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: <a rel=”noreferrer noopener” href=”http://<a 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</a>” data-type=”URL” data-id=”<a 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 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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A little background…

Hey all! Since this is a new blog, let me give you a little background into my writing history. I’ll be brief. 🙂

I started writing when I was a kid. Just something to do for fun and pass the time. Later, when I was in college, I decided to try and actually write a book. After a couple years, writing maybe once or twice a month, I had a book done. My dad and I edited it and I found a vanity press to publish it. Done!

Around that time, I started to meet other authors. Professionals. This is before social media, so when I say I was meeting people, I was actually meeting them in bookstores and such. Meeting them in person.

I was invited to a local writer’s group. At this point, I was writing short stories and wanted to see if I could sell one. The writer’s group I joined was a local PA/NJ chapter of the HWA (Horror Writer’s Assoc.) and it was run by Jonathan Maberry. He had yet to have his first fiction novel (GHOST ROAD BLUES) published. But he had a book deal and had other “guidebooks” and such published.

Jonathan taught me everything. And in no time, I had sold my first short story and was able to officially join the HWA. This was back in 2007.

Taking what I had learned from Jonathan, I reworked my writing career. I started selling a lot of short stories. I rewrote and re-edited my written novels. I created detailed submission packages with professionally written queries, synopses, summaries and more.

I was growing as an author every day. Soon after, 2007, I was getting manuscript requests. And then I had my first real publishing deal with a small press publisher (that’s a long story for another time). I was able to write a full-length novel of 80-100K words in nine months. Another skill Jonathan taught me. And with that skill I wrote, what I consider, to be my best work.

More and more submission packages went out. Remember, this is back when all agent submissions were snail mail. Yes. Snail mail.

After mailing them, months later, sometimes six to twelve months later, I had multiple manuscript requests. In fact, the number of requests I received from 2007-2010 was pretty impressive, when you look back at it. Even more impressive once all submissions turned to emails. I would get a partial or full request 2-3 times a month.

2011 Book Signing at Powells.

During the years that followed, when I had two novels out in small press, and some short stories out in e-book format, I began to gain a following. People recognized my work. I had good reviews and book signings in bookstores. In 2011, Powell’s invited me to the Authorfest for the first time!

Bigger things were happening too. I had a TV production company reach out to me to write scripts for a Viking Age TV show (not VIKINGS). I turned them down. And I had a movie production company review my one movie. This was a crazy moment. My unpublished novel went against a published one and…of course came in second place. The move company decided to make Mortal Instruments into a movie instead of my book ONE SMOKING HOT FAIRY TAIL. This still burns my butt a little, because I needed an agent to help me back then and no one would. With an agent supporting me, I might have gotten that movie deal.

This is a tale of a foul-mouthed, fairy princess after a fall from grace. She had it all: fame, fortune, beauty… and now she is being hunted for her wings.

About two years later, I was signed by a New York Literary Agency. Like all authors, I felt like I won the lottery. But that agent did not do the things they promised me. I was told there would be a spreadsheet shared with me that I could track all their submissions to publishers. I never saw it. So, who knows if they really did any work for me? And after two years, I parted ways with them.

At this point, with my one series being self-published, the rollercoaster ride was slowing down. I was questioning my future as an author, when suddenly I got a new publishing deal for the epic fantasy series that had been published before (the original publisher broke contract). I felt like I was back in business. New books being published. New book events. New book signings. I was promoting a lot. Getting good reviews…etc.

BOOM. COVID.

Book events stopped. Book signings stopped. The new publisher of my epic fantasy series stopped paying me and broke contract. I kinda felt like giving up. I kinda did give up.

But then the one book I had written, the only one yet to be unpublished, suddenly got a publishing deal. And a good deal. At a publisher I really respected. I am talking about the new YA book that was just published a week ago.

It’s funny. Many years prior, Jonthan Maberry challenged me to write a YA/MG horror book. I accepted the challenge and wrote the book. But with it being a new genre for me, I only did light submission for it over the years. Its publisher being the last place I sent it.

So, never give up. Clearly.

This brings us to today. I have another book deal in the works. And I am rebranding my social media. Want to see my publishing history to get a picture of the road I have traveled? I pasted it below.

Thanks so much for reading this brief history of my writing career!

Write Makes Might!

