. I mean I kinda thought it was Parn… from the Japanese men and women screaming it… but when you have read Pern enough on screen, yeah, it sinks in.

Anyway, for as bad as these copies were, my friends and I loved them and watched them a bunch of times.  Six months or so later, I was at the convention again and guess what? These two guys who we bought most of your videos from had NEW copies that were crystal-clear but had no subtitles and no dubbing. Pure Japanese language! Yep, I bought them all. Now we could at least watch this awesome epic fantasy series in good quality.

You might think that was enough, right? Nope, some years later, I saw that The Record of Lodoss War was being released in America and it had real official subtitles! Score! I ordered it, of course. Now I had three full versions of the show.

I would love to say that is the end of this tale, but it’s not. A couple years passed, and one day I was looking in a catalogue and wouldn’t you know, a The Record of Lodoss War box set…and…wait for it….wait for it….DUBBED!!! OMG! Dubbed? Really?  So, I ordered that bad boy post-haste.  Now, my friends and I could watch it all in crystal-clear VHS quality and hear the lines spoke in English. No more bad subtitles for us! And holy crap the main character’s name was Parn! Confirmed!

VHS Set

So, here is where I get my sick fear of another change in media. Maybe like eight-nine years ago, and seventeen-eighteen years after my first purchase of the series, I found a DVD set of The Record of Lodoss War on Amazon.com and of course, I ordered it.

Recap!

—bad quality version with homemade subtitles on VHS.  Check!

—good quality version with no subtitles, pure Japanese on VHS.  Check!

—official version with subtitles on VHS.  Check!

—official version with dubbing on VHS (box set).  Check!

—good quality version with English dubbing on DVD.  Check!

Yes, I have owned five versions of the Lodoss War. I only own the DVD set now. Okay-okay, I guess at one point I had like 30-35 VHS tapes of the show.

DVD Set

Can you blame me for fearing a future media change? Not counting my forty or more box sets of shows like Buffy, Angel, Rome, True Blood, Spartacus, and all the GI JOES… I must have like 200+ DVDs.  And I, for damn sure, don’t want to buy them all…all over again. Hell no!  Do you know what a season of Star Trek on DVD used to cost??? Seriously, the thought of having to do that makes my skin all red and splotchy… I think I might be getting some sort of weird, “I don’t want to purchase something I already own” hive. 

Wait… Is that a Blu-Ray copy of The Avengers?

*sigh*

2022 Update – YES, I bought Lodoss War in streaming format. Like you even needed to ask!

Kevin James Breaux

www.kevinbreaux.com

ONE SMOKING HOT FAIRY TAIL has a new edition!

Hi all,

ONE SMOKING HOT FAIRY TAIL (OSHFT) is book one in a series of urban fantasy novels I wrote a few years ago and now it is available in its second edition.

Click here to order at Amazon.com

I’m very proud of this book. I’m very proud of this series. Personally, this was a great accomplishment for me as an author. OSHFT has received many awards and great praise. So has the other books in the series: TWO POLLUTED BLACK-HEART ROMANCES and THREE BURNING RED RUNAWAY BRIDES. The series itself has even won awards.

I decided that this year was a good time to prepare a second edition. I did another edit pass and cleaned up a few small mistakes. I redesigned the interior formatting and made some changes to the cover. I’m happy with the results and want to promote it with lots of zeal again!

Maybe in a couple months, like the end of the year, I will work on a second edition of TWO POLLUTED BLACK-HEART ROMANCES. It needs some changes to my social media accounts and probably has a typo or two inside. What novel doesn’t, right? When I was a kid, my dad loved to point out mistakes in books by Robert Ludlum or Steven King. This was long before I started writing. I think he showed me because he wanted me to see that no one was perfect. Or maybe he just found it funny. Who knows?

What is OSHFT about? Here’s the synopsis.

