Surreal. That's how I'd describe my writing journey. With the receipt of my last royalty statement, I've reached a milestone that blows my mind: To date, I've sold over a quarter of a million books. That would be 250,000+ books. Eight books published. Number 9 and 10 on the way. Six of these reached various spots on CBA and ECPA Bestseller lists. Several awards including: Mom's Choice, Silver Moonbeam, The Lamplighter, etc. I'm not boasting, or, if I am, it's boasting in God who made it all happen. But it just smacks me upside the head. Surreal.
Fifth Grade. I think my writing journey began in 5th grade. There was a Halloween Story writing contest in my school: Catherine T. Reed Elementary. I liked scary stories. But the prizes motivated me more. lol. First place was a big chocolate black cat. And, they would read my story to the whole school. On top of that, this girl I had a crush on was entering. There was to be a girl winner and a boy winner. The wheels turned, and I entered. I remember working on the story at home and letting my mom and dad read it. Believe it or not, I have a visual memory of them reading this one scene where the main character fell down a trapdoor in the haunted house that led to a sliding board down, down, down into some other creepy setting. And I remember my parents telling me, "Wayne, that is really creative." That meant the world to me, esp. because it came from my parents. I ended up winning the contest. So did the girl. They read our stories over the loudspeaker to the whole school. People I never knew came up to me afterward and told me how cool the story was. So I formed an equation:
Good Stories = more friends, cute girls, and chocolate
High School. Fast forward to my teenage years. I didn't write too many stories in high school. I got heavily into poetry. It was kind of adolescent therapy for me. Those are tough years, and I wrote my way through them. I ended up in a heavy metal band with some of my best friends. I wrote a ton of song lyrics. In my high school yearbook, I wrote that I wanted to someday become an author.
Teaching. I started teaching middle school reading/English in the fall of 1991. It wasn't too many years in that I began to realize, I didn't like most of what the county gave us to teach the kids. Not the skills really, but the literature. So I started writing my own stories for my lesson plans. My students responded big time. They really seemed to like my fiction. In 1993, my students challenged me to do the assignment I had give them: write a first person narrative short story. So I did. The story was called The Faith of a Child. It was written in green ink on 17 pages of loose paper. My students LOVED it. They kept asking me to read it again...and again. They encouraged me to write more. And over the years, it became about a 50 page novelette. Then it grew some more. During that time, God was very patient with me. I fell into kind of a rut where I was becoming content with mediocrity. I had this thing where I could tell people, "Yeah, I'm working on a book." I enjoyed being able to say that and all the kudos people threw at me for even attempting such a thing. But I was either too afraid or too lazy or both to do something more. But God kept sending little reminders of the gift He'd given me. People would come out of nowhere and tell me something positive about my stories. It kept me going.
Bill and Gregg. One of my best friends in the world, Bill Russell, got tired of me sitting on my book, then called The Door Without Hinges--yes, based on that little 17 page short story from 1993. Bill was attending Dallas Theological Seminary and befriended a guy named Gregg Wooding who part timed as a Publicist for Josh McDowell, Deion Sanders, etc. Gregg was thinking of expanding his operations to include literary work. So Bill suggested that I get my book to him. Gregg loved it. He said he wanted to be my agent. I went back to work on the manuscript, and it became The Door Within.
Atlanta ICRS. Gregg called and told me to book a flight to Atlanta in the summer of 2004. He wanted me to come to the big International Christian Retailer Show so that we could meet some publishers and pitch The Door Within. Interestingly, I sat down with the late Dan Penwell of AMG. He loved The Door Within concept and told me he felt we might be able to do business. I was STOKED. I remember calling my wife Mary Lu and my parents to tell them the news. And then, we sat down with Dee Ann Grand, the acquisitions editor for Thomas Nelson, and pitched The Door Within to them. She loved it. If anything, she was more enthusiastic than I was about the book. Thank you, God, for Dee Ann Grand. She really pushed my trilogy through some battles in Thomas Nelson. But that fall, I had a contract. I was going to be a published author. My wife cried. I stood there just numb over it all. Surreal.
Full Circle. This summer I'll be headed back to Atlanta for this year's International Christian Retailer's Show. But this time, I'll be with AMG publishers promoting The Sword in the Stars and The Errant King. Kind of cool, the way God works things.
New Frontiers. The publishing world has changed forever. And we're just on the doorstep. eBooks are becoming the modern Gutenberg Printing Press explosion. Kindle, Nook, Cruise, eReader, iPad, etc. etc. --these eReaders are appearing everywhere. eBook sales are exploding. And I don't think we're even close to the tipping point. So I'm working on Ghost, my first selfpublished novel. And I'm going to publish it as an eBook, though I will use print on demand through Create Space for those who want a hard copy. If I can get enough reader interest, I may also publish Ghost in a special Hardcover edition with all kinds of special tip ins and extras. We'll see. But you might be wondering, why self publish. Sure, eBooks are exploding, but couldn't you publish Ghost through a print publisher and have them do the eBook? I could, sure. And my other 9 books through Thomas Nelson and AMG are all available in eBook format. But, as much as I hate to admit it, I need to selfpublish. Really, it comes down to dollars and sense. Print Publishing's dirty little secret is that they don't pay their authors very well. In those 250,000 books I've sold, I've averaged 42 cents a book. I am dearly grateful for the income, but it isn't even close to enough to support a family, not over 6 years. So I've been a full time teacher and a full time writer. Add those to a full family life and you get a challenging juggle. So I need to selfpublish. Amazon is offering 70% royalties for eBooks. I just can't afford to miss out on that.
A Request. If you're still reading this, you're probably a pretty dedicated reader of my work. So, I'd like to throw a request out there. Tell me your story. How'd you find my books? Which books have you read? Which books are you hoping to read soon? What would you tell other people (who haven't read) about my books? Post a comment. I'd love to hear from you.
The Books: And, if you are in the market for a new book or an audiobook even, click the links below and check out these tales of adventure and fantasy!
Isle of Fire Audio
52 comments:
WOW I love this! :) I always wonder how my fav authors got into writing and how they first got published!
I found your books through a friend. She gave me "The Door Within" for my birthday. I knew from the moment I looked at the back cover that I would love the series and once I read it, I couldn't stop. I went to the library and got the other 2. My favorite of that series is "The Final Storm". The ending is just so powerful, makes me cry every time! I read your other books and found you on facebook and I can not WAIT for your new books to come out!! I was very excited when I read this that you might have "Ghost" in a print format. Since I don't have an ereader I was hoping for print! I'll deff buy one if you end up doing that! I do hope that sometime you finish the "Isle of Swords" series. I always wondered what happened next. :)
Thank you so much for writing Sir Batson! You are deff one of my favorite authors and I hope you keep writing!! :) I'll buy your books!
Elizabeth:)
Never Alone!!
I've read every single one of your books, and loved all of them. I found your books through a random search in my library system for Christian authors. I thought the summery for The Door Within sounded unique and interesting, so I ordered it. You're now my favorite fantasy author. I look forward to what God leads you to write next.
Never Alone!!
I first read your books when I found Isle of Swords at the Library. It was so amazing, I had to read the next one. Later on, I reread them and also read the Door Within Trilogy. I'm hoping to find the others at the library soon!
Will you write more pirate adventures?
Never Alone!
My friend gave me the Door Within to read in middle school, and I loved it. I couldn't put it down and I took it back to her the next day, gushing about how awesome it was! She couldn't believe I had read it already (:
I've read the whole Door Within series, your pirate series, Curse of the Spider King, and Sword in the Stars (which is my favorite so far!). Hopefully I can read Venom and Song and The Errant King soon!
And I also introduced my brother to your books and he loves them also (:
Lots of people have their "intro to fantasy" books. Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Gormenghast... the list goes on. But The Door Within was the first fantasy trilogy I read by myself, and I think I owe a debt of gratitude to you for that, because I'm not sure if I would have fallen in love with the genre without those books. I really, really need to go back and read them again.
I'm really excited for Ghost—I am saving for a Kindle, so hopefully I'll have it by time the book releases. If so, you can count on me being one of the first in the virtual line at Amazon!
I went back and looked and found that I 'discovered' you in January of 2007 when I was part of the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour (http://csffblogtour.com/). We featured The Door Within trilogy that January and I loved the series, loved your authorial voice. There were hiccups and misses but it was your first trilogy and I saw the amazing growth over the three books.
I then read and reviewed The Curse of the Spider King, Book 1 of The Berinfell Prophecies in November 2009. Loved that as well! You and Christopher Hopper crafted that book so well together.
However, I am a 38 year old woman and as such I don't read too many YA books. Because of that I haven't read your newer work or continued with the Berinfell books. I hunger for high quality grown up speculative fiction. That is why I am so excited about Ghost. A grown up book!
I'll be completely honest with you; I have very strong concerns about self published books. Sadly I've found that in general they are not up to the standards (in terms of editing, story flow) and at this point I don't try new to me authors who are self pubbed unless they have been recommended to me by a trusted source - or like you, they are authors who I already like and have found produce quality work.
I also read almost exclusively on my Nook now so if something is not offered in eformat I'm not buying. As an aside I'm so glad to see Marcher Lord Press books with digital sales now!
I wish you the very, very best of luck and (im)patiently await Ghost. From my past experiences with your work you are excellent at weaving faith and the Christian world-view in your books without it feeling like a Sunday sermon! Hopefully you area amazingly successful with adult spec fiction because heaven knows we need it.
I first found your books when the cover of The Door Within caught my eye in a Christian bookstore. I wasn't planning on buying any books there, probably because I'd never heard of the existence of Christian fantasy before then and didn't know to look for it. But I read the back cover, bought TDW and Rise of the Wyrm Lord, loved both, looked up your website and have been reading your books ever since.
So far I've read every published book of yours except Venom and Song, which I have and plan on reading sometime this summer. I'm really looking forward to Ghost.
Wow. That's such an amazing journey. Thank you for sharing! It's both a little discouraging and encouraging to me at the same time. I didn't know that print publishers paid the author so little, but it's great that ebooks offer such an opportunity to earn more.
I have a question though: What would you recommend for a new author? Go the new route and self-publish? Or is it better to start with a trad publisher and build up a fan base first? I've been writing for years now, and I think I'm getting to the point where I'm ready to get published, but this crossroads has me stumped. :)
I'm having trouble remembering how I first stumbled across your books. I was really into Bryan Davis's Dragons In Our Midst series, and I think when he was on the first Fantasy Fiction Tour with you, that's when I decided to try one of your books (because I followed all the updates and videos even though I couldn't attend the events).
I've read the Door Within trilogy, Curse of the Spider King, Venom and Song, and I'm currently reading Isle of Swords. I'm hoping to read your other books when I have time. Ghost sounds intriguing.
I first found the Door Within when I was searching on CBD for the next book I would read, when I saw it. I have always loved medieval-set stories, but the Door Within just blew me away! I read the entire book cover to cover in an hour's time! I read the rest of the series quickly after, and then I ordered the rest of your books. I love all of them! All of their stories and themes are unique and amazing! My favorites are The Door Within Trilogy and The Sword in the Stars. I can't wait for the errant King and Ghost to come out! I hope Ghost comes out in print!
Can't wait to read the rest of your amazing books! Thanks for being such an inspiration! :)
Elizabeth H.
Congrats, Wayne! LB and were just talking this morning about GHOST and his idea of putting a website together to help promote it.
My story starts with my brother. While he was in the states, he found a book with a title that was intriguing enough to pull off the shelf, Isle of Swords. After he read it, he figured I would enjoy it as well because I really enjoy tales of action and adventure. My brother gave the book to me for my birthday and I loved it. I was ecstatic when I heard there was a sequel. I requested the sequel for Christmas and was overjoyed to receive The Door Within series as well as Isle of Fire. I read through the series and reread Isle of Sword. Because of the time constraints with college classes, I did not make the time to read all of Isle of Fire and I still have yet to read Curse of the Spider King, despite being involved in both tribe contests. This is my story and it’s far from over.