Kevin James Breaux

www.kevinbreaux.com

Kevin James Breaux – Publishing History

—————–2020——————–

YOUNG DAVY CROCKETT: THE WILD FRONTER WITH DINOSAURS – Suspense Publishing – 2/22/22

—————–2020——————–

BLOOD DIVIDED – Azure Spider – 9/15/20

** Silver Award – Literary Titan Book Review December 2020

—————–2019——————–

THREE BURNING RED RUNAWAY BRIDES – 1/14/19

** Gold Award – Literary Titan Book Review March 2019

**2nd Place Best Series Award Winner Paranormal Romance Guild 1/2020

—————–2018—————–

SOUL BORN – Azure Spider – 11/15/2018

** Gold Award – Literary Titan Book Review Jan 2019

**2nd Place Award Winner Paranormal Romance Guild 2/2021

—————–2017—————–

TWO POLLUTED BLACK-HEART ROMANCES – 6/7/2017

** Gold Award – Literary Titan Book Review August 2017

** Paranormal Romance Guild Nominated Book 2/18 and 2nd Place winner

THE LIFEBLOOD OF ILL-FATED WOMEN – 1/1/2017

** Gold Award – Literary Titan Book Review March 2017

—————–2016—————–

ENDING SUMMER NIGHTS – 10/28/16 – self-published ebook

ONE SMOKING HOT FAIRY TAIL – 4/6/16

**Pitch Perfect Pick Winner 6/22/16.

**Paranormal Romance Guild Nominated Book 2/17 and 1st Place Winner.

** Gold Award – Literary Titan Book Review April 2017

**1st Place Award Winner! Best New Paranormal Novel – Paranormal Romance Guild 2/2017

—————–2015—————–

SOUL BORN – Reborn Edition 1/20/2015 – self-published 4th Edition 2/6/2018

DARK WATER: BEAMING SMILE – self-published ebook – 1/15/2015

—————–Earlier—————–

Dead Man’s Party – short – ebook – Hellfire Publishing – 7/26/2013

The Journal of USS Indianapolis Survivor: Stefanos “Stevie” Georgiou” – Zombie Jesus and Other True Stories Anthology – Dark Moon Press – 11/3/2012

***3rd place Preditors and Editors poll 2012

She. Her. You. – Slices of Flesh Anthology. – Dark Moon Press – 3/29/2012

***Bram Stoker Nominated

Beer VS Zombies – Dark Moon Digest Magazine Issue #7 – 3/20/2012

Blood Divided – Dark Quest Books – 12/30/2011

Geek’s-eye View – article – Suspense Magazine November Issue 11/6/2011

Dark Water: Beaming Smile – Hellfire Publishing 10/2011

3rd place Preditors and Editors poll 2011

How the Castle BREAUX was built. – article – Suspense Magazine August Issue 8/10/2011

Top that Pokemon! – article – Suspense Magazine July Issue 7/1/2011

Mother’s Milk – Too Much Boogie – L-L Publications 4/2011

A Battle of Ego – Anthology of Ichor III – UnEarthedPress 4/2011

A Way to a Man’s Heart is Through His Stomach – Hellfire Publishing e-book 4/2011

Soul Born – Dark Quest Books – 11/30/2010

***1st place Preditors and Editors poll 2010

The Darkness part #7

A Tale of Many Reviews as part of the 2010 Spooktacular Event 10/2010

Ending Summer Nights – Lucrezia Magazine 5/2010

***9th placed P&E poll 2010

Only the Dead will Stand – Dead History: a zombie anthology Living Dead Press 2/2010

Love in the Time of ZOMBIES – Lucrezia Magazine 8/2009

For The Team – Bare Back Magazine 8/2009

Bang! PORTUGAL – Lucrezia Magazine 2/2009

***3rd place Preditors and Editors Poll 2009

Dead Man’s Party (original version) 1st publishing to Written World Magazine 6/2008

2nd publishing to Lucrezia Magazine 11/2008

Welcome Back!

I used to blog about my books and history as an author over on Blogger. I still have two blogs there, one for my Water Kingdom Series and one for the Soul Born Saga. But it was time for a reboot. I have been rebranding in the last year. Why? Largely because I have a new novel out at a new publisher. In fact, my first venture into the YA realm. Please note, I am not a YA author. Or plan to switch to only YA works. I’m a wicked word slinger who considers themselves multi-genre. I do like being stuck in one box. I like to try new things. And years ago, when I was challenged to write a MG/YA book, with a scary thriller or horror theme, by my mentor Jonathan Maberry, I did not back down. I wrote that book and I shopped it around until it found a publisher I liked.

Which brings us to today. That book, Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs – Book One in the History vs. Pre-history Series, was released this week on 2/22/22 by Suspense Publishing. (2/22/22! Yes, on a Tuesday!)

Found here in Kindle format. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S4QK5KZ

With this new book release came the realization that I needed to get back in the blogging game. I may be a little out of practice, but I truly hope you join me here.

Write Makes Might!

Kevin James Breaux

www.kevinbreaux.com