Faithful Finisher | Character Development, Christian Podcast, Live Your Dreams, Goal Setting

Have you ever had to make a this or that lifechanging decision?  I’ve had to make quite a few such decisions throughout my life.  One came while writing The Dragon Collector.  

In today's Insider Tip of the Day, I'll share about that decision and how it prompted me to finish and publish The Dragon Collector.

And here on Day 18 of the 21 Days of Storytelling, I'll be reading chapter 16 of The Dragon Collector.  In this chapter, Javan has to make a decision as well.  Will he choose to take the easy out and return to his normal life on earth?  Or will he choose the unknown and remain in Zandador to save his mother?

Listen in to find out.

Apply here for a Personalized Writing Workshop with Author DK Drake.

Get Your Free DK Drake Starter Library that includes a digital manuscript of The Dragon Collector through November 10 here.

Snag one or all of the Dragon Stalker books here.

Join the Help! My Kid Wants to Write a Book Community here.

It’s Day 18 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga.

In today’s Insider Tip, Author DK Drake shares how her real life experience with breaking her nose helped her write the end of the chapter chapter fifteen entitled Captured.

Apply here for a Personalized Writing Workshop with Author DK Drake.

Get Your Free DK Drake Starter Library that includes a digital manuscript of The Dragon Collector through November 10 here.

Snag one or all of the Dragon Stalker books here.

Join the Help! My Kid Wants to Write a Book Community here.

Welcome to Day 17 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga.

The story snippet of the day is chapter fourteen entitled A Hint of Attachment.

In this chapter, Javan is headed back to the portal with his mother, and she shares a bit of her backstory with her long-lost son along the way.  She also mentions the official names of some of the regions located within Zandador.

What you don’t learn here is that the territory of Zandador is basically the country in the middle of the vast continent known as the Great Rift.  Seven regions make up the territory of Zandador, and I could have made up the names of those regions with a dose of creativity.  But I chose to use a specific source for help naming those regions: the Bible.  Genesis chapter 10 verse 2 to be exact.  This verse is also where I got the name of my main character Javan and ties in with the entire origin story of the Great Rift.

Although I hope you are now curious enough to open your Bible to Genesis 10:2, the purpose of this episode is not to share the backstory or read the genealogy found in Genesis 10.  The purpose of this episode is to entertain you with chapter 14 of The Dragon Collector.

So let’s get to it.

Apply here for a Personalized Writing Workshop with Author DK Drake.

Get Your Free DK Drake Starter Library that includes a digital manuscript of The Dragon Collector through November 10 here.

Snag one or all of the Dragon Stalker books here.

Join the Help! My Kid Wants to Write a Book Community here.

It’s Day 16 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga.

The story snippet of the day is chapter thirteen entitled Return to Obscurity.

Today’s Insider Tip from Author DK Drake explains how she dreamed up ways to describe the landscape and insects of Zandador.

And if you haven’t yet secured your free digital copy of The Dragon Collector, be sure to visit authordkdrake.com/insiders to snag it as part of the DK Drake starter library. It’s getting removed from the library on Thursday, so get it while you can.

Apply here for a Personalized Writing Workshop with Author DK Drake.

Get Your Free DK Drake Starter Library that includes a digital manuscript of The Dragon Collector through November 10 here.

Snag one or all of the Dragon Stalker books here.

Join the Help! My Kid Wants to Write a Book Community here.

It’s Day 15 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga.

The story snippet of the day is chapter twelve entitled A Smashing Return.

Today’s Insider Tip from Author DK Drake why there is no magic in Zandador.

Wait?  No magic?  In a fantasy novel?  That’s right.  Listen in to find out why the author made the decision to NOT have magic in her fantasy series.

Apply here for a Personalized Writing Workshop with Author DK Drake.

Get Your Free DK Drake Starter Library that includes a digital manuscript of The Dragon Collector through November 10 here.

Snag one or all of the Dragon Stalker books here.

Join the Help! My Kid Wants to Write a Book Community here.

Welcome to Day 14 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga.

The story snippet of the day is chapter eleven entitled Bargaining for Boundaroos.

What is a boundaroo?  Glad you asked!  It’s an animal unique to the Land of Zandador, and you’ll have to listen in to learn more about this interesting animal that is completely fictitious.

Apply here for a Personalized Writing Workshop with Author DK Drake.

Get Your Free DK Drake Starter Library that includes a digital manuscript of The Dragon Collector through November 10 here.

Snag one or all of the Dragon Stalker books here.

Join the Help! My Kid Wants to Write a Book Community here.

Welcome to Day 13 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga.

The story snippet of the day is chapter ten entitled Torix.

And here’s your Insider Tip of the Day: Zandador used to be a bright and vibrant land.  Then Omri came to power.  Over the course of his centuries-long reign, he has zapped the life and passion from the people, earning his nickname the “Dark King.”  His soldiers patrol every city to ensure compliance with things like his dress code (everyone is only allowed to wear brown clothes), his marriage laws and even travel from place to place.  

In this chapter, you don’t learn why Omri has instituted such rules (that comes much later in the series), but you do get to see the city of Torix through Javan’s eyes and get a hint of what life is like under the rule of the Dark King.

You should also pay attention to things like energy balls and time traps as this is the foreshadowing technique in action.

Remember, at the end of chapter nine, the Dawn Stalker Opny snacked on the okties Ravier and Javan had flown to Dawn Territory to observe the dragon.  Now the two are stranded in the middle of a place where only dragons live.

Tune in to find out what happens next.

Apply here for a Personalized Writing Workshop with Author DK Drake. 

Get Your Free DK Drake Starter Library that includes a digital manuscript of The Dragon Collector through November 10 here.

Snag one or all of the Dragon Stalker books here.

Join the Help! My Kid Wants to Write a Book Community here.

Welcome to Day 12 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of The Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga.

The story snippet of the day is chapter nine entitled Stalking the Stalker.  Today you get to meet a Dawn Stalker!  Only this dragon isn't the friendly sort that are back on Earth with Kenton.

Opny is 814 years old and lives free in Dawn Stalker territory in Southwest Zandador.  He's selfish, vain and territorial.  As Javan will soon learn, this particular dragon lashes out at anyone or anything who enters his territory.

His biggest fear that no human knows is that he's terrified of mosquitoes.  This big bad dragon actually faints when he sees or hears them flying around him!

Another interesting fact is that he sulks and forgets to eat when he sees butterflies because he's jealous of their beautiful colors and their ability to fly.  I told you he was vain!

As far as what he likes to eat, lily pads and okties are at the top of his list.

What's an okty, you ask?  Listen in to find out.

Apply now for a personalized writing workshop with Author DK Drake!

Welcome to Day 11 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga.

The story snippet of the day is chapter eight entitled A Second First Impression.

At the end of chapter 7, Javan was blasted with some sort of weapon that you’ll learn about here in chapter 8.

What you don’t learn in this chapter is that the weapon is powered by Midnight Stalker scales, and Midnight Stalkers breathe lightning.  That power can be harnessed through their scales and turned into a weapon that is similar to a taser.

Tune in to find out the name of the weapon and how one feels after being shot with it.

Get Your Free DK Drake Starter Library that includes a digital manuscript of The Dragon Collector through November 10 here.

Snag one or all of the Dragon Stalker books here.

Join the Help! My Kid Wants to Write a Book Community here.

Welcome to Day 10 of the 21 Days of Storytelling featuring The Dragon Collector, book one of the Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga.

The story snippet of the day is chapter seven entitled Ravier and Red Rain.

In today’s Insider Tip, Author DK Drake shares how she came up with the idea for red rain that Javan encounters into today’s story snippet.

Enjoy!

Get Your Free DK Drake Starter Library that includes a digital manuscript of The Dragon Collector through November 10 here.

Snag one or all of the Dragon Stalker books here.

Join the Help! My Kid Wants to Write a Book Community here: