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Totally Out Of My Genre
Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs follows a young hunter that must find out what is happening to the missing hunters. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
A bunch of years ago, my mentor, Jonathan Maberry, sent me a message basically challenging me to write a middle grade horror book. This is something totally out of my genre. I normally write in epic fantasy, horror, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. I was like…write something for kids? I don’t write for kids! Yet, at the same time, I’m not one to back down from a challenge.
I like history. So, I brainstormed historical figures. Who could I write about in their younger years? The answer came quick. After some research (I love research), I found my character: Young Davy Crockett.
How much research did you need to do for this book?
I did a lot of reading about Davy. Turns out he had a lot of adventures in his youth, so I was not stretching the facts. Most kids back then had to learn skills and put them to use in the towns and on the farms. Davy was a hard worker and being such a popular American historical figure, it was easy to find information about him.
What has helped or hindered you most when writing a book?
I had to remind myself…over and over…that I was writing for MG. I had to tone things down. Remember the language. And remember that, although brave and a skilled outdoorsman at a young age, Davy had to speak to adults like a kid. Not on par with them.
This was hard for me at times.
When my editor first read the book, she told me it read like YA writing. I tried my best to fix it to a MG style. Since then, I have had readers and reviewers come back saying it is MG and others saying it is YA. I’m proud of it regardless of which age range it lands more prominently in.
I found that trying to imagine the book as a cartoon helped. Like an 80’s cartoon. Remember the ABC WEEKEND SPECIALS? It was a series that featured a different kid’s books each week. I tried to paint it as one of those episodes back then. 🙂
Has writing and publishing so many books changed the way you see yourself?
I guess I look at myself as the grizzled old veteran now. I fought hard. I’ve had amazing victories and terrible losses. But I keep at it. My motto is: Write Makes Might! It means a lot of things to different people. Basically, to me, it means writing brings you strength. It can be helpful and cathartic. Do it for yourself above all others.
I have written nine books. Most of which are around 100,000 words or more. I am working on book ten and I recall, with great clarity, when I was on my first book and would see people on their tenth. I remember thinking, wow, I will never finish ten books.
Well, guess what? It turns out I will.
At one point or another, every book I have written has been, or is, published. But it was a struggle. It’s a battlefield out there. I have had deals with shady publishers, I have had publishers print and sell my books only to suddenly stop paying me. I have had books get published multiple times by different publishers. I have had an agent. I have had movie deals sent my way and offers to write TV shows. I have been nominated for huge awards and won smaller ones. It spins my head when I think about it all.
A wise man once said, “Life is like a hurricane…” This is very true for authors and artists. 🙂
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In YOUNG DAVY CROCKETT: THE WILD FRONTIER WITH DINOSAURS, a nearly fourteen-year-old Davy Crockett is tested by his angry and often drunk father, his brothers, the wilds, and some mysterious goings-on. Somehow, prehistoric beasts are appearing in the forests of Holston Valley, threatening Davy’s family and his way of life. Curious to a fault, Davy seeks answers and attempts to hunt them…a creature no hunter has ever faced before.
Young Davy Crockett
Davy Crockett is a young boy in 1798 growing up in Tennessee with his family. He and his brothers are in the middle of a hunt when they learn a hunter in town has gone missing while hunting. Davy and his brothers take it upon themselves to find out what happened and come face to face with something prehistoric for the first time. When Davy’s brother William is injured, it is up to Davy and an unlikely accomplice to find the dangerous “horned turtle monster”. Readers will be catapulted right into the action from the start.
Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs is a fast-paced book with a unique and exciting spin-off of the traditional Davy Crockett storyline. This captivating book is the first in the History vs. Pre-history Series by author Kevin James Breaux. The writing style is perfect for younger adult readers that want a lot of action that starts from the first page and carries through the whole book. Breaux has taken the traditional character of Davy Crockett and gave him a new adventure to entice a new generation of readers. The author takes the readers on an unforgettable adventure blending prehistoric times with the days of the wild frontier.
Readers will find Davy to be a brave and fearless character that is capable of battling the unknown and solving the mystery of the missing hunters. Breaux effortlessly weaves an engaging story based on fact, fiction, science, and history. The author leaves readers eagerly looking forward to book two to discover what happens next.
Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs is a riveting novel for middle-grade students and younger teens that have a passion for history and dinosaurs. Add in the exciting action and adventures that come with the frontier expansion, and readers will have a thrilling coming-of-age young adult novel that will keep them on edge till the end.
Pages: 138 | ASIN : B09S4QK5KZ
Realistic Flaws
What was the initial idea behind Blood Divided and how did that transform as you were writing the novel?
