Help DraxisWeb win a new car

Hey there Draxis Web fans…. I know for the most pat things have been a bit quiet here lately.  The reasons are many but one of them is because we are getting ready to have our very first baby born into this generation of the DraxisWeb House Hold.  That’s right from the two awesome people that brought to you Draxis Magic, Draxis Insight Draxis review and several cool stories to Download on Kindle now we bring to you the world a bouncing baby boy!!!!.  Now we know that usually there are baby showers and such where people lavish you with presents and such…but all we ask really is for you, our followers if you are on facebook to follow the link I am about to provide and “like” our picture after saying yes to the app.  What this will do is bring Sarah and I one step closer to winning a new Honda Civic which would be a great help to us as her car is about to die and mine goes through 4 hours of driving a day.  So please if you can just take two seconds of your time to help us…well we’ll figure out some special treat to give you guys!

http://apps.facebook.com/hocphotocontest/contests/240694/voteable_entries/56351616

 

A teaser for the print version of “Zombie Attack Before Christmas” by Kevin Coryell

Here is some of the artwork for my new book “Twas the Zombie Attack Before Christmas”.  According to my artist she is looking to have things wrapped up around mid august.  Sorry it has been taking so long guys but between con’s, work and the general chaos of life itself sometimes things don’t stay on schedule.  However the artwork I have received so far is fabulous and awesome so here it is!

Open Submissions for 2 Anthologies from DraxisWeb Productions

Open Submissions Call for 2 Anthologies:

Why:  Over the past year I have been coming up with various stories based around certain themes and have come up with several for each theme.  My original plan was to explore various ways in which these themes could work and then write an Anthology or two of my own work on it.  I have come up with enough Ideas to write a 40k+ novel for each of these themes that are mentioned below but then I thought about it some and I came to the conclusion that: a) I have a ton of writer friends who might find these themes interesting and want to share their ideas also and b) I think an anthology of these types of stories would be a much better read if the stories were all told in different styles by different people c) I got my start in publishing in someone else’s Anthology so it’s my turn to open up some roads for indie/aspiring writers to try and get published the same way I had.

What We Offer:  As these two anthologies are the first we are trying to create here is what we offer

1)      Payment of ¼ cent per word for stories- standard rate for the size we are looking for and the anthology style of publication.

2)      Review of your story on the Promote Writers Blog (good review of course since you would be good enough to get into the book if accepted)

What We Need:

1)      Original stories from 7,000 to 10,000 words in length- Multiple submissions per author allowed and welcomed!

2)      Exclusive right to publish the story in both Ebook and Print format within the selected Anthology only for 1 year from first publishing date.  After that you can do whatever you want with your story for republishing. Even after the first year when you get the rights to print your story back, we at Draxis Web Productions still maintain the right to print further copies of the anthology that you story is in.

3)      Send submissions to: DWPSubmissions@aol.com  with the Anthology name in the subject line along with your name, story name, and word count.

4)      Deadline is Oct 1st 2012

What Genre are we seeking:  This really doesn’t matter; we can have romance, horror, comedy, whatever you want to try as long as it fits the theme of the story.  In fact the more genres in the book the better as it will give something for everyone and will make sure there aren’t any similar stories coming through.

Theme 1- Patient Zero:
It seems in all the various Zombie stories out there, all you see is the Zombie Apocalypse has started, we are in such and such a place, and we have these survivors, we’re crossing the country with these survivors, we’re trapped in such and such a building with these survivors. It’s always about the survivors and if they ever touch upon the beginning of the Z-plague it always seems to be just a footnote. This doesn’t seem right at K.M. and myself have had many discussions about why this is the case and how much great story potential is lost in this missing information and back-story. Therefore, in this anthology, I want to explore the various ways that the Z-plague has started. Is it a normal disease that mutated and spread out of control and if so how and why? Was it an alien crafted thing that was released and if so why? Did it start on facebook and did it only affect those who posed with duckface in a pic and if so what mad scientist made that possible? This is what I want to see, the how and the why of the beginning of the Z-pocalypse!