America’s population is slowly dying due to an epidemic, and Alexander, an ancient, immortal shaman, has medicine that can heal people. It has one small side effect—Alexander’s able to control the minds of anyone taking the drug, nicknamed “dust.”

Alexander plans to take over the country once dust is released to the general public, crushing anyone who stands in the way. He needs just a little bit more of a certain magical ingredient to make the medication work properly: fairy wings.

​An intelligent, stunning fairy, Sabrina was also America’s sweetheart—until a video of a crime she was involved in surfaces, nearly destroying her. A year later, she’s finally ready to step back into the spotlight. Together with her bodyguard, Mira, a water spirit in human form, Sabrina’s prepared to start over.

​Things are starting to look up until she meets Alexander in a club and goes from social outcast to tortured captive in the blink of an eye. Will she be able to escape the evil shaman and his mind-controlled slaves in time to save herself and everyone she cares about?

This is Sabrina London with her wings on display.

Here Are A Few Review Quotes

“Kevin Breaux takes no prisoners! This is raw, funny, edgy, unapologetic and highly weird. Buckle up.” -Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of Patient Zero and Kill Switch.

“I absolutely loved the mythology that Breaux created—placing a creative twist to the fairy tales that we know and love today.” -Arely of The Fantastical World of Wonders Book Review Blog.

“The story is chock-full of action that involves a ton of paranormal creatures who are all existing in the human world. But threaded within the story are other miniature vignettes in time and from history about how all these characters got to this place.” Christi Snow – Author and Book Reviewer.

“With each turn of a page the story, the characters, the tone, and the mood seem to change in the most breath-taking ways.” – Billy Dale Green.

Let’s not forget Moselle.

Hope you check them out. Give ONE SMOKING HOT FAIRY TAIL a try if you enjoy things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, Sookie Stackhouse, The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, The White Wolf RPG games… etc.

Thanks all!

Write Makes Might!

Kevin James Breaux

www.kevinbreaux.com

I rewatch a lot of shows, it’s true.

Hi all,

I love a good TV show. I have since the early 80s. A couple years ago, I tried to make a list of all the TV shows I have watched and which ones I have seen the whole series of. It turned out to be a long list, and I’m sure I forgot dozens (and dozens) of shows.

So, I made another list. This list is of shows I have rewatched. Yes, it’s a spreadsheet. lol. Magnum P.I., Star Trek Voyager, Mutant X, The Flash (original), Buffy, G.I. JOE, Quantum Leap… the list goes on.

On this glorious spreadsheet, I list a show, when the last time I watched it was and then the most current rewatch. For example: LOST. Great show, right? I watched it when it originally aired, and I loved it. Each week, I would go to my local comic book store, Brave New Worlds in Willow Grove, PA (at the time), and I would discuss theories with the guys. So much fun!

The first time I rewatched LOST was 2010 (probably recapping as the series ended). Then the most current rewatch was 2016. I recall this viewing as being very enjoyable. It was nice to revisit that island full of problem makers.

Currently, I’m rewatching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9). It runs on BBC America every morning. It used to run all day. Then it ran all morning. Now, it’s running 1-2 eps a day. I watch is casually as I work. It’s good background noise. Helps me stay focused. I can’t work in total silence, and I can’t work in an office setting with people moving and talking all around me. Think of it like one of those white noise devices that plays the sounds of crickets or frogs or rain so you can sleep better. DS9 does that job for me very well.

On top of that, I started a new rewatch a week ago. Well…partial rewatch. I really enjoy the last season of Angel and it has been a while, so I decided to put that on one night.

It’s funny, because I had just watched and ep. of DS9 where Lwaxana Troi, who has psychic abilities, comes to DS9 during a party and infects everyone with her powers. They all start acting irrationally and making weird love connections. On almost the same day, I think a day later, I watched an ep. of Angel where Lorne, who also has psychic abilities, infects everyone at a party and THEY all start acting irrationally and make weird love connections.

