So here is the news. Amazon Kindle Worlds is coming to an abrupt ending. As a result, any and all G.I.Joe fanfiction will no longer be available for purchase after August 29th, and will cease to exist. The final day for submission of works is today May 16th, as of tomorrow, no new submission will be accepted.
I have uploaded book two, Enter the Headhunters, with the slim possibility that it may actually be published, if only for the next three months. I am truly distraught by this unforeseen turn of events, and will be turning to traditional publishing avenues after today.
I will include any updates as they become available, and I hope to have a link to book 2 to share here. If not, I will be uploading chapters to my blog over the next several weeks so that my fans can enjoy what I have envisioned.
Thank you to all who have supported me.
Cheers!
Drakov
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Friday, May 4, 2018
Enter the Headhunters
Hello All,
I have been working diligently to complete my third proofread of "Enter the Headhunters." I am trying to be as thorough as possible, but a combination of being a PARCC test proctor, and more importantly, my dad being admitted to the ER for heart problems, has set me back a little. I am currently about 25% through my final edits and have already written the book synopsis.
Please just bear with me.
Thank you everyone who has reached out to me with well wishes. They are greatly appreciated.
Cheers!
Drakov
I have been working diligently to complete my third proofread of "Enter the Headhunters." I am trying to be as thorough as possible, but a combination of being a PARCC test proctor, and more importantly, my dad being admitted to the ER for heart problems, has set me back a little. I am currently about 25% through my final edits and have already written the book synopsis.
Please just bear with me.
Thank you everyone who has reached out to me with well wishes. They are greatly appreciated.
Cheers!
Drakov
Monday, April 23, 2018
Book Two: Enter the Headhunters Update
Alright everyone. Editing is done. I just want to read through this WIP one more time before hitting submit on KindleWorlds. This has been a labor of love for me, and I hope everyone enjoys it! Looks like May 1st, will be the day.
Cheers!
Drakov
Cheers!
Drakov
Thursday, April 19, 2018
G.I.Joe Convention Chattanooga June 2018
Well, it appears that some of the forces that be are working with me and others are against me. In our quest to find a new forever home, I am happy to say (fingers crossed) that my wife and I will be closing on our new home in mid June. And as happy as I am about this, it has thus prevented me from attending the Final JoeCon in Chattanooga. With the closing date hovering between June 14th and the 21st there is no way that I can do both. So, as much as I would like to see all my friends, hang out and talk Joe, buy convention exclusives and the like, there is no way that I can do both. As a result, yesterday with a heavy heart, I cancelled my flight, hotel reservation, and switched my convention set to "Home Front Hero" status. I am hopeful that some of my friends will be able to hook me up with the exclusives, but I am not holding my breath.
Hope everyone has a great time!
Cheers
Drakov
Hope everyone has a great time!
Cheers
Drakov
Friday, March 23, 2018
Book Two Update (delayed again)
Hello everyone,
I would like to apologize for:
1. My lack of blog posts and
2. Not releasing my second book at the promised time.
As we all know, life has a unique way of rearing its ugly head and getting in the way of the best laid plans. An issue with my current living situation, has caused the wife and I to go in search of a new home with greener pastures. As a result of this and a tight timeline, my writing time has been greatly reduced. It is also crunch time so to speak at the school with April Benchmarks, end of the 3rd marking period, and the end of the school year fast approaching.
Believe me, I know it's no excuse and have been doing what I can in terms of editing when time permits, like during jury duty two weeks ago. (Almost wish I had to go back on the second day) My new G.I.Joe book is currently going by the title "Enter the Headhunters" and will feature several well-known as well as some obscure Joe and Cobra characters. Expect cameos by Ghost Bear, HeartWrencher, Wraith, Tracker and Law and Order to name a few. There will be returning favorites and continuing story lines started in my first title, "Armed and Dangerous." (Kindleworlds 2017)
Current word count is up around 77,640 and counting; with close to 400 pages of action packed scenarios. Current editing has me around page 282 with over a hundred pages to go. Work has been slow, but ultimately, I want to provide my fans with a much deeper novel than the first installment in the series. "Enter the Headhunters" will feature more mature themes. Expect a darker story with more realism. Expect some of the quirkiness of the Sunbow characters, but more importantly expect a story that will leave you wanting to read more.
Thanks for reading, and hopefully I will see some of you in Chattanooga for JoeCon 2018.
Cheers!
Drakov
I would like to apologize for:
1. My lack of blog posts and
2. Not releasing my second book at the promised time.
As we all know, life has a unique way of rearing its ugly head and getting in the way of the best laid plans. An issue with my current living situation, has caused the wife and I to go in search of a new home with greener pastures. As a result of this and a tight timeline, my writing time has been greatly reduced. It is also crunch time so to speak at the school with April Benchmarks, end of the 3rd marking period, and the end of the school year fast approaching.
Believe me, I know it's no excuse and have been doing what I can in terms of editing when time permits, like during jury duty two weeks ago. (Almost wish I had to go back on the second day) My new G.I.Joe book is currently going by the title "Enter the Headhunters" and will feature several well-known as well as some obscure Joe and Cobra characters. Expect cameos by Ghost Bear, HeartWrencher, Wraith, Tracker and Law and Order to name a few. There will be returning favorites and continuing story lines started in my first title, "Armed and Dangerous." (Kindleworlds 2017)
Current word count is up around 77,640 and counting; with close to 400 pages of action packed scenarios. Current editing has me around page 282 with over a hundred pages to go. Work has been slow, but ultimately, I want to provide my fans with a much deeper novel than the first installment in the series. "Enter the Headhunters" will feature more mature themes. Expect a darker story with more realism. Expect some of the quirkiness of the Sunbow characters, but more importantly expect a story that will leave you wanting to read more.
Thanks for reading, and hopefully I will see some of you in Chattanooga for JoeCon 2018.
Cheers!
Drakov
Monday, March 19, 2018
I Don't want To Grow Up I'm A Toys R Us Kid.
As a child of the 1980's, I would travel to the gigantic toy store with my family and spend what felt like hours staring at the enormous selection of action figures and games. In their heyday, Toys R Us stores would have aisles dedicated to each major toy line. Some of my all-time favorites to look at were G.I.Joe, Masters of the Universe, Sectaurs, Thundercats, Hot Wheels and anything Dungeons and Dragons. I can still remember saving the five dollars my grandmother had given me to spend on my school class trip in order to buy Zartan and his Swamp Skier Chameleon.
"What a great day it was to go home with the color-changing Master of Disguise."
Although it wasn't a normal occurrence to come home with toys when I was a kid, the enjoyment of simply being able to look at all the possibilities was enough to fuel and fill my holiday and birthday wish lists. Even the Toys R Us Wish Book that would come in the Sunday newspaper or the mail was awesome to peer over.
When I was a teenager and old enough to drive, I would travel to my local Toys R Us stores almost weekly. I had a well-paying part-time job and other than gas and food, my paycheck was mine to spend. My favorite place to look would be the clearance aisles. I bought many items over the years which included almost all of the 15th-anniversary G.I.Joe figures and vehicles, a Mantua HO scale Super Bowl train set, and all the Dragonheart figures and monsters. I amassed quite a collection of MOC figures, many of which I still own today.
On other days, my good friends and I would simply go into the store to challenge each other to two-player games like Virtua Fighter. One of my best memories is my friend Troy saying, "Do you know what KO stands for?"
Me "No, what?"
"Kicked Oss!"
We still laugh about that to this day.
At other times, we would go in and have Nerf wars, or ride bicycles around the store. It was a more innocent time and salespeople were friendlier and much more accommodating.
