Dragon Bloggin

D. Barkley Briggs- CSFF Blot Tour

2011-12-04T23:35:00.004-07:00

Corus the Champion is the sequel to The Book of Names. I read the first book some time ago and gave it to my assistant to read recently. It is fun to listen to her enthusiasm. She tells me about how fantastic a scene is or what a great character this guy is. She will soon be after me to loan her the second book.

One of the things I admire about D. Barkley Briggs' style of writing is his descriptions. Look at this paragraph:

Other than hedgerows of wild hazel and scattered oak and elm, the hill was the only major feature, like someone had dropped it there by mistake. It rose, tall and sudden, shorn of trees, utterly alone, with vast sweeps of green on every side. A worn footpath wound down the hill, past a stand of trees, toward a clutch of wattle-and-daub buildings. One of them, larger than the rest, was circle shaped, with a cross made out of beams rising from the center of the thatched roof. It looked to Garret like an old church. Near to these simple structures, small brown figures worked in rows, tilling the earth. The way they were hunched over made Garret of giant mushrooms. He stood very still, trembling, not quite sure to believe his eyes.

After reading that paragraph, one not only has a clear picture of the scene but also the feel of apprehension that shrouds Garret. The image is precise, but the prospect is incongruous to his reality. His reality must shift.

I love that precise description with just an edge of emotion coloring the setting.

Now I have to admit that chapter Two, Mount Agasag, triggered the skim mode for me. The details did not rivet me to the story. I skimmed, looking for Garret or Gabe, to latch on to what was happening with them.

I'm sure many readers were intrigued by Corus and Kr'Nunos. My investment was in the four brothers and therefore, every time they were "in the picture," my interest was caught and held.

Book link - Buy at Amazon

Author’s Web site - The Hidden Lands

Participants’ links

Gillian Adams
Noah Arsenault
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
CSFF Blog Tour
Carol Bruce Collett
Theresa Dunlap
April Erwin
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Marzabeth
Shannon McDermott
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
Sarah Sawyer
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Rachel Wyant

CSFF- Monster in the Hollows

2011-09-21T21:30:00.004-06:00

Well, I didn't get back to this blog in a timely manner. I've been off chasing dragons and evil minions through a whole new world.
One of the things that attracts me to Andrew's work is the names he chooses. Many of you know I love making up names, so I doubly appreciate Andrew's wit in this area. Just take a gander at some of my favorites.
Olumphia- shouldn't every school have a teacher whose first name is Olumphia?
Guildmaster Nibblesticks - I suggest you put the pretzels under lock and key.
Grigory Bunge - of course, he's horrid.
Podo
Zola Mae
Rudric, and
Kelvey O'Sally.
Andrew inspires me to dive into of my own making and populate it with wonderful characters. I hope you enjoyed his book as much as I did.

The Monster in the Hollows - Christian Science Fiction Fantasy Blog Tour

2011-09-19T09:02:00.007-06:00

First of all, let me make it clear that the Wingfeather Trilogy, of which this book is numbered, consists of four (4) books. Therefore it is no longer referred to as the Wingfeather Trilogy, but the Wingfeather Saga.
I'm mixed in my feelings about this. I was so looking forward to the third book and the exciting conclusion of the tale of the Wingfeather children, the Jewels of Anniera. When I reached the end of this book, I was delighted to find a fourth book would follow. I often wish a particularly good piece of literature (and this is definitely a good piece of literature) would not end, and I could continue to enjoy the characters and their efforts to come out victorious. So now I have it. I can continue, but I must endure the torture of the long wait between book 3 and book 4.
And now I am informed that the Wingfeather Saga has always been Saga and never been Trilogy, so all this angst and delight that has permeated my life has nothing to do with Saga vs. Trilogy, because the confusion was all in my head and in my head alone.
Now I am not saying that reading the extraordinary prose of Andrew Peterson messes with your mind. But when you have to deal with toothy cows, Gnag the Nameless, and the Fangs of Dang, some weaker minds may reveal the strain by a breakdown in reality.
Oh, and the Monster in the Hollows isn't who you might think it is. I was delighted to find out I didn't guess correctly until the end. See? More delight. This is a book you really should read.
More tomorrow.
Visit the sites listed below for more delight today.

Book link
Series Web site
Author’s Web site

Participants’ links

Gillian Adams
Red Bissell
Jennifer Bogart
Thomas Clayton Booher
Beckie Burnham
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Cynthia Dyer
Amber French
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Shannon McDermott
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirriam Neal
* Eve Nielsen
Joan Nienhuis
Donita K. Paul
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Rachel Wyant

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, or I ordered it from The Rabbit Room. I can't remember which.

CSFF Blog Tour -Dragons of the Valley

2011-01-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

What fun to be a part of my book's tour! By the way, CSFF stands for Christian Science Fiction/Fantasy. CSFF is a great place to meet people and learn about the genre books.

My favorite characters on DOTV are the kimens. These small people dressed in light got to come forth and participate in a big way. Usually, they aren't center stage much, but in this book each main character is given a kimen to help him or her in his or her task.

My favorite scene is when Lady Peg and Tipper are lying in bed under the protection of wild animals Sir Beccaroon has sent to defend the house against the invading army. If that last sentence had been in a manuscript, I would have reworked it to read more smoothly.

Greatest point of satisfacion is when Bealomondore defeats oops! that would have been a spoiler.

I'm looking forward to seeing what others have to write in their blogs about the book.

Book link - Amazon
Author’s web site

*Participants’ links
Gillian Adams
Noah Arsenault
Amy Bissell
Red Bissell
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Keanan Brand
Morgan L. Busse
CSFF Blog Tour
Amy Cruson
D. G. D. Davidson
April Erwin
Amber French
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Emily LaVigne
Shannon McDermott
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
James Somers
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Dave Wilson

A new kind of fiction: Marcher Lord Press signs author for Twitter novel

2010-12-31T12:34:00.001-07:00

COLORADO SPRINGS—Marcher Lord Press, award-winning publisher of Christian speculative fiction, is embarking on a new kind of publishing venture.

Publisher and founder Jeff Gerke announced that he has signed writer Adam Palmer of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to compose his science fiction novel Space Available on Twitter, beginning January 1, 2011, and continuing throughout the year.

“Adam will be writing a novel entirely through Twitter tweets,” Gerke said. “Readers will be able to follow the novel on Twitter or in compiled form on the MLP website. And upon completion, MLP will release the novel in book form.”

Palmer’s Twitter feed is https://twitter.com/AdamAuthor#, and he has already set up rules for this unique work-in-progress. For one thing, he will write using only Twitter.

“Writing it beforehand in Microsoft Word or any other program and then copying and pasting it into Twitter is cheating and counter to the whole experiment,” Palmer said. “I’m not using Twitter to transmit my novel; I’m using it to create it.”

Palmer also said he will keep the book in the first person, and that “I’m going to attempt to incorporate the methodology of Twitter into the story.” He will continue to post blog entries about the project at adampalmerauthor.blogspot.com, but his Twitter feed will be reserved exclusively for the book.

Gerke had had the idea for Space Available for awhile. “Every time I saw a ‘Space Available’ or ‘Space for Sale’ sign as I drove through town, I’d think how cool it would be to have a series of comedy science fiction novels about someone who comes up with a scam to sell parcels of outer space.”

He’d thought about writing it himself, and had even pitched the novel to Palmer at one point. But it wasn’t until Palmer came up with the idea of doing it on Twitter that the project took off.

Christian novelist and humorist Brad Whittington admits to a fascination with Palmer’s concept. But he’s not sure it will work. “In my humble (but completely accurate and independently verified) opinion, Adam is stark-raving mad,” Whittington said.

According to Gerke, plans are in the works for a series, potentially including Space for Sale, Space for Rent, Dental Space Available, and more.

Visit www.marcherlordpress.com/SpaceAvailable.html for more information, and find out about Palmer’s project at adampalmerauthor.blogspot.com.

Marcher Lord Press, founded in Colorado Springs by Gerke in 2008, is the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. Its novels have garnered numerous awards in 2010—Jill Williamson’s By Darkness Hid won the prestigious Christy Award (Speculative Fiction) and Kirk Outerbridge’s Eternity Falls received the Carol Award from the American Christian Fiction Writers.

Visit www.marcherlordpress.com

It's Here! Feechie Swamp Stew

2010-12-13T09:38:00.002-07:00

With Jonathan Roger's blessing, I present to you, the ultimate in exquisite culinary creation, the . . .

Feechie Swamp Stew
I cook my Feechie Swamp Stew in a crockpot, but you can use a kettle over a fire or a big pot on the stove. I am well aware that swamp water is in scarce supply in city stores, so I suggest you choose either chicken broth or beef broth for your base.
Ingredients:
4-8 cups swamp water—or chicken or beef broth (Beef broth gives a more authentic color to your feechie stew.)
One head of poke sallet—or Chinese cabbage, bok choy, or a large bunch of swiss chard, stems discarded.
One bunch of duckweed—or green onions
One bag of fish eyeballs—or frozen pearl onions
Small button mushrooms from can or from produce department of local grocery store. (NOT SLICED)
Three cloves of garlic, peeled
Arrowroot (descaled)—or stalks of celery
Preparation:
Bring your broth to a boil.
Cut off bottom end of your large leaf vegetable. You can cut through the leaves lengthwise several times, but a feechie wouldn’t.
Cut off roots on green onions and discard wilted outer leaves. Chop onion right above the “head” and throw un-cut green leaves and small onion bulbs into the pot.
Shefeechies would not use frozen onions, but this ingredient is representative of the fish eyeballs that they would be using. Just open the bag and throw them in, trying not to think of the fish.
It is important to throw the mushrooms in with minimal preparation. Wash fresh mushrooms and trim brown spots. If using canned mushrooms, pour the whole lot in, packing water and all.
Smash garlic cloves with a rock and add to pot.
Cut the bottom off your celery and the dried bit at the top. Don’t chop. Throw in pot.
Optional ingredients:
Chunks of meat. If possum and gator are not available, beef, chicken, pork, or turkey may be used.
Peppers, red, yellow, orange, or green. Wash and slice in long slivers. Discard stem and seeds although many shefeechies would toss them in.
Long green beans, snap off ends and add to simmering broth
Lemon juice, tobasco sauce, OR salsa can be added at the table along with salt and pepper.
Pellet pasta or rice- added to remind us civilizers that we would never put maggots in our stew to increase protein.
Recommendations for serving and eating Feechie Swamp Stew.
Big bowls are a must.
Cloths tied as a bib around the neck help protect clothing. Not that a feechie would mind, but this is a horribly messy stew to eat.
Knives are needed to cut ingredients into more manageable bite sizes. Some hosts pass out pairs of sanitized scissors for this purpose. In some instances, eating the long, soggy strips of vegetables in the manner used to twirl spaghetti onto a fork works well.
Feechie stew served outside around a fire pit can be eaten with the fingers after the mess has cooled a bit. Nine year old boys particularly like this method.

Feechie Swamp Stew

2010-12-12T11:05:00.006-07:00

For some strange reason, I first posted this announcement on my OLD blogspot. It doesn't belong there, but here.

This stew is going to be so awesome when it is done going through the testing kitchens here at Dragon Keeper Enterprises.
For those of you who are waiting with baited breath and rumbling tummies, the new recipe is on the verge of being revealed. I thank Jonathan Rogers for the inspiration for this culinary creation.

It will looks something like this:

But with no carrots and without those globs of white something. I don't expect it to smell bad, though it might. I guess it depends on how much cabbage you put in.

I'm putting the main ingredients in the crockpot today. Sometime around Wednesday or Thursday, it may be cooked through.

Don't give up. Oh, and this is exclusively for those who participated in the fill in the blank descriptions of a feechie. Others who make the stew are guilty of recipe swiping ( not swapping).

In Which We Beat the Bushes

2010-12-08T08:00:00.001-07:00

Nobody, nobody took the feechie challenge. So methinks I asked to much of fantasy fans during Christmas rush. We'll try it again. Pick ONE, only one, of the ten examples and leave your response in the comments. I am digging around in my prize box, trying to find something suitable to award he who makes an effort. Hmm? Has to be something I can mail for one stamp, because I'm cheap. (on a budget, same thing) A stick of gum? A bookmark? A wish for brighter teeth? Brighter days has been done. I'll think of something.

Here's the list again:

A feechie is smarter than most _______________ , but not much.
A hefeechie smells like a _____________________, but twice as strong.
The smell coming off a feechie will ______________________ .
One feechie more than a dozen makes a _______________ .
Better to sit down with a feechie and have a ____________________ than spend your time _______________ing.
Never give a feechie a ________________ ; he'll only use it to ___________.
The worst place to come face to face with a feechie is _____________.
The best defense against feechie invasion is to leave ___________ around the rottenest trees on your property.
Feechies have been known to skin ____________, fricassee the innards, and serve 'em to _________________.
You don't want to sit on a feechie's head; they're most likely to ________________.

To buy from Amazon
Author’s blog/web site (be sure to check out the Feechie Film Festival for some fun)

Participants’ links
Sally Apokedak
Amy Bissell
Red Bissell
Jennifer Bogart
Thomas Clayton Booher
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
Christian Fiction Book Reviews
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Katie Hart
Bruce Hennigan
Christopher Hopper
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Shannon McDermott
Allen McGraw
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
Donita K. Paul
SarahFlan
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Elizabeth Williams
Dave Wilson

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

In Which We Describe a Feechie

2010-12-07T08:00:00.003-07:00

Part of the fun of The Charlatan's Boy is Jonathan's way with words. He plays! I know writing any book is hard, hard work, but the author has really accomplished something when the reader feels that the writing of the book was fun.

And so,
just for fun, fill in the blanks and leave your responses in the comments. Even if you haven't read the Wilderking trilogy or The Charlatan's Boy, wrap your imagination around a wild swamp creature and give it a try.

A feechie is smarter than most _______________ , but not much.
A hefeechie smells like a _____________________, but twice as strong.
The smell coming off a feechie will ______________________ .
One feechie more than a dozen makes a _______________ .
Better to sit down with a feechie and have a ____________________ than spend your time _______________ing.
Never give a feechie a ________________ ; he'll only use it to ___________.
The worst place to come face to face with a feechie is _____________.
The best defense against feechie invasion is to leave ___________ around the rottenest trees on your property.
Feechies have been known to skin ____________, fricassee the innards, and serve 'em to _________________.
You don't want to sit on a feechie's head; they're most likely to ________________.

The Charlatan's Boy by Jonathan Rogers

2010-12-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

I've been waiting for this book ever since I finished The Wilderking Trilogy. And I bought the first book, knowing nothing about Jonathan and never having had anyone recommend the book. Why did I buy it? The title. The Bark of the Bog Owl. I'd see the book listed at Amazon.com or CBD.com and resist. Then I'd see it again and resist. In the end, I didn't resist and I am so glad a succumbed to the lure of that title. I have since met Jonathan Rogers and toured with him and some other fantasy authors on the Motiv8 book tour a couple of years ago. I've asked Jonathan what he was going to give us next. So I knew what was in the works and rejoiced when he told me he'd signed the contract.

I am not disappointed. The Charlatan's Boy has Jonathan's unique stamp on it. Here are a couple of quotes from the book to give you an idea of this author's command of the English language and his aptitude for story:

"By now Floyd was covered up in self-sorry, hunched over so bad you might have mistook him for a buzzard perched on the wagon

seat."

and

"My eyes bugged out like walnuts flung against a mud wall."

Really, people, this man has a handle on the intricacies of the English language like few others in our lifetime. Forgive him for his doctorate in 17th century English literature and welcome his quirk and sass as you would Mark Twain.

Another Childhood Favorite - CSFF Blog Tour

2010-08-24T22:49:00.009-06:00

E. Nesbit holds a special place in my heart. I loved her stories and read them to my kids when they were young.

This edition was put out by Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax, Ltd. What could be better than that?

Info from Barnes and Noble: Set in an England of steam-trains and magic, generations of children have thrilled to these exciting adventures.

When the children in these stories aren't preventing a train crash, you'll find them flying on a magic carpet, travelling through time with an enchanted Egyptian amulet, hatching the egg of the mythical phoenix, or using their magical ring to explore an enchanted castle!

The brothers and sisters created by E. Nesbit have a convincing and realistic feeling of being a real family - they're usually disagreeing with each other, but they're always cheerful about it. They try to be good but are always in trouble of one kind or another.

With a subtle ethical message underlying their exciting plots, these novels have been recommended childrens literature for many years.

The Railway Children

can also be found as a movie.

'The train wouldn't care. It would go rushing by them and tear round the corner and go crashing into that awful mound. And everyone would be killed. Her hands grew very cold and trembled so that she could hardly hold the flag. And then came the distant rumble and hum of the metals, and a puff of white steam showed far away along the stretch of line.'

Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis are ordinary children, who live with their father and their mother in an ordinary red-brick house, with coloured glass in the front door. Then their father very suddenly has to go away, and no-one will tell them where he's gone to, or why.

The children go with their mother to live in the countryside, where they make friends with the people who work at the nearby railway station, and even get a ride in the cab of a steam train.

One day they see a landslip block the railway line with earth and trees - and the next train is due at any moment! How can the children save the train... and will they ever see their father again?

Five Children and It
can also be found as a movie.

'The thing turned its long eyes to look at her, and said: "Does she always talk nonsense, or is it only the rubbish on her head that makes her silly?" It looked scornfully at Jane's hat as it spoke. "Do you mean to tell me seriously you don't know a Psammead when you see one?"'