Hmmm… Odd. Same writers? I asked myself.

As a writer, and someone who loves TV, I’m very aware of the recycled storylines. But this was the first time these two stood out to me. So, I did what anyone in my position would do, I went right to IMDB!

Take a look at this!

As it turns out, the DS9 episode “Fascination” aired 11/28/94. Where the Angel episode “Life of the Party” aired 10/29/2003. That’s almost ten years apart! Maybe that’s the rule, TV script writers can copy each other’s work as long as it’s over 100 months old. lol

Or was it the same authors? I looked. Nope! Ira Steven Behr and James Crocker wrote the DS9 ep. And Ben Edlund appears to have written the Angel one. I wonder if Ben was a DS9 fan?

I know this happens a lot. We could go down a list of story tropes. I was simply struck by this pair, as I watched them within 24 hours of each other and they were both set in parties and had similar effects. I know. I know. It has probably been done in 5-10 other shows since. lol

Do you rewatch a lot of shows? Do you have certain ones you like to go back to? Or do you have a single favorite you enjoy watching over and over?

Let me know. Email me: kevin@kevinbreaux.com

Thanks all!

Kevin James Breaux

www.kevinbreaux.com

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My New Novel Has Been Out for Two Months Now.

On my Kindle app. Click the picture to put it on yours!

Hi all,

My new novel Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs was released on 2/22/22. A really exciting set of numbers for a really exciting release day for me.

Since its release a few reviews have come. Overall good ones too. I even won an award.

Here is a link to this review at Literary Titan.

In this post, I would like to share just a few of the reviews I have received for Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs. Thanks!

Review:

Young Davy Crockett is a fast-paced adventure story with plenty of hunting action. When Davy Crockett comes home after a lengthy absence, he discovers that many of the hunters in his community have vanished. Davy, who is a talented hunter, understands that hunters only go missing when they are being chased by something more competent than them. Davy makes it his mission to figure out what’s going on by searching the neighbouring forests, but what he finds is something he’s never seen before: dinosaurs.

Kevin James Breaux’s History vs. Pre-history Series begins with this enthralling novel. It was such a wonderful read, free of clients and with a new and original plot that was devoid of any clichés. The writing style is ideal for younger adult readers who want a lot of action from the very first page and throughout the novel. Davy is a bold figure who is capable of facing the unknown and uncovering the mystery of the missing hunters, as readers will discover. Breaux deftly crafts a compelling narrative out of reality, fantasy, science, and history.

This work has aspects of historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction, as well as thriller elements. While this work included all of those qualities, it also contained much more. It was a dark story with a lot of action and unexpected turns, not light and joyful story. The action and repercussions scenarios are constantly stacked on top of one other. The characters are amusing, though occasionally terrible. I must admit, the notion is extremely unusual and, at times, perplexing. In future works, Mr Breaux has allowed himself plenty of space for character growth. Breaux has done an amazing job with world-building. I had a clear picture in my mind of the places these folks visit. The finale was surprising and fantastic, and it left me eagerly anticipating the next book! – @reads_nancy on Instagram.

Review:

Young Davy Crockett is a fun and wild read full of adventure and hunting action. Davy, a thirteen year old boy was sent by his father away from town for a hunting job. He returned to his town almost a year later to find that some of the hunters of his town have gone missing.

This can mean only one thing : A better hunter is hunting them! What could be this wild beast? Never in his wild dreams, Davy had imagined that it’s a dinosaur that’s hunting the hunters and is the reason behind hunters going missing.

I loved reading this book. It was such a refreshing book, free of clićhes, with a fresh and original story, devoid of all familiar tropes. I liked Davy’s character, he is bold and savage, loves being in nature and is a hunter to the core. But what makes him likeable is that he is kind and genuinely cares about people.