I wanted to continue to show how the world I built is full of shades of grey. These people are doing what they must to survive. The good guys do bad things, and the bad guys do things that, depending on which perspective you view them, may not be so bad.
BLOOD DIVIDED was always meant to be the story of the next generation. How will they grow and move forward when a time of peace is jeopardized? Four children with four different desires and goals. I found it fun to grow with them in each edit of the book. I am incredibly happy with how it all turned out for this, the newest version.
What was one of the hardest parts in Blood Divided for you to write?
Some of the back story in the beginning. It was hard to write it without it being a little too much “telling”. I would have loved to have had a prologue, but my editors and publishers always advise against them. LOL.
Other than that, it was smooth. I had it all very well imagined before I started writing it and I feel confident I conveyed the messages I wanted to.
The characters in Blood Divided are complex yet relatable. What is your process for creating such deep characters?
Although I write in fantasy, urban fantasy, and horror, I always try and write characters with realistic flaws. I have always believed that it is our flaws that make us relatable.
When I was young, my uncles would always call and brag to my dad about my cousins’ accomplishments; they all had good grades all the time. In turn, my dad would tell my uncles all about my trials and tribulations. I did not get good grades. I did not like school and was often bored and unmotivated.
So, when I was a child, I did not gel with my cousins and my parents never realized why.
When I was in college, I felt like I was the only one in the family people truly related to. Why? Because they knew the building blocks of the foundation of the person I had become.
Who were my cousins? They were the people with good grades. I never knew much more about them. Did they struggle to pass their driver’s exams? Did they have health issues? Surgeries? Migraines? Did they all go to their number-one-pick colleges? Did they ever fail a class? Have a bully? Win or lose a physical fight? Who knows? So, to me, my cousins were mostly one dimensional and uninteresting.
I learned for this experience, which is one reason why I write my characters the way I do.
(FYI- I grew to better understand some of my cousins over the years. I even like a few of them. Okay, maybe two. LOL)
Where does the story go in the next book and where do you see it going in the future?
The next book takes place a few years later with two of the characters returning to Illyia and Kel Tora. I do not want to spoil who, but one is returning for honor and the other for family. These two have had a very eventual time away. And they are returning in much different roles then they left with.
The book is written, and it is so big I had to break it into two. So, the original three book series is now four books long. I can’t wait until the publisher puts out the next one. It is tentatively called: HEART BOUND.
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The Water Kingdom
Kevin James Breaux Author Interview
Three Burning Red Runaway Brides finds Sabrina fighting for her life as she’s trying to save millions of others. How did you envision starting this novel and how did that change as you wrote?
I had a very sturdy thread I was connecting books one and two together with, and that thread only gets stronger with book three.
I wanted to build the story to a place Sabrina had not yet been. She was on top again. The object of desire, a leader—someone people listened to and respected. She was in control, but still had this one obstacle looming in the distance. This one last thing to overcome before she could finally rest and fully enjoy her new status.
I envisioned starting this novel off with a bang… (insert smirk here). And that is exactly how I started it off. (insert giggle here).
This novel did not change much from what I envisioned. The only thing I had to decide, before I got to the end, was how to end it. I had three outcomes in my mind. And juggled them. I wrote three endings and gave them all to my editor and proofreader and a trusted friend. I wanted to see how they felt.
As it turns out, the book ends as I originally envisioned it…with a couple tweaks.
I am happy with this book. It concludes the story of Sabrina while opening the world more and beginning the story of another character. I plan on writing more books. This series, The Water Kingdom, is done. The next books will be in the other Kingdoms: Fire, Air, Earth.
We get to learn more about who Dunyasha is, her past and how she became the cursed undead. Was this something you already had developed or was it something you started exploring in this book?
The elder vampire Dunyasha was always meant to be something more. But I did not know what the was until book two: TWO POLLUTED BLACK-HEART ROMANCES. In book three, I finally spill the beans and reveal it all. At the same time, I leave a little mystery surrounding her, because she will be the focus of the next series.
Dunyasha was fun to write in THREE BURNING RED RUNAWAY BRIDES. In fact, she was more fun to write in this book than the others. In many ways, I am sad to see the “old” Dunyasha go. Or should I say see the “old” Dunyasha back?
What is a scene from the book that was particularly challenging for you to write?
The end. As I said before, I had three versions in my head. One version was much-much longer. And had an entirely different outcome. It was brutal and ugly. But I wasn’t sure readers would enjoy it. It felt right to me, but it was like taking your favorite childhood toy and selling it. Sure, you can use the money for other things you want now, but you might miss that toy and want it back. I was torn. Do I keep that ending or not?