Theme 2- Parasites! A new vein of vampiric tale:
Basically put, Vampires are everywhere now a days, from the sexy blood suckers of Anita Blake and Sookie Stackhouse, to the teenage angst in the House of Night series that is best described as Vampire world meets Harry Potter school. However, vampires can be so much more than this, they do not have to just suck blood, and they don’t have to have fangs. To me the basis of the vampire is a tale to frighten, a tale to warn of dangers, a tale that says no matter what you see or what you hear, no matter how wonderful it may be it IS dangerous! As for what the Vampire is…it simply is some form of a parasite and so I want to bring these two together again. The tales I want to see are of a non-typical vampire- a Succubus or Incubus, a thought sucking vampire, an energy leech, an emotion drainer. Even another bloodsucker just done differently than anything that’s out there today would work fine. What I want to see is a NEW twist to this old story, but one that brings back the roots of the tale, a warning to all of something too good to be true that can feed off of you in some way, something that can bring back the frights when something goes bump in the night. In this case, if it FEEDS off YOU then it is a vampire. I don’t care what it eats. Let’s show people that Vampires ARE scary, that vampires while able to be sexy will STILL rip your throat out (or your heart or mind) whenever they darn well please, and that vampires CAN and WILL feed off of more than just typical blood.

For both themes what is needed are good stories; they can be any genere.  What we care about is giving people a story to enjoy and presenting them with something new to think about- a new twist to an old tale. So think on it and let me know if you would be interested and then get to working on your own Z-Patient or Vampire tale. I cannot wait to see what the brilliant minds of my friends can come up with and see these stories in print. My partner in crime, K.M. and I, are already working on our own stories for these anthologies and we would be honored to have yours share a spot along with us in these upcoming books. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us via any of our facebook pages or via email. Happy writing!

DraxisWeb Productions needs your help!

Good day everyone.  I have exciting news for you all.  We have started a Kickstarter project for DraxisWeb Productions.  Our first ebook ‘Twas the Zombie Attack Before Christmas has done great but I think it could do a lot better if we had a physical copy complete with artwork.  We have a place to print it, we have an artist to do the artwork, all we need now is the money to pay for both.  So please follow the link below and help us out.

Help ‘Twas the Zombie Attack Before Christmas get a print form!

DWP hits the E-book market for Christmas

Draxis Web productions is proud to announce that our founder Kevin Coryell has posted his first solo E-Book.  For the small price of 1 dollar you too can read a twisted take on a timeless classic Christmas Poem.  Twas the Zombie Attack Before Christmas is written in the same style as Twas the Night Before Christmas but instead of a cheery telling of a visit by Saint Nick it tells the grumesome Zombie attack on the neighbor Nick that happens in the front yard the night before Christmas.  Here is an excerpt:

Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house,
Not a creature dared stir
not even the mouse.

The tripwires were all hung
out by the fence with care,
In hopes the we could keep
all the zombies out there.

The children were nestled
all safe in their beds,
While visions of zombies eating entrails
danced in their heads.

Mama with her pistol
and I with a shotgun and cap,
Had just settled down
for a short catnap.

To buy the book simply visit this page~~~>https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/103059

A free story in 66 words

Earlier this year I was published in a horror anthology called Twisted Tales in 66 words. Many people think this is very hard to do. Perhaps for some but I am actually quite liking the challenge. As a treat to you my readers here is a free 66 word story like what was found in Twisted Tales. I originally created this to be submitted for the next 66 word anthology but honestly I am not as happy with this one as I am with the other 5 I came up with, but I think it is still worthy of being read. I hope you all enjoy.

Medieval Warfare
by:Kevin Coryell

We’ve cut down a large tree and created wheels for it. Large round bales of hay have been covered in tar and stacked in the field. Beside them are large clay pots filled with sharp debris. Men clad in a hundred pounds of metal sit upon horses that stamp nervously at the ground. Archers ready their arrows, binding them in oily rags. Let the siege begin!

DraxisWeb breaks into print

So in many ways I see myself as DraxisWeb Productions and DraxisWeb is me. Basically put whatever successes are brought to the DWP table are my successes and whatever is a success of mine is a success for DWP.  So it brings me great joy to share a success for both myself and DWP by announcing that as of a few days ago a book was published and within it is a short story of my creation and at the bottom of the page it is on is a link back to this blog.  So if any of you wish to check this out here is the link to where you can get the book~~~~~> http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/twisted-tales/17438584

Draxis Review goes to sea…Sea World that is!

Draxis Review goes to sea…Sea World that is!

 

A few months back, my Fiancée and I took a trip down to Orlando Florida to visit Sea World.  While there are many, many things to do there, we decided this time to focus on the animals and one roller coaster.