The book is enjoyable and I was looking forward to the adventures while reading it. It has a really nice story and Davy makes a good protagonist. The writing style is effortless, lucid and perspicuous. The language used is simple, making this book accessible to all. Also, the story is such that it can be enjoyed by readers of all age. – @rubyisreading_ on Instagram.

Read this one below.

Review:

Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs by award-winning
author Kevin James Breaux is set in Tennessee in 1798 and
follows the exploits of the young but capable hunter. Davy had just
returned from a month-long task that was forced upon him by his
father when he found out that local hunters who had ventured into
the forest never returned. This is troubling news, as it can only
mean one thing; the hunters are now the hunted. Davy sets out to
track the mysterious beast and kill it before more lives are lost, but
his quarry is a fierce beast and even deadlier than a cougar. Davy
isn’t aware that such a beast should not be taken lightly nor that it
should not be possible for such an animal to be alive in this day and
age. In this thrilling book, two worlds collide as animals from the
Jurassic period roam the Earth once more. Will Davy, the greatest
hunter of all, bring home a prized trophy, or will he be the hunted?

Young Davy Crockett was a thrilling and imaginative book. It was
my first time reading a western that had dinosaurs in it and though
outlaws, gunslingers, and duels weren’t present, it was still a blast
to read. The main reason is the thrill that I got from the scenes
where Davy is out hunting. I had no idea that a hunt could be so
suspenseful and exhilarating, as I believed that hunting mainly
involved waiting in a bush followed by more waiting in a bush for
one’s prey. To my surprise though, it turns out that hunting involves
a lot more than simply waiting and that it is very interesting. Kevin
James Breaux has conveyed the thrill of a hunt perfectly. The
author described the hunts beautifully and with ample details.
Another good thing about this book for me was the plot. The plot
was extraordinary, considering that this was a short story, yet it felt
complete and not rushed or lacking anything crucial in any way. It
held my interest and focus throughout its duration and had a few
surprises for me. It was an excellent and unique plot as well, and I
can tell that the next entries in this series will be a joy to read. I’d
like to recommend this compelling and memorable read to readers
that desire a short but excellent book. – Reviewed by Nicholus Schroeder for Readers’ Favorite and given 5 Stars!

Have I convinced you to give it a try yet? If so, check it out here on Amazon Kindle.

Thanks for your time!

Write Makes Might!

Kevin James Breaux

www.kevinbreaux.com

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My new novel has been out for two months now.

On my Kindle app. Click the picture to put it on yours!

Hi all,

My new novel Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs was released on 2/22/22. A really exciting set of numbers for a really exciting release day for me.

But then the world turned upside-down with the war in Ukraine. Without going into a lot of detail, I work for a Ukrainian owned company with many employees over there.

I decided, out of respect, to limit my self-promotion for a while. I have said it many times on social media, during tragedies or anniversaries of 9/11, or when there are big natural disasters…it’s just plain tackey to be spamming ads on Twitter for people to buy your book. Don’t you agree?

I limited my posts and by doing so probably lost some sales, but I would prefer a few lost sales over looking like I don’t care about world events.

Still, some reviews have come in. Overall good ones too. I even won an award.

Here is a link to this review at Literary Titan.

In this post, I would like to share just a few of the reviews I have received for Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs. Thanks!

Review:

Young Davy Crockett is a fast-paced adventure story with plenty of hunting action. When Davy Crockett comes home after a lengthy absence, he discovers that many of the hunters in his community have vanished. Davy, who is a talented hunter, understands that hunters only go missing when they are being chased by something more competent than them. Davy makes it his mission to figure out what’s going on by searching the neighbouring forests, but what he finds is something he’s never seen before: dinosaurs.

Kevin James Breaux’s History vs. Pre-history Series begins with this enthralling novel. It was such a wonderful read, free of clients and with a new and original plot that was devoid of any clichés. The writing style is ideal for younger adult readers who want a lot of action from the very first page and throughout the novel. Davy is a bold figure who is capable of facing the unknown and uncovering the mystery of the missing hunters, as readers will discover. Breaux deftly crafts a compelling narrative out of reality, fantasy, science, and history.

