Scavenger Hunt Stop #31

Welcome to the Autumn 2014 Scavenger Hunt. You have arrived at Stop # 31. The hunt begins at noon (Mountain Time Zone) on October 17, 2014. You may have arrived here before the start which could mean all of the sites aren't ready quite yet. Once the official start has begun, you should go to Stop #1 and then work your way through the sites, gathering clues and entering bonus giveaways, until you reach the final stop which will also be on the site of Robin Lee Hatcher.

The hunt ends on Sunday, October 19, 2014 at one minute before midnight (Mountain). That means you have all of the weekend to finish it, so take your time. Enjoy reading the exclusive content the authors have prepared for you. You will collect a CLUE IN RED at each stop. Write them down as you go. At the end of the hunt, you will enter the clues into a Rafflecopter form. (The answer will make sense, even if you aren't familiar with the quote.)

The hunt is open to international entries. The grand prize is a Kindle Fire HDX. Two runners-up will receive a new release from each of the participating authors.

IN CASE YOU FIND A BROKEN LINK...

Robin Lee Hatcher has prepared a "cheat sheet" with direct links to each author's post in case a site goes down or a link gets broken. We hope there will be no such issues, but just in case, please make note of the URL for the Participating Authors & Stops page so you can check back and be able to complete the hunt.

And now, without further ado, I'd love to introduce you to our friend, Maureen Lang!

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Say Hello to Maureen Lang!

Maureen Lang has loved storytelling ever since she was ten years old and would invite friends over to "write stories." They often preferred playing with Barbies, but Maureen persevered with storytelling on her own. Since then she's published thirteen novels and is introducing her very first novella, The Gift-Wrapped Bride, which is part of the 12 Brides of Christmas collection. The idea of partnering with other favorite Christian authors for a series of romances set during the holiday season reminded her of inviting friends over to write together—what could be more fun?

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Heartland Christmas Brides

Thank you for visiting our Scavenger Hunt and for reading about the first Nativity Scene. A Nativity Drama plays an important part in my novella, The Gift-Wrapped Bride because my hero realizes the intent of every Nativity Scene is to soften hearts toward the miracle of Christ's birth. My hero, a reformed rascal trying to win the love of a woman who knew him only as a schoolhouse bully, tries to convince her he's changed by recruiting young troublemakers for a Christmas Pageant. Once they're transformed by God's grace, she'll see everyone deserves a second chance. God will be glorified, and my hero might just win himself a bride. That is, if the rascals he recruits will let their hearts be softened . . .

My novella is included in Heartland Christmas Brides, available now at your local Walmart, to be followed by Christmas Wedding Bell Brides and White Christmas Brides from a variety of authors offering heartwarming Christmas romances. For more information on the entire collection of the 12 Brides of Christmas, visit our website.

Or if you'd like to purchase all twelve of the novellas in e-book format, one story will be released from online booksellers every week between now and Christmas!

Interested? Check out these wonderful stories at Amazon.com or at Christian Book Distributors!

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History of Nativity Pageants

If you're anything like me, spotting a Nativity scene during the Christmas season is becoming more and more precious as the culture around us becomes increasingly secular. I love the visual reminder of what Christmas is really all about. And guess what? This was exactly what Saint Francis of Assisi thought when he introduced the first Nativity scene way back in the year 1223. He was a man who wanted to live like Christ. So he threw off the material world and, much to the consternation of his friends and family, began roaming the countryside as a beggar. A few years later he heard a sermon that inspired him to take his faith even farther - he wanted to preach the gospel wherever he went. Eventually he founded the Franciscan Order of Friars (Friends).

At midnight mass on Christmas Eve 1223 Saint Francis introduced the first Nativity Scene. Choosing the spot in front of a cave in Greccio, Italy, he brought in people to portray the Holy Family and live animals as their humble companions. Saint Francis wanted to bring the gospel alive for worshippers who were likely illiterate, or at least trusted others to read and interpret the Bible for them. He wanted to stir their hearts so they would marvel over the simple wonder of the greatest miracle ever performed—God becoming man to save us from our sins so we can spend eternity with our perfect Creator. This vision, Saint Francis hoped, would live in their minds long after that one night.