I wrote the three endings. And rewrote them. And edited them. And rewrote them. I picked my favorite and edited it more. Added dialogue. Removed dialogue. I struggled and I normally don’t struggle at writing at all, so I knew it must have been important.
After some feedback and some time to think, I picked an ending and edited and polished it again and again.
I think in the end; my characters are all where they should be. In some ways…many ways, they get what they deserve.
Where will the next book in the series pick up and when will it be available?
This series, The Water Kingdom Series, is done. It was a trilogy. One Smoking Hot Fairy Tail. Two Polluted Black-Heart Romances and Three Burning Red Runaway Brides.
The next series will be another trilogy. The Elemental Kingdom Series. And it will have one book each for the Fire, Air, and Earth Kingdoms. These books will show how the events in the Water Kingdom have rippled across the Elemental world. Each Kingdom will have a story to tell.
I think that will bring it all to an end. But then again, I might write some supplemental short stories.
The next book will not come out until 2020-2021. I will start writing it next year. I am writing the sequel to another book right now, one you reviewed and loved, THE LIFEBLOOD OF ILL-FATED WOMEN. That sequel is long overdue. Not George R.R. long overdue…but still…way late.
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![Three Burning Red Runaway Brides (The Water Kingdom Book 3) by [Breaux, Kevin James]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41zJ1I4NCXL.jpg)
Sabrina London is back! The fate of the Elemental Kingdoms rests in the hands of its newest ruler: Sabrina London. When last seen, the fairy princess had made a deal with the King of Filth to save the lives of her friends. Now she is fighting to live the life she wants while trying to save the lives of millions. A monster, more dangerous than any other she has overcome threatens both the human and non-human world. How will she restore the balance? Despite the risks, Sabrina enlists the aid of one of her people’s biggest rivals. She has spun a complex web of lies and deception, now trying to gain her freedom, unaware that everyone she allies with has their own plans.
Three Burning Red Runaway Brides
Sabrina London is now Queen of the Water Fairies. The problem is she doesn’t really want to be, and she is expected to marry Lord Raion of the Tainted. Sabrina and Dunyasha, the ancient vampire, devise a plan to solve Sabrina’s problems and free her from marrying Lord Raion. They recruit Amber, a Fire Fairy, to become Sabrina’s double. Through extensive surgeries and training Amber takes on the persona of Sabrina and is able to fool most people into believing she is in fact Sabrina London. Her mission is first to dispel of the people that could tell she was not in fact Sabrina, three tests to make sure she would be able to fool Lord Raion. Through these tests and missions, Amber and Dunyasha’s true motives come out. They are not looking out for Sabrina, they are not really on her side, what motivates these otherworldly beings? Who will survive in the end as each race clashes and fights for dominance over all the others?
Kevin Breaux returns to his world of fairies, vampires, and other creatures. We learn more about who Dunyasha is, what her past is, and how she became the cursed undead. Characters such as Jackson and Cade return, well-loved characters from past novels that played integral parts of Sabrina’s development. Three Burning Red Runaway Brides is a complex novel with so many different plot lines all intertwining that you almost need to keep notes at times to keep up with who is on who’s side, what plots are being planned, and is there even a good guy or bad guy anywhere? The deeper you go into the novel the more complex each character gets, and you find things you love and hate about each of them. Learning how the water elements all interact in the water kingdom and move about is fascinating. Learning more about the traditions the water fairies have in place adds to the complex character that is Sabrina as you figure out how she became the person she is now. Amber, also known as Skipper, starts out like a spoiled brat you just want to dislike. As we learn more about her though, we find out she is much more cunning and determined than what she appears on the surface. She has glimpses of good intentions, but most are self-serving in the end. Sabrina while she tries to grow into the role of queen, you see her reverting back to the way she was in the first novel, her growth is less developed, and even regressing in this novel. She reminds me of the teen rebelling more so than Amber as the book continues.
Without giving away key plot elements, I can say the story of Dunyasha is one of my favorites, how she ended up one of the cursed undead, how she created her family, her history and her plans for the future. I can see this plot line continuing into another book as her story continues to unfold and fate of the vampires and their awakening continues.
Kevin James Breaux has a great talent for drawing the reader in with his detailed story lines, descriptive writing and unique plot twists. Each novel builds on the last but stands alone to tell a story unlike the past without feeling like you are rereading the last novel.
Pages: 357 | ASIN: B07MC57D12
Start Off With Their Flaws
Kevin James Breaux Author Interview
Your novels always have in depth characters and twisting plots. What is your writing process like before and during the process?