This work has aspects of historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction, as well as thriller elements. While this work included all of those qualities, it also contained much more. It was a dark story with a lot of action and unexpected turns, not light and joyful story. The action and repercussions scenarios are constantly stacked on top of one other. The characters are amusing, though occasionally terrible. I must admit, the notion is extremely unusual and, at times, perplexing. In future works, Mr Breaux has allowed himself plenty of space for character growth. Breaux has done an amazing job with world-building. I had a clear picture in my mind of the places these folks visit. The finale was surprising and fantastic, and it left me eagerly anticipating the next book! – @reads_nancy on Instagram.

Review:

Young Davy Crockett is a fun and wild read full of adventure and hunting action. Davy, a thirteen year old boy was sent by his father away from town for a hunting job. He returned to his town almost a year later to find that some of the hunters of his town have gone missing.

This can mean only one thing : A better hunter is hunting them! What could be this wild beast? Never in his wild dreams, Davy had imagined that it’s a dinosaur that’s hunting the hunters and is the reason behind hunters going missing.

I loved reading this book. It was such a refreshing book, free of clićhes, with a fresh and original story, devoid of all familiar tropes. I liked Davy’s character, he is bold and savage, loves being in nature and is a hunter to the core. But what makes him likeable is that he is kind and genuinely cares about people.

The book is enjoyable and I was looking forward to the adventures while reading it. It has a really nice story and Davy makes a good protagonist. The writing style is effortless, lucid and perspicuous. The language used is simple, making this book accessible to all. Also, the story is such that it can be enjoyed by readers of all age. – @rubyisreading_ on Instagram.

Read this one below.

Review:

Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs by award-winning
author Kevin James Breaux is set in Tennessee in 1798 and
follows the exploits of the young but capable hunter. Davy had just
returned from a month-long task that was forced upon him by his
father when he found out that local hunters who had ventured into
the forest never returned. This is troubling news, as it can only
mean one thing; the hunters are now the hunted. Davy sets out to
track the mysterious beast and kill it before more lives are lost, but
his quarry is a fierce beast and even deadlier than a cougar. Davy
isn’t aware that such a beast should not be taken lightly nor that it
should not be possible for such an animal to be alive in this day and
age. In this thrilling book, two worlds collide as animals from the
Jurassic period roam the Earth once more. Will Davy, the greatest
hunter of all, bring home a prized trophy, or will he be the hunted?

Young Davy Crockett was a thrilling and imaginative book. It was
my first time reading a western that had dinosaurs in it and though
outlaws, gunslingers, and duels weren’t present, it was still a blast
to read. The main reason is the thrill that I got from the scenes
where Davy is out hunting. I had no idea that a hunt could be so
suspenseful and exhilarating, as I believed that hunting mainly
involved waiting in a bush followed by more waiting in a bush for
one’s prey. To my surprise though, it turns out that hunting involves
a lot more than simply waiting and that it is very interesting. Kevin
James Breaux has conveyed the thrill of a hunt perfectly. The
author described the hunts beautifully and with ample details.
Another good thing about this book for me was the plot. The plot
was extraordinary, considering that this was a short story, yet it felt
complete and not rushed or lacking anything crucial in any way. It
held my interest and focus throughout its duration and had a few
surprises for me. It was an excellent and unique plot as well, and I
can tell that the next entries in this series will be a joy to read. I’d
like to recommend this compelling and memorable read to readers
that desire a short but excellent book. – Reviewed by Nicholus Schroeder for Readers’ Favorite and given 5 Stars!

Have I convinced you to give it a try yet? If so, check it out here on Amazon Kindle.

Thanks for your time!

Write Makes Might!

Kevin James Breaux

www.kevinbreaux.com

March Ramblings: Yes, I love 80’s cartoons. But even more so G.I. JOE.