~ Anna, Graceful Sword of Hope
Well, I'm not completely sure how I found your books. I think I just noticed them on a Christian store's bookshelf one day and decided to read it. :) Your trilogy really got me started on reading fantasy and other fiction. Since then, I've read all of your books that you have published. I hope to read all of the ones you go on to publish as well!
A few of years ago, a lot of my friends were reading Eragon and talking about how good it was. They told me that I should read it too. I asked my parents to buy me the book for Christmas, but they said they couldn't find it. They bought me The Door Within instead. I read it and loved it! After that, I bought The Rise of the Wyrm Lord and The Final Storm. They were amazing! The door within trilogy is definitely one of my favorite series!! In the back of The Final Storm, there was an excerpt from Isle of Swords. The book sounded awesome so I decided to buy it. I read it and bought Isle of Fire after that. A few months later, I found you on facebook and saw that that you had written another book called Curse of the Spider King. I was so excited that you had written another book and I went and bought it the next day. I joined the Underground and eagerly waited for your next books to come out. I bought Venom and Song and Sword in the Stars the days they came out and absolutely loved them.
If anyone every asks me if I know any good books to read, the first book I tell them about is The Door Within. Seven of the people I have told went and read it and all of them loved it. Your books got me to love reading and inspired me to write some stories of my own. You are an amazing author and I can't wait for your next books!! :)
My friend suggested the Door Within Trilogy to me about 2 years ago, and a little while after that I decided to read it. I LOVED the series and shortly after devoured the pirate adventures. You became one of my favorite authors. When I saw COTSK, I wasn't so excited about it, but decided to read since you had a hand in writing it. COTSK is now my absolute FAVORITE book! Your books are inspiring and entertaining. I can't wait to read your next works!!!!
Endurance and Victory!!!!
Wow, this is so cool! Definitely 'my kind of post.'
I honestly don't remember how I found your books. I began with the Door Within series, which I loved. I asked for them for my 15th birthday and recieved them, much to my pleasure. Then I found the Isle of Fire/Swords books, which I liked even better than the Door Within!! (I have a soft spots for pirates, and Cat was just too cool). And then, of course, the Berinfell Prophecies, which I highly enjoyed (Though honestly not quite as much as your other books). And my FAVORITE to date is the Sword in the Stars; I LOVED it. The characters were complete, and aside from the strangely-resurrected couple (grin) I found it flawless. (Note: My Mom didn't finish it because she thought it was too dark. I just thought I'd share that with you as feedback).
I DO hope you do another book in the Isle of Swords series, I absolutely loved it! (Speaking of which, have you seen Jon Maiocco's song for it? http://jonmusic.blogspot.com - he is an AMAZING composer. He's fantastic.
Keep on writing, Sir Batson!
I ran across Isle of Swords at a Family Christian Store. It was on a summer reading sale, so I read over the back cover. It sounded good, and it only cost about $5 so I bought thinking I wouldn't loose much if I didn't like it. But when Padre revealed his tatooed map, I was quite intrigued. It just got better from there on out. I loved it! You wouldn't believe how thrilled I was to discover there was a sequel. Since then, I've read every one of your books and am ever so eager for The Errant King!
Oh! And I agree %100 with need2read. More pirate adventures?
"How'd you find my books?"
My mom (an avid reader) read the Door Within Trilogy and thought I would like them (being the fantasy/fiction lover that I am). She gave them to me, and I finished them in no time. I reread them. And reread them until I started having crazy dreams about them.
Then, I was looking through a booklet from a bookstore that I received in the mail, when I saw Curse of the Spider King. After I read that, I joined the Underground, and have followed your books ever since.
"Which books have you read?"
Every book you've published. I love all of them, and have read The Final Storm at least 18 times (plus all of the other times I just skipped aroung your other books, rereading my favorite parts).