The Psammead is a small, furry animal from thousands of years ago that has eyes on long horns like a snail's eves, ears like a bat's ears, and a tubby body shaped like a spider's and covered with thick soft fur; its arms and legs are furry too, and it has hands and feet like a monkey's.

But the best thing about the Psammead is that it can grant wishes. Yet the Psammead has an awkward personality too - and somehow the children's wishes never turn out quite how they intended them...

The Phoenix and The Carpet

can also be found as a movie.

'"I will tell you my tale," said the Phoenix. "I had resided for many thousand years in the wilderness, which is a large, quiet place with very little really good society, and I was becoming weary of the monotony of my existence. But I acquired the habit of laying my egg and burning myself every five hundred years and you know how difficult it is to break yourself of a habit."

"Yes," said Cyril; "Jane used to bite her nails."'

When the children from "Five Children and It" accidentally hatch the egg of the mythical Phoenix, it shows them how to use their magic carpet to travel anywhere they want... and a whole new round of adventures begins!

The Story of The Amulet

'"Listen," said the Psammead, in a voice that sounded as though it would begin to cry in a minute, "I don't think the creature who keeps this shop will ask a very high price for me. I've bitten him more than once, and I've made myself look as common as I can."'

The children's mother is very ill, and their father has been sent abroad on business. With both their parents away, they discover their old friend the Psammead captured and put up for sale! If only they could get wishes from the Psammead, they could wish their mother well again, and wish their father home.

But the Psammead can t give them any more wishes. Luckily it knows where they can find an ancient Egyptian amulet that could give them their 'heart's desire' if only it was in one piece! To find the missing piece of the amulet and make their mother well again, the children have to journey through time...

The Story of the Treasure Seekers

"'I'll tell you what, we must go and seek for treasure: it is always what you do to restore the fallen fortunes of your House.'"

When the Bastable family runs short of money, the children decide it s up to them to find a way to restore their family fortunes. Will they succeed in rescuing their father from the visits of policeman and debt collectors?

The Would-Be-Goods

'"Children are like jam: all very well in the proper place, but you can't stand them all over the shop eh, what?"

These were the dreadful words of our Indian uncle. They made us feel very young and angry; and yet we could not be comforted by calling him names to ourselves, as you do when nasty grown-ups say nasty things, because he is not nasty, but quite the exact opposite when not irritated.

My father said, "Perhaps they had better go to boarding-school." And that was awful, because we know Father disapproves of boarding-schools. And he looked at us and said, "I am ashamed of them, sir!"'

The Bastable children behave so badly that their father sends them away to live in the countryside. Determined to be good in the future, they form a society, the 'Wouldbegoods', for being good in. But things don't go exactly as they plan...

The Enchanted Castle
'Jimmy had planted a loud, cheerful-sounding kiss on the Princess's pale cheek, and now the three stood breathless, awaiting the result.

And the Princess said, quite plainly and distinctly: "Then the hundred years are over? Which of you is my Prince that aroused me from my deep sleep of so many long years?"

"I did," said Jimmy fearlessly, for she did not look as though she were going to slap anyone.'

Sent to live in the countryside for the summer, Jerry, Jimmy and Cathleen discover a secret castle containing a sleeping princess and (although he's worried that she might slap him for it) one of the boys kisses her, and she wakes up. But shouldn t a real princess be taller? Is the castle really enchanted or was the 'princess' just pretending?

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

Find out what the other bloggers recommend
Participants’ links:

Brandon Barr
Thomas Clayton Booher
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Jeff Chapman
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
George Duncan
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Mike Lynch
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Jason Waguespac
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

CSFF Blog Tour FUN - Bloggers Favorites

2010-08-23T01:02:00.005-06:00

Just a quick reminder that voting for the Clive Staples Award – Readers’ Choice will continue through the end of August. If you haven’t voted yet, please do so (provided you’ve read at least two of the nominations), and remember to mention the Award voting during the tour (or not—it is voluntary ;-)
Clive Staples Award voting information
Clive Staples List of Nominations
My Favorites from Childhood:

All of Edward Eager's books- Half Magic, Seven Day Magic, Magic by the Lake, Knight's Castle, The Time Garden, Magic or Not?, The Well-Wishers,

My favorite of Edward Eager's books is Magic by the Lake. The turtle is an unforgettable character.

Here are the summaries courtesy of wikipedia:

Half Magic
A dull summer is improved when Katharine, Mark, Jane and Martha find a magic talisman, which resembles a U.S. nickel. The catch is that the talisman only grants half of any wish made upon it--a wish to be on a desert island sends them to the Sahara desert, and their mother ends up halfway home when she wishes to return home during a dull visit to her relatives--which causes considerable confusion until the children learn to circumvent this by doubling their wishes

Magic by the Lake
Here are the further adventures of Martha, Jane, Mark, and Katharine from Half-Magic. Their summer vacation is enlivened by an entire magic lake, channelled through a talking, and somewhat grumpy, box turtle. They are stranded on a desert island, visit Ali-Baba's cave, and end up rescued by some children we see in the next book.

Half Magic and Magic by the Lake take place in the 1920s, earlier than Eager's other novels.

Knight's Castle
Martha's children, Roger and Ann, and their Aunt Katharine's children, Eliza and Jack, find that the combination of a toy castle, Scott's Ivanhoe, and a little magic can build another wonderful series of adventures. A running theme in Eager's novels is his many references to the novels of E. Nesbit; Knight's Castle pays explicit tribute to Nesbit's The Magic City, and also makes an explicit reference to the cartoons of Charles Addams. (Half Magic includes a reference to a short story by Saki.) Knight's Castle won Ohioana Book Award for Juvenile Literature in 1957.[21]

The Time Garden
Eliza, Jack, Roger, and Ann find an herb garden where thyme grows, which lets them travel through time (until the thyme is ripe). On one adventure they rescue their Aunt Jane, Uncle Mark and their mothers from an adventure they took as children. This gives an alternate view of one of the adventures in Magic by the Lake.

Magic or Not?
Laura, James, and their wonderful new neighbors, Kip and Lydia, wish up some summer adventures when the well in their new yard is more than they imagined.

Although all of Eager's other novels for children depict what are clearly adventures in supernatural magic, Magic or Not and its sequel The Well-Wishers are different in tone from his other books, because all of the "magical" events in these two novels are described ambiguously, with clues to permit possible non-supernatural explanations.

The Well-Wishers
The children return to the magic well from Magic or Not for another unpredictable series of adventures which might (or might not) be genuine magic.

Seven-Day Magic
Barnaby, John, Susan, Abbie and Fredericka check out a tattered book from the library for seven days. Oddly, it carefully and correctly records every word they say. Soon they find that it not only records events, but creates new magical adventures.

Seven-Day Magic is Eager's only stand-alone novel; it is the only one which features children who do not appear in at least one other of his books. It does, refer to Half Magic by name, and has a chapter where the children visit the very end of Half Magic and what might have happened afterwards. It was his last book.

Find out what the other bloggers recommend

Participants’ links:

Brandon Barr
Thomas Clayton Booher
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Jeff Chapman
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
George Duncan
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Mike Lynch
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Jason Waguespac
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

Day Two CSFF Blog Tour Starlighter

2010-07-17T18:13:00.003-06:00

I love names. Making up names for my characters is probably the most fun of writing a book. Here are a few names from Starlighter to arouse your curiosity.

Drexel -guard to a very important door.
Prescott- not a wise ruler because he doesn't regard his bodyguard. Dangerous to irritate a bodyguard. The guard might be too aggravated to remember to guard the unwise ruler's body.
Arxad-not a thoroughly bad dragon, but certainly not a thoroughly sympathetic dragon.
Uriel Blackstone-is he mad?
Madame Orley- who says, "Don't you fret. Dragons don't like human meat."

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

To purchase Starlighter
Author blog
Author Web site

Be sure to visit the other sites on the blog tour to see what is being said about Starlighter. You'll find a variety of comments, tidbits of information, and opinions.

Other participants’ links:

Brandon Barr
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
R. L. Copple
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Jane Maritz
Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
SarahFlan
Chawna Schroeder
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher

CCSF Blog Tour The Starlighter

2010-07-17T18:06:00.003-06:00

I first met Bryan Davis in 2004. We were both braving the very secular DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia to participate in the teen track. We'd met over the internet through a writers loop, and I felt a great deal of comfort, knowing another Christian Fantasy author would be there. Here is a bit of a bio from his website:
Bryan was born in 1958 and grew up in the eastern U.S. From the time he taught himself how to read before school age, through his seminary years and beyond, he has demonstrated a passion for the written word, reading and writing in many disciplines and genres, including theology, fiction, devotionals, poetry, and humor.
Bryan Davis is the author of the Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire series, contemporary/fantasy books for young adults. The first book, Raising Dragons, was released in July of 2004, followed by The Candlestone, Circles of Seven, and Tears of a Dragon. Eye of the Oracle launched the Oracles of Fire series and hit number one on the CBA Young Adult best-seller list in January of 2007. Book number two, Enoch's Ghost, came out in July and will be followed by Last of the Nephilim in the spring of 2008.

Bryan is the author of several other works including The Image of a Father (AMG) and Spit and Polish for Husbands (AMG), and four books in the Arch Books series: The Story of Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation, The Day Jesus Died, The Story of the Empty Tomb (over 100,000 sold), and Jacob’s Dream. Bryan lives in Western Tennessee with his wife, Susie, and their children. Bryan and Susie have homeschooled their four girls and three boys.
Learn more at:
Author Web site
Purchase Starlighter
Author blog

Participants in Blog Tour links:
Brandon Barr
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
R. L. Copple
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Jane Maritz
Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
SarahFlan
Chawna Schroeder
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher

Clive Staples Award

2010-07-02T20:18:00.002-06:00

Over at A Christian Worldview of Fiction, July has been designated “Read Christian Speculative Fiction Month” as a way to promote the Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction. This is a readers’ choice award and voters must have read at least two of the titles. You can see the list of nominations here - http://clivestaplesaward.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/the-2010-nominations/

The award is named after CS Lewis, and this is what I found in my inbox one day last year.

The winner of the 2009 Readers’ Choice – Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction is

DragonLight by Donita K. Paul (WaterBrook)

CSFF Imaginary Jesus Day two

2010-06-22T10:33:00.002-06:00

I believe the titles of chapters give us a clue as to the sanity of the writer. Well, maybe not the sanity, but at least the personality of the writer.

So, what do you think of our friendly author Matt Mikalatos after looking at this list?

A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, and Pete

Imaginary Garden with Real Toads in Them

In One Year and Out the Other

Matt Mikalotos, Donkey Disciple

Somethings Going on Down the Road over Yonder

Jesus Will Never Leave You (if You Tied the Knots Tight Enough)

!!!!!

The Secret Society of Imaginary Jesuses

Boy Meets Bunny

Every Cowboy Sings a Sad, Sad Song

One Jesus Down . . . Way Down

Oooooooh! TREE

Return of the Frog of Hate

Mormon Jesus and My Jesus

The Atheist Bible Study

Laurel and Hardy Meet Mohammad

The Parable of Zombie and Werewolf Boy

Stupid Atheists and Their Stupid Insights

Oh Yes, Jese, You Have a Plethora

Craft Time with the Apostle John

Function at the Junction

Buy Imaginary Jesus - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1414335636/
At http://imaginaryjesus.com/ you can read a chapter of the book, see a nifty book trailer of the book, and "see" an imaginary Matt. It's worth a visit.
Author blog - http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/
Author Web site - http://imaginaryjesus.com/

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of Imaginary Jesus from the publisher.

Blog Tour Participants’ links:
Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Valerie Comer
R. L. Copple
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

CSFF Blog Tour Imaginary Jesus

2010-06-21T07:00:00.002-06:00

First, there were no dragons injured in the writing of this book. In fact, no dragons were in this book, which is a pity, but occasionally, we have to read something besides dragon tales.

Let me say that I have read Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been showing it around to my friends and family, but wouldn't loan it out in case I needed it for this blog tour.

Buy Imaginary Jesus - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1414335636/
At http://imaginaryjesus.com/ you can read a chapter of the book, see a nifty book trailer of the book, and "see" an imaginary Matt. It's worth a visit.
Author blog - http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/
Author Web site - http://imaginaryjesus.com/

Now let me say that I have not yet read Domesticated Jesus by my friend, Harry Kraus, but it such a weird coincidence that they have come out at the same time that I couldn't just leave it be. If you go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rSBBqwOpQo
you will see what I mean. Harry's book is non-fiction, and Matt's book is sort-of fiction/fantasy. Both are carrying the same vital message.

Jesus is bigger than what our limited intelligence can conceive. We need more than logic to figure Him out. We need God.

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of Imaginary Jesus from the publisher.

Blog Tour Participants’ links:
Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Valerie Comer
R. L. Copple
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

2010-06-19T09:35:00.003-06:00

Publisher Marcher Lord Press is having a cool sale this summer on the Fourth of July -- Everyone who purchases a Marcher Lord Press novel from the MLP store on July 4, 2010, will receive the free download SF short story "Hunting Souls" by MLP author Steve Rzasa. Then on July 5, MLP will make a random drawing from all the names of people who have registered for the Marcher Lord Press newsletter. (Registration is free and may be done any time between now and the end of July 4, 2010.) This part is regarding a change in the contest rules: Three winners will have their names appear in upcoming MLP novels as previously advertized. But, and here's the important change, no purchase is necessary to enter the contest and win.
Your name (from the newsletter registration list) is entered in a drawing to possibly be included in one of three upcoming new MLP titles! The publisher will randomly pick three people from the entries and their names will appear in new books due out from authors Kirk Outerbridge, Marc Schooley, and Matt Koceich, who won the Marcher Lord Select competition this year.

Even if you're not one of the three chosenfrom the newsletter list, everyone who buys an MLP book on the Fourth of July will receive a free short story by Steve Rzasa called "Hunting Souls."

http://www.marcherlordpress.com/New_Store/Fiction.htm

Private Book Party

2010-05-29T16:59:00.002-06:00

Teen Fantasy Readers: Would you like to win a private book party with bestselling fantasy authors Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper? Would you like to win a sword of your very own? Join the Tribe Building Contest that begins today! For details, Visit: www.enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com

No Dragons were Harmed

2010-05-01T09:58:00.004-06:00

That's right! no dragons were harmed in the making of this book. Of course there are no dragons at risk, but a hero (human) is in a very precarious circumstance.

I read this book because I enjoy Klaven on the Culture on

PJTV. This is a sartastic look at the political scene.

I was surprised to find Andrew Klaven had written a book. Well, actually, he's written a lot of books. Ahem! More books than I have. Then I was surprised to find this book was from Thomas Nelson. (You know, the publishers that did the Left Behind series.) So the book was probably Christian, right?

I ordered it. When I started to read it, I was surprised because it is YA. Hey, lots of people think my books are YA and only YA. (My actual readership is around 8 to 80 years old. Really.)

About two pages in, I discover this is really a guy's book. Torture et al. Guess what? I was surprised. Not as surprised as I was several hours later when I looked up at my bedside clock. A guy's book (with torture) had pulled me in. Great writing! Intriguing plot! Engaging main character!

My only beef with this book is that it ended mid-story. The last page is not "The End." I always feel manipulated when the novel is over but I feel compelled to buy the next novel to see what happens. Usually I refuse to buy the next book in a fit of protest.

So I was surprised when I clicked the Put in Cart button for book two.

Magic Realism - Lost Mission

2010-04-14T13:09:00.002-06:00

I mentioned that I didn't really know what magic realism is when I first read Lost Mission by Athol Dickson. A reader's comment sent me searching the internet for a definition. Here is what I found

Latin-American literary phenomenon characterized by the matter-of-fact incorporation of fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction. The term was first applied to literature in the 1940s by the Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier (1904 – 1980), who recognized the tendency of his region's contemporary storytellers as well as contemporary novelists to illuminate the mundane by means of the fabulous. Prominent practitioners include Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Amado, Jorge Luis Borges, Miguel Angel Asturias, Julio Cortazar, and Isabel Allende (born 1942). The term has been applied to literature and art outside of Latin America as well. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

A literary mode rather than a distinguishable genre, magical realism aims to seize the paradox of the union of opposites. For instance, it challenges polar opposites like life and death and the pre-colonial past versus the post-industrial present. Magical realism is characterized by two conflicting perspectives, one based on a rational view of reality and the other on the acceptance of the supernatural as prosaic reality. Magical realism differs from pure fantasy primarily because it is set in a normal, modern world with authentic descriptions of humans and society. According to Angel Flores, magical realism involves the fusion of the real and the fantastic, or as he claims, "an amalgamation of realism and fantasy". The presence of the supernatural in magical realism is often connected to the primeval or "magical’ Indian mentality, which exists in conjunction with European rationality. According to Ray Verzasconi, as well as other critics, magical realism is "an expression of the New World reality which at once combines the rational elements of the European super-civilization, and the irrational elements of a primitive America." Gonzalez Echchevarria believes that magical realism offers a world view that is not based on natural or physical laws nor objective reality. However, the fictional world is not separated from reality either.

http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/MagicalRealism.html
This sight has examples and more information that is helpful.So there you have it.

I discovered the book I have coming out next October, Two Tickets to a Christmas Ball, is Magical Realism.

Lost Mission by Athol Dickson

2010-04-13T10:00:00.007-06:00

Lost Mission

review: This isn't the type of book I generally pick up and read. I wasn't even sure I knew what "magical realism" meant. I am familiar with Athol Dickson because we are on the same author loop, and I had been impressed with his thinking through his posts. So I was delighted to get the chance to read Lost Mission, and after reading it, I was eager to share what I found with my Dragon Bloggin friends.

First, the writing style is more literary than most books written today. That doesn't mean that it is less readable, but more fine-tuned. Some literary pieces use words and syntax that erect a wall between the reader and the story. The art of storytelling is obscured by the language. Athol doesn't cross the line. The story is strong and the reader doesn't stop to focus on the writing instead of the tale. In other words, Athol's style does not relegate the story to second place.

The story rings true, both in the historical setting and present day California. The characters are such that the reader gladly invests in their predicaments. In my mind, the mark of a better than average book is that I continue to think about the characters and their problems for days after I finish the book. Lost Mission held my attention beyond the last page. And last but not least, I want to feel good when I get to the end. I want to feel satisfied with the outcome, encouraged by the theme of the book, and eager to read something else by the author. Lost Mission qualifies as a good read.

Athol Dickson's university-level training in painting, sculpture, and architecture was followed by a long career as an architect—then his decision several years ago to devote full time to writing. River Rising, named one of the top novels of 2006 by Booklist magazine, received a Christy Award; and his novel They Shall See God was a Christy Award finalist. Athol's haunting mystery novel set on the most remote inhabited island off the coast of Maine, Winter Haven, released in Spring 2008. His novels are known for their richly evocative settings, unforgettable characters, intense suspense, and pervasive sense of “magical realism.” He and his wife, Sue, live in California.

For a very interesting bio of Athol Dickson, go to http://www.atholdickson.com/bio_reviews.html

*Lost Mission - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416583475
Author Web site - http://www.atholdickson.com/
Author blog - http://whatatholwrote.blogspot.com/

*Participants’ links
Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Amy Browning
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

CSFF Blog Tour Lost Mission

2010-04-12T16:02:00.003-06:00

I'm late posting this today because I was up until 2:30, polishing edits that were due this morning. This reminded me how very, very hard it is to produce a good book. So many craft components go into the telling of the tale on paper. And if the author uses all the techniques at his disposal without having a fascinating story to hang it on, then all the work is for naught. And if the story is compelling, and the craft is executed with finesse, but no universal truth is mined for the reader to discover, then the work is reduced to a nice bit of entertainment. Classics are read again and again. They're studied in schools. But most importantly, they move a reader from on place of understanding to a better place.

Athol Dickson writes these kind of books.

Lost Mission

Buried beneath the poverty-stricken barrios and wealthy enclaves of Southern California, a Spanish mission is uncovered during a construction project---along with evidence of a crime. When four people begin work on unraveling the mystery, they each face a moral dilemma. Will their choices perpetuate the very crime that doomed the mission hundreds of years before?

*Lost Mission - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416583475
Author Web site - http://www.atholdickson.com/
Author blog - http://whatatholwrote.blogspot.com/

*Participants’ links
Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Amy Browning
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

Tomorrow, I'll give my review of Lost Mission.

Day Three Faery Rebels Blog Tour

2010-03-24T02:58:00.006-06:00

Day three and three things I found out that RJ Anderson and I have in common by visiting her author blog.

1. We both like Dr. Who and are waiting for this season to begin this spring.

2. We are both forgetful, which impinges on our ability to self-promote (like forgetting to inform our readers when there is going to be a booksigning.)
3. She and I both like to write with the knowledge that someone else is pinned to the chair in front of the monitor and also writing.

To buy the book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/006155474X
Author Web site - http://www.rj-anderson.com/
Author blog - http://rj-anderson.livejournal.com/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/rj_anderson

Read other participants’ links:
Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Amy Browning
Melissa Carswell
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
Nissa
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

More about J. K. Anderson

2010-03-23T02:57:00.008-06:00

I love this cover. I like the expression on the faery's face. My conjecture is this is Knife gazing from the oak toward the manor, wondering if she will ever be able to show him her drawings.

The story reveals a great deal of growth by Knife, Paul, Wink, Thorn, and Queen Amaryllis. One of the things which caught my attention in this tale is the maturity leap not only in the younger faeries but also in the human and the older faeries.

With this in mind, I don't hesitate to recommend this to teens. They need to know that parents, grandparents, teachers and others can continue to mature. And when the teens reach whatever number they have deemed to be adult, they can expect life will still be teaching them, they will still be maturing.

To learn more about why Mrs. Anderson chose to write about faieries, read her own essay on the subject.

Click this link: http://rj-anderson.livejournal.com/tag/christianity

To buy the book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/006155474X
Author Web site - http://www.rj-anderson.com/
Author blog - http://rj-anderson.livejournal.com/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/rj_anderson

Read other participants’ links:
Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Amy Browning
Melissa Carswell
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
Nissa
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

Faery Rebels by R.J. Anderson

2010-03-22T02:44:00.005-06:00

I have got to meet the lady who wrote this book. I enjoyed it thoroughly and have in mind one of my young teens to give it to.

Here are a series of questions that are answered in the book:

Of what importance is a fairy's real name?

What happens when you tell a fairy thank you?

What happened to the artist and the poet who became intimately acquainted with fairies?

Why has all creativity vanished from the faery clan living in The Oak?

Here is the Amazon link:

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/006155474X

More about the author:
Author Web site - http://www.rj-anderson.com/
Author blog - http://rj-anderson.livejournal.com/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/rj_anderson

And more of the Blog tour spots where others are discussing this book:
Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Amy Browning
Melissa Carswell
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
Nissa
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

Day Two of the Tagalong Blog

2010-02-02T15:15:00.004-07:00

I was privileged to be offered the chance to endorse both of Andrew Peterson's books. The first one is On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. The title offers so much, doesn't it? Dark Sea of Darkness. Ooo, that sounds dangerous and a bit over the top. I'm expecting menace done with finesse and the finesse includes silliness. The "on the edge" phrase reminds me of being on the edge of my seat at an exciting movie. If Andrew's book had not lived up to the anticipation created by the title, we would have fed him to the toothy cows. Fortunately, he pulled it off. My copy of his book is actually a bit tattered because it has been read by many.
Here is my endorsement for the first book:

“Totally fun! Andrew Peterson, a natural storyteller in the oral tradition, has nailed the voice needed to translate a rip-roaring fantasy tale to the written page.”
–Donita K. Paul, author of DragonSpell, DragonKnight, DragonQuest, and DragonFire

North, or Be Eaten!

2010-02-01T10:30:00.005-07:00

North! Or Be Eaten
by Andrew Peterson

Well, the blog tour was last week from Wednesday to Friday. I am not saying that everyone should have waited for me, or that someone should have branded the dates on the back of my hand. My belated participation is my own fault. I thought all blog tours were Monday to Wednesday.

Of course, I might be able to blame Andy because I listen to his CD at least twice a week. Have you listened to the CD - Bugs, Slugs, and Lullibies? Some of the songs are downright hilarious like the one about the man searching for his girlfriend who has one belly button, two elbows, pretty little chin, one pert nose and 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 piggy little toes. And others are confusing. Fire truck, fire truck, going to the ball. But the name of that song is Tractor. Because I have two grandsons who do not want to listen to sweet little nursery rhyme songs, I know Andy through his music as well as his books.
The other artist on this album is Randall Goodgame. Doesn't Goodgame sound like a name Andy would make up for a book that has toothy cows? I'm not real sure Randy Goodgame really exists.

You can read a review of this album at http://christianmusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/slugs_bugs_and_lullabies_review

Tomorrow, I will talk more about the book which is featured here:

Book - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400073871
Series site - http://wingfeathersaga.com/?p=464
Author site - http://www.andrew-peterson.com/

These are the names of the people who read their calendar correctly and posted last week. You can probably still read what they think.

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Amy Browning
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
Nissa
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Steve and Andrew
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Elizabeth Williams
KM Wilsher

Christian Author Christmas Home Tour

2009-12-14T20:28:00.008-07:00

A month or so ago, Angela Hunt asked a writers' loop if anyone would be interested in sharing with readers our Christmas decorations. Christmas at my house is an upstairs/downstairs affair.

My daughter's family lives on the first and second floor, and I live in what I call my Hobbit Hole. We are frequent visitors to each other's domains. I'm so glad to invite you into our home. I wish I could serve you some of the goodies we made last Saturday. And I wish you could see up close some of the wonderful ornaments we've collected over the years.

My tree downstairs has all of three ornaments on it this year. A friend gave me three glass dragons. Dragons will always represent to me the talents God has given us and the strength that can be experienced when depending upon the Lord. Merry Christmas.

The next stop on your tour is the home of Tamera Alexander.

CSFF Blog Tour Curse of the Spider King

2009-11-18T10:04:00.003-07:00

First, let us look at the cover. I really like the castle one can barely see in the forest. The spider thingies? Not so much. Especially because at first, I thought the spiders and men were joined together like that poor toy in Toy Story that had been joined together by the evil kid, Syd Phillips, who lived next door. When I read the story, I found out the bad guys merely ride the icky spider thingies and are not monsters, except in behavior, of course.

This is my first time on the CSFF blog tour as a reviewer instead of a reviewee. I appreciate the time that the CSFFers put into these three days. I tried to offer something a little different since I had a different slant to draw upon. However this part: the review and the recommendation will be pretty standard.

The tale Wayne and Christopher have spun is delightful. I see it as a young YA. My school librarian friends tell me that about the age of thirteen, the students skip the YA section with their noses in the air and go to the adult section. I know that's not strictly true because many Christian YA books sell well.

I'm hoping The Curse of the Spider King jumps off the bookstore shelves. The characters are intriguing and the plot twisted enough to keep the reader guessing. I'm looking forward to reading then next installment of the Berinfell Prophecies.

Blog Tour - Curse of the Spider King Day Two

2009-11-17T09:04:00.003-07:00

I had the opportunity a year ago to ask Wayne and Christopher some questions before we went on our West Coast Tour.
Here is an interview from that time:
I thought about doing an interview with Wayne Thomas Batson, but then I discovered that he had already done an interview of himself. Seeing that all fantasy authors have a certain affinity for the absurd, I saw nothing wrong with this. So here is Wayne, interviewing Wayne:

Who are you and what do you do?My name is Wayne Thomas Batson, and I am one of the eight authors you’ll meet here and on tour. I’ve written five novels so far: The Door Within, Rise of the Wyrm Lord, The Final Storm, Isle of Swords, and Isle of Fire. These are fantasy and pirate adventure tales full of thrills, mystery, and meaning. (Donita here--Now we can add The Curse of the Spider King.)

Why did you write a fantasy instead of a contemporary story about middle school kids? I mean, you obviously know them well.
Fantasy is absolutely my passion. I’ve always loved tales of knights and dragons, exotic settings, and great feats of valor! And in traditional fantasy, I find the sort of world I’d like to live in. Honor and kindness are revered. Simple lives of tending gardens, working with your hands, and gathering around a table with friends at a pub—I long for such things. I mean, sure, running into a pesky dragon while taking out the trash would be a little inconvenient, but still…

Q: What made you want to write Christian speculative fiction?
Actually, I don’t write Christian speculative fiction. I write fiction that is informed by my identity as a Christian. I know that sounds like semantics, but really, it’s not. If I’m a Christian and a mechanic, and I fix your car…was it a Christian Repair? If the manager at the local McDonalds is a Christian, and I make a purchase there, do I get a Christian Happy Meal? See my point? I am a Christian and Jesus is everything to me. He is my worldview and my life. When I write, I pray that HE comes shining through. But I am NOT writing just for Christians to read. I want everyone to be able to read and enjoy my books on multiple levels: surface and deep. At the surface, come and enjoy a heart-pounding adventure in an enchanting realm. But go deeper than that. See the big questions. Be a thoughtful reader. My thought is, if I get people asking the questions for which Jesus is the only answer, then, I’ve done well.

Q: Are your books influenced by your own childhood in any way?
I think so. Aidan is a lot like I was when I was in my tweens. Creative, hopeful, and thoughtful—but not very outgoing. I always longed for adventure, but most of mine were in my imagination. Aidan’s fear of Robby’s Basement came straight out of my own childhood fear. My parents had a split basement. The unfinished side, the workside as we called it, was the creepiest place on the planet. I was always afraid that some creature lurked in its shadowy confines—that it waited for someone to venture too close to the open door. I used to leap over the side of the stairs onto a couch to avoid going by that basement door.

Q: What have you seen that discourages or frustrates you about Christian speculative fiction writing and/or publishing?
I am thoroughly frustrated by product placement in both CBA and ABA stores. I know there are a lot of hands involved in determining where a book goes: marketers, distributors, branch managers—and even a local clerk can trump them all by putting a book wherever. Lol

In CBA stores, fiction often gets lumped together with Nursery Rhymes and Beginners Bibles. Come on, dude…if you’re a teenager looking for a book, are you even going to consider something next to A Very Veggie Christmas?

In ABA stores, you often see great Christian SpecFic titles tossed into teeny tiny “Religious Fiction” sections. Yes, the place where no one sees it. That’s another reason why I don’t like delineating my work as Christian Fiction—if I do, it’s just that much easier to get thrown in with New Age Fiction or Taoism. If I do have Christ’s message to share, the books need to be where people can see them. You don’t see Phillip Pullman’s books being pulled from mainstream fiction for a special “Atheistic Fiction” section. Tolkien and Lewis can be found in both sections—religious and main stream. Maybe dual designation is what we should be looking for. Hmmm…

Q: How did you involve your students in the process as you wrote this book?
Fifteen years of students from three different Maryland counties and six different middle schools helped to shape The Door Within. They were my sounding board and my encouragers. In 1992, when The Door Within was only a 17 page short story, my 6th graders pestered me to make it longer...until I did. Then, they helped me to know what parts of the story interested them or made a personal connection. The kids seemed to enjoy being able to critique the teacher's work instead of the other way around. And those discussions took the kids into an amazingly sophisticated level of understanding of literature that they would not ordinarily have attained. "Mr. Batson, you need more foreshadowing in that chapter" or "Mr. Batson, I found that allusion to The Hobbit when Aidan said..." or "There's not enough description in this section. I just couldn't see it." These are 10, 11, and 12 year olds analyzing literature and thinking critically. Good stuff! And in the end, as I flirted with a publishing contract, nailed it down, and began the real process of editing, my students were there to share the suspense, excitement, and frustrations. And when my new batch of students comes in this year, I imagine they will exult in the finished product just as I do.

Q: Adults tend to pass over Young Adult books, thinking they are too simplistic in nature to be satisfying. Personally, I have found many of my most profound reads in this genre. What do you think adults can learn from Young Adult literature?
Grrrr…you hit upon a sore point for me. The same folks who think YA lit. is simplistic are the same characters who underestimate the capabilities and intellect of our kids. Kids are far more perceptive and intelligent than most would believe—and the books they read deal with REAL issues, issues that matter to them with a passion that is hard to imagine.

I think that adults can gain a lot from YA Lit. Especially they can regain their youth, their creativity, their dreams. To quote Gandalf when he spoke about the Ents, the tree people who had become stiff and too tree-ish: “they [parents] will awaken and find that they are strong.”

Q: Are you a seat-of-the-pants writer, or a planner? If a SOTP- how did you keep track of your information? If planned- could you share your method for planning a novel? (Spread sheets, notebooks, a card board box?)
Remember, I said it took me 13 years to write The Door Within? The reason why is that I was then, a SOTP or WWTMS {write when the muse strikes} kind of writer. Ah, I’ll never write like that again. I cannot tell you how many times I needed to rewrite and heavily revise that original manuscript.

By contrast, the next two books in the series: Rise of the Wyrm Lord and The Final Storm, took about 5-6 months each—all because now, I outline.

I’m not an OCD kind of outliner. I created a storyboard organizer, nothing fancy…just boxes and arrows. I use that to outline the plot—my outlines are about 7-10 pages and take about a month to create. Then, I hit the manuscript trail—and this is where the spontaneous takes over. As I work through the manuscript outline, all kinds of ideas come pouring in. “OH! Wouldn’t it be cool if at the end, this happens? Yes, and if so, I’ll need to foreshadow in this chapter, etc.”

I write story points all over the margins, on sticky notes, on the backs of church bulletins—I’ve even been known to write a cool idea on my daughter’s forehead. LOL I’ve learned to take advantage of the cool idea when it first appears, else it departs for good.

For my next series, a 7-Book Epic Fantasy, I knew I needed something more hardcore to outline, so I went surfing and by God’s grace found “SuperNoteCards” by Mindola Software. Most excellent software—is enabling me to keep track of a lot of elements. Love it so far.

Q: What is your favorite part of writing? Could you share your favorite scene in one of your books?
I absolutely LOVE the invention stage—the time when the initial concept comes together. Sometimes this is during outlining and other times it is preoutline. But it’s so cool when my mental movie projector just starts pulling together people and scenes. I get tingles, goosebumps, and a sense of Godly assurance that this story is going to ROCK.

One of my favorite scenes from The Door Within is where Aidan is lost in Falon’s Labyrinth. He makes a tragic mistake and discovers at last how the creature Falon was able to be everywhere at once. I’d tell you more, but that’d ruin a fun little adventure for anyone who hasn’t yet read The Door Within.

Q: Any musical inspirations that help you write?
I have strange musical tastes. While writing though, I listen to progressive heavy metal. I know what you’re thinking: a.) How can you possibly concentrate with that noisy music? But Prog Metal is really quite classical and symphonic. It’s also driving and epic—an adventure in every song. b.) And, secondly, isn’t that evil? I choose here to respectfully agree to disagree with my Christian peers who think that a particular style of music is inherently evil. The bands I listen to may not all be Christian, but they are mostly positive or ask the big questions of life. My particular favorites are The Orphan Project, Angra, Dream Theater, and Evanescence. Oh, and I like Yo-Yo Ma too.

Q: I'm sure you get some terrific mail from readers. What are some of your favorite notes or comments you've received?
I get lots of fun comments like “Cool books!” and “I loved the part where…” Those are all nice, but, every once in a while, I get a correspondence that knocks me over. This was one of my favorites:
“I just needed to tell you my son finished the Door Within series last night. And at our night prayer he looked over to us and said these books have changed him. He had tears in his eyes. I asked him how and he couldn't quite find the right words but he said that the path between Jesus and he has become closer. What more could a parent want from a story. And we were worried he wouldn't find anything after reading Harry Potter!! My son is named Gabriel meaning strength of God. And I know these books have played an important part of his spiritual journey. Gabe is a 9 year old boy ready for the King's army. Thank you for opening a door for Gabe to some of heaven's mysteries that his father and I could never in a million words explain.”

Q: Have you found the process of "getting published" to be difficult and do you think that it's getting harder to break into the industry as a Christian fiction writer?
Getting published IS hard, and is probably getting harder. But, here’s the thing: if you write a great book, you will get published—but only if you persist. It’s daunting to pile up rejections. But you’ve got to work at your craft all time, making your product harder and harder to resist. Timing is important also. Pay attention to where the entertainment market is going, not just books, but all media. If you know that winter 2008 Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit will come out, you may have a better chance selling a fantasy title. The Door Within took 13 years to get published, and I needed every one of them. God put me through the fire, taught me to write all over again, and allowed me to learn about the business side of publishing. Now, I’m better prepared than I ever would have been years back.

Q: Do you have ideas or plans for novels outside of your current genre? And is Isle of Swords/Isle of Fire Pirate Adventures?
I have about 20-25 concepts for future novels. They exist in folders (backed up about 100 times, lol) on my various computers. Some are as short as a paragraph; some are as long as 10 chapters. Isle of Swords and Isle of Fire are pirate adventures—so not really fantasy. Of course, there is still room for a little fantasy in such a tale.

After Isle of Swords and a possible sequel, I plan to jump back into fantasy. I’ve been soaking up ideas for what may be a huge—I mean, epic—fantasy series. The plot grows exponentially every time I think about it. So many interesting fantasy races are popping up and introducing themselves. Creatures—ah, the bestiary is growing crowded. I’m about 15,000 words into the first book and have done the principal outline for all seven books in the series. I promise (God-willing) it will be the most epic tale I’ve ever written.

Thank you, Wayne, for interviewing yourself. You did a fine job. Much better than if I had made a list of questions. Donita K. Paul

From the Motiv8 tour, pictures of Christopher Hopper and wife, Jenny:

Thanks to Amanda Davis for the pictures of the MOtiv8 tour.

This first picture in the Christopher Hopper Gallery is not Christopher, but Amanda.

This is a trick. This is not Christopher Hopper:

This also is not Christopher Hopper. This is Jenny Hopper:

This is a Canadian lady who is not related but very nice.

This is Jenny Hopper, Christopher's wife.

Pictures of her often have a camera hiding her face

as she was the official videotographer of the trip.

And the info on Christopher Hopper. A blog entry entitled Crazy White Bald Dude

Hey! He's the one who claims that title. It is not PC in my book to point out his race, his lack of hair, or his inclination toward zaniness. But Christopher is all of those things. He is a youth pastor in New York. Not New York City. His neighbors are cows, not suits (meaning big city, corporate types, riding the subway, hailing taxis, and rushing through life.)

However, I have to admit that Christopher is often in the rush mode. God has gifted him in many areas, and Christopher is a good stewart of his talents. He's a husband, father, musician, author, and preacher. He is one of the original Fantasy Fiction Tour members. His energy powered the tour at times the rest of us were beginning to drag.

Christopher and his lovely wife, Jennifer, were responsible for the daily broadcasts of our tour down the West Coast.

Blog Tour - Curse of the Spider King

2009-11-16T12:57:00.006-07:00

One book written by two talented men.

I am very fortunate to call these two men my friends. Like many Christian fantasy authors, they are as much fun to be with as to read. Christopher Hopper has a bald head and a fantastic personality. He can do so many things, compose, sing, play the guitar, etc. Almost anything but the ability to grow long locks of beautiful hair. He has a lovely wife who is equally talented, but she can grow hair. Christopher is also the head of a Christian school and is a youth pastor.
Wayne Thomas Batson is also fun to be with. And he has a full head of hair. When last I saw him, it was gathered in a MAN'S ponytail. (A female's ponytail sticks out from the middle of the skull. A male's ponytail is anchored at the base of the skull. These things are important to know.) He, also, is multitalented. And he teahces school. It is my belief that anyone who teaches public school, particularly the middle grades, is a candidate for some type of metal, one that recognizes going above and beyond the call of duty.

This book is worth looking into.

Curse of the Spider King at CBD
Curse of the Spider King at Amazon

Author and series links:
Wayne Thomas Batson's blog
Christopher Hopper's Web site

The Berinfell Prophecies Web site

Here are the links to the others who are participating in the blog tour. Stop by and say hello.

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Amy Browning
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Tina Kulesa
Melissa Lockcuff
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Nissa
John W. Otte
Cara Powers
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher
.

What Should Jeff Publish Next?

2009-11-02T14:52:00.002-07:00

Now this sounds like fun. Have you ever wondered what an editor has to go through to find and decide on which book to put in the next release line-up?

There are a lot of good manuscripts to choose from, but you also have to consider what sells. So I might love a story about a pink fairy and her struggle to overcome the stigma of being pink, but how many people are going to buy it? Maybe me (but I've already read it) and the author's best friends and relatives.

My friend Jeff Gerke runs Marcher Lord Press, and here is his fun idea where readers can participate in the selection of the manuscripts to be published.

Official news release:

Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction, announces the debut of a revolution in fiction acquisitions.

"Marcher Lord Select is American Idol meets book acquisitions," says publisher Jeff Gerke. "We're presenting upwards of 40 completed manuscripts and letting 'the people' decide which one should be published."

The contest will proceed in phases, Gerke explains, in each subsequent round of which the voters will receive larger glimpses of the competing manuscripts.

The first phase will consist of no more than the book's title, genre, length, a 20-word premise, and a 100-word back cover copy teaser blurb. Voters will cut the entries from 40 to 20 based on these items alone.

"We want to show authors that getting published involves more than simply writing a great novel," Gerke says. "There are marketing skills to be developed--and you've got to hook the reader with a good premise."

Following rounds will provide voters with a 1-page synopsis, the first 500 words of the book, the first 30 pages of the book, and, in the final round, the first 60 pages of the book.
The manuscript receiving the most votes in the final round will be published by Marcher Lord Press in its Spring 2010 release list.

No portion of any contestant's mss. will be posted online, as MLP works to preserve the non-publication status of all contestants and entries.

Participating entrants have been contacted personally by Marcher Lord Press and are included in Marcher Lord Select by invitation only.

"We're also running a secondary contest," Gerke says. "The 'premise contest' is for those authors who have completed a Christian speculative fiction manuscript that fits within MLP guidelines and who have submitted their proposals to me through the Marcher Lord Press acquisitions portal before October 29, 2009."

The premise contest will allow voters to select the books that sound the best based on a 20-word premise, a 100-word back cover copy teaser blurb, and (possibly) the first 500 words of the book.
The premise contest entrants receiving the top three vote totals will receive priority acquisitions reading by MLP publisher Jeff Gerke.

"It's a way for virtually everyone to play, even those folks who didn't receive an invitation to compete in the primary Marcher Lord Select contest."

Marcher Lord Select officially begins on November 1, 2009, and runs until completion in January or February 2010. All voting and discussions and Marcher Lord Select activities will take place at The Anomaly forums in the Marcher Lord Select subforum. Free registration is required.

"In order for this to work as we're envisioning," Gerke says, "we need lots and lots of voters. So even if you're not a fan of Christian science fiction or fantasy, I'm sure you love letting your voice be heard about what constitutes good Christian fiction. So come on out and join the fun!"

Marcher Lord Press is a Colorado Springs-based independent publisher producing Christian speculative fiction exclusively. MLP was launched in fall of 2008 and is privately owned. Contact: Jeff Gerke; www.marcherlordpress.com.

Christian Speculative Fiction

2009-10-02T10:31:00.005-06:00

In the name of promoting the writing and reading of Christian speculative fiction (that's science fiction and fantasy and even odder stuff), I'd like to announce the release of the new set of novels from Marcher Lord Press. (Jeff Gerke, the publisher, is a friend of mine. And in turn, he is a friend to all Christian readers who are thirsting for more quality speculative fiction written from a Christian world view.)

I know you or someone on your Christmas list would love these books.

In this, Marcher Lord Press's third release season, they're featuring three science fiction novels. They're tremendous stories. Everything done by Marcher Lord Press is top-notch, from the book covers, typeset, and binding to the thought-provoking tales within.

And today (Sept. 2nd) through Sunday they're offering some great launch party bundles--including one with free shipping and another with a free Marcher Lord Press T-shirt--so go to www.marcherlordpress.com/New_Store/ and see what they've got cooking.

Hey! Spread the word to other readers of Sci-fi.

The Olglivie Obituary

2009-09-17T15:01:00.007-06:00

We beg your pardon in the delay of this official notice. I had seen Leonard Ogelvie the day before his demise. He often comes into the newspaper offices due to his business as a travel agent. We double checked the facts and found, not only had he died of a sudden illness, but evidently a friend speedily took care of his funeral arrangement. His body was interred today at City Cemetery. Most curious is that a headstone has already been placed at the grave.

We ran many advertisements for Ogelvie's World Tours and the subsidiary business, Leonard Land Travels, where all travel was with on land, by car, bus, or train. He also wrote travel articles for the Sunday addition. A very knowledgeable man.

Since we found no relatives in our brief inquiry and only people who knew Leonard Ogelvie superficially, we shall comment on our experience of this well-thought-of, though curiously private man. His only friend must have been the man who made the funeral arrangements and he left town immediately after the short graveside service.

Our offices have dealt with Mr. Ogelvie for over twenty years. He was always honest, straightforward, and prompt in paying his bills. In his early business days he was often hurried and somewhat abrupt, very focused on establishing his career. A sudden change came over him a few years back and all those working on the paper made note of it. We often noted how relaxed and amiable he became. The sudden adjustment in personality was odd, but none of us felt we knew him well enough to ask what was the pivotal point of his transformation, although we often speculated.

We announce his death today with sorrow. He was a man many would have like to know better. His sudden passing has brought home a truth we would all benefit from observing. A simple question, a few words of conversation, and we might have known how a gruff business man turns into a kindly, thoughtful, but reclusive entrepreneur. His businesses thrived after this alteration, but his personal life seemed stuck in an undeveloped state. Our chance to befriend Leonard Oglivie has passed. The picture below was submitted anonymously, handed to us by the mortician at Heavenly Estates, and presumably taken by the friend who arranged for Oglivie's last resting place.

In Great Company

2009-09-11T12:42:00.004-06:00

If you live in or near Denver, you have got to come to this event. Next week I am going to the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference.

ACFW is a pretty big organization which promotes finely crafted Christian fiction. On Saturday over 100 Christian novelists will gather for a public booksigning.

Here's the particulars:

Date: September 19, 2009

Time: 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.

Place:Denver Marriott Tech Center, 4900 S. Syracuse Street.

You can buy the authors' books through the ACFW conference bookstore in the hotel.

Or bring copies you already own to have signed.

Here is a list of authors who will be there:

Carolyne Aarsen
Diane Ashley
Ruth Axtell Morren
Karen Ball
Rick Barry
Christina Berry
Lauralee Bliss
Diana Brandmeyer
Sandra Bricker
Margaret Brownley
Candace Calvert
Robin Caroll
Jeanie Smith Cash
Colleen Coble
Brandilyn Collins
Mary Connealy
Shirley Connolly
Margaret Daley
Susan Page Davis
Mary Davis
Janet Dean
Megan DiMaria
Lena Nelson Dooley
Wanda Dyson
Leanna Ellis
Pamela Ewen
Miralee Ferrell
Linda Ford
Tina Ann Forkner
Darlene Franklin
Judy Gann
Jeff Gerke
Rhonda Gibson
Debby Giusti
Sandra Glahn
Elizabeth Goddard
Winnie Griggs
Rene Gutteridge
Cathy Marie Hake
Lisa Harris
Mary Hawkins
Roxanne Henke
Cynthia Hickey
Patti Hill
Denise Hunter
Annette Irby
Myra Johnson
Liz Johnson
Jenny Jones
Eileen Key
Laurie Kingery
Kathleen Kovach
Harry Kraus
Jeanne Marie Leach
Tosca Lee
Julie Lessman
Loree Lough
Elizabeth Ludwig
Richard Mabry
Debbie Macomber
Joyce Magnin
Gail Gaymer Martin
Jude Martin-Urban
Debby Mayne
Aaron McCarver
Vickie McDonough
Dana Mentink
Robin Caroll
DiAnn Mills
Stephanie Morrill
Janelle Mowery
Jill Elizabeth Nelson
Kevin Parsons
Golden Keyes Parsons
Donita K. Paul
Tracie Peterson
Allie Pleiter
Cara Putman
Tara Randel
Deborah Raney
Sandra Robbins
Kim Sawyer
Marc Schooley
Michael Sheehan
Shelley Shepard Gray
Ann Shorey
Beth Shriver
Sandra Lee Smith
Virginia Smith
Betsy St. Amant
Therese Stenzel
Stuart Stockton
Alison Strobel
Michelle Sutton
Camy Tang
Donn Taylor
Janice (Hanna) Thompson
Missy Tippens
Pamela Tracy
Carrie Turansky
Deborah Vogts
Jenness Walker
Dan Walsh
Susan May Warren
Michael Webb
Kit Wilkinson
Lisa Wingate
Beth Wiseman
Kimberley Woodhouse
Lenora Worth
Cheryl Wyatt
Kathleen Y'Barbo

Kim in Action

2009-08-27T09:42:00.002-06:00

You may wonder why I chose to put this blog about Kim's book here. Well, she and I got to know each other over her son's interest in my books. In fact, he was so enthusiastic about the Dragon Keeper Chronicles that the Extreme Makeover people designed his room around the dragon/knight theme. Kim and her family have a special place in my heart. So here is the piece I wrote about her and her new book.

I laughed when I came up for the title of this piece, because Kim is always in action. It could be something requiring a lot of motion like piling suitcases into the carrier on top of her Ford Expedition. (Yes, I watched her and Holly do this for our trip to Minneapolis last year.) Or something a little less rigorous as organizing a half dozen women in her kitchen as they made a super-yummy lunch for 50-60 people. Even when she sits on the couch with her daughter and son, she is in action. She's bubbling over with love and enthusiasm and most of all encouragement.

Kim is a dynamo, but it is not a self-serving mode of behavior. I don't think the lady has a selfish bone in her body. She is give, give, give, and out of the well of blessings the Lord has given her, she pours forth a spirit of gentle and funny, cheer-leading quality, extra-special exuberance. She makes me laugh. But she also touches my heart with her compassion and love for our Savior.

So, Kim, in between homeschooling, cooking, cleaning (she is a bit of a sterilizing whirlwind), singing, life coaching those around her, providing the comforts for her husband and kids, and nurturing those of us who come across her path, she wrote a book. And I loved this book. It is Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy.

Here she is signing at the Focus on the Family(R) Bookstore. And she gave time and interest to everyone who stopped at her table. Even a most unlikely shopper.

Yes it looks like President Bush has come by to look at Kim's books.

Of course it only looks like President Bush.

But it only looks like President Bush. It is really John Morgan, the president's impersonator, who was at the store signing his book and graciously came over to Kim's table to take these fun pictures.

Photos

2009-07-22T15:53:00.006-06:00

One of my friends took this shot of a dragon in the sky today. In Colorado we often have these puffy clouds. I saw an upside down dog today. Holly saw a dragon. It is so cool that she thought of me and snapped the picture.

BTW I know that these sentences are underlined, but I would have to go into HTML to get rid of the underlining. I don't know how to do that. I do know we have a cool place on the website for any pictures you might take of the dragony sort. Here is the link for the photo gallery: http://www.donitakpaul.com/gallery/weird/index.html

And should you decide to have an Appreciate A Dragon Day at your school or library, you might want to suggest a photo contest. Here's the link to learn more about AADD:

http://www.donitakpaul.com/fun/aadd/index.html

Be in a Novel

2009-05-24T09:23:00.009-06:00

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

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

2009-05-18T15:12:00.001-06:00

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

2009-05-12T14:35:00.005-06:00

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

2009-04-01T12:26:00.003-06:00

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

2009-02-10T09:21:00.002-07:00

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

2009-01-16T18:32:00.010-07:00

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

2009-01-05T14:28:00.011-07:00

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.

Jonathan Rogers Interview Part II

2008-12-10T09:37:00.005-07:00

Why did you choose fantasy to work with instead of some other genre?

My favorite thing about the fantasy genre—broadly defined—is that it gives a writer a lot of freedom to mash together things that don’t normally go together. As the Wilderking took shape in my mind, I knew I wanted to use the David story as a way of talking about wildness and the role of wildness in a boy’s growing up. I didn’t want to do historical fiction for several reasons, one being the fact that I wasn’t comfortable making up dialogue to put in the mouths of actual Bible characters. Free from the constraints of historical fiction, I thought a medieval-esque, knights-and-castles setting would be a fun way to tell the story. And while I was at it, I decided to indulge myself by making the physical setting look like the swamps and forests of South Georgia and Florida. By that point, I really had nowhere else to go but an imaginary world. So for this story, the fantasy genre made sense.