I grew up in the 80s. I can’t imagine a better time to be a kid. Especially one who was creative. I used to sit in front of the TV for hours with a pencil and paper and just contently draw.

I loved waking up on Saturdays at like 6:30-7am and watching cartoons until noon. Fun fact: I used to have nightmares as a kid where I would sleep from Friday night until Saturday afternoon. I would wake up in a panic and then realize, oh it’s only Tuesday or Thursday and realize I was okay. lol.

I watched all the normal cartoons that kids watched back in the early 80s: Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Heathcliff, Flintstones, etc. But it was not long until my taste in cartoons developed, and I was very attracted to action and adventure. Early on I became addicted to cartoons like Voltron, Battle of the Planets, Herculoids, and Robotech. Then Thundarr the Barbarian, Spiderman and his Amazing Friends, and reruns of the 60s Spiderman cartoon.

But then in the Fall of 1983 my life was changed forever. G.I. JOE premiered!

You can totally hear this picture, right? YO JOE!!!!

G.I. JOE captured my full attention. The cartoons, the toys and the comics. I watched, collected, and read them all.

I am not sure why this one particular intellectual property captured my attention so well, but of all those amazing things born during my 80’s childhood, this is the one where my love and attention has never diminished.

That being said…yes, there was a time where my JOE action figures were packed up and untouched. Yes, in college I sold a bunch of them to a comic book store for some extra money. (Yuck! One of my top 10 biggest regrets!) BUT, I kept all the comics, and kept reading them over and over through the years. And I kept searching for episodes of the cartoon on TV (before the series was released on DVD). I even wanted to work on a JOE comic book from the moment I entered art school.

In my early 30s, I started displaying some of the JOE toys I kept from childhood. On my desk, in my home office, I had an open space where I wanted to place something special. I had just finished writing one of my books, and the way I decided to reward my efforts was to buy a G.I. JOE Mauler tank. The reward system for writing is very important and I will explain it in a later post.

I found a Mauler on eBay that was 99% complete. The seller was a guy who liked to piece old JOE toys back together with his grandson. He would clean them up and sell them when he was done. He was a really nice guy. I kept in contact with him for a while.

The one thing missing was the long antenna. I was fine with that, the Mauler was perfect, a true thing of beauty, and it looked great on my shelf.

Here is an old phone of when I first placed it on the shelf.

I created an eBay search for the long antenna and set up notifications, but the antenna always listed for $40, $50 or even more. I was not willing to spend that. But I kept watching for it. For years. No lie. Probably like 5 years.

Life moved on. I kept writing. I kept reading my JOE comics and this one JOE reference book I loved so much called: http:// target=”_blank” href=”https://www.amazon.com/Now-You-Know-Unauthorized-Comics/dp/1570329028?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=kevinjamesbre-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=e945e8aadf373cf0c046c88913c59cb0&camp=1789&creative=9325″>Now you Know” data-type=”URL” data-id=”https://www.amazon.com/Now-You-Know-Unauthorized-Comics/dp/1570329028?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=kevinjamesbre-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=e945e8aadf373cf0c046c88913c59cb0&camp=1789&creative=9325″>Now you KnowNOW YOU KNOW: The Unauthorized Guide to G.I.JOE. This is the best book out there if you are a G.I. JOE fan! It covers the cartoons and comics and some toys too. But what makes it really great is the descriptions of all the issues and episodes. The author fills the book with tons of useful information and fun perspectives on the “Ass-whuppings,” physics, and tie-ins to other eps and comics. Not to mention the love triangles and goofs!