"Which books are you hoping to read soon?"
-a third Pirate Adventure
-a third Berinfell Prophecy
-The Errant King
-Ghost
"What would you tell other people (who haven't read) about my books?"
-That these are the best books I've ever read.
-They make you think.
-They place you with the characters, like the story was happening with you right there.
-They stay with you long after you read the last word, set the book down, and whisper, 'Wow,'.
I love your writing. God has given you an incredible gift. I hope and pray that you continue to use it to His glory.
God has used your books in my life as doors to friends and opportunities to share about Jesus.
It's truly amazing what God can and will do with those willing to follow.
Thank you, Sir Wayne.
Endurance and Victory!
Never Alone!
-Pathfinder
To say I'm an avid reader is an understatement. Usually, the only books I read are fantasy and adventure, and the best are Christian. When I need new reading material, I go onto the Christian Book Store websight and look up my favorite books, then look at the list of books related to it. I find a lot of them that way. I saw TDW once or twice, and finally read a sample. I was in love. They had the first book at our local CBS, so I got it. And the rest is epic history. I'm now one of your loyal readers. The only one of your books I haven't read are the Sword in the Stars, but I might soon. Keep writing, Mr. Batson!!!
Well sir you got me into your books. I was in my sixth grade year at Mount view middle as you were writting the door within. A little while later when I saw your book in a store I bought it, read it and was hooked ever since. You've inspired me to start writing meself. I never thought I could get my stuff published, but you've given me hope. I have off from collge and Im going to throw myself into my work. I hope that maybe you might come to my book signing as it would be a huge honor for my biggest insperation to be there. -your faithful reader:Brian Daugherty
I was introduced to your books by my sister - who read the Door Within Trilogy and begged and begged and begged me to read it. I finally did and i fell in love. I believe she found the books at the Library, and then after reading them received copies of them for Christmas. The same goes for the Isle of Swords - she found them at the library, but I read them after she had bought them from the store. When the Isle of Fire came out, we got it from Amazon, and the same with the Curse of the Spider King. I have yet to read your other books (high school really bogs one's reading list down) but I myself do prefer hard books to ebooks and audio books.
What would I tell someone about your books? i would tell them that your books are amazing, inspirational, engaging, and filled with truth. They inspire me in my christian walk, and they are great stories in and of themselves, with some great characters, symbolism, imagery, and morals.
Thank you so much for posting this bit of testimony of god's hand in your writing career! Your story is an inspiration and a great reason for praise!
Thank you!
Kel
Cool Article :P
Well when we got the books at our library a friend of mine tried them out. They were new books on the shelves and some of the few in that library I had not read yet. He said they were good books so I decided to try them out. After I read the first chapter I couldn't put them down. I finished The Door Within in a night,read the rest of the trilogy and then, read it again devouring the books. I had read The Chronicles of Narnie but The Door Within Trilogy was the series that REALLY got me into fantasy,a genre which is now by far my favorite.
Now I'm working on reading the rest of your books and planning on getting some more fantasy books such as The Victor, Rise of the Dibor,Lord of the Rings, ect. Mr. Batson You have got me addicted to fantasy :) On the bright side thats not a bad thing.
Readaholic + Good fantasy books = ♥
My favorite part of The Door Within in particular was how you wove Christianity in to the plot. Reading it and seeing how it reflected the Bible made reading The Door Within a awesome enjoyable experience.
I would tell anyone to read your books. You are an amazing author who has a wonderful way of captivating readers in your work.
Thank you for writing!
-Readaholic
Hey, I love your books! Thanks for telling me your story. I always wondered how you became such an awesome writer.
I started out reading your books from a recommendation from a friend. I really connected with Aidan. He felt pretty much the same way I felt when I first read that. (except for the moving part =P)I loved the first book and continued on through the trilogy. I picked the Final Storm as a book report and started reading it one Saturday. I got so into that book that I read it all the way through that Saturday. The Final Storm was, dare I say, