Austin Dragon's Blog
April 17, 2025
My First Ever Kickstarter!
My first ever Kickstarter campaign is live. 👍 🕵️♂️ 🚀
Be among the first to jump into the Crazy Adventures in Liquid Cool!
It's the new sci-fi / cyberpunk detective novel filled with action, laser shootouts, cyborgs, robots, and laughs featuring our favorite neo-noir detective, Cruz!
This will be a special signed limited edition of this upcoming book in the bestselling Liquid Cool sci-fi detective thriller series.
Back the Project Here
March 1, 2023
Milestone: March 2023
It’s Official. I’ve gone from being an author of “over 20 books” to “over 30!” Last Valentine’s Day release of the 10th Liquid Cool novel, You’ll Never See Starlight Again, marks my 31st book! (The 29th was The UFO Case and 30th was A Cruel Cyber Summer Night. That’s three Liquid Cool novels in two months) Thank you for all your support.
It all begin 10 years ago. The plan was simply to write and publish one book to scratch off my bucket list, then move on. Clearly, I was delusional. That one book opened my creative flood gates beyond anything I could have imagined. The reality was that I should have always been writing. After all, I wrote my first book (a short story) at age three and I was writing 100-plus mystery novels in middle school. When I turned 18, I stopped, which I shouldn’t have done. But understandable at the time because I enlisted in the US Army.
To date, I have five series:
The After Eden SeriesOf all the series I picked to launch my author career, I couldn’t have chosen a more daunting one. After not writing a word of fiction in over fifteen years, I picked up the pen (or the laptop) in 2011 to write my first novel, Thy Kingdom Fall. Actually, that’s not true. My first published novel was Thy Kingdom Fall, but my actual first written novel to be published was Stars and Scorpions, Book 2 in the series. I only realized that it was the second book when I finished it, then had to write its “prequel,” which was really the book before it.
The uniqueness of the After Eden Series is that it attempts to do something different in science fiction. It attempts to directly link current affairs and project them out, in this case, seventy-plus years in the future. I’ve been very good at predicting trends all my life and with this series a very realistic and dystopian world is presented. Starting with this series was like saying I wanted to start mountain climbing and picking Mount Everest as my first one.
Why did I take a break? Honestly, I didn’t think I was good enough, yet. I did the first half of the series but felt I needed to write about 1 million words of fiction in other works to finetune my craft before returning. Well, I’ve written 3 million words of fiction in other works since then. So, yes, I’m more than ready to complete the series.
The Sleepy Hollow Horrors SeriesI had always loved The Legend of Sleepy Hollow story as a kid, and especially the Old Disney cartoon movie. My second series would be my take on the classic horror tale with a touch of historical fiction. I was born and raised in New York, and the legends and myths of colonial and pre-colonial America, including Native Americans is fascinating.
I like horror, but most horror today is…crap. Silly, stupid, and gratuitously gruesome are the three normal categories they fall into. In film, I have to go back to the 1970s and 1980s for ‘classics.’ In books, for example, Stephen King is a favorite, but I still think I like his earlier work better.
So back in 2013, I decided that I’d try my hand at writing in the genre. For anyone who has read my science fiction After Eden Series, I already have elements of horror (and mystery).
For my first horror novel, I decided not to create something new, but to go back 30 years to a short story I wrote as a child of a favorite tale—The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I probably was more influenced by the 1949 Disney movie short, than the original Washington Irving book.
My short story was surprisingly close to my 2013-2014 outline. The Sleepy Hollow Horrors duology is in four parts. My childhood short story only had the first, but the main thrust of the story was the same and so was the main character.
The Liquid Cool SeriesClearly my most popular of my series. This year fans were treated to the concluding release of the Liquid Cool mini-series, From the Crazy Maniac Files, with The UFO Case (Book 3), the mini-series Box Set, another free Liquid Cool novella, A Cruel Cyber Summer Night, to introduce new readers to the sci-fi noir series; and book 10 in the main series with You’ll Never See Starlight Again, which definitely has a James Bond-ish undertone because I’d originally planned have it come out two years ago with the release of the James Bond movie, No Time to Die.
Liquid Cool was envisioned to be the complete opposite of the After Eden Series. Liquid Cool would be a sci-fi series that would be light, action-filled, and dripping with humor. I first presented the new series as being of the sci-fi sub-genre called cyberpunk. Technically, the series is more sci-fi noir than true cyberpunk, but I kept the description. However, as always, I put my own spin the genre.
You can read the earliest blog post of the new Liquid Cool universe, with Cruz and company, I was creating here:
https://www.austindragon.com/cyberpunk-re-imagined/
The Fabled Quest ChroniclesWell, this one is your fault – my VIP Readers’ Club members. I asked what other genre you’d like to see me write and at the top of the list was epic fantasy. So, my Lord of Ring-like epic with a touch of sci-fi was born. What was supposed to be a trilogy turned into a six-book series with a prequel. The series concluded with Kingdom at Titan’s End (Fabled Quest Chronicles, Book 6). But…
There will be two more prequels, and since I did so for the Liquid Cool series, I’ll create a free novella for this series too. However, for those who are fans of this series, the adventures of Traveler, his “dog,” and Titan’s Caravan will continue in the future with Volume Two.
You can read about the top 10 themes for this series here:
https://www.austindragon.com/top-10-themes-new-upcoming-fantasy-series/
Now comes the Planet Tamer Series!This time it will be Military Sci-Fi! As Wikipedia puts it: a subgenre of both Science Fiction and Military Fiction, commonly sliding into the Space Opera territory. Book One, Father’s Day, was released last year as a preview to the full series.
As always, I put my own unique spin on a genre or sub-genre. With the conclusion of my epic fantasy series, The Fabled Quest Chronicles, I wanted to jump back into sci-fi with both feet and all four arms (just kidding). So, I once again polled my fans again to get feedback on what new genre they’d like to see me write and the result was overwhelmingly in favor of Military Sci-Fi.
This project has an additional hook for me because I served in the military myself. What do I imagine the US (or world) armed forces will look like in the far future? What role will the military play in space exploration? What unseen ways will technological advancement transform the military, space exploration, and us?
The other reason for this new series jumping ahead of a couple of others is because I want have a Kindle Unlimited Series to reach a newer sci-fi audience.
Then what?
Liquid Cool and the Fabled Quest Chronicles were only two of the four new series I mapped out in 2015. After Planet Tamers, I will launch those two other series and finally wrap up the After Eden Series!
What do you think? Leave a comment below.The post Milestone: March 2023 appeared first on Austin Dragon.
February 5, 2023
Pre-Order: You’ll Never See Starlight Again (Liquid Cool, Book 10)!
Release Date: February 14, 2023
“Cruz, do you remember NeuroDancer?”
Our favorite sci-fi detective is back on his home turf to solve cases on the rainy, neon, mean streets of Metropolis, as if he never left. New suit. New hat. New case.
Many villains have tried to kill Cruz, but NeuroDancer came closer than most and with flair to the very end. Cruz always feared her mind-control “powers” might fall into criminal hands.
An ultra-secret, all-female organization of corporate spies may have acquired the psi-tech. Now they seek vengeance against Cruz for their fallen ‘sister.’ But there are also other desperate and deadly players in the shadows.
Everyone is after the stolen corporate device known by the codename: Starlight.
Welcome to the high-tech, low-life world of Liquid Cool.
The post Pre-Order: You’ll Never See Starlight Again (Liquid Cool, Book 10)! appeared first on Austin Dragon.
January 1, 2023
Bobba Fett’s Top 12 New Year’s Resolution Tips! 2023
At the beginning of every January is the perennial debate as to whether New Year’s resolutions are good or bad, stupendous or stupid, beneficial or a complete, self-defeating waste of time. The simple question back should be: What’s wrong with wanting to improve yourself or your quality of life? That’s what we homo sapiens on Earth do. Shouldn’t we all be doing that in some way? While you don’t need a special day or month to do it–get in shape, lose weight, learn a foreign language, get another degree, become involved in a local charity, join a bible-study group or get more spiritual, become a gourmet chef, change careers, start your own business, start saving twenty-five percent of every dollar you make, travel the world, write a novel; the list is endless–it does put the topic front-and-center.
I checked around for someone with a good list to share with us. Boba Fett! I cleaned up the language, but kept his irreverence.
#1. “Don’t Be a Nerf Herder.” Have a Solid Plan First.Simply jumping into your resolution may work if you’re a ruthless, Mandalorian bounty hunter and warrior, but he’s an expert. Eagerness is commendable, but before you start your new resolution, you should have a solid plan first to maximize success and it should be written. (Both broadcast to yourself that you’re serious and you’re not messing around.)
It should:
(1) Be specific in terms of action steps. What to do?
Think of what your main goal is, and then work backwards. Every major step has to move you one step forward towards that goal. To use a financial example, (which was very effective on me as a kid and allowed me to buy my first car oh so many years back) if you saved at least $20 a week, you’d have just over $1000 at the end of the year. It’s all about incrementalism–step-by-step.
(2) Be specific in terms of goals. What should I achieve when I do it?
You don’t have to write an encyclopedia. It could be as simple as a one page bullet-point outline, if you like. The point is whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, you know exactly what you’re supposed to accomplish at the end of each time period.
(3) Track your progress. What are my milestones and set-backs?
You don’t need to accomplish everything in a day. You acknowledge the milestones you reach. Another success! Pat yourself on the back to give yourself that positive reinforcement and keep pushing forward.
You also note the set-backs. But there’s no need to frustrate yourself at the start or burn yourself out at the end. Having the plan allows you to re-adjust as needed. You may need to start over, because you were too over-ambitious in your goals, or vice versa. All of that is fine. Soon you will know exactly what your capabilities are and be able to add accurate benchmarks to chart progress. Keep adjusting, move forward, keep tracking.
Last year, I decided that I was going to run a marathon. Though I was naturally a good runner as a child and teenager, and especially in my three years in the US Army (I remember myself “floating on the wind” as I ran). However, I came to the realization that I didn’t like running at all. Twenty years later, after my own personal declaration that I “hated running,” this decision to run a marathon seemed to come out of the blue. It would be as if someone who was clinically afraid of heights woke up and then decided to go sky-diving. That was my view of running a marathon–or more precisely–me running one.
Then I added another seemingly insurmountable obstacle: I was going to run before work which meant getting up at 5:30 am. I am not a morning person.
Well… I did it. I wrote out my plan in broad strokes, since I had no idea what my capabilities were. I viewed my course not a one long stretch, but six different legs of the run. The only major goal was to make progress monthly toward my overall goal of being able to enroll, run, and finish my first marathon. I checked off being able to run, at least, from one end of the block to another, then being able to run two of the six legs without stopping, then three out of six, running my first mile straight, then two, and so on.
When I started running, it was a huge struggle. My internal voice buzzed in my brain to quit. Now, I don’t even think about the run anymore; I just do it.
#2. “Fuzzball, the Planning is the Second Step.” The Pre-Plan is Just As Important As the Plan.No need to start cold. Do a trial run. And depending on what it is, research everything about it.
In my case, it was looking at running schedules online of other marathoners. Learning about the foods they ate, drinking lots of water throughout the day, supplements they took, the kinds of running shoes they wore, etc. How long did it take to build up to the real marathon?
#3. “Forget the Force. Just Do It!”
The pre-planning and the planning is over. Don’t overthink or get stuck in planning paralysis. You have to pull the trigger and get started!
So how did I start my marathon training? Simple. By not running at all. Yep, I walked. For about a month, all I did was walk the course I mapped out. Why? I had to get into a routine. Just getting my butt out the bed, every morning at 5:30 am, was a major mission by itself. Once I had that down, then it was simply to walk my path. Ease into the plan. Incidentally, walking alone is great exercise and if you were to do just that for two miles a day, you’d be in good health.
The next obstacle was me. I couldn’t run worth a damn. I remember my days in high school and in the US Army right afterwards of “floating on the air” running ahead of everyone. Now I couldn’t even run half the block. That’s when I was able to adjust my plan as I was starting to learn what my capabilities were. Then I could create realistic micro-goals or benchmarks.
And so it began. Step-by-step. When I started I only walked my course. Now, thirty pounds lighter, I run the entire course. At the beginning, when I finished (not even running the whole thing) I was a mass of sweat and collapsed on the floor out-of-breath. Now, I come back home and I look like I never went running at all. My body automatically gets up at 5:30 am even without the alarm clock. If I don’t run, I feel like my day is out of alignment somehow.
They say it takes 30 days for a new task to become a habit. It is absolutely true. The longer you stick to it, the more it becomes part of your DNA.
#4. “Don’t Look At the Death Star. Keep Your Eyes on the Goal.” Sidestep the Distractions.Distractions. They are more plentiful than Storm Troopers in the Empire. They’re everywhere. In fact, many people sabotage themselves–consciously or subconsciously. Externally and internally, distractions have but one goal: to make you fail.
Notice I didn’t say “avoid” distractions. That takes you out of your zone, disrupts your focus and off-mission. Don’t try to prevent random distractions. Let them come. You can even acknowledge their existence. Accept them as a natural–and welcome–fact of life. But you sidestep them and stay on plan.
If you have to gawk at the Death Star or any other distraction, come back to it on your down time–after you do your resolution work.
#5. “You See With Your Mind. Not Your Eyes.” Adjust Your Perspective.People always think to prepare themselves physically and mentally, but there are levels of our existence more fundamental than that. Success is also about changing your mental perspective on a thing. I’ve always been a Glass-Is-Half-Full person rather than a Glass-Is-Half-Empty person. Both facts are true and valid. It’s the reason why the Democratic Party and Republican Party can look at the same set of problems and come up with completely different solutions. It’s comes down to your worldview or your perspective—how you see yourself, your goals, the world. If you ultimately feel you’re a failure or you will never accomplish something, no amount of planning or focus is going to change that. But the good thing is your mental view can be changed. You can Jedi mind-trick yourself to change that perspective.
The simple reason why I’m successfully moving forward to running my marathon is I changed my thinking. I changed “I can’t run,” “I can’t get up at 5:30 am,” and “there’s no way I can run a marathon,” to running everyday, early in the morning, and now planning which marathons I’ll be running.
#6. “I Dream of Han Solo in Carbonite.” Visualize It!Human beings are visual. A single frame of a movie can be more indelible and longer lasting than thousand pages of the greatest novel. If we know this about our basic psychology and physiology, then use it to your advantage. Visualize yourself fulfilling your resolution. Again, the resolution plan has to be solid and realistic.
#7. “I Admire the Cut of Your Jibb, Darth.” Look for Inspiration in Others!
“100-year Old Marathoner Finishes Toronto Race”
How am I supposed to process that story headline? I was lollygagging about starting my marathon training and this man, at age 100, runs a marathon. It’s like that car insurance commercial where the couple is sitting in a coffee shop and the woman asks him, “you believe men are better drivers than women?” and the man enthusiastically nods his head “yes.” She then proceeds to show him her Good Driving Discount Check. “Then how do you explain this?” The man doesn’t know what to say. He tries mumbling something when she holds up her hand, and says, “Silence!” There’s nothing to be said.
So Mr. Fauja Singh, a British Indian Sikh, became my inspiration for my marathon training. If he–more than half a century older than me–can stick to his plan, then I can surely stick to mine.
#8. “Have The Best Tools, Man!” Use the Best Tools to Help You Achieve Success.
In my last post, I talked about training for a marathon. The “tools of the trade” would be everything from the proper diet to the proper running shoes. As an author, my tools include the best writing software, my author platform (website and social media), etc. If your resolution is to be a world traveler, be that thing. If it’s to be a top cyclist or to learn scuba diving, then learn what tools others, who have gone before you, recommend and use. Doing the research (Tip #2) is so important–and fun. Since I’m an author, this also includes being on the lookout to converse and hang out with fellow writers. It would be the same for a runner, cyclist, skydiver, amateur race car driver, sailor, etc.
#9. “The Team!” (Okay, my father and I ignored this one, but we were bounty hunters. Bounty hunters don’t work well with others. But you aren’t us.) Others Help You Do Your Best.You have the tools. Now you need the team. Some resolutions you can complete solo with no problem. With others, having a team behind you is essential to success. If it’s getting in shape, why not join a cross-fit team. If it’s to visit all fifty states or start visiting overseas countries, why wouldn’t you want to team up with a group? As an author, only I can write the story, but without others, I would never be able to put out the best product. For me, my editors, book cover designers, network of promoters to get the word out about the book, and so on are all essential.
In some religions, like Judaism and Christianity, a day of rest (the Sabbath) is actually obligatory–though most ignore it. God took six days to create the time, the universe, and everything else, but rested on the seventh. Whether religious or not, the concept is critical to success. You are not the Terminator. You actually must stop at some point and rest. To use a bodybuilding example, it isn’t the reps you do on the bench press that builds strength. It’s the time that you rest in between and afterwards.
Go further. Schedule not just rest, but fun! (Two separate things and you schedule them as such).
You have a good plan to start your New Year’s task or adventure. Make sure you don’t overdo it or burn yourself out. Schedule your “zero time” into your plan– your time to do absolutely nothing, but breathe. You don’t have to run every single day to get in shape or go to a meeting everyday for your new gourmet chef beginner classes. Work hard, play hard. And play equals: Rest, reflect, recreate.
#11. “Expect the Unexpected.” Stay Focused.Tip #4 talked about avoiding the distractions that keep you from starting your resolution strong at the beginning. But once you get over that hurdle, there could be many more distractions to come–or just life in general. Adjust and stay focused on your plan.
It deserves repeating: It takes 30 days for a new task to become a habit. Stick with it and it becomes part of your DNA–the new “you.”
#12. “Why Are You Even Doing This? I’m Sure It’s Not to Read Bobba’s 12 Amazing Resolution Tips.” Motivation Matters.Why are you doing this? Yes, why? “I want to get in shape because I want to have that beach body to attract the babes.” Hmm. Is that really a motivation worthy of you? “I want to get in shape to have a better quality of life, have more energy, and have an overall healthier life.” That’s better. Know what your own motives are for starting your New Year’s resolutions, because that in itself could lay the foundation for your ultimate failure. Sure, having a beach body is great, I guess, but are you really going to do all this work, so you can drive all the way to the beach, spend half an hour or more to find parking, trek to the beach, hang around trying not to get sunburn, then realize that you’re in a lousy spot (no babes/dudes around), then you have to go all the way home, but this time it takes twice as long. You walk through the door frustrated and tired. How long do you think you’ll stick with your plan to get in shape after a few instances likes those? But how about have a beach body wherever you are, whether on the beach or walking through the supermarket. Which do you think is better? The big picture is always a better motivator than the small and trivial.
#1. “Don’t Be a Nerf Herder.” Have a Solid Plan First.
#2. “Fuzzball, the Planning is the Second Step.” The Pre-Plan is Just As Important As the Plan.
#3. “Forget the Force.” Just Do It!
#4. “Don’t Look At the Death Star. Keep Your Eyes on the Goal.” Sidestep the Distractions.
#5. “You See With Your Mind. Not Your Eyes.” Adjust Your Perspective.
#6. “I Dream of Han Solo in Carbonite.” Visualize It!
#7. “I Admire the Cut of Your Jibb, Darth.” Look For Inspiration In Others!
#8. “Have The Best Tools, Man!” Use the Best Tools to Help You Achieve Success.
#9. “The Team!” Others Help You Do Your Best.
#10. “Relax!” Make Sure “Nothing” is Part of the Plan.
#11. “Expect the Unexpected.” Stay Focused.
#12. Why Are You Even Doing This?” Motivation Matters.
What do you think of the post?
Leave a comment below. (And if you’re not a member already, join my VIP Reader’s Club!)
#NewYearsResolutions #Inspiration #StarWars #BobbaFett
The post Bobba Fett’s Top 12 New Year’s Resolution Tips! 2023 appeared first on Austin Dragon.
December 20, 2022
Signing Off For 2022!