Surely Saint Francis's hopes were blessed. Since then, Nativity scenes have been turned into pageants and dramas seen all around the world.

I know it's early to be thinking of the Christmas season, but when you see a Nativity pageant or manger this year, count it among other miracles that such a tradition has lasted nearly eight hundred years!

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The Scavenger Hunt Skinny

Thanks so much for stopping by my site and participating in the new Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt. Before you move on to Stop #32, which is Maureen Lang's’s site, to pick up your next clue, be sure to write down this Stop #32 clue: SWALLOWED, AND

Also, please note: Many of the authors use Rafflecopter for their giveaways. Rafflecopter requires JavaScript to work. If you can’t see the form, please turn JavaScript on in your browser in order to enter. Rafflecopter sometimes doesn’t work on mobile devices. If you are on a mobile device and can’t see the entry form, then you’ll need to find a computer.

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But Before You Go...

As a special thank you for joining in on the Scavenger Hunt, we have an extra giveaway for you! Enter below and you can win a shiny necklace from the Dragon Lady Shoppe!

There will be TWO WINNERS, a boy and a girl. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2014 Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt & Fairytale Necklace Giveaway!

Spring is almost upon us, and with spring showers comes...books!

Starting April 4th and going through April 7th (4/4/14 - 4/7/14), Donita K. Paul will be participating in the 2014 Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! The hunt will be run by River of Time author Lisa T. Bergren with over thirty participating authors.

What does this mean for you? Possibly free books. Possibly even a free Kindle Fire HDX and a $100 gift card if you're the grand prize winner. ;-) In addition, there will be two runner-up prize packs including a book from each participating author.

For more information (and a list of what books to expect), head on over to Lisa T. Bergren's blog here.

There will also be some individual giveaways across some of the authors' websites: like here! Check back midnight, April 3rd to start entering below for a fairytale necklace! We're looking forward to seeing you around in April! ;-)

You could win this. Spiffy, right?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Scavenger Hunt 2013 Stop #6: Interview with L.B. Graham

Welcome to Stop #6 on the 32 Author Hunt! Hopefully you have the first five by now, but if not head on over here to help get your bearings, then read on to find your clue!

Donita K. Paul: Welcome to Dragon Bloggin’, L.B.. This scavenger hunt has me excited and confused.  Before we begin, I’d like to thank you for nudging me in the right direction when I floundered in the details. That’s the kind of friend to have.

Should we mention how we met in 2005 and how it went, or should we just leave that part out J ?

L.B. Graham: Thanks for having me, Donita, and while I’m proud of having been a Christy finalist in ’05 for Beyond the Summerland, as I’m sure you are for having been a finalist for DragonSpell, maybe we shouldn’t talk too much about how we didn’t exactly make a good impression on each other at first. Perhaps it would be better just to say that a week together on the Fantasy Fiction Tour in ’08 helped us overcome all that. J

DKP: I agree. On my part, I was so nervous I was having difficulty breathing, let alone shaking hands and chatting with complete strangers. I’m glad we’re not strangers any more.

So, let’s get to it.

It has been said about fantasy that: “Fantasy allows you to shine a different kind of light on human beings. I believe the only valid use of fantasy is to illustrate important human themes.” What themes do you illustrate in your books?

LBG: It’s a good question. My first series, The Binding of the Blade, revolved around the theme of ‘longing for restoration.’ It imagines a world where the making of weapons represents ‘the Fall’ and where the ‘unmaking’ of weapons is a prelude to Restoration. As such, it wrestles a good bit with what it means to navigate a broken world while yearning for a perfect one.

My current fantasy series, The Wandering, (which began with The Darker Road, this past summer) revolves around a very different theme than my first. Namely, that a world that rejects its maker and puts its trust and hope in lesser things might find that for this rebellion, a price might have to be paid. So, it is kind of a judgment theme and pretty different then the restoration theme of BOTB.

My Indie book, The Raft, The River, and The Robot, which is a slightly dystopic, futuristic novel inspired in large part by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, wrestles with identity – much like the book that inspired it. How do we find and define ourselves, and to what extent do parents and social context shape us, both in that we are molded by them and in that we push away at times from them?

And, having said all this, I hasten to add that the books are more interesting than this might make them sound. J The theme is often under and behind the story, not up front in preachy ways (at least I hope not…)

DKP: By the way, The Raft, the River, and the Robot is a book I’ll read again, and I have recommended it often. I lost sleep on that one in the “I’ll just read one more chapter” mode.

When and why did you start writing fiction?

LBG: While I had tackled a few stories before this, my first real story was “Killer Kudzu,” a choose-your-own-adventure story written in about 1982, I think. I wrote it on index cards as part of a project for school.  I continued to dabble in fiction in High School and College, and occasionally thereafter.

In seminary I did an independent study on “the Problem of Pain” and part of my arrangement with my supervising professor was that I could report on my work with a story, rather than a traditional paper, and I wrote a 60 page story for that.

I didn’t start working on a novel for publication until 1998/1999, when I began in earnest to turn that story into a novel, and even though I didn’t finish it, it got my wheels turning and led pretty soon to my decision to go back to the fantasy idea I’d had years before when I was a college student, and that eventually became The Binding of the Blade.

DKP: Describe your writing space.

LBG: This may be less than inspirational, but these days it is usually a booth at McDonalds. The coffee/soda is cheap and the internet is free, and I hunker down for a while and get to work.

I wrote my first series, alternating between home (on some weekday nights) and my classroom (on Saturday afternoons), but as my kids have grown and I live farther from the school where I teach, I’ve adapted. All I really need is my computer and some headphones to drown out the world, and I’m ready to go…

DKP: Your Binding of the Blade series was published by P&R Publishing, then you published two books independently, and your current series is with AMG/Living Ink. Which has been the best publishing experience? Why?

LBG: I’m going to do something unusual for me and take the tactful approach here and say ‘they aren’t better or worse, they’re different.’

Actually, I don’t have much of a choice, because while I worked with P&R pretty constantly between 2002 and 2008, and have since had a few years to reflect on that experience, I don’t have nearly the perspective on my Indie experience or AMG.

Having said that, they really are different. After working with a traditional publisher, I really enjoyed the creative control of Indie publishing. I made final decisions on covers, and on titles, etc, and that was great. Consequently, I have a finished product that really does fit my vision for each of those stories.

At the same time, I spent my money to get those books to that level of professional quality, I have to try to market them myself, and so on. Both the financial risk and potential reward grow exponentially with Indie publishing, so for me at least, the jury is still out on the wisdom of going that way.

As for AMG, the decision to go with them had a lot to do with the fact that they’ve consciously worked to create a fantasy presence in the Christian market, where many Christian publishers are hesitant to commit to fantasy as a genre. I applaud and appreciate that commitment.

DKP: Can you tell us about your latest release, The Darker Road?

LBG: The Darker Road is the story of the dramatic collapse of an empire. I don’t want to give too much away, but the King of this empire has stolen a powerful talisman of sorts, and he is using it to strengthen his already considerable military might. And even as he is preparing to use that might to further subdue the empire he governs, the rightful keepers of the talisman coming looking for it. That’s how it all starts, anyway, and the conflict that ensues is only the beginning.

There is a pretty cool ‘alternative technology’ system in the series, which makes for some fun devices and weapons and so forth. This also creates a pretty unique feel for the stories, as they don’t quite fit into the traditional, medieval/semi-medieval feel of many fantasy worlds. At the same time, I definitely think the series fits the ‘fantasy’ mold, even if it stretches some of the conventions.

For example, I think one of the fascinating things about fantasy is this contrast in fantasy stories between a way of life that is somewhat archaic, or behind us, and magic and magical abilities which give the characters abilities that are beyond us. In The Darker Road, I think the reader will get a similar experience, where sometimes the world feels dated, and in other ways, very advanced.

DKP: Any advice for aspiring writers?

