D.K. Drake
"The more I write about fantasy adventures, the more excited I become about living my own real adventures as both an athlete and world traveler."
This writing thing is a dream that will not die. I’ve tried to kill it many times before, especially after my very first novel was a stupendous flop. It took me nine years to write that book, and all that effort got me precisely nowhere. So I stopped writing once the book failed to sell.
But that didn’t last. I couldn’t ignore God’s call to keep writing and started writing short stories as a way to improve my craft. During that time, one police officer friend encouraged me to write a story about cops. Another friend pestered me to write a story about dragons.
I wanted to come up with my own story ideas and ignored theirs. But they were persistent. Eventually I caved to the pressure and wrote “Cops, Robbers…and Dragons?”
I had a surprising amount of fun writing that fantastical tale about an author named Darcy who went on a ride-along with a cop in hopes of generating an idea for her next novel. During the course of that evening, they encountered Kenton, a Dragon Collector from another dimension who was hiding out on earth with two of his dragons. You can read the story for free as part of the D.K. Drake Starter Library.
I received a lot of positive feedback from that story, and that feedback sparked the idea for The Dragon Stalker Bloodlines Saga. I began writing the Saga in 2013 and have since published three of the four books I envisioned for the series. Book four is currently in the works.
When I'm not writing, I enjoy
I grew up playing softball with my three older sisters, and my Dad coached many of my teams. I added volleyball and basketball when I reached high school, then played softball in college.
Throughout those school years, I ran to stay in shape. Once I graduated, I ran to feed my competitive spirit and conquered a marathon. That fueled a love for running that has led to some awesome experiences...like a sunset run in Assisi, Italy!
Now I find places to run wherever I go, and I often come up with great story ideas while logging those miles.
sunset runs
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When I'm not writing, I enjoy
The only problem with writing is that it requires me to be still while in front of a computer or notebook. So I take full advantage of every opportunity to get outside and play, whether here at home or around the world.
My favorite trip of all time was to Costa Rica. While there, I had the chance to go white water rafting, ziplining, hiking around volcanoes, swimming, snorkeling, and more. (It had such an impact that I had to revisit it through my stories when the characters made their way to Costa Rica in The Dragon Protector!)
Then again, Australia and New Zealand were quite spectacular. Snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef did top Costa Rica's reef!
outdoor adventures
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when I'm not writing, I enjoy
I live with two my sisters in the great state of North Carolina, and together we are raising four foster kiddos. And we have a dog. Can't forget the pup who recently joined us!
Actually, three of the kids are no longer foster kids as we were able to adopt them in August 2022. The fourth is on the verge of being adopted as well. When that glorious day comes, I'll be able to post a picture of all their faces!
Until then, here the fabulous kids are at Disney World (2022 was the 'best Christmas ever' as that's the day we surprised them with a trip to Florida).