Anyway, years later, I wrote some JOE comic scripts and pitched them to Dark Horse Comics and IDW (both in person). I wish I could say I was chosen to write one but as it is so often in the industry…my hard work was simply overlooked. Most likely thrown into a pile with the thousands of other submissions. Oh well…

Did this change my love of G.I. JOE? Nope. I kept reading, watching, and re-collecting the figures. Then, after my mom passed, my dad started sending me all my old toys across country. He must have sent me 10-12 large priority mail boxes. I wish I could say things like my old JOE hovercraft was in there, or long-lost figures I had forgotten about. There were very few JOE things at all. Lots of Masters of the Universe, KO (knock off) figures, Playmobiles, Stompers, Rambo, Micronauts, even my entire Robo Force collection. Love them. Still do!

For a toy I got in the late 70s, he’s looking damn good!

In the last or next to last box my dad sent was just a bunch of zip loc bags filled with parts. When I opened one of the bags my mom had labeled G.I. JOE I found something REALLY special. Would you believe it was the large antenna for my original owned (and long sold) Mauler? Yep! I saw the antenna and my heart dropped. I grabbed it and ran across the house to my office and put it right into the Mauler on my shelf. Perfect fit!!!

I have to say this. It felt like a miracle or my mom sending me a message from beyond. Whatever you want to call it. It was a very special moment.

My love for G.I. JOE toys took another weird turn when I opened up my retro toy art business CASTLE BROSKULL. Suddenly, people were sending me all sorts of toys to redesign, customize, basically make RAD again. It started off largely Masters of the Universe toys, but soon after there was a flood of JOES. And yes, they really reignited my desire to collect. I ended up buying a Cobra Terror Drome. I never had one of these growing up. I had tons of toys, but I guess my parents drew the line at large playsets, because I had none. No Grayskull! No JOE HQ! None! lol.

The Cobra Terror Drome sits in my home office now. And I like to add Cobra figures to it every once in a while.

Fast forward to this February. I was playing video games one afternoon and got a message from my best friend’s widow. He had died suddenly two years ago, and his dad had passed recently. She was going through stuff at his dad’s house and found all his old toys. She sent me some pictures and asked me if anything was valuable. In those pictures was my friend’s G.I. JOE figures. This was my friend from 1981 to present. We spent those fun 80’s together. I knew he had JOES but not as many as I saw in the pictures. I instantly told her the value and offered to buy them myself. I wanted to have something that obviously meant the world to my friend and was something his parents clearly cared enough to store properly all these years. It would be greatly meaningful. But I did not know how greatly until they arrived at my house.

My friend Chris’s childhood JOE collection the day it arrived at my house.

It really struck me how much my friend must have been loved. His parents were not wealthy, but they obviously bought him a lot of toys and were kind enough to store them safely. It warmed my heart and made me want to cry. I was very happy to be able to give his widow some money for her and the kids. Buying these old and broken action figures was a win-win.

I made a promise to myself. I would only sell one or two of them. Just to recoup my expenses and then I would do my best to restore his collection back to their former glory.

Within a few hours, I had replaced all the o-rings (the rubber band that held them together). Then, I went to work finding parts for the ones with missing guns, broken waists or hands. JOE figures have two stress points: thumbs and crotches. Yep. Those soldiers work and play hard! lol

I ended up buying a few parts on eBay. I spent about $100, but I was able to restore all but four of the broken figures. I still need new arms for ZAP and crotch for Duke. But yeah, those ZAP arms will cost me $50-75 right there!

Since their arrival, I cannot stop looking at them. My best buddy might be gone, but these toys he once loved are now safe and sound with me and not lost to a garage sale (which is where they were heading). I want to do more with them. Memorialize them somehow, maybe a shadow box.

Will I ever get to write a G.I. JOE book? I hope. Until then, I will remain an avid fan of this beloved 80’s intellectual property and enjoy my own…and my friend’s collection.

Side note:

Other cartoons I loved growing up: Transformers, Inhumanoids, JEM, Visionaries, X-Men, The Tick, Pirates of Dark Water, Galaxy High, Pole Position, Dungeons and Dragons, Ghostbusters and many more.

Kevin James Breaux

www.kevinbreaux.com

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