How do you make your characters seem like real people instead of just figures who move the plot along?

I spend a lot of time thinking about motives. I try to understand my characters well enough to know what would motivate them in a given situation. And I know my characters because I pay attention to the people around me. I’m forever asking myself what motivated a person to do this or that; I don’t so much mean the people I know as the people I don’t know. When you see a stranger do something unusual in public, all you have are the external facts: that guy is dressed in business attire and is sleeping on a bus bench. That’s interesting, of course, but more interesting is the game you play with yourself: Why is a guy in business attire sleeping on a bus bench? That’s where storytelling comes from. A good story is a constant back-and-forth between external facts and internal motivations: characters react to the external facts of their situations, characters change the external facts of their situations. Sometimes characters succeed in bringing their motivations to bear on a situation, and sometimes they don’t. When you think in those terms, character and plot begin to work hand-in-glove with one another.

Who is your favorite character from all of your books so far, and why?

That’s an easy one: the main character in the Wilderking books is a boy named Aidan, but my favorite is a wild swamp boy named Dobro Turtlebane. When he’s on the scene, something wild and funny is going to happen. His behavior seems erratic—courting danger, fighting with people he actually likes, etc.—but if you can accept a few basic premises about his unusual worldview, his behavior is actually quite logical. Dobro is a great example of what I was saying in an earlier question about character driving plot. He’s a game-changer, for sure.

How do you work allegory or Christian themes into your books without it being blatantly obvious or sounding preachy or clichéd?

The gospel speaks to human yearnings that are universal. Everybody, Christian or not, knows what it is to feel that we are living in a world that stirs up more desires than it can fulfill. Even people who don’t talk about sin know what it is to feel that you are broken and unable to fix yourself. Everybody hopes that love is stronger than hate, even if they’re not sure it really is. In short, everybody knows they need grace. I hope my writing is always, always about grace, in many forms. And grace, almost by definition, doesn’t lend itself to preachiness. It suddenly doesn’t feel like grace anymore if it’s given to you ungracefully, unbeautifully. Fiction and grace were made for each other. Think of the parable of the prodigal son. That’s great fiction, and it gets inside you in a way that a sermon can’t. I like sermons too, but they work in a different way.

Do you ever write something that you love, only to look at it later and discover it’s not as good as you thought?

Yes. Something similar happens in one of my recurring dreams. In this dream I tell a joke and it’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. I laugh and laugh, and everybody around me agrees that I’m the wittiest man they’ve ever had the pleasure to know. Then when I wake up, I realize not only that the joke wasn’t funny, but it didn’t even make sense—not even grammatical sense. I’ve never written anything that was quite as bad as that, but suspect the dream comes from the same fear your question touches on: how do you know you’ve written something that is really good? I’m learning to trust my judgment, though: if I think something is interesting and funny, there’s a good chance a lot of other people will think it’s interesting and funny too.

Jonathan Rogers Interview Part I

2008-12-08T09:31:00.005-07:00

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head. (be as specific as possible).

Shortly after I quit my cubicle job, I wrote the first chapter of The Bark of the Bog Owl and showed it to agent John Eames, who was a friend of a friend. I told John, “My wife is pregnant with our fifth child. I’m in no position to do art for art’s sake. Does this look like the sort of thing you could sell?” John said he thought he could sell it if I could write a whole book that lived up to the promise of that chapter.

I think that meeting was late May 2002. I wrote The Bark of the Bog Owl throughout the rest of 2002… I finished it between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Starting in January of 2003, John Eames pitched it to about a dozen publishers as the first book of a trilogy. A couple of publishers made offers in the spring, and we settled on Broadman and Holman.

What made me go with Broadman and Holman was the fact that Gary Terashita, the acquisitions editor, asked if I’d be willing to beef up the story—make it longer, and make it appeal to a little bit older target group. Ever since I started writing the book, I was afraid I’d end up with a publisher who would ask me to dumb it down. Not all publishers show young readers the respect they deserve. To my mind, I was writing serious books, and I didn’t want them to go out into the world wearing footie pajamas. In retrospect, I don’t think that was as big a danger as I had supposed, but Gary’s challenge was very energizing—and it resulted in a much better series.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?
I don’t often doubt whether what I’ve written is good enough. I usually succeed in writing the sort of thing I like to read; and since that’s the best way I know of judging whether a piece of writing is “good enough,” I rarely experience doubts at that level. What I do doubt—every day—is whether or not I’m faithfully pursuing my calling. What is an appropriate use of my talents? Should I spend next three hours writing the prose I can write, or should I devote that time to self-promotion? I can rationalize either choice. If I apply my talents toward writing bank brochures (something I frequently do), does that count as pursuing my calling? After all, feeding those babies is part of my calling too. I’ve got a couple of novels I want to write—I would even say I feel called to write them—but I don’t have any reason to believe they would help me provide for my family. What constitutes faithfulness in that situation? And what does a string of rejections mean? Is it a fiery trial for the purpose of hardening my resolve, or is it a signal that it’s time to go back to the cubicle?

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?
I don’t know if this is the best advice I’ve ever heard, but at least it’s something your readers may not have heard before: if you want some serious training as a writer, get a job writing advertising copy. I know it sounds pedestrian. But every day you’re forced to try out several different voices, speak to several different audiences about several different subjects, some of which are so dull you can’t imagine saying anything interesting. But you need to get paid, so—lo and behold—you find you’re able to come up with something after all. And deadlines…sometimes you have 2 or 3 in a single day. Obviously, being a copywriter isn’t going to teach you everything you need to know about writing. But I’ve learned things about my own capabilities that I could have never learned from a writing class or seminar. Yoking my creative tendencies to the matter-of-fact, professional approach required of a copywriter has done me a world of good. Plumbers don’t get plumber’s block. Lawyers don’t get lawyer’s block. They get up in the morning and do their jobs. Are you a writer? Then get up in the morning and write.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?
I once had a well-meaning person from a marketing department advise me to turn the character Dobro Turtlebane into a girl. Your readers who are familiar with the Wilderking books will know how funny that is. For your readers who don’t know the Wilderking books, Dobro is a smelly, rude, belligerent swamp-dweller. The Bark of the Bog Owl had no girl characters, and my friend from marketing knew that girls read a lot more than boys…and girls understandably like girl characters. I ignored the advice, of course. To base any narrative decision on marketing concerns would have utterly contradicted the earthy, swampy ethos of the Wilderking books.

Do you have a scripture or quote that has been speaking to you lately?
Our “family verse” is Philippians 1:9-10: “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent...” I love that phrase, “approve the things that are excellent.” Sometimes we’re called upon to disprove the things that are wrong, but on a day-to-day basis, I believe it’s more important that we approve the things that are excellent. It’s always my prayer for my family that we might demonstrate an excellent way of living. It’s the same with my writing; I hope it’s excellent, and I hope that through it I’m approving of the things that are excellent.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?
The central idea that keeps me writing is “divine comedy”—the idea that the vast drama of human history turns out to be a comedy, not a tragedy. Your fondest hopes only faint shadows of the truth, and your wildest dreams aren’t wild enough. Omnipotence turns out to be the same thing as infinite love. It’s my hope to devote a whole writing career to that astonishing truth—through essays, literary criticism, children’s fiction, grown-up fiction, and maybe a few other genres.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?
Sometimes I hear from a person I haven’t seen or talked to in ten or fifteen years, and they say, “When I read your book, I knew it was you. I could hear your voice in it.” I love knowing that when I’m dead and gone, my grandchildren and great-grandchildren can read my books and hear me talking about the things that are most important to me. They can read The World According to Narnia and have a pretty good idea of my theology. They can read the Wilderking books and have a pretty good idea of what I think is funny or interesting.

My least favorite part, I suppose, is the sneaking suspicion that I’m being self-indulgent. My family has to make lots of sacrifices for me to be a full-time writer—from financial insecurity to having to put up with my meanness when deadlines come around.

How much marketing do you do? Any advice in this area?
Anybody who knows me would laugh very hard at any marketing advice I might vie out. I’d better decline this question.

What particular part of King David’s story inspired you the most?
The David story is so rich, first to last. Eugene Peterson’s book, Leap Over a Wall does an incredible job of teasing out the narrative possibilities in the life of David. But there were two aspects of the story that really jumped out at me. The first is the gap between the Now and the Not Yet. Many long years pass between the day David learns he’s going to be king and the day he actually becomes king. A whole lot happens in that gap. Over and over again David is called to act decisively, confidently. And yet, wouldn’t there always have been the slightest doubt? Did the prophet get it right? Am I really destined to be king? And if I am destined to be king, what are we waiting for? What does loyalty look like in such a situation?

But over against that doubt, we have the certainty of a boy who hasn’t yet learned how to be a hypocrite. It was the grown-ups who taught David that the Living God would deliver them from the Philistines. But when David showed up at the battlefield, it was the grown-ups who were paralyzed with fear. It took a certain naïveté not to be intimidated by Goliath.

There is the ongoing debate in Christian fiction on the overtness of the gospel in novels. You’ve used allegory and hints, but no outright salvation plan on the back page. What are you hoping to accomplish through your stories?
A lot of times when people use the phrase “the gospel” they’re talking about evangelism. Of course that’s an extremely important part of the gospel, but it’s not the whole gospel. Once you’re converted, you’ve still got the rest of your life stretching out before you. And the fact of God’s grace in your life ought to impact every decision you make. It ought to shape every interaction. It ought to define your attitude toward work and family and community. That’s the gospel too. It’s true that there are no conversions in the Wilderking (actually, there’s an implied conversion in Book 3)—but I hope the gospel is pretty overt.

A PhD in 17th century literature is intimidating. How did your educational background prepare you for the Wilderking books?
I read a mountain of books in graduate school, and that definitely influenced my writing. But in many ways the novelistic impulse is the opposite of the academic impulse. Modern-day academics is typically about narrowing into ever more tightly defined areas of expertise. Good fiction, I believe, requires broadening, opening up to the world. Sometimes I think the best thing graduate school did for me was to make me appreciate the freedom and breadth of the non-academic life. I love reading what I feel like reading and writing what I feel like writing. I don’t take that for granted any more. I’ve always loved seventeenth-century literature, but I enjoy it a lot more now that I don’t have to read it unless I want to.

Parenting – did it prepare you for the trilogy?
My kids are always reminding me what it was like to be a kid. That’s a big help when you’re writing children’s fiction. But the main way parenting prepared me to write the Wilderking was simply that it gave me an audience to write to. I love having somebody specific to write to. I know what my boys like…and I know there’s a good chance other kids will like the same thing. Also, once I got well into the Bark of the Bog Owl, the boys were demanding more chapters. Not knowing if the book would ever find a publisher, it was good to have somebody who was demanding that I finish the thing. They held me accountable—pretty loudly at times. The elder of my two daughters is starting to read now, so I’ll soon have an audience for a more girl-centric book.

You obviously believe children are intelligent and creative beings – do you prefer to write for children/teens or adults? Why?
C.S. Lewis remarked that any children’s book that’s not worth reading as an adult isn’t worth reading as a child either. I agree whole-heartedly. When I wrote the Wilderking, I was writing what I thought was funny and interesting, not what I thought kids would find funny and interesting. I do the same thing when writing for adults. I write what I find interesting on the assumption that somebody else will find it interesting too.

What was the turning point for making the decision to pursue full-time writing?
After I got out of academics I took a job at a technology company for four or five years. It was a great place to work in most ways, but as the years went by the total disconnect between my talents and abilities on the one hand and my work on the other was just taking it out of me. It was extremely draining to spend 45-50 hours a week doing work that I had no particular talent for, while the talents I did have sat idle. I felt like I was becoming another person—or, more to the point, I felt like I was becoming nobody in particular.

I reached a turning point in January of 2002. In one week, my boss gave me a terrible review at work, and my mother was diagnosed with lymphoma—a development that put my work troubles in perspective and also gave me occasion for much soul-searching. I decided life was too short to live the way I had been living. Friday of that week I drove straight from the hospital in Atlanta to my office in Nashville for the face-to-face portion of my annual review, where I resigned my position.

One way or another I was going to make a living as a writer. I figured that would mean writing mostly advertising copy and technical manuals, but I hoped I could figure out a way to include some books in the mix.

The last of my vacation days I spent in Orlando with my best friends from college. It did me a world of good to sort things out with people who still thought of me as the person I had been ten years earlier. And just being in swampy Florida seemed to stir up some creativity that had lain dormant. After a canoe trip down an alligator-infested river, I went to a bagel shop and outlined the story that became The Wilderking Trilogy.

What’s next?
At the moment I’m in the middle of a few work-for-hire projects, but I don’t currently have a contract for a “book of my own.” I’ve embarked on a grown-up novel that I’m very excited about, but I don’t know when that’s going to be ready for prime time. I’d also love to extend the Wilderking series one of these days. We’ll just have to see what happens.

Eric Reinhold - the questions

2008-12-04T00:01:00.002-07:00

When did you first envision the world of Aeliana?
I first envisioned Aeliana in 1999. I grew up on fantasy novels like C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, Science Fiction, and was an avid comic book collector. All of these resources merged in helping me create my own fantasy world.

Why did you decide to use Mount Dora, FL as the setting for your story?
At first I was going to make up a fictional town in the mountains of Georgia or North Carolina and then I visited Mount Dora, which is only 24 miles from my house. It was perfect! As I describe in the novel, Mount Dora has so much character, with Lake Dora, parks, quaint shops, interesting alleyways, an old fashioned railroad and so much more. I also remember reading a novel when I was growing up in Miami which used Miami as the setting. It was so interesting to read a fictional story with real locations I had been to that I wanted my readers to be able to enjoy the same experience.

You said it took seven years from when you had the idea of this story to the time it became a hardcover book; why so long?
I first began outlining my story in 2000 and had actually outlined all twenty chapters and written ten chapters when I unexpectedly had to have open-heart surgery for a congenital birth defect that I was unaware of. This setback during the period of the 9-11 crisis and subsequently starting my own business, resulted in my putting my project on the shelf for five years, until I picked it up in 2007…

How did your publishing contract come about?
The Lord’s timing is amazing to reflect upon. I believe I was ahead of my time in
2000 when I first shopped my story idea around to Christian publishers. I believe I
was the first to do so following the Harry Potter craze and Christian publishers
weren’t ready for the concept. While I was building my financial planning practice
from 2002-2006 I retained some amazing clients, one of which was Steve Strang,
the President of Strang Communications, which the Creation House line falls under.

How old are your children now? Do you still tell them stories?
My children are 9, 12, and 15. The two younger ones are homeschooled and our oldest just started at a private Christian High School. The stories I used to tell the girls (12, 15) each night before I put them to bed were part of my inspiration for writing and alas they have moved on from dad’s stories, but still devour fantasy novels on a regular basis. I have started a new storyline for my son to try out some ideas for book two.

You have an interesting background for an author, what is your desire in writing your novels?
I took a few creative writing classes in high school and of course at an engineering school like the Naval Academy, I had no writing courses. I was primarily self taught from books and took to heart the “show it don’t tell it” advice. I strongly believe that the people you know, the books you read, and the places you go have a significant influence on your life and have been a great impact on my writing.

You are President of a wealth management firm. Tell us a little about Academy Wealth. Who is it for and what services are provided?
The biblical principles on money are time-tested and have an influence on the advice I provide my clients in the areas of estate, tax, investment, insurance, and business planning. I have a unique investing process that is fee-based using exchange traded funds which is my primary service to clients – along with charitable planning strategies.

How did you come to know Jesus Christ?
I grew up in a Christian home and became a believer at the age of
eight. I was a leader in my high school youth group at Old Cutler
Presbyterian Church in Miami, FL and graduated from Westminster
Christian High School. My wife and three children have attended
First Baptist Sweetwater Church for the past thirteen years, where I
am a Deacon, Adult Sunday School teacher, work with the High
School Youth Group, and am on several committees.

The Annals of Aeliana is set to be a trilogy. How are you coming on book two?
The series is based upon Ephesians 6 and the putting on the armor of God. Originally I was planning to make the series seven books based upon each piece of armor… and I still may; however the publisher suggested I start out as a trilogy. “You can always have a second trilogy.” I have outlined book two, “Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith” and plan to have it completed in 2008 for release in 2009.

Meet Eric Reinhold

2008-12-03T10:56:00.010-07:00

Visitors to the real-life town of Mount Dora, Florida are often charmed by its myriad of antique shops and genuine smiles and nods from long-time residents. Author Eric Reinhold felt a thrill of discovery when he first walked into the town. It would be the perfect setting for his tweener tale of good vs. evil.

“Over the course of the day,” he says, “between walking the streets and driving around, I found every element an author could desire to create a fantastical adventure.” Thus, Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword found its home and Eric set about finishing the story that would take seven years to come to fruition.

Ryann Watters, Reinhold’s main character, seems at first glance to be a typical 12- year-old who has placed his trust and faith in Jesus Christ. He goes to school, comes home, does his homework, spends time with his two best friends, Terell and Liddy, and tries to avoid the school bully, Drake Dunfellow. But when the angel Gabriel visits Ryann and tells him he’s been chosen to complete a task, Ryann’s life takes off on a course of adventure and mayhem that will have him traveling to the entirely new universe of Aeliana, meeting talking animals, and battling evil in a way he could never have foreseen.

Just as all those called are given the tools with which they shall defeat the enemy (David and his five stones, Moses and his rod), so Gabriel gives Ryann a ring, a staff, and a horn. Ryann must search the scriptures and petition God for wisdom in how and when to use these items as he embarks on a quest to find the King’s Sword.