LBG: Lots, but I’ll stay basic: read & write. The absolute, non-negotiable foundation for becoming a good writer is to read & write.  You need to read, read, read, so you can learn the craft of writing from those who have gone before, and you need to write, write, write, since no one (or almost no one, anyway) ever becomes good at anything without lots and lots of practice.

DKP: What do you want people to know aside from your writing?

LBG: This is a very open-ended question, so I’ll take full advantage. What I want people to know is that Christianity is about grace, not moralism, and I think when Christians set out to be story tellers, they need to keep this in mind. A book isn’t Christian because the people in it behave morally, even as a person isn’t a Christian because he or she tries to behave morally. We need a better, more faithful, deeper standard of evaluation than that.

DKP: Any final thoughts or comments?

LBG: Only my gratitude to you Donita – both for years of friendship & for giving me space on your blog to introduce myself.  And, of course, there’s that scavenger hunt clue that people may be here looking for, and that is “the greatest.”

I hope people enjoy the hunt, but more than that, I hope they take some time to discover some of the good books that are out there to be discovered.

[To learn more about L.B. and his books (and to keep hunting!), visit his website: www.lbgraham.com.]

Write Now Relief

Write Now Relief

How you can help the victims of Sandy and also get a little first aid for your novel!

 

WHAT: Bid on a 50-page critique of your novel by a published novelist! Highest bidder will send their amount to Samaritans Purse for their relief efforts for the victims of Superstorm Sandy.

 

WHEN: Begins Friday, November 9, ends Friday midnight EST November 16.

 

HOW: Head to the blog of the author you’d like to have critique your 50 pages. Find their Write Now Relief blog post and place your bid in the comments section of that post. Monitor it closely so that you can re-bid! Check back on this Facebook page for updates on all the bids. If you are the high bidder at the end of the week, make your donation and email a copy of your receipt to the author with your 50 pages. It’s that easy.

 

How much is a 50-page critique worth?

Most authors and editors can easily charge $35 an hour and a fifty-page critique is well over three hours of labor. But this labor of love is for victims who have lost everything. Their need is huge. One blogger who hosted a similar campaign last week had a top donation bid of $1,000 for a 50-page critique!
The minimum bid for Mrs. Paul to do is $50.

 

What will the critique entail?

The author you choose will read your fifty pages with an eye to giving you insights and feedback on all aspects of your story excerpt, including plot, character, story arc, mechanics, pacing, and reader appeal.

 

What is Samaritan’s Purse?

Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Here is a video from Samaritans Purse on their efforts to help Sandy’s victims.

http://youtu.be/rd7KyY2p6ms

 

How do I donate to Samaritans Purse?

You can head to the Samaritan’s Purse webpage on Hurricane Sandy http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/hurricane_sandy/

and click on the GIVE link imbedded on the page. Whether you are the highest bidder or not, do consider donating to this effort.

 

How do I start?

Check Susan Meissner’s blog on Thursday, Nov 8 for the full list of participating authors and their blog addresses. Pick an author, head to their blog on Friday, November 9, and make your opening bid.

 

The Charlatan's Boy by Jonathan Rogers

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.

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.

Christian Author Christmas Home Tour

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.

Brian Davis Interview - Part One

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

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.

And the last winner is . . .

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.

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.

Young Christopher or Grandma Paul?

Making it harder. The four hints below apply to me, Donita K. Paul, or Christopher Hopper. Sort them three and two and put your guess in the comments box. Same prize: the handmade beaded dragon bookmark.

1. I used to bleach my hair platinum blonde.
2. I dyed my hair black in college and was mistaken for the offspring of a drug cartel from Guatemala.
3. I almost failed French class.
4. I failed the Roschach Ink Blot test in college.
5. My father was a university professor.

Two to Go!

We have two authors left who have not been identified by the clues given. Big hint: me and Christopher Hopper. So I gave the answers, now for the hard part.

Two clues. You have to guess which one belongs to Chris and which refers to me.

1. I had a dog with three legs.
2. As a child, I trained dogs, cats, and birds to do incredible tricks.

Match up who to what and put your answers in the comments box. The prize is a handmade beaded dragon bookmark.