Thanks for mentioning that. I work hard to make my characters interesting. I think the most important detail is to create characters that are flawed. Start off with their flaws and build up to the traits that make them likeable and then move slowly, for some, to things that are redeeming.
My characters are meant to seem like everyday people. I do not like to paint them as black or white, I like to use the hundreds of shades of grey in-between. That, in my opinion, makes them more believable and fascinating.
Have you ever thought about exploring different mediums to tell your stories; ex. comics, games, etc.?
This year, I translated one of my novels into comic book script format and submitted it to IDW Comics. I then sent AND even hand-delivered those scripts and copies of my novels to them. I am waiting to hear back. I should be meeting with a representative of the company in the new year.
I am very much a fan of comic and anime. I would love to write for them. While it would be amazing to do so with my own properties, I would also like a shot at writing something like G.I. Joe or something else from the 80’s.
The way I write is imagining my story as a movie. So, my goal would be to have one of my novels or series to become a movie or TV series. With Netflix and Amazon picking up so many books these days, I need to get my works into their hands. If you are reading this Netflix, give me a call. 😊
Writers often find inspiration everywhere and in everything they do. Do you find yourself often looking at the world through the lens of a writer?
Well… I will point out weak writing in a TV show or movie I am watching, but for the most part I separate my two worlds now.
That being said, I do look at the world and see things as a visual artist. Which might be why people often compliment my writing as being so vivid. I spent so many years in art school struggling to force what I saw in my head onto paper in pencil, charcoal, paint, etc…. Over time, I realized I could take those imagines in my head and translate them to words. It was the only way I was able to truly creatively express myself. And it turned out to be much easier.
Since I am both an artist and an author, I do wish to experience life, but my inspiration comes from surrounding myself with the things I love and bring me happiness. Sometimes it just takes watching a good episode of one of my favorite shows to get me fired up.
What novel are you working on right now and when will it be available?
Good question. I finished the Water Kingdom Series and its final book is just being prepped for release. It should be out in late January 2019. It is called THREE BURNING RED RUNAWAY BRIDES.
Then, I will start editing book three in the four book SOUL BORN Series. It is written but needs work. It was originally 180,0000 words long, so I had to break it into two books.
Lastly, I will get back to working on the follow-up to THE LIFEBLOOD OF ILL-FATED WOMEN. Hopefully have that released in early 2020.
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![Soul Born by [Breaux, Kevin]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ouWps%2BNIL._SY346_.jpg)
All Opal wanted was to be respected as a wielder of magic, but her teachers passed her over time and time again. When a mysterious warlord embarks on a conquest to destroy the lands of Illyia, Opal seizes the opportunity to step out from the shadows of her instructors and take her rightful place among them. Tala, an alluring young elf, was banished from her tribe, hunted and nearly killed by the beasts of the deep forests, but more than anything else she is a survivor. Joining forces with an ancient elemental power, Tala finds herself in the center of an unrelenting human war. Flesh like leather and bone as strong as steel, Karn, a veteran from the first kingdom to fall, is fueled by vengeance. While pushing headlong into battle Karn begins recalling memories of another life: ghosts that haunt his dreams. Through death of soul, their new world is born.
Soul Born
A young and powerful mage named Opal is tasked with creating a weapon to save her kind and land from an evil warlord, Mustaffa. She has created the weapon in the form of a new warrior named Karn. Going against her teachers plans however, Opal creates a bond with Karn that connects them psychologically. Together they set out to try and find help to defeat Mustaffa. Both are captured however and there they meet many more enslaved and captured by the warlord. The devastation and destruction he caused is immense. What Opal soon learns is that things are not as they seem with her teachers and the elders. She uncovers dark truths that shatter everything she was led to believe. Meanwhile Karn starts meeting other people that also have a different view of the world and plans to change the destructive course their land is headed for.
Kevin Breaux has created another amazing fantasy novel with Soul Born. The enchanting mix of mage, human, elves, giants, jackalware, and all the rest of the fantasy creatures contained among the pages creates an engaging story that never gets old. From the opening pages we meet Tala the elf as she races for her life, about to die and is saved by stronger being that the reader is left wondering who or what it is. Readers are than transported to the story of Karn and Opal. There connection is magical, but you can tell Opal really loves him. This love allows her to see past the strategic value he holds to the High Council. The lies she had been fed all her life start to unwind and as she learns the truth of her magic and her people.
This novel is the kind of book that makes you think, it is not a quick fluff read, and the twists and turns of the plot will take you by surprise. There are so many moving parts in the political maneuvering and each group of beings have their own agenda. While they all wish to stop Mustaffa from destroying the land, they all have different reasons and come to the battle from different directions. The characters are very well developed, and I love how you have to read deep into the novel to really find the depth of their personalities. The characters start off flat, but with each chapter you learn something new that adds another layer to them and the plot.
Soul Born is a story about awakening both of one’s self, and the land that the characters inhabit. Breaux is able to twist all their lives together while still giving them each a voice and purpose. Characters are not used as simple filler, they advance the story along or are used to teach one of the main characters something about themselves. Nothing is by chance and each detail, while perhaps unimportant when you read it, will become clearly important down the line as you progress. A well written and original work that is captivating and one you won’t want to put down.
Pages: 370 | ASIN: B07K1XLPP6
Complicated, Strange, and Fun
Kevin James Breaux Author Interview
Two Polluted Black-Heart Romances follows the lives of a vampire, fairy and mummy as they try to escape the wrath of a paranormal group bent on revenge. What was the initial idea behind this story and how did that transform as you were writing the novel?
This was a follow up to One Smoking Hot Fairy Tail. In that story, the main character is hunted for her wings. The otherworldly world I created, opens up and you get a glimpse inside. In this new novel, I wanted to show a much deeper look insider. And I wanted to show how complicated, strange, and fun, some of the lives of these otherworldly creatures can be. My initial idea was to have something very large for all of them to be afraid of. But then I wanted something even larger to be out there to make the original big thing look small. Imagine if you were afraid of Godzilla and then an alien that could swallow the planet showed up. Yeah, something like that. J
The characters in this novel, I felt, were intriguing and well developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
I always enjoy writing Sabrina London, the female lead. She is constantly growing and learning from her mistakes….her many…many mistakes. I also enjoyed writing for Joe, the new guy. The sentient slime character. He’s fun and funny. He also provides good contrast to the other characters and otherworldly races.
What draws you to the fantasy genre? When you start writing is this where your stories go naturally, or do you have the intention of writing fantasy?
I am drawn to the fantasy world. Totally. I prefer writing in a realm where anything and everything is possible. But I think my writing is secretly fueled by things more…steamy. When I watch a fantasy show on TV and it is devoid of sex or sexuality, I tend to feel empty. But when you give me something like Game of Thrones or Spartacus, which are filled with all sorts of naughtiness…then I feel like the story is complete.
If Hollywood came knocking, who would you cast to play your characters?
I love to cast my books. I do so on all my blogs and on my FB pages. For Sabrina, I think of Joanna Krupa as being exactly what she looks like. But as an actor I would cast Beth Behrs from Two Broke Girls or Jessica Sipos from Ascension. I would pick Beth because she is pretty and statuesque and funny. AND she pretty much already knows how to play a spoiled rich girl who had a fall from grace. So it makes total sense. I would pick Jessica because she has the sex appeal to play Sabrina.
For Moselle there is only one choice: Priyanka Chopa, from the TV show Quantico. When writing the books, I imagined a Sofia Vergara type of woman. But I think Priyanka is an even better fit now, and could pull off looking like an ancient Egyptian in flashbacks.
Cade…well, I have a image of him in my head. Slight built. Looks out of time. Like one of those classic Hollywood guys; James Dean at his peak. I always say it would be hard not to pick Ian Somerhalder, but he has already done this role. Still, I like him as an actor and he is the right body type and look.
Hollywood rang my doorbell once. But I was not dressed, and by the time I got to the door they were gone…
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am writing book three in this series. THREE BURNING RED RUNAWAY BRIDES. It will be released in late 2018.
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Welcome to Los Angeles—but not the LA you know. Here, humans coexist with vampires, mummies, fairies, and other nonhuman entities. Everyone’s just trying to get by for the most part—but some are having more difficulty than others.
A vampire named Cade, a fairy named Sabrina, and a mummy named Moselle are on the lam after exposing the existence of the Otherworldly Assembly, a shadowy organization of paranormal beings. The assembly has sent terrifying assassins called wraiths to exact revenge. The nonhuman trio is in for a real horror show, and they don’t know the half of it—another threat looms, and its destructive ambitions are vast.
Meanwhile, a human named Jackson is recovering from a near-death experience. Old memories and new loves flood his brain, and he’s having trouble finding an outlet for all these feelings—that’s when Sabrina the fairy catches his eye.
Two Polluted Black-Heart Romances, a fast-paced adventure filled with high stakes and unexpected twists, continues the action-packed saga that began with One Smoking Hot Fairy Tail. When unimaginable dangers threaten the planet they all share, humans and nonhumans find a common cause and must work together to prevent disaster.
LITERARY TITAN 