In my mid-twenties and even my early thirties, I would visit my local Toys R Us on Thursday mornings when the store was opening. This was the day that new items would be on the shelves and if you wanted them you need to be the first person in the store. I collected all five of the G.I.Joe five packs this way. I was so happy when a 4 of 5 and 5 of 5 were sitting on the shelf for me to scoop up one Thursday over the summer. I also bought all the new Thundercats figures this way. The clearance aisle was still a place to check regularly, as rare gems would show up hidden among the things that apparently no one wanted. I purchased a second Crimson Chopper with the twins Tomax and Xamot this way for a whopping $7.00.
One of my last acquisitions in a Toys R Us store was the three-pack of Thundercats Dorbs. At first, it appeared as if there were none available. Then as I was also searching for Destro and Flocked Beastman from the recent Comic-Con, behind some Minecraft packages I found them. Total score!
Toys R Us has always provided me with a place to discover things I never knew existed like newer board games and even some of the more scientific lab kits and models. There is truly no place left like it among all the brick and mortar stores. I bought awesome games like Lord of the Rings Stratego, Dungeons and Dragons Clue, Star Wars Monopoly, Hero Quest and Battle Masters.
During my life, I have experienced the demise of Lionel Kiddie City, ChildWorld, Kay B Toys and now I will see Toys R Us fall. It is a sad day indeed. I hope that I can make it into my local store one last time to take some pictures or videos for posterity. Although not the same layout of the days of the 80s, there are still many gems hidden in the aisles of the store, and I fear that future generations of children will miss out on the memories and good times that this once great toy giant have provided for countless Toys R Us kids the world over. Where else will children be able to find anything from Playmobile, to Lego, to boardgames, and the "Slip and Slide" all under one roof?
"From bikes, to trains, to video games,
It's the biggest toy store there is.
I don't want to grow up, cuz baby if I did,
I wouldn't be a Toys R Us kid!"
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Reformat, Edit, Rewrite, Rip up, Repeat: The Life of an Author
Anyone in the self-publishing market knows the importance of creating a worthwhile literary piece. The process at times can seem daunting, as writing the first draft of your story is actually the easiest part. When the story is coming together, it flows quite readily from your mind to the pages of your notebook, or onto your computer screen. Days, even months go by and you continue to grow your tale. the pages and chapters add up. Then, the day of reckoning arrives. You write the last line of your story and a temporary relief washes over you, followed shortly by a wave of sheer terror.
You have poured your heart, your mind and your soul into your new literary masterpiece. Some of you have even given blood, sweat, tears, hair and lack of sleep to your worthy cause. Was it all for naught?
My advice to you is simple. Once you have finished your book. Walk away and read someone else's book. Take some time away from your book, in order to distance yourself from it and create some unfamiliarity. This might mean taking anywhere from a week, up to a couple of months away. This is important so that when you read over your manuscript the next time it will be like you are looking at it from an outsider's perspective.
We all want to believe that we are the masters of or literary universe, but in reality this is not always the case. What we are masters of, is the process we choose to follow when writing, editing and eventually publishing our new book. Not everyone can afford an author for a book which may only capture mere pennies on a dollar for you in overall sales. Even if you can afford an editor, you don't want to send them an unorganized, slip shod writing mess and have that be the impression they get of you as an author.
So, what do you do?
You do what every author before you has done, and attempt to edit your work. A good friend of mine and fellow author suggested the following practice. Read the words you have written on your page aloud exactly as they are. Make believe you are a voice actor reading for an audio book recording. I guarantee that you will come across mistakes that you didn't notice on your first pass. Maybe even record yourself, so you can listen back in your car on the way to work, or on your ear buds at the gym. You'll be happy you did.
Then get a scratchpad and get to editing.
Look for the following things:
1. Sentence Flow. This will be determined by commas, periods and other punctuation. "Never underestimate the power of a perfectly placed comma."
2. Subject-Verb Agreement. Do your subjects match their verbs in terms of singularity or plurality? This is a commonly overlooked writing error. Not sure? Google it.