Contest Winner!

The answer is Jonathan Rogers. And we have three who correctly answered. Alassiel has already won a beaded bookmark, but I suppose we could send her another. Lion-hearted and Cylos Eli and Alassiel, send me your snail mail addresses to donitakpaul@msn.com and the colors you prefer. We'll send the bookmarks out poste haste!

I first bought The Bark of the Bog Owl, because I couldn't resist the title. When I read about the Feechiefolk, I couldn't resist buying the next two books.

Combo Athlete/Chicken ~ Chicklete?

Time to guess again. This time I am going to take all the names of those who guessed correctly and put them in a hat and pull one out to be the winner. The picture to the left shows you the type of bookmark we are giving away. I love making these. It is very relaxing. I will announce the winner on Wednesday because I have more wacky disconnected facts about the other authors and I want to share them. Fantasy Fiction Book Tour is going to be awesome. I get to spend 8 days with these nuts!

So who do you think made these curiosity-rousing statements?

1. I played in a Heavy Metal Band
2. I spent several summers working in a strawberry patch
3. I once played beach volleyball against Olympic/Pro Beach Volleyball Champion Sinjin Smyth
4. I used to be terrified of unfinished basements
5. When it comes to nachos, I believe in the "Moundage Principle"

Tongue-Swallowing Accordian Player Makes Another Touchdown

Just so you know, I asked my fantasy fiction friends to give me two sets of clues, so you can't look back and say, "oh, it can't be so-and-so, because she/he's already done it." And even I have a list of weird facts, so it might be me.

And here is a pic of the type of bookmark that is the prize. You get to choose the main color of the beads.

Same as last time: put your guess in the comments.

1. The first instrument I learned to play was the accordian.
2. I lived in 6 different states by the time I was in the 3rd grade.
3. I can swallow my tongue (yes and keep breathing at the same time). Really want to be on Letterman's "Stupid Human Tricks."
4. In 5th grade I wrote, illustrated and sold a comic book to my fellow 4tudents.
5. I swam competitively until switching to football and got a college scholarship to play football at a div 1 school.
6. I married my highschool sweetheart. We both attended the same church from gradeschool up and lived 1 mile from each other.

Contest Winner!

The winner of our contest is Jordan! To claim your prize of a handmade (we make 'em) beaded dragon bookmark, send an email to donitakpaul@msn.com. And tell us the color you would like.

L. B. Graham was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1971. He loved school so much that he never left, transitioning seamlessly between life as a student and life as a teacher. He and his family now live in St. Louis. They would like one day to have a house by the sea, which he wants to call "The Grey Havens." He and his wife have two children. Both love books, which pleases him immensely.

Who is BOTH an American & an Australian citizen?

My father was born in Melbourne, even though he grew up in Ethiopia. When I married an Australian, I applied for citizenship "by right of descent" and became a dual citizen.

Who won the math award at his/her high school before abandoning the study of math entirely after 1st semester in College?

Math always came easy, but even though I had a brilliant Calculus professor my first semester at Wheaton, I knew math wasn't for me.

Who has a father who grew up in Ethiopia?

My grandfather was Australian and my grandmother was American. They both went to Ethiopia as single missionaries in the late '20s and early '30s where they met, married and raised a family that included my Dad.

Who wrote a "choose-your-own-adventure" story for his/her 6th grade project on the state of Georgia called "Killer Kudzu?"

I knew I wanted to be a storyteller, even in elementary school, so I spiced up my "boring" state project with a story about Kudzu run wild and terrorizing the neighborhood, written on 3x5 index cards. Fortunately, my teacher had a sense of humor and loved it.

Who found out as a teenager one afternoon in Scotland that sheep are surprisingly nimble and impossible to catch on foot so he/she spent the afternoon throwing and dodging hardened sheep manure instead?

When I was 13 and my older brother was 16 we spent a month in Scotland and several weeks in England when my father did a pulpit exchange with a Scottish pastor. While visiting the Isle of Iona we lost interest in the history and turned out attention to the sheep...