Author Bio: A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Eric Reinhold is a Certified Financial Planner and President of Academy Wealth Management, a fee-based, financial planning firm utilizing Biblical principles. Eric developed the idea for Ryann Watters while telling bedtime tales to his three children, Kaylyn, Kara, and Kyler. He and his wife, Kim, make their home in Orlando, Florida where Kim home schools their children.

Eric Reinhold is the father of three—Kaylyn, Kara, and Kyler. While telling his kids bedtime tales, Eric developed the story of Ryann Watters. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Eric holds his B.S. in Economics from that institution and his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Baltimore. He is a Certified Financial Planner, having received such from the College of Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado.

When not weaving his fantastical tales of supernatural adventure, Eric serves as President of Academy Wealth Management, a fee-based, financial planning firm utilizing Biblical principles. He and his wife, Kim, make their home in Orlando, Florida where Kim home schools their three children. They are members of First Baptist Church Sweetwater in Longwood, Florida, where Eric teaches the Cross Trainers Bible Fellowship Group every Sunday morning.

More info at http://www.ryannwatters.com/ and a book trailer video is up at http://www.ryannwatters.blogspot.com/.

Christmas Questions

2008-11-28T14:14:00.006-07:00

Actually, I was supposed to put something about myself on the Dragon Bloggin' this week as this week is my turn to be front and center in the Motiv8 review. But I couldn't think of anything to post. This morning I got the Christmas Version of Know Your Friends. So I'm using that. I like the idea of looking forward to Christmas. I'm still full of Thanksgiving turkey, but not too full to contemplate the coming season. Christmas means a lot to me. I love the idea of giving. But as I have grown older, older, older, I have come to appreciate God's Gift above all others.

Still there is nothing wrong with the "fun" of Christmas. So, hear are the questions and answers.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both!
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial upstairs. It is 12 feet tall and is really my daughter’s family tree. Real downstairs in my Hobbit Hole. It is a Norfolk Pine.
3. When do you put up the tree? Day after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? New Year’s Day
5. Do you like eggnog? Love it! (without any liquor added to it.)
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A tiny grandfather clock.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My son-in-law
8. Easiest person to buy for? My daughter
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Several. One is carved in olive wood. My mother picked it up in the Holyland. It is out all year round. When I was a teen, I cleaned and painted a large nativity set. In college, I took woodworking and made the crèche.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Not much of either.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Box of diet candy
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Scrooge (musical with Albert Finney)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I begin with the after-Christmas sales
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, but I’m not saying what or who gave it to me.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? turkey
16. Lights on the tree? White upstairs, colored downstairs
17. Favorite Christmas song? “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Most often stay at home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen, Comet, Blitzen, Donder, Cupid, and the most famous reindeer of all, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.
20. Angel on the treetop or a star? angel
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One Christmas Eve, the rest in the morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Christmas music that is in poor taste. 1.) the lyrics degrade the meaning of Christmas 2.) the quality or style of the performance is grating on the nerves
23. What theme or color are you using? Snowmen
24. Stockings or no! Stockings
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A relaxing CD of instrumental music.

Christopher Hopper Gallery

2008-11-18T10:57:00.040-07:00

Thanks to Amanda Davis for the pictures of the MOtiv8 tour.

This first picture in the Christopher Hopper Gallery is not Christopher, but Amanda.

This is a trick. This is not Christopher Hopper:

This also is not Christopher Hopper. This is Jenny Hopper:

This is a Canadian lady who is not related but very nice.

This is Jenny Hopper, Christopher's wife.

Pictures of her often have a camera hiding her face

as she was the official videotographer of the trip.

Christopher Hopper - Crazy White Bald Dude

2008-11-17T09:47:00.005-07:00

Christopher and his lovely wife, Jennifer, were responsible for the daily broadcasts of our tour down the West Coast.

Sharon Hinck Bookshelf

2008-11-14T00:17:00.005-07:00

The Restorer

Susan Mitchell is wondering what happened to God's plan for her. Her life can't just be about cleaning, organizing her family, and being involved in damage control for her four rambunctious children, can it? When Susan opens a box in labeled "Dress Up" in her attic, her question is answered.
Upon opening the box, Susan finds herself thrust into a parallel

universe where she must help bring heathens and warring territories "back to the Verses." Susan is a Restorer, a prophet like the Biblical Deborah. Together with an unfamiliar sword, it is Susan's job to show the inhabitants of this new world how Jesus can save people. This universe will forever change how Susan looks at life, love, and family.if she can get out alive.

The Restorer's Son

Plunged again into the gray world of Lyric and Hazor, Susan and Mark search frantically for their teenage son, Jake, as all signs hint that a trusted ally has betrayed them and threatens their son. Assassins and political intrigue, false leads, and near misses beset their path, which will lead them into the dark prisons of Hazor before the One's purpose is revealed.Cast out by those he trusts and preferring to cross swords with the One rather than submit to His will, Kieran flees to enemy Hazor, only to find that the One knows no borders. Pursued by his calling, Kieran journeys to Sidian, where he finds a boy without a home, a king with burning questions, and a nation torn by darkness. As he embraces the tasks the One has set before him, this new Restorer learns that the One requires his all-perhaps even his life.

The Restorer's Journey

Susan Mitchell and her teenage son Jake find themselves drawn through a portal to the world of the People of the Verses. As Susan struggles to love her captors, Jake suffers a tragic betrayal and discovers his destiny as the next Restorer.

The Secret Life of Becky Miller

Move over, Wonder Woman. Here comes Becky Miller---Marvelous Mom, Wonderful Wife, Fantastic Friend, Complete Christian! Right! And she does it all while standing on her head and whistling the national anthem. The dreams and fantasies get her through the day, but can she turn off the tape and hear what God is saying---for real?

Renovating Becky Miller

In addition to being a young mom, Becky Miller is a daydreamer. Most recently, she's been envisioning herself in the happy endings she sees during her weekly movie nights with husband Kevin. But her real life feels more like a broken filmstrip, spinning out of control!

When Becky and her family decide to purchase a rundown farmhouse, Becky pictures a slower, simpler lifestyle in the pastoral countryside. Of course, it doesn't quite work out like she imagined...

Symphony of Secrets

Talented flutist Amy Johnsons dreams come true when she wins a spot with the Minneapolis Symphony. But this amateur sleuth has trouble concentrating on the notes as she begins to see devious motives behind her fellow musicians' many mishaps. Meanwhile, her musically talented daughter wants to give it all up for (gasp) the cheerleading squad! What's a musical mom to do? Can Amy fine-tune her investigation before the symphony is forced to close and she loses not only her dream job but her promising new relationship with its conductor?

Stepping into Sunlight

After Penny Sullivan witnesses a shocking crime, even the routines of daily life become more than she can handle. But with her husband away at sea and a 7-year-old son depending on her, hiding isn't an option! So she formulates a restoration plan---do one kind thing for somebody every day. The healing results will surprise you!

Sharon Hinck - Interview

2008-11-13T09:06:00.003-07:00

I think these few answers to questions about Sharon's first book in the Swords of Lyric series tells the reader a lot about where Sharon sits as a Christian author. If you haven't read any of Sharon Hinck's books yet, I hope you will give them a try. Tomorrow, I will present the full list of her works, not just the fantasy.

What was the inspiration for The Restorer?
I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Deborah in the book of Judges, and wondered what a modern woman would look like in that role. The fantasy genre provides a powerful way to look at a familiar story in a new way. I loved the challenge of creating a completely relatable character, and then inviting the reader to follow her into an imaginative journey.

What kind of reader did you have in mind as you wrote the book?
I wrote this story for my friends – ordinary women who are sometimes called on to fill extraordinary roles that they don’t feel prepared for. We may not be literally yanked into an alternate universe, but the idea of being pulled into an unexpected challenge is very real to most of the people I know. I wrote this book for my friends who receive a diagnosis of cancer, or the news that their child has a learning disability, or their parent is battling Alzheimers, or their spouse has lost their job. They suddenly find themselves in a foreign world, facing new rules, and being asked to fill a role they don’t feel ready for. My prayer is that as well as being entertaining, this novel can inspire courage and determination for those facing daily battles.

How much of The Restorer is drawn from your own life?
Susan’s spiritual journey – her desire to follow God and her confusion when the road is much harder than she expected—is very parallel to my own. I’ve never carried a sword into battle, but I’ve faced the challenge of surrendering more deeply to God’ s purposes when they didn’t make sense to me.

Sharon Hinck

2008-11-10T08:07:00.005-07:00

Sharon Hinck was my compadre on the Motiv8 tour. We had a lot in common. We were "the ladies." Although it is true that the three support staff were all women, we were the ones on stage. Sharon and I are both wussie travelers. The support staff and the gentlemen took care of us in royal style.

Sharon writes both fantasy and women's fiction. This is the first of the Sword of Lyric series:
The Restorer

Susan, a modern-day soccer mom, is pulled through a portal into another world, where a nation grappling for its soul waits for a promised Restorer to save their people. Can she fill that role? While she struggles to adapt to a foreign culture, she tackles an enemy that is poisoning the minds of the people, uncovers a corrupt ruling Council, and learns that God can use even her floundering attempts at service in surprising ways.

Link to amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1600061311/

L.B. Graham - The Interview - Part Two

2008-11-05T00:04:00.002-07:00

Are you working on anything new, now that BOTB is finished?
Yes. I wrote a crime novel last year. It is a stand alone book, but I have ideas for 2 sequels right now. Currently, I’m also writing a nonfiction book and the first novel of a new series as well. None of these projects are under contract at the moment, though, so I couldn’t say what my next publication will be.

Is the new series you mentioned also fantasy?Yes, though I think of it as a fantasy/sci fi hybrid. I’ve posted a bit about that on my blog, but I won’t get into that here, since it is a bit complicated.

Like ‘geographic archetypes’ complicated?
Point taken. A different kind of complicated. Enough so that I shouldn’t get into it while trying to wrap up an interview.

Before wrapping up, what would you say to readers who haven’t heard of you or your books and may be wondering if The Binding of the Blade is for them?
It’s a fair question, as my books certainly aren’t for everyone. My publisher categorized them as ‘young adult’ fantasy, but I don’t think of them that way. Certainly younger readers who are good readers can read them, as many have, but I think of them as a bit older than that.
I guess what I would say is that there seems to be a lot more true YA fantasy stories than fantasy for older kids or adults out there in CBA, the “Christian” publishing world (there I go, doing what I don’t like doing, but I’m not sure how else to describe CBA!) As readers of those stories get older, they often become interested in stories that are geared a little older. Not that they necessarily outgrow the YA ones, but as they become ready for older ones too, then I’d encourage them to pick up Beyond the Summerland and see if they like it.

L.B. Graham - The Interview

2008-11-04T08:43:00.005-07:00

The fifth novel of “The Binding of the Blade” ends the series. How does it feel to be finished?
Actually, I was finished writing All My Holy Mountain, the last book in the series, in 2006, and it did feel a little surreal. BOTB runs about 2500 pages all told, and it is essentially one big story rather than five individual ones (though I guess the first book could be seen as a sort of prologue to the other four). At any rate, it was a pretty sizable undertaking and it felt almost odd to be finished.

It sounds sizable. When did you start?
Well, I would say that I started working on the series, and by that I mean seriously working on the world-building and story-building, in the summer of 2000. But, that being said, the first seeds for the idea were sown long before that, in the summer of ‘92.

1992 is a long time ago - what happened that summer, or what were the ’seeds’ that were sown that summer?
I was a senior at Wheaton College, studying literature in England on a summer program, and two things collided to create the basic idea for the story. The first was, of all things, a footnote - I know, no one reads footnotes, but I actually do read them, at least sometimes. The footnote

was in a poetry anthology of W.B. Yeats. The note was about archetypes (not very exciting to some, but to me, really interesting.) Basically, for readers who don’t know what archetypes are, it is the idea that there are universal ideas or images or themes or symbols that carry with them, if you will,

deeper meaning that add layers of richness to stories, movies, poems, etc…

Like the ‘archetypal hero’ or ‘archetypal villain,’ that kind of thing, right?
Exactly. To use a familiar example, Gandalf is an archetypal “wisdom figure” and Frodo an archetypal “underdog” on the archetypal “quest” with Sam, the archetypal “sidekick” facing long odds against Sauron, the archetypal “villain” and so forth.
Anyway, this particular footnote was about geography. The idea was that geographical regions have archetypal connections in a lot of mythology and stories. For example, “the east” is often associated with spring, with morning, with new growth, with birth, with themes of things rising. “The south” is often associated with summer, with midday, with things in fullness and maturity, with romance, with themes of things having reached their full strength or potential. “The west” is often associated with autumn, with twilight, with things fading, with tragedy a

nd themes of things declining, and “the north” is often associated with winter, with darkness and night, with

sorrow and desolation, with themes of things lost.
The other seed that collided with this first one was much simpler. It was the famous image from Isaiah 2:4 among other places of swords and spears being broken down and remade into plowshares and pruning hooks. I would call this image, perhaps the archetypal image of peace, of our great hope for restoration.

Those things don’t seem to be connected. How did you put them together?
It didn’t come together all at once, but what I conceived of was a story about a world where the making of weapons essentially represented ‘the Fall,’ or the loss of that world’s innocence and descent into sin and misery. And, on the other hand, the unmaking of weapons was the clearest picture for that world of peace, of things being made new. In short, the symbolic pictu

re from Isaiah of o

ur future restoration became a literal picture in my fantasy world, the picture of their great hope.
So, the Isaiah image became the thematic core of BOTB. The geography archetypes gave the story shape. I decided to structure the series geographically, matching tone and mood and theme and plot elements according to the pattern I outlined above.
Thus Beyond the Summerland took place in the south, was a story of

romance and summer and things generally going well. The cover shows this summery feel. The story moved in Bringer of Storms to the

west, in autumn, as things begin to fall apart pretty substantially, and as the world fades quickly into darkness. The stormy motif is portrayed pret

ty well here in that cover.The story then cycles in the next two books through the north and into the east, each representing those archetypes in turn - darkness, night & desolation in winter followed by the slight glimmer of hope that comes with morning, sunrise, spring and things new. The covers for books 3 and 4 below show those seasons too. And then the last book returns to summer, though a different kind of summer, but I’ll leave it at that.

So, those things help to explain some of the specifics of your series, but why fantasy? Did you know even back then in 1992 that you wanted to write Christian fantasy?
Actually, I would just say fantasy. I wouldn’t use the term Christian fantasy.

Why not?
Well, the short version is that I think the adjective “Christian” is one that is properly applied to people, not things like “music” or “fiction” or in this case, “fantasy.” I know what people mean with labels like “Christian fantasy,” I just dislike the implication that Christian fantasy is good, and other fantasy is bad. I think that view is simplistic. Music, stories, movies and other artwork that conveys a message isn’t really divided into two piles - the good and bad. Rather I see them in a continuum. Some stories have lots of truth or good in them, others some, others not so much, and just because the author is a Christian doesn’t mean I’m going to agree with what he or she says or like the story. Likewise, I’ve read some great books by non-believers, who despite their unbelief are people made in the image of God and have created powerful stories.

But isn’t there always something missing in those books, in those stories? Aren’t they always incomplete?
All stories written by finite, sinful human beings will be imperfect, if that is the question. However, just because there are certain things a writer can’t write about well or truthfully because he or she doesn’t believe those things, doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of other things they can and do write about well and truthfully. Stories from nonbelievers can contain beauty and power and truth, and I wouldn’t simply dismiss them out of hand because they come from non-Christians.

More tomorrow!

L.B.Graham

2008-11-03T10:46:00.003-07:00

L. B. Graham is the author of The Binding of the Blade, a five book fantasy series with P&R Publishing that began in 2004 and just recently culminated with the publication of All My Holy Mountain in 2008. The first book of the series, Beyond the Summerland, was a Christy finalist in the "visionary" category.

And hey! we were competitors there, since DragonSpell was also up. We both finalled but Karen Hancock walked off with the gold.

L.B. and I met at the Christy Awards banquet. I thought he was pretty stuffy, and I think he used the word "weird" in his first impression of me. The Motiv8 tour gave us a chance to break that initial reaction. I'd adopt L.B. in a minute. He's personable, funny, bright, polite, and cuddly. A hug from L.B. is just like one from my real son, who is also tall and courteous.

Mr. Graham was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up there before heading to Wheaton College outside Chicago in Wheaton, Illinois. From there he went to St. Louis to attend Covenant Seminary. Since 1996, he's been teaching in St. Louis, the last 9 years at Westminster Christian Academy where he also serves as the Bible Department Chair.

With diverse writing interests, Mr. Graham has a nonfiction book proposal under consideration , but fortunately for his fans, he is also developing a new fantasy series, which he hopes to begin proposing to publishers soon.

Bryan Davis Interview Part Two

2008-10-30T01:42:00.006-06:00

Often, it seems that when many Christian films or some books present the gospel, it seems to become cheesy.
Well, they are so message driven, they want to preach the gospel with such a fervent heart and with passion that they create a tacky story to dress it up. I think when the story comes first, and it comes out of a heart that loves Christ, the gospel is going to naturally flow. But at the same time, we can't bury the message. I have tried not to bury the message so that it can’t be seen. I think as the series continues on a natural progression, the gospel will become more and more clear.