3. Continuity. Does your story follow a specific time line? Does it flow effortlessly, or are you constantly jumping around? These are other things you may notice. Was the sun rising on the first page of the chapter? Only to set three pages later? What happened in between? Fill in the blanks for the reader, or rewrite the section to make more sense.
4. Correct Tense. Does your story shift from one tense to another? Most writers tend to write completely in the present, or the past tense. Others tend switch between the two. Do you do this correctly? It is important to keep your reader informed of what has happened, what is happening and what may or may not happen in the future. Do you use flash backs? Inner dialogue? and Conversation? These things need to be correctly denoted using quotation marks or italics.
5. Typos. You may find a lot of these by reading what's on the page and not what you think you wrote. This is why it is important to step away from your story, and return to it after some time has passed. Is there a double word? Did you write "to" instead of "the" or "in?" So many times, the mind is in hyper drive when we are first writing that the fingers cannot keep up, resulting in typographical errors.
Don't let the dread of editing, destroy the joy you experienced from drafting your new story. The read aloud and listen back is an invaluable and inexpensive tool to catapult you into becoming a better author.
Good luck and happy writing!
Cheers!
Drakov
Special thank to@geekfurious
You have poured your heart, your mind and your soul into your new literary masterpiece. Some of you have even given blood, sweat, tears, hair and lack of sleep to your worthy cause. Was it all for naught?
My advice to you is simple. Once you have finished your book. Walk away and read someone else's book. Take some time away from your book, in order to distance yourself from it and create some unfamiliarity. This might mean taking anywhere from a week, up to a couple of months away. This is important so that when you read over your manuscript the next time it will be like you are looking at it from an outsider's perspective.
We all want to believe that we are the masters of or literary universe, but in reality this is not always the case. What we are masters of, is the process we choose to follow when writing, editing and eventually publishing our new book. Not everyone can afford an author for a book which may only capture mere pennies on a dollar for you in overall sales. Even if you can afford an editor, you don't want to send them an unorganized, slip shod writing mess and have that be the impression they get of you as an author.
So, what do you do?
You do what every author before you has done, and attempt to edit your work. A good friend of mine and fellow author suggested the following practice. Read the words you have written on your page aloud exactly as they are. Make believe you are a voice actor reading for an audio book recording. I guarantee that you will come across mistakes that you didn't notice on your first pass. Maybe even record yourself, so you can listen back in your car on the way to work, or on your ear buds at the gym. You'll be happy you did.
Then get a scratchpad and get to editing.
Look for the following things:
1. Sentence Flow. This will be determined by commas, periods and other punctuation. "Never underestimate the power of a perfectly placed comma."
2. Subject-Verb Agreement. Do your subjects match their verbs in terms of singularity or plurality? This is a commonly overlooked writing error. Not sure? Google it.
3. Continuity. Does your story follow a specific time line? Does it flow effortlessly, or are you constantly jumping around? These are other things you may notice. Was the sun rising on the first page of the chapter? Only to set three pages later? What happened in between? Fill in the blanks for the reader, or rewrite the section to make more sense.
4. Correct Tense. Does your story shift from one tense to another? Most writers tend to write completely in the present, or the past tense. Others tend switch between the two. Do you do this correctly? It is important to keep your reader informed of what has happened, what is happening and what may or may not happen in the future. Do you use flash backs? Inner dialogue? and Conversation? These things need to be correctly denoted using quotation marks or italics.
5. Typos. You may find a lot of these by reading what's on the page and not what you think you wrote. This is why it is important to step away from your story, and return to it after some time has passed. Is there a double word? Did you write "to" instead of "the" or "in?" So many times, the mind is in hyper drive when we are first writing that the fingers cannot keep up, resulting in typographical errors.
Don't let the dread of editing, destroy the joy you experienced from drafting your new story. The read aloud and listen back is an invaluable and inexpensive tool to catapult you into becoming a better author.
Good luck and happy writing!
Cheers!
Drakov
Special thank to
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