Treasure Hunt Winners!

After hours and hours of trying to sort out the last FLURRY of treasure points, I have at last determined the final Treasure Point totals and our winners. There were a few point misunderstandings, as well as, some unintended spamming for recommendations, so I had to make a judgment call about some of the points. There were so many variables and so many qualifications not me (esp. naming people, places, etc) that I hope you'll all just trust that I added the points as accurately as possible. In some cases, I'll provide some extra explanation because some of you actually earned a lot fewer points than you at first calculated. Please email me directly if you have a concern.

Please know that I am thankful beyond words for everyone's incredible effort on behalf of God's work through my books. You all went way beyond my imagination on this, and I am absolutely thrilled. Win or lose, I hope you had a good time in the process. You are ALL Knights and Swordmaidens of Alleble, forever.

And now the list:

HannahShoop: 4985pts.
*Did not count all email recommendations, but awarded 1000pts for the effort.

FlinnFanofTwins: 3930 pts.
*You did not actually have the 3000 point Mega Treasure as Christopher Hopper's Books and my own were not included as purchased during the final week. You were awarded the points for the individual books purchased.

Haley: 1950 pts.
*Had an error in points totaled. This is my best estimate.

Ellie: 1870 pts.
*Did not count the oral book report as individual recommendations, but gave 500 points for the effort.

DragonRider: 1565 pts.

Pais: 1555 pts.

Jconn: 1340pts.

Scoutboy: 1150 pts.

Shane: 905 pts.

Kim: 860 pts.

MasonWilde: 715pts.

Pososhle: 695 pts.

GsusFreak: 675 pts.

Paige: 485 pts.

Tbon100K: 475 pts.

BeckyS: 460 pts.

Josiah's Mom: 450 pts.

TheWriter: 435 pts.

DerekRains: 400 pts.

Theophilus: 400 pts.

KareAlethias: 400 pts.

Lenore: 360 pts.

AmyBrowning: 190pts.

Will: 155 pts

Sarmjornn: 110 pts.

Melissa: 75 pts.

LindsayWest: 75pts.

Shadow: 55 pts.

SaphirraAdi: 50pts.

BrianTubbs: 50 pts.

Kay: 50pts.

Eve: 45 pts.

Paul: 20 pts.

HUGE Congratulations to Hannah, Flinn, Haley, Ellie, and DragonRider! The Five of you will have characters named after you in my next fantasy series. Remember, of course, that these characters may be killed off in remarkably unpleasant ways. LOL You also receive a signed book of your choice. Email me and let me know which of my books you'd like.

I'll need the three of you to email me the name you want me to use in the story. Hannah, Flinn, Haley could all work, but if you have a fantasy name in mind you'd rather me use, let me know. Ellie isn't really fantasy-esque, so do you have another name that would work? Dragonrider is cool, but my next series won't have people riding dragons. So let me know if you have another name you'd like me to use.

And Hannah, you are the grand prize winner. You will receive signed books from me for life. That means every time I have a new book released, you will get a signed copy of that book in the mail! Just email me your mailing address. Your first books will be Isle of Fire, due out August 13th, 2008.

Again, to all, YOU ROCK!!

Never alone.

-Wayne Thomas Batson

A New Author to Check Out...Meet Eric Reinhold!

Hi, all. I've just struck up an eMail correspondence with a new fantasy author. His name is Eric Reinhold. Here's a little bit about his new book: Ryann Watters and the King's Sword.

Ryann tentatively bent over to pick up the ring. Examining it closely, he decided it was safe and slipped it on his finger. Is it magic?” she asked, amazed, but still maintaining some distance. “Come on Liddy, you know magic isn’t real – this is supernatural.”

In the quaint rural town of Mount Dora, Florida, a nighttime visit from the archangel Gabriel sends Ryann Watters on his quest to find the King’s Sword. That same evening, Drake Dunfellow is chosen by a dark angel who “fell from heaven,” to stop him. Both boys are given powerful gifts from the angels to complete their tasks. Caught between two worlds, Ryann and his friends Liddy and Terell struggle to unravel the mystery of the sword’s location while seeking help from mythical creatures and talking animals in the heavenly Aeliana. Enter the worlds of spiritual warfare and fantasy, where the real and unreal converge, good and evil clash, and only one can be victorious.

You can check out his very cool website by clicking HERE.

A Poem...

As some of you already know, I got my creative writing start as a 6th grader. I wrote a scary story for a contest and won a chocolate cat. Mmmm...and a writer was born. But what you may not know is that my first creative passion came in the form of poetry. In high school, I constantly found myself feeling all manor of extreme emotions. Poetry became an outlet. I still love to write poetry and song lyrics. Here's my most recent poem.


So Many Ships

So many ships set sail.
In the beginning, strong
ships, sturdy
ships, and proud.

Their tall masts
like stiff necks, spurn
the shores, break
free from port, and wander
out into a vast
and churning
sea.

So many ships.
Uncountable sails
of every color,
every type, a mighty
force, but the sea
is bigger still.

In the middle
of a wide and featureless
sea, far away
from the horizon,
the ships are tossed
about by rolling
waves. No rudder,
no ship’s wheel, but wide, wide sails
to catch each breath, each gust, each gail.
And spare sails below
deck for when the first ones tear.

So many ships sail a zig-zagging
careening path
but always into the storm.
Always fearing, never steering,
these ships go on the whim
of wind or wave. The current takes them,
and they barely resist.

Suddenly, a few
ships, a tiny remnant, break
away from the leery
crowd and race
toward the Sun.
These few ships, outcasts
all, with their closed
cabins, leaning
masts, and tiny
sails are no longer slaves,
no longer Captain—less.

But the other ships, so many ships
sail on, now refusing
to change course. Sails tattered,
decks and masts creaking
In the end, as night falls,
there are stars. They shine,
they guide, they beckon,
but the ships ignore
the call. They sail aimlessly
on. And the horizon is close.

Perilously close.

by Wayne Thomas Batson