Earlier, you mentioned Harry Potter, and there may be people who might not understand how your story about dragons, and even includes the Arthurian Legend, can still be Christian. What would you say to them?
People who like Harry Potter will love this book. But, there are two reasons it’s different. One is that all supernatural events come from God through prayer, and miracles, not magic. Second is that in the Harry Potter books, the main characters progress their stories often through deception, disobedience of rules, and lack of respect for authority. That doesn’t happen in these books – the stories progress through courage and wise choices, and if they don’t make a wise choice, they can get into trouble. One thing I want to make clear is that I’m not a Harry Potter basher, but I also don’t think that series is necessarily wonderful. My kids have read it with my parental guidance, so they know that we don’t believe in witchcraft, and we don’t appreciate the disrespectful attitudes.

When it comes to dragons and King Arthur, these are symbols that are used to teach Christian truth; even Jesus used symbols. All through the book of Revelation, we see really strange, marvelous symbols that teach things. I don’t know if there is going to really be a locust with long hair, but that’s what Revelation uses as a picture of something else. We shouldn’t be surprised that God would use great symbols to teach truths that are too deep to make simple – He uses symbols in a way we can remember. Stories that have great symbols are far more memorable and last a lot longer in our minds, especially for young people, if we use that method of teaching. Jesus knew it well. Unfortunately there are some people who say all fantasy is bad, or even all fiction is bad. It makes me wonder if they ever ask themselves why Jesus taught that way; He used stories and symbols to teach. I hope that people extend some grace and understand that these stories were written out of a heart of love that just wants to tell the truth in a story.

>an you name some people/authors whose works have influenced you? If so, can you say in what way these people have influenced your life and your work?
I really enjoy C. S. Lewis, two books in particular; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Perelandra. I loved the spiritual parallels in Dawn Treader. The debate between Westin and the woman when he tried to get her to sin in Perelandra fascinated me. I have somewhat similar dialogues in The Candlestone and Circles of Seven, so that definitely influenced me.

The works of Francis Schaeffer had an impact on me. The God Who is There and He is There, and He is not Silent are two that come to mind. I enjoy careful, analytical thought, and Schaeffer was a master in that field. I try to carry that kind of thinking into my stories, and those who read my fantasy series will find that they are far more than children’s fairy tales.

Does your faith influence the way you write? Would you like to elaborate on this?
My faith pervades all my writing, but my doctrinal stands on some issues make my stories quite different from most. My Christian protagonists depart from what many writers call “real” or “honest,” though they portray a more “real” Christian character than what is passing for that label in much of Christian fiction. On this point I could elaborate until your ears fall right off your head, but, briefly, I reject the notion that you have to write sinful acts or tendencies into Christian characters. Sin doesn't make them "real" or "honest." It just makes them sinful, and in most fiction I find too many characters with tacked-on flaws. It really seems clichéd.

I believe in the overwhelming power God gives us for holy living. My characters struggle in many non-sinful ways and find the power to overcome. I like successful heroes. God gives us victory in Christ, so it makes sense to write that way. And feedback from my readers indicates that they relate to the great struggles my characters go through, and they are inspired by my characters' successes. I believe this portrayal of obedient faith is what is truly real and honest.

Brian Davis Interview - Part One

2008-10-29T11:17:00.005-06:00

Was it easy to get your work published?
I found it extremely difficult. In fact, after about 8 years of trying, I decided that I really wasn’t going to be able to make a go of writing unless I quit my job and did it full time. I couldn’t devote the time to learning the craft or going to the conferences to meet the editors and so forth while I was working another job. At about the same time I was trying to make that decision, another company bought the company I was working for, including my shares since I was a partner. That gave me a little nest egg that allowed me to decide to write full time. So I took that step of faithThe nest egg wasn't huge, but it was enough to put food on the table. I did it, and within 8 months I had contracts for 6 books. God honored the step of faith.

Were those all fiction books?
The first two were non-fiction. The first was The Image of a Father, and the second was Spit and Polish for Husbands.

The story for the novel came about when my oldest son, who is now 26, was 14. I told him about a dream I had, which was just one scene about a boy who could breathe fire. He and I brainstormed until we came up with the story. My publisher for the nonfiction books happened to be in my area and stopped by my house to see me. He asked me what else I was working on, and I told him about the novel. He said “Why haven’t you ever told me about it?” And I replied, “Because you don’t publish fiction.” He said, “Well, I’d like to see it anyway.” Since he was at my house, I printed out the whole thing and gave it to him. He showed it to another editor, who showed it to his wife and son, and they absolutely loved it. So they ended up launching their fiction line with my book. AMG, who has been a great supplier of Bible study guides, encyclopedias, word study materials and so forth, decided to create a new imprint, Living Ink Books, because they wanted to separate the fiction from their Bible study guides. They contracted for a 4-book series.

So, it was brainstorming with your son that inspired you to create the story for Raising Dragons.
Yes. My son is a fantasy aficionado. He loves fantasy, so after I told him the story, we just started going back and forth with questions. "So how could a kid breathe fire?" I said, “Well, maybe he’s a dragon.” “No, no, his father was a dragon.” “How did his father become a dragon?” We just pulled the story together. It took a couple days of going back and forth. I actually wrote the entire book 7 years ago. It has evolved over time – it's not the same book it was then. I wrote it before I had ever heard of "Harry Potter," but it turns out that we have the same formula: contemporary fantasy. Real kids, real time, real world and add the fantasy element. It's the kind of thing where you have kids in their real mundane world but they can escape to another one.

When people read Christian Fantasy fiction, they probably think of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. Were these books and authors an influence on you when you wrote this series? For instance, Billy's cat is named Gandalf. Was that a sort of "nod" to Tolkien?
It was a nod to Tolkien, yes. I greatly respect what he’s done, and I respect what C.S. Lewis has done. I needed a name for the cat and my son came up with Gandalf because he loves Tolkien. It takes on an alternate reality because I am acknowledging another fantasy within a fantasy. But Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia are pure allegory – complete other worlds and other characters, different names for Christ and so forth. With my fantasy, I have to stay in the real world and add fantasy elements, which can be a lot more risky. Some people say you can’t mix the two because reality is reality and fantasy is fantasy. So it’s a bold step that some people might not understand, but I hope that they give me a little grace. I believe a good way to reach young people is to reach them where they are. It’s a lot easier to do, I think, if you give them a scenario in which they live, then add something fantastic. They can go on a wild ride and have a lot of fun, but still learn the themes in this book; themes like redemption, grace, courage, and facing your fears. Learning to forgive is also a huge theme in this book.

Most people see dragons as a symbol of evil. Why did you decide to make "good" and "bad" dragons?
Well, I think that dragons are rightly a symbol of evil. But we have to remember that Job chapter 41 tells us that God created Leviathan. He describes it as one of His greatest creations and He uses it to reveal His power. If you read that passage carefully, Leviathan has armored scales and breathes fire. It sounds just like a fire breathing dragon. That's certainly where the authors who have described such beasts got their inspiration, from this creature of God. God created this being in order to show His power. Now, I don’t believe that God created anything for the purpose of being born evil. Angels were created and some of them fell. They weren’t created to be evil, but some of them chose evil and fell. I'm putting dragons in the same mold, as a symbolic parallel to angels. They were created to be good; some of them fell. The greatest evil figure in all the world, and in all of the Bible, is a fallen angel, and the symbol of the fallen angel is a dragon. But why can’t there be good dragons as well? Some people would say that dragons are a symbol of evil. The Bible calls Satan a dragon. Therefore, all dragons are evil. Well, the fallacy there is Satan also appears as an angel of light. Does that mean that all angels of light are evil? I don’t think so. I wanted to make that angelic parallel, and it becomes even clearer in the third book, called Circles of Seven. Billy’s going to face a tremendous decision, and he'll have to discern between good and evil dragons. It’s such a great story.

I like how you interweaved Christian faith in your story, but didn’t "hit people over the head with it." Did you find it hard to strike that balance?
It really wasn’t that hard because it’s been my desire for a long time to be able to say, “I just want to tell a story that is filled with Christ.” There is no soapbox; no one is standing there shaking a finger, preaching at you. I want to have a natural flow of Christian thought and Christian love, without having to say “Jesus loved you and died for your sins.” It’ll flow out naturally. The reason I’m doing that is because so many people get turned off with the shaking finger and the soapbox sermon. But as we get to later books in the series, the Christian message of the blood salvation of Christ is going to come out a little more clearly. We want to hook our readers and not turn them off with a fire and brimstone, or an "Are you saved by the blood?" kind of message. It will come out later. I think you probably can tell that Bonnie is clearly a Christian, and Billy is probably not. He's got a lot of questions because he’s never been taught right. He’s in between because his father, being the dragon, revered the Bible, but he didn’t feel like he was a fallen creature that needs to be saved. This is one of these deep mysteries that I don’t think kids will get but I want adults to think about.

Often, it seems that when many Christian films or some books present the gospel, it seems to become cheesy.
Well, they are so message driven, they want to preach the gospel with such a fervent heart and with passion that they create a tacky story to dress it up. I think when the story comes first, and it comes out of a heart that loves Christ, the gospel is going to naturally flow. But at the same time, we can't bury the message. I have tried not to bury the message so that it can’t be seen. I think as the series continues on a natural progression, the gospel will become more and more clear.

More tomorrow.

Meet Bryan Davis

2008-10-28T15:31:00.006-06:00

Bryan Davis is the author of the best-selling Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire series, contemporary/fantasy blends for young people. His book, Eye of the Oracle, hit number one on the January 2007, Young Adult CBA best-seller list.
His new series from Zondervan, Echoes from the Edge, debuted in May of 2008 with Beyond the Reflection’s Edge, and the second book in the series, Eternity’s Edge, came out in October.
Bryan is also the author of several other works including The Image of a Father (AMG) and Spit and Polish for Husbands (AMG), and four books in the Arch Books series: The Story of Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation, The Day Jesus Died, The Story of the Empty Tomb (over 100,000 sold), and Jacob’s Dream. Bryan lives in Western Tennessee with his wife, Susie, and their children. Bryan and Susie have homeschooled their four girls and three boys.
Bryan was born in 1958 and grew up in the eastern U.S. From the time he taught himself how to read before school age, through his seminary years and beyond, he has demonstrated a passion for the written word, reading and writing in many disciplines and genres, including theology, fiction, devotionals, poetry, and humor.
Bryan is a graduate of the University of Florida (B.S. in Industrial Engineering). In high school, he was valedictorian of his class and won academic awards in English, Algebra, Advanced Math, and Science. He was also a member of the National Honor Society and voted Most Likely to Succeed.
He continues to further his writing education by attending relevant writing conferences and conventions. Although he is now a full-time writer, Bryan was a computer professional for over 20 years.

Wayne Thomas Batson - The Video

2008-10-23T09:26:00.001-06:00

Not the movie, yet. But a video trailer for his book.

See the full length trilogy trailer!

Wayne Thomas Batson - QandA-Second Time Around

2008-10-22T02:46:00.008-06:00

I thought about doing an interview with Wayne Thomas Batson, but then I discovered that he had already done an interview of himself. Seeing that all fantasy authors have a certain affinity for the absurd, I saw nothing wrong with this. So here is Wayne, interviewing Wayne:

Who are you and what do you do?My name is Wayne Thomas Batson, and I am one of the eight authors you’ll meet here and on tour. I’ve written five novels so far: The Door Within, Rise of the Wyrm Lord, The Final Storm, Isle of Swords, and Isle of Fire. These are fantasy and pirate adventure tales full of thrills, mystery, and meaning.

Why did you write a fantasy instead of a contemporary story about middle school kids? I mean, you obviously know them well.
Fantasy is absolutely my passion. I’ve always loved tales of knights and dragons, exotic settings, and great feats of valor! And in traditional fantasy, I find the sort of world I’d like to live in. Honor and kindness are revered. Simple lives of tending gardens, working with your hands, and gathering around a table with friends at a pub—I long for such things. I mean, sure, running into a pesky dragon while taking out the trash would be a little inconvenient, but still…

Q: What made you want to write Christian speculative fiction?
Actually, I don’t write Christian speculative fiction. I write fiction that is informed by my identity as a Christian. I know that sounds like semantics, but really, it’s not. If I’m a Christian and a mechanic, and I fix your car…was it a Christian Repair? If the manager at the local McDonalds is a Christian, and I make a purchase there, do I get a Christian Happy Meal? See my point? I am a Christian and Jesus is everything to me. He is my worldview and my life. When I write, I pray that HE comes shining through. But I am NOT writing just for Christians to read. I want everyone to be able to read and enjoy my books on multiple levels: surface and deep. At the surface, come and enjoy a heart-pounding adventure in an enchanting realm. But go deeper than that. See the big questions. Be a thoughtful reader. My thought is, if I get people asking the questions for which Jesus is the only answer, then, I’ve done well.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for The Door Within series?
The Door Within Trilogy (DWT) came out of two distinct events. The base concept of the story, though I didn’t know it at the time, came from an encounter I had as a new Christian. I felt compelled to tell some important people I knew about Jesus, so I summoned the courage and went to them.

I laid it all on the line, spilled my guts with such fervor that I was literally shaking. I expected disagreement, argument, or just plain denial. But nothing prepared me for the reaction: they laughed. And it wasn’t just laughter, but it was that condescending “isn’t he cute?” kind of laughter. Insert dagger and twist. That pain stuck with me for a LONG time, and so, when I began to write, the first story that suggested itself was one that would be carried by a protagonist who discovered something akin to a cure for cancer…and yet, no one would believe it.

The between worlds aspect of DWT came from a challenge my students threw back at me. Teaching 6th and 7th grade Language Arts in Anne Arundel County Maryland, I assigned a short story to my students. I made it a contest. And for those who could not think of an initial story concept, I made a bulletin board with very evocative pencil/charcoal drawings—The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Well, the students, wonderful cherubs that they are, indignantly challenged me: “Mr. Batson, you make us do all the work, writing these stories. Why don’t you write one?!” So, using one of the drawings as inspiration, I began a 17 page short story called The Faith of a Child. Though most elements in the story have since changed, that short story became The Door Within.

Q: What message do you want readers to get from reading "The Door Within" trilogy?

The nature of faith: it begins with persuasion. You recognize something as true. You accept its basis in fact. “You believe the bridge is strong.” But in faith there is also an element of risk that MUST be involved or you’ll never know how real it is. “You have to step on out there. Walk across the bridge. Trust that it will support you.”

God can make use of failures. Aidan is no hero in the classic sense, but King Eliam uses him mightily.

Putting God off or refusing to decide whether you believe or not is in reality choosing not to believe—The Glimpses with eyes that glint green. In the end, there is only faith or no faith. The superband RUSH said it this way: “If you choose not to decide, you’ll still have made a choice.”

The reality of adventures to come in Heaven. I won’t give away too much here, but that is one message I hope readers will take to heart. When we die, the adventure has just begun. We will not be sitting around in heaven playing harps like in the cartoons. God the creator of all things will have plenty of surprises for us. I imagine each of us will spend a thousand years just saying, “COOL!!” over and over and over…

Q: Are your books influenced by your own childhood in any way?
I think so. Aidan is a lot like I was when I was in my tweens. Creative, hopeful, and thoughtful—but not very outgoing. I always longed for adventure, but most of mine were in my imagination. Aidan’s fear of Robby’s Basement came straight out of my own childhood fear. My parents had a split basement. The unfinished side, the workside as we called it, was the creepiest place on the planet. I was always afraid that some creature lurked in its shadowy confines—that it waited for someone to venture too close to the open door. I used to leap over the side of the stairs onto a couch to avoid going by that basement door.

Q: What have you seen that discourages or frustrates you about Christian speculative fiction writing and/or publishing?
I am thoroughly frustrated by product placement in both CBA and ABA stores. I know there are a lot of hands involved in determining where a book goes: marketers, distributors, branch managers—and even a local clerk can trump them all by putting a book wherever. Lol

In CBA stores, fiction often gets lumped together with Nursery Rhymes and Beginners Bibles. Come on, dude…if you’re a teenager looking for a book, are you even going to consider something next to A Very Veggie Christmas?

In ABA stores, you often see great Christian SpecFic titles tossed into teeny tiny “Religious Fiction” sections. Yes, the place where no one sees it. That’s another reason why I don’t like delineating my work as Christian Fiction—if I do, it’s just that much easier to get thrown in with New Age Fiction or Taoism. If I do have Christ’s message to share, the books need to be where people can see them. You don’t see Phillip Pullman’s books being pulled from mainstream fiction for a special “Atheistic Fiction” section. Tolkien and Lewis can be found in both sections—religious and main stream. Maybe dual designation is what we should be looking for. Hmmm…

Q: How did you involve your students in the process as you wrote this book?
Fifteen years of students from three different Maryland counties and six different middle schools helped to shape The Door Within. They were my sounding board and my encouragers. In 1992, when The Door Within was only a 17 page short story, my 6th graders pestered me to make it longer...until I did. Then, they helped me to know what parts of the story interested them or made a personal connection. The kids seemed to enjoy being able to critique the teacher's work instead of the other way around. And those discussions took the kids into an amazingly sophisticated level of understanding of literature that they would not ordinarily have attained. "Mr. Batson, you need more foreshadowing in that chapter" or "Mr. Batson, I found that allusion to The Hobbit when Aidan said..." or "There's not enough description in this section. I just couldn't see it." These are 10, 11, and 12 year olds analyzing literature and thinking critically. Good stuff! And in the end, as I flirted with a publishing contract, nailed it down, and began the real process of editing, my students were there to share the suspense, excitement, and frustrations. And when my new batch of students comes in this year, I imagine they will exult in the finished product just as I do.

Q: Adults tend to pass over Young Adult books, thinking they are too simplistic in nature to be satisfying. Personally, I have found many of my most profound reads in this genre. What do you think adults can learn from Young Adult literature?
Grrrr…you hit upon a sore point for me. The same folks who think YA lit. is simplistic are the same characters who underestimate the capabilities and intellect of our kids. Kids are far more perceptive and intelligent than most would believe—and the books they read deal with REAL issues, issues that matter to them with a passion that is hard to imagine.

I think that adults can gain a lot from YA Lit. Especially they can regain their youth, their creativity, their dreams. To quote Gandalf when he spoke about the Ents, the tree people who had become stiff and too tree-ish: “they [parents] will awaken and find that they are strong.”

Q: Are you a seat-of-the-pants writer, or a planner? If a SOTP- how did you keep track of your information? If planned- could you share your method for planning a novel? (Spread sheets, notebooks, a card board box?)
Remember, I said it took me 13 years to write The Door Within? The reason why is that I was then, a SOTP or WWTMS {write when the muse strikes} kind of writer. Ah, I’ll never write like that again. I cannot tell you how many times I needed to rewrite and heavily revise that original manuscript.

By contrast, the next two books in the series: Rise of the Wyrm Lord and The Final Storm, took about 5-6 months each—all because now, I outline.

I’m not an OCD kind of outliner. I created a storyboard organizer, nothing fancy…just boxes and arrows. I use that to outline the plot—my outlines are about 7-10 pages and take about a month to create. Then, I hit the manuscript trail—and this is where the spontaneous takes over. As I work through the manuscript outline, all kinds of ideas come pouring in. “OH! Wouldn’t it be cool if at the end, this happens? Yes, and if so, I’ll need to foreshadow in this chapter, etc.”

I write story points all over the margins, on sticky notes, on the backs of church bulletins—I’ve even been known to write a cool idea on my daughter’s forehead. LOL I’ve learned to take advantage of the cool idea when it first appears, else it departs for good.

For my next series, a 7-Book Epic Fantasy, I knew I needed something more hardcore to outline, so I went surfing and by God’s grace found “SuperNoteCards” by Mindola Software. Most excellent software—is enabling me to keep track of a lot of elements. Love it so far.

Q: What is your favorite part of writing? Could you share your favorite scene in one of your books?
I absolutely LOVE the invention stage—the time when the initial concept comes together. Sometimes this is during outlining and other times it is preoutline. But it’s so cool when my mental movie projector just starts pulling together people and scenes. I get tingles, goosebumps, and a sense of Godly assurance that this story is going to ROCK.

One of my favorite scenes from The Door Within is where Aidan is lost in Falon’s Labyrinth. He makes a tragic mistake and discovers at last how the creature Falon was able to be everywhere at once. I’d tell you more, but that’d ruin a fun little adventure for anyone who hasn’t yet read The Door Within.

Q: Any musical inspirations that help you write?
I have strange musical tastes. While writing though, I listen to progressive heavy metal. I know what you’re thinking: a.) How can you possibly concentrate with that noisy music? But Prog Metal is really quite classical and symphonic. It’s also driving and epic—an adventure in every song. b.) And, secondly, isn’t that evil? I choose here to respectfully agree to disagree with my Christian peers who think that a particular style of music is inherently evil. The bands I listen to may not all be Christian, but they are mostly positive or ask the big questions of life. My particular favorites are The Orphan Project, Angra, Dream Theater, and Evanescence. Oh, and I like Yo-Yo Ma too.

Q: If a movie was made, based on The Door Within Trilogy, what actors would you have as the lead roles?
Ah, too fun! Here’s my potential cast:

Aidan Thomas: some unknown lad, soft-spoken but tough as nails. Maybe Josh Hutcherson (though he’s quite well-known now).

Antoinette Lynn Reed: again, an unknown, but she must have serious inner fire.

Captain Valithor: Sean Connery. Please, God, let them make the movie while Sean is still with us!

Falon the Mortiwraith: I’d like her to be voiced by Eartha Kitt the voice of Yzma in Emperor’s New Groove.

Paragor/Paragal: This may seem weird, but I’d cast myself in this role. I’ve read his most intense scenes like “Traitor’s Legacy” so many times, I feel like I just know his flaws and his arrogance. If not me, then Sean Bean or Richard Armitage.

Mallik: Gerard Butler, the Scotsman who played Beowulf

Sir Rogan: my buddy Dan who, I’m convinced, is part Viking.

Thanks, Wayne, for the great interview. These are some of the most fun questions I’ve had the pleasure of answering.

Q: I'm sure you get some terrific mail from readers. What are some of your favorite notes or comments you've received?
I get lots of fun comments like “Cool books!” and “I loved the part where…” Those are all nice, but, every once in a while, I get a correspondence that knocks me over. This was one of my favorites:
“I just needed to tell you my son finished the Door Within series last night. And at our night prayer he looked over to us and said these books have changed him. He had tears in his eyes. I asked him how and he couldn't quite find the right words but he said that the path between Jesus and he has become closer. What more could a parent want from a story. And we were worried he wouldn't find anything after reading Harry Potter!! My son is named Gabriel meaning strength of God. And I know these books have played an important part of his spiritual journey. Gabe is a 9 year old boy ready for the King's army. Thank you for opening a door for Gabe to some of heaven's mysteries that his father and I could never in a million words explain.”

Q: Have you found the process of "getting published" to be difficult and do you think that it's getting harder to break into the industry as a Christian fiction writer?
Getting published IS hard, and is probably getting harder. But, here’s the thing: if you write a great book, you will get published—but only if you persist. It’s daunting to pile up rejections. But you’ve got to work at your craft all time, making your product harder and harder to resist. Timing is important also. Pay attention to where the entertainment market is going, not just books, but all media. If you know that winter 2008 Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit will come out, you may have a better chance selling a fantasy title. The Door Within took 13 years to get published, and I needed every one of them. God put me through the fire, taught me to write all over again, and allowed me to learn about the business side of publishing. Now, I’m better prepared than I ever would have been years back.

Q: Do you have ideas or plans for novels outside of your current genre? And is Isle of Swords/Isle of Fire Pirate Adventures?
I have about 20-25 concepts for future novels. They exist in folders (backed up about 100 times, lol) on my various computers. Some are as short as a paragraph; some are as long as 10 chapters. Isle of Swords and Isle of Fire are pirate adventures—so not really fantasy. Of course, there is still room for a little fantasy in such a tale.

After Isle of Swords and a possible sequel, I plan to jump back into fantasy. I’ve been soaking up ideas for what may be a huge—I mean, epic—fantasy series. The plot grows exponentially every time I think about it. So many interesting fantasy races are popping up and introducing themselves. Creatures—ah, the bestiary is growing crowded. I’m about 15,000 words into the first book and have done the principal outline for all seven books in the series. I promise (God-willing) it will be the most epic tale I’ve ever written.

Thank you, Wayne, for interviewing yourself. You did a fine job. Much better than if I had made a list of questions.

Donita K. Paul

Wayne Thomas Batson - The Questions

2008-10-21T11:03:00.005-06:00

Author Q&A with
Wayne Thomas Batson

How did you involve your students in the process as you wrote this book?
Fifteen years of students from three different Maryland counties and six different middle schools helped to shape The Door Within. They were my sounding board and my encouragers. In 1992, when The Door Within was only a 17 page short story, my 6th graders pestered me to make it longer...until I did. Then, they helped me to know what parts of the story interested them or made a personal connection. The kids seemed to enjoy being able to critique the teacher's work instead of the other way around. And those discussions took the kids into an amazingly sophisticated level of understanding of literature that they would not ordinarily have attained. "Mr. Batson, you need more foreshadowing in that chapter" or "Mr. Batson, I found that allusion to The Hobbit when Aidan said..." or "There's not enough description in this section. I just couldn't see it." These are 10, 11, and 12 year olds analyzing literature and thinking critically. Good stuff! And in the end, as I flirted with a publishing contract, nailed it down, and began the real process of editing, my students were there to share the suspense, excitement, and frustrations. And when my new batch of students comes in this year, I imagine they will exult in the finished product just as I do.

How important is it to get children interested in reading and away from the television set?
My first couple years of teaching, there was a concern that technology would replace the need for literacy. But with the advent and explosion of the Internet, we have entered a new information age where reading skills are perhaps even more important than ever. Kids need to get interested in reading early. All the research shows that early reading aptitude and interest is related to success in later schooling and in the professional world. I'm grateful to J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series if for no other reason than for destroying faulty paradigms and interesting kids in reading like never before. 12 years ago, no one thought that kids would want or could even handle an 800 page novel. I actually had a publisher tell me once, "If you are planning to write a book for middle level readers, it better not be more than 150 pages." Kids are a lot more capable than many adults believe. Now more than ever we need to allow them to use their God-given skills to, as Gary Paulsen put it, "Read like a wolf eats."

What do you want the Christian message in The Door Within to convey to readers?
I want the Christian themes and messages in The Door Within to get people to think outside of the routine. So much of people's time is consumed with the daily grind, I want people to stop and consider the big questions like: Why am I here? Is there a purpose for my life? And why do things (even bad things) happen to people? I believe that only Jesus can answer those questions, so if there is anything I can do to plant a seed and get people to ask, then that's what I want to do. I hope The Door Within will open doors in that way.

What is it like being a Christian teacher in the public school system?
Being a Christian teacher in the public school system is awesome! You hear horror stories about people being persecuted or even prosecuted for their faith. That hasn't happened to me, and I hope it won't. Everyone knows I am a Christian and sometimes issues come up with the staff and we talk about them-which is great. It's also nice because in every school I've been in, there has always been at least one other Christian teaching there. I feel like the best way for me to be a light for the Lord in the public school is to just do a great job.
So I work hard. I plan engaging lessons. I make my room a place where kids want to come. In fact, the whole room is decorated like a castle—coats of arms, stone walls, faux swords and shields—the works! I work with my fellow staff members. We get along great. I try to be a dedicated, creative, hard-working teacher, so that someone might ask, "How do you do it?" I feel blessed to have worked in some incredible schools with other amazingly gifted teachers, and marvelous, intelligent children.

Wayne Thomas Batson

2008-10-20T13:12:00.011-06:00

I spent 9 days with Mr. Batson and 6 other fantasy authors. I came away impressed by all of them. The trip was grueling, but during times of stress, every one of them were cool, professional, and the essence of what you want your Christian companions to be. I want you to get to know these people better, since I had the privilege of getting to know them. So for the next few weeks I will be blogging about these authors who are now like brothers and sister to me.

Here's a picture of Mr. Batson, then. You can see he's a studious thinker, but who would have thought that he had The Door Within within.

Here's Wayne Thomas Batson now. I think the loss of tie and suit says it all. Wayne Thomas Batson is cool.

Now for some official data on the fantasy author of these fantastic books:

Wayne Thomas Batson is the author of the bestselling Door Within Trilogy and the Isle of Swords, pirate series. Mr. Batson writes adventures set in imaginative locales because he believes that on a deep level, we all dream of doing something that matters and that we all long for another world.
He was born in Seabrook, MD in 1968. During the early years he tortured his older brothers and sisters, doing those things that only younger siblings can do to get on your nerves. He attended Gabriel DuVal Senior High School and wrote this for his Yearbook Senior Goals: To become a professional writer or artist. During the high school and early college years, he played lead guitar for a rock band called "Contagious." They were catchy, but apparently not enough to get a record deal.
Having completed the rigorous Holmes English Literature Curriculum, he graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1991. In 1996, he received his first graduate degree in Counseling. He has continued his studies with 36 credit hours of graduate-level Reading courses.
Wayne Thomas Batson has spent the last sixteen years teaching Reading and English to middle schools students. He pioneered the active instruction of Strategic Reading in Anne Arundel County and has written Reading and English Curricula for three public school systems in Maryland. Most recently, he helped develop the Challenge Reading Curriculum for advanced readers in Howard County, Maryland. Mr. Batson tailors his stories to meet the needs of the young people he cares so deeply about.
The Door Within Trilogy books earned favorable reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, VOYA, and popular author/speaker Josh McDowell. The Final Storm is the last book of an epic fantasy trilogy for readers 10 thru adult.
Wayne Thomas Batson gives thanks to God for the abundant life he’s been given.
When last seen, he was tromping around the Blackwood Forest of Yewland with his beautiful wife and four adventurous children. If you’d like to know more about Mr. Batson and his books visit: http://www.thedoorwithin.com/ or http://www.enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/.

Tomorrow, we will look further into the life and times of Wayne Thomas Batson.

MOTIV8 Tour: Day 1

2008-10-06T23:53:00.001-06:00

A Hero, or two, arrive on the Fantasy Fiction Scene

2008-09-27T12:22:00.003-06:00

I get pretty aggravated because I have some really talented writer friends who have finished some awesome manuscripts, but they can't sell them. The CBA market is too tight, too uptight, and to poor to take chances. But that means nobody gets to read these fantastic tales but a few reader friends of the aspiring author. Somone else got ticked off about this sad situation and he was in the position to do something about it. So a new publisher, unconventional and sorely needed, is about to spring on the scene. I've seen the prototype book and it is every bit as good as those the standard publishing houses put out. So if you are interested in "speculative fiction," read on:
Marcher Lord Press is an indie publishing company dedicated to Christian speculative fiction: fantasy, SF, time travel, and the rest. Marcher Lord Press is the brainchild of CBA industry veteran Jeff Gerke, founder of http://www.wherethemapends.com/. Gerke is working to make Marcher Lord Press the premier publishing of Christian speculative fiction from Day 1. And Day 1 is this week! Marcher Lord Press is launching with three novels:

Summa Elvetica by Theodore Beale is a philosophical fantasy about what would happen if something very much like the Roman Catholic Church existed in a fantasy world and decided to tackle the question of whether or not Elves have souls.
The Personifid Invasion by R. E. Bartlett is action SF on a ruined Earth in which "interdimensional beings" discover they can take over the artificial bodies into which humans have transferred their consciousnesses.
Hero, Second Class by Mitchell Bonds is an epic comic fantasy about a young man who yearns to be a hero in a world in which Heroes have monthly dues and Villains are allowed only one eclipse per fiscal quarter.

Marcher Lord Press officially opens for business on October 1. They're holding a massive prize giveaway on that day--so be sure to get over to http://www.marcherlordpress.com/ before then to register to win. The grand prize is a trip for two to the 2009 Comic-CON convention in San Diego. Launch Day events also include free bonus books to be given away when you purchase one or more Marcher Lord Press novels on October 1.

Here's a little blurb about one of the first three books: Hero, Second Class is a delightful roast of all the fantasy fiction elements we hold dear. It is said that only someone who loves something can truly lampoon it. So it is in this case. Bonds' novel is a riot.
Quest with Cyrus, our young protagonist who aspires to be a Hero. But Heroes have a guild, you see, and lots of rules. One has to pay one's dues, apprentice to a Hero in good standing, and comport oneself as befits a member of the Heroes Guild.
Cyrus is fortunate to be serving his apprenticeship during a True Crisis, during which an Arch Villain is on the loose. An ambitious hero-in-training could make quite a name for himself during such times.
Cyrus's progress toward achieving his next level in the Heroes Guild is complicated by a wise-cracking dragon, a self-narrating knight, a droll zombie, and an attractive young woman who also happens to kind of be a cat.
On top of it all, Cyrus is discovering he has strange, non-standard-issue magical powers that definitely don't fit into his plans. And the Arch Villain (along with sundry Villains Guild members) has suddenly taken an intense personal interest in our plucky young protagonist.
If Cyrus isn't careful, he's not going to live long enough to become a Hero of any class.
Hero, Second Class, Mitchell Bonds, Marcher Lord Press, October 2008, 620 pages, $14.99

Ryan Watters Offer

2008-09-25T17:43:00.001-06:00

NEW RYANN WATTERS BOOK VIDEO UP – WATCH IT, PASS IT ALONG, GET A FREE BOOKMARKER!

We had lots of fun filming this book trailer video of Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword. Check it out at either my blog: http://ryannwatters.blogspot.com/ Or the Fantasy Fiction Tour Website: http://www.fantasyfictiontour.com/?page_id=44 along with the other author Book Videos.

PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO AS MANY FRIENDS AS YOU CAN!

If you forward this to 10 people then send me your address and I’ll mail you a free bookmarker of the new book! They just came in. No proof needed… this is the honor system!
Send your information to Mr. Reinhold to get the bookmark. His e-mail address is eric@ryannwatters.com

And the last winner is . . .

2008-09-24T17:46:00.002-06:00

Alassiel. She guessed a crown and that is correct!

You know the drill, Alassiel. I do not keep your addresses so you need to send it again plus the color you want to donitakpaul@msn.com.

One out of Three.

2008-09-14T20:27:00.002-06:00

Katie G. guessed correctly. I got a belt to hold the sword.
We can have more winners though. I still have three other things on my list for you all to guess. And if you look at the list of comments from the last page, and find out all the things that those items are NOT. Katie G. email me your postal address to donitakpaul@msn.com.

Go look at Real Armor for God, button link is on the right side, and see if you can guess the other three items I bought.

Shopping Spree Contest

2008-09-07T13:52:00.007-06:00

One of our sponsors for the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour is Real Armor of God. This company provided each of us with a sword and its sheath. But these generous people also gave each of us a shopping spree. So for this contest, I want you to guess what I bought from the website. I spent just under $100. I purchased four items, but I'm going to ask you to guess three.

Click on the Real Armor of God logo under Tour Sponsors to go to their sight.

I should give you some hints. I already have a cape, so I didn't buy one. The sword comes with the sheath and the little thing called a frog that attaches it to the belt. And I didn't buy anything for somebody else.

Okay? Put your guesses in the comments. The prize, of course, is a beaded dragon bookmark.

Read the comments because I'm giving clues there as well.