Be in a Novel

Yes, you can be in a novel, or at least your name will be. Or you can choose a loved one, a pet's name, a favorite co-worker, whomever to have his/her name in a novel. You can name a town, a horse, or a dragon. It is a charity auction at www.beinanovel.com 

Register Today! 

Auction to be held May 31 - June 7, 2009.

 Imagine reading the newest book from one of your favorite authors when all of a sudden… 

 

     …the story's heroine has a brief encounter with someone who looks like you and has your name 

 

    …the main characters go into a restaurant and order the chef's special, a dish named in honor of your mother and her favorite recipe

 

    …the story's hero calls in his dog, and it happens to look just like your dog and have your dog's name

 

   …and more! 

 

Your cameo appearance on the page may be brief, but the memories will last a lifetime and you will be forever immortalized in print.

 

Best of all, the entire proceeds from your winning bid will go directly to Operation Joy.an outreach of the faith-based nonprofit Child and Family Focus.  Now in its fifth year of generating smiles, Operation Joy uses 100% of monetary and material donations to support local families in need. (Child and Family Focus) The use of the proceeds from this 2009 auction will focus primarily on the unmet needs of families dealing with medical crises.

 

Here is what is up for auction:

Terri Blackstock           Name a character.

Davis Bunn                 Name a character.

Mindy Starns Clark        Name a horse.

Mindy Starns Clark        Name the specialty of the house in a restaurant.

Athol Dickson                  Name a character.

Wanda Dyson         Name one of the following: a dog, a cop, a bounty hunter, a witness to a crime, or a child.

Jerry Jenkins        Name a hard-bitten Chicago cop who might be a villain

Donita K. Paul      Name a dragon.

Donita K. Paul      Name a town.

Gayle Roper        Name & describe a book store in the story.

Gayle Roper        Name the hero of the story.

Marlo Schalesky      Create the name & ingredients for your favorite coffee.

Lauraine Snelling     Name a character.

Lenora Worth      Name one of the following: a security guard, a security dog,or a shop-aholic who loves to buy shoes at Duncan's department store.

Stephen Lawhead

Tuck
by Stephen Lawhead

"Pray God our aim is true and each arrow finds its mark."

King Raven has brought hope to the oppressed people of Wales--and fear to their Norman overlords. Along the way Friar Tuck has been the stalwart supporter of King Raven--bringing him much-needed guidance, wit, and faithful companionship.

Deceived by the self-serving King William and hunted by the treacherous Abbot Hugo and Sheriff de Glanville, Rhi Bran is forced to take matters into his own hands as King Raven. Aided by Tuck and his small but determined band of forest-dwelling outlaws, he ignites a rebellion that spreads through the Welsh valleys, forcing the wily monarch to marshal his army and march against little Elfael.

Filled with unforgettable characters, breathtaking suspense, and rousing battle scenes, Stephen R. Lawhead's masterful retelling of the Robin Hood legend reaches its stunning conclusion in Tuck. Steeped in Celtic mythology and the political intrigue of medieval Britain, Lawhead's trilogy conjures up an ancient past while holding a mirror to contemporary realities. Prepare for an epic tale that dares to shatter everything you thought you knew about Robin Hood.

About the Author

Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. His works include Byzantium, Patrick, and the series The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and The Song of Albion.

Stephen was born in 1950, in Nebraska in the USA. Most of his early life was spent in America where he earned a university degree in Fine Arts and attended theological college for two years. His first professional writing was done at Campus Life magazine in Chicago, where he was an editor and staff writer. During his five years at Campus Life he wrote hundreds of articles and several non-fiction books.

After a brief foray into the music business—as president of his own record company—he began full-time freelance writing in 1981. He moved to England in order to research Celtic legend and history. His first novel, In the Hall of the Dragon King, became the first in a series of three books (The Dragon King Trilogy) and was followed by the two-volume Empyrion saga, Dream Thief and then the Pendragon Cycle, now in five volumes: Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon, and Grail. This was followed by the award-winning Song of Albion series which consists of The Paradise War, The Silver Hand, and The Endless Knot.

He has written nine children's books, many of them originally offered to his two sons, Drake and Ross. He is married to Alice Slaikeu Lawhead, also a writer, with whom he has collaborated on some books and articles. They make their home in Oxford, England.

Stephen's non-fiction, fiction and children's titles have been published in twenty-one foreign languages. All of his novels have remained continuously in print in the United States and Britain since they were first published. He has won numereous industry awards for his novels and children's books, and in 2003 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the University of Nebraska.

You can find Tuck at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595540873

You can find out More about Stephen Lawhead at

http://www.stephenlawhead.com/

Eric Reinhold's Shield of Faith

Book 2 in the Annals of Aeliana Series


The White Dragon spoke solemnly.

"One of us will sacrifice himself to save the others, one of us will save himself to sacrifice the others, and one of us will deny he is a part of us."

"Are you saying that there's a hero, a betrayer, and a denier among us?" Ryann asked.


Three months have passed since Ryann Watters and his friends Liddy and Terrell found the King's Sword and returned from the enchanted land of Aeliana. Once again in Mount Dora, Florida, the trio is tasked by the angel, Gabriel to locate the Shield of Faith.

Meanwhile, over 300 years have passed in Aeliana, and the once captivating land has been taken over by an evil black unicorn and his dragon-men. Ryann and his friends' only hope is to join a white unicorn and his group of dissenters known as "The Chosen." Together with a white dragon, a Pegasus and an elf who carries the ancient book of prophecy they must unravel the mysteries of the "magic stones," the Tree of Life, and the Island of Skulls, if they hope to save Aeliana.

In this journey of faith, Ryann discovers friends and foes are not always what they appear. To succeed, he must answer the most important question of all:


Whom can he trust?


PRAISE FOR RYANN WATTERS

Eric Reinhold has delivered a fantastic adventure that clearly distinguishes right from wrong. It's a great moral compass of a read!

- KARL HOLZ, President Disney Cruise Line, Former Chairman & CEO of Euro Disney


Eric Reinhold takes ordinary children into an extraordinary world. When they return, they know more about Jesus, and so do the readers who enjoyed this fantastic adventure. Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith is an interesting tale with a backbone of faith.

- DONITA K. PAUL
Best-selling Author of The Dragon Keeper Chronicles

Absolutely brilliant! Set in the real-life town of Mount Dora, Florida, this enchanting tale of fantasy combines a compelling storyline, riveting action, and excellent characterization, culminating in a breathtaking novel with the potential to be for Christian youth what Harry Potter was to a more worldly crowd. Ryann Watters and the King's Sword is a must for the bookshelves of readers - young and old - who enjoy great Christian fiction and fantasy.

- DELIA LATHAM, Author of Goldeneyes


Books can be ordered directly from the author at http://www.ryannwatters.com/ and will be signed and include a free bookmarker. Currently they are $5 off the list price.

No Dragons, but lots of Saurn

I belong to several critique groups, and I tell you that it is amazing how much talented is pooled in those groups. But getting published has more to it than just talent. My colleagues have worked hard to hone their skills. Crit groups are the highlights of my week. Well, one of my critique partners has hit paydirt. His debut novel came out today. So flare and fanfare, I introduce to you, Starfire, by Stuart Vaughn Stockton.

Starfire

Stuart Vaughn Stockton

Releases April 1, 2009 thru Marcher Lord Press

On an alien world far removed from Earth, a Saurian warrior named Rathe seeks to rise from lowly origins to achieve greatness in the Karn Empire. Rathe is haunted by a terrible secret as his military squad is given a mission that will take them deep into enemy territory and into the deceptions of his allies. Soon he will be forced to decide between saving his empire now and possibly ushering in a doomed future or destroying a friend to possibly save the world from an age of darkness. And all the while he confronts Wayfarers telling him there is a Being who desires Rathe's worship, a Being who has a plan for him.

A Book Give Away

Not me, but a fellow blogger and author, Kat Heckenbach is giving away this book. Here is what she has to say:

I have a favorite children's book, "The Dragons Are Singing
Tonight" by Jack Prelutsky, that is one of my prized possessions. Ok,
technically, it belongs to my kids, but I look at it more than they
do :). Anyway, our copy finally bit the dust, and I had to order a new
one, so I decided to share my love for this book by having a giveaway
on my blog.

So if you know a kid that loves dragons as much as I do, I mean, my
kids do, then visit my blog www.kat-findingangel.blogspot.com. You can
then link to my website, or go directly to www.findingangel.com and
leave me a comment. I'll be picking a random winner in a couple of
weeks.

************

I have this book, too, and agree that the poems and artwork are fabtabulous. Be sure to visit Kat's site and leave a comment. She also has an enjoyable full blog about the book and dragon-loving.

Appreciate a Dragon Day

Today, in honor of Appreciate a Dragon Day, we went to a store, Vacuum and Dragons, Inc. Yes, that's right--vacuums and dragons sold in the same store. This emporium is at 5643 N. Academy, Colorado Springs, CO 80918. It is called "The Vac Shop within the Realm." Very Tight, my friends.

Out of the many dragons to choose from, I chose one that combined my admiration for dragons with my love of books. This figurine is On Watch #4001 from the World of Krustonia series.

Later we took four of our best behaved dragons out for dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

A good time was had by all!

Collections

I have three collections. One is children's books, including textbooks about children's literature and illustrations. This collection occupies twelve shelves in a double 7 foot tall bookcase. I've been collecting them for a long, long time.

My second collection is related to the first. I have a collection of statues and pictures of animals reading books. This is a deliberate collection. I look for these wherever I go and in catalogues. I don't have a huge selection, but I really like what I have.

And the last is a collection that just sort of happened. The Dragon Collection!

Pictured here are the Christmas additions. Three glass ornaments. No, I don't use them on my Christmas tree. They sit on my dragon shelves.

The red dragon is made out of cornhusks.

And the box is a gift from my son and daughter-in-law.

I love my dragons. Many were made by readers and were given to me either at booksignings or as surprises in the mail.