For 2022, I concluded the main six-book series of Volume One of the Fabled Quest Chronicles! Well over two thousand pages of the mysterious Traveler, his “dog,” King Aereth, Lady Aylen, Gwyness, Pangolin, Mr. Hobbs, young Quillen, and the rest of the Titan’s caravan. Jam-packed with more mythical creatures and fantastic beasts than you’ve ever seen. A trek from the Lands of Man through the Magic Lands to the fabled kingdom of Atlantea with the evil Four Kings on their trail, or are they waiting for our heroes.
We also got a peek into my new upcoming military sci-fi series, The Planet Tamers. Yes, we Earthers become a multi-planet species at last. We finally learned to live on Earth together in peace… a peace that will not be repeated in the solar system around a planetoid called Titan.
What’s next in 2023? Lots of new Liquid Cool! In fact get the new releases on pre-order HERE and HERE. The full launch of the Planet Tamers series. And maybe a surprise or two. I can’t wait!
So until then, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. See you in 2023!P.S.
Don’t forget my offers for the holiday season:
My Box Set Page: HERE
My Books Page: HERE
My Be Like Liquid Cool Theme Store: HERE
The post Signing Off For 2022! appeared first on Austin Dragon.
November 30, 2022
December 2022 Group Author Book Giveaway
My December 2022 Sci-Fi Group Author Book Giveaway is live!
Enjoy some good ol’ science fiction reading for the holiday month. Grab your FREE ebooks today! 11 Select Authors from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st, 2022
CLICK HEREThe post December 2022 Group Author Book Giveaway appeared first on Austin Dragon.
November 22, 2022
Happy Thanksgiving 2022!
Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday! See you next month.
And don’t forget the reason for the season…Family, Friends, and Thanks!
The post Happy Thanksgiving 2022! appeared first on Austin Dragon.
November 1, 2022
The Smooth and Cool Sci-Fi “Pick Your Prize” Super Kindle Giveaway!
The post The Smooth and Cool Sci-Fi “Pick Your Prize” Super Kindle Giveaway! appeared first on Austin Dragon.
September 11, 2022
AUTHOR AUSTIN DRAGON’S 90 DAYS OF SCI-FI SEPTEMBER KINDLE GIVEAWAY!
The post AUTHOR AUSTIN DRAGON’S 90 DAYS OF SCI-FI SEPTEMBER KINDLE GIVEAWAY! appeared first on Austin Dragon.
August 31, 2022
What Do You Think of the New Website and Phase III?
My first published book was published back in 2013 with the launch of my After Eden Series. I consider those humble beginnings the “Phase One” of my author career. In 2015, came “Phase Two” with two new series — my Liquid Cool sci-fi detective series and my Sleepy Hollow Horrors, a blend of classic horror and historical fiction. Later would be the launch of my fourth series, the epic fantasy Fabled Quest Chronicles. Well, the final four months of 2022 is the launch of “Phase III!“
What is Phase III?An Amazing New Website!Launch of fifth series — my military sci-fi Planet Tamers series. In fact, Father’s Day (Book 1) came out just last month. The series will likely be eight books!Launch of two more series. You might not know this but back in 2015, I mapped out four series – Liquid Cool , the Fabled Quest Chronicles , and two more. Planet Tamers has managed to sneak in but that still leaves the two other series remaining. They’ll both be released in 2023.The wrap-up of my After Eden series. Why did I pause the series? Honestly, I didn’t think I was good enough of a writer yet. A series set 75 years in the future, over the course of almost a century, taking place in countries all over the world, with different religions, cultures, great leaders–good and evil, new science and technology, genetic engineering, and all leading to World War III. Wow, just saying all that gives me a headache. I set a goal for myself that I’ll write 1 million words of fiction and then I’ll be ready. Well, some of you might already know the punch line — I’ve written 3 million words of fiction since my pause!Surprises. I always throw in a surprise a two. You’re going to like them Liquid Cool ! Yes, more of my forever-series is coming! In fact, the next four Liquid Cool novels are on their way! I should be able to release at least one more the end of the year.So now you know the growing Fiction Universe of Author Austin Dragon.
What do you think of the new website and Phase III?Comment below:The post What Do You Think of the New Website and Phase III? appeared first on Austin Dragon.The post What Do You Think of the New Website and Phase III? appeared first on Austin Dragon.