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The Coaster I went on is the one called Manta, and I have to give this coaster 5 stars out of 5.  This thing is absolutely insane!  Looking at it, it doesn’t seem all that bad and then standing in line at first things seem fine as well…  However, if you truly pay attention you’ll notice something odd.  In this coaster, you don’t sit- you’re basically laying on your stomach!  It starts simple enough; just like any other coaster you have seats and a harness. You sit down on the seat and pull down the harness.  However, this is where things start to get a bit odd because as the harness comes down over your shoulders, it also triggers a spot on the chair between your feet to unfold and trap your feet against the chair.  Now that you are all strapped in and feeling like you’re about to be tortured or electrocuted or something, you hear the coaster’s recorded voice saying “Prepare to fly with Manta” or something similar to that.  As soon as the voice goes away they have an odd noise like a Transformer moving or something and next thing you know your chair tips and you’re looking down at the ground.  And then the real fun begins! Up the first hill and then you’re flying down and around as you truly soar around the coaster tracks.  You find yourself hitting one spiral and I swear on that upside down moment the G-forces will clear your sinuses (I was amazed at that feeling that’s for sure).  A good portion of the ride was looking at sky, ground, sky, ground , sky, ground as you twist again and again…kinda like the video of the beluga whale we saw later on posted below. It was truly an amazing coaster- one of the best I have ever been on!  It is a must try for any coaster fan!

At the end of the day, we fed the Rays they have in a large open tank.  It was quite the interesting experience because, after all, we just hold some shrimp between our fingers and place our hands flat on the bottom of the tank.  The ray will then swim over your hand and suck the shrimp up like a vacuum cleaner.  As they swim by, you can also pet them and to be honest they feel like wet mushrooms as your fingers slide over them.  Also, as they go by they look like they are waving at you and well if they come up to the top of the tank and their fins breach the water, the hello wave becomes a slap to the water and a wet person next to the wall.  Roll video!

We also fed some Seals and Sea lions, checked out the penguins, took a trip to the arctic to see huge polar bears and walruses among other things.

Sea World is indeed an amazing place, and all of this is just part of the amazing things this park has to offer.  Draxis Review is already making plans to go again soon to see the shows and other wonderful activities this park has to offer.  So stay tune and keep on reading!

Draxis Review goes on Safari

Draxis Review Goes on Safari!!

Good day Draxis Web/Draxis Review readers!  Some of you may know but for those that don’t I am very lucky to have a day job at Busch Gardens in Tampa Florida.  To me, Busch Gardens is one of the best places to work because it takes two of my previous favorite jobs (Philadelphia Zoo and Universal Studios) and puts them together. Earlier this year, I was able to take my fiancée to the park and for her birthday present, we did something that we have wanted to do for a while now- we booked a Serengeti Safari Tour.  If you have the extra money when you come to Busch Gardens and you love animals, then I highly suggest you take this tour.  It  runs around 35 dollars a person and is approximately 30-40 minutes long.  The basis of this tour is to get in the back of a large open jeep and go out into the plains area of Busch Gardens while someone tells you about the animals, but wait it gets better.

While you are out on the plains, you also get to feed the Giraffes.  Now in most places that allow you to feed animals such as these long-neck beauties, you’re on the other side of a fence or other large obstacle and can barely reach the giraffe to feed it.  However, in this case, the only thing between you and the animal is, well a jeep which in this case is next to nothing.  See the pictures below for the proof.  The Giraffes are close enough to eat from your hand, receive a hug from you, be petted, and of course if they want, use their long tongue to slime your face and hair.

The safari tour was a wonderful and memorable experience for my fiancé and me as well as the other people who were on the tour with us.  Getting to be so close and spend a good solid 15 minutes with the giraffes was amazing!  You never fully can appreciate their size, beauty, and amazing qualities until you have a huge giraffe head beside yours and can run your hands along their short bristly coat, and get slimed by the impressive tongue.  It was indeed a wonderful experience I would love to relive again!

As if this amazing tour isn’t enough, Busch Gardens has tons of other tours that visitors can experience!  Some of the tours take you behind the scenes in Jungala to see the tigers, some take you out to see the various endangered animals we have, and still others show you how the roller coasters work.  No matter what you may like, Busch Gardens has a tour to fit your fancy…even one that can let you become an elephant keeper!  So get the family together or plan that special day all to yourself and head to Busch Gardens Tampa Florida and book yourself one of these amazing tours- you will be glad you did!

Draxis Review: 501st Legion and their participation in Ancient City Con

Movie and Book History-

The 501st Legion is a group of warriors from the Star Wars universe of books and movies.  In the SW Universe, the 501st was also known as Vader’s Fist and were an elite commando squad of Storm Troopers who worked directly for Darth Vader.  Only the best of the best were able to become part of the 501st.  However, the 501st did not start in the SW Universe but in our own and was simply honored in the SW Universe by the various authors who have written in it.  For a history of how the name was created in real life follow this link http://www.501st.com/origin.php

501st in the real world-

In the real world, the 501st Legion is the world’s premier costuming group with their emphasis being the “villains” of the Star Wars universe.  Many of the members are some form of Storm Trooper from the generic “These aren’t the droids we’re looking for.” Trooper seen in Star Wars: A New Hope to the Scout Trooper that piloted the speeder bikes on Endor in Return of the Jedi.  Some also dress as the scarlet robed Imperial Guard, the Black Clad Tie-Fighter pilots, the bucket headed Death Star gunners and even the grey clad Imperial Navy personnel.  Some even go for the Bounty Hunters such as Jango and Bobba Fett or Bosk.  Some also pick a Sith Lord to take after such as Vader, Maul, or Sidious.  The most wondrous thing about the 501st to me is their attention to detail for you see, to be in the 501st your costume has to meet such exacting standards that if they were filming another Star Wars movie you could basically walk onto the set and no one would blink an eye.

501st  Are they Villains or Angels?-

While many would ask why dress as the villains, my first question upon learning about the 501st was “What do you do? Other than dress up in armor that is.”  The answer may surprise many people, the 501st raises money for charity, visits hospitals to bring cheer to sick children and do general good deeds and spread good cheer wherever they go.  The 501st makes appearances at conventions and parties and in lieu of payment as they do this out of the kindness of their plastoid covered hearts they ask only that donations be made to your favorite charities or to theirs if you don’t have a favorite.

How did I first learn of the 501st

Several years ago I first learned of the 501st because of a youtube video about a crazy Japanese guy who would dress up as a Storm Trooper and dance in the middle of crosswalks while people crossed the streets.  He was known as Tokyo Trooper and for the time that was all I knew of it.  Here is one of his videos.

It wasn’t until I first went to Ancient City Con in Jacksonville 4 years ago that I learned exactly what the 501st was.  It was 2007, and ACC was only in it’s second year of existence.  This was my first experience with a convention and I must admit even though it was a small convention, I was probably wide eyed with wonder.  One of the first tables I saw and went right to was one that had a large banner proclaiming it to be the Imperial 501st Florida Garrison.  What drew my attention, other than the banner with the Imperial logo on it, was the life sized replica of Han Solo frozen in Carbonite that they had hanging on the wall, the twin Storm Trooper guards on either side of the table, and a table full of blasters and armor pieces and even an alien head or two.  I took one of their cards and made sure to look them up online when I got home.  I even sat in on a discussion panel where a man dressed as an Imperial Admiral (or maybe even a Moff) told us how to do vacuforming and even how to make a cheap version of a vacuforming table at home with spare parts.  As I told people about the cool Imperial 501st I started hearing more and more about some of the cool things they do and about another awesome video on youtube where a few 501st members created a spoof of the TV show cops.  I of course had to check it out and thought it was quite funny, here is that video.

While trying to find this video to share with you today I found that College Humor has gotten into the spirit of things as well with their own version of Troopers and while their armor would not get them on a Star Wars set it is still pretty impressive. http://youtu.be/zYTW-rZVte4

Each year that I have been at ACC, the 501st has been there, and every year I watch the Storm Troopers walking around the convention and I think “Wow I wish I could get some armor and join them.”  I always talk to the various members of the 501st that show up and get what information I can about them.  I take pictures of them in their outfits whether it be as a Storm Trooper or even as a member of the Ghostbusters or a member of Cobra from G.I. Joe (yes many of them do several costumes and not always star wars related).  In fact, this year one of them came in a very good Jason costume from the movie Friday the 13th.

This year the 501st had their usual table but they also had a small corner of the room where they had set up a large picture similar in size to portable movie screen.  The large picture was of a hallway of the Death Star.  They then had taken two different Nerf guns and painted them and made some mods to them to make them look a little more Star Wars-ish.  They then put one of the Storm Troopers in front of the picture and charged a few dollars for each gun and let people shoot the Nerf bullets that were tipped with suction cups at the Trooper.  All of the money that was raised with this went to Wolfson Children’s Hospital, but don’t take my word for this, instead watch the video I took where they explain what they are doing and then of some people as they take aim and fire at the Trooper.

All things said, if there was one group that I could join it would be this one- in a heart beat.  Most likely I would try and get some scout trooper armor as I always fancied myself a good sniper in the videogames and I love their speeder bikes.  Perhaps one day I’ll have enough money to get a suit of the armor or at least the materials to make it.  I would love to attend a 501st Armor party and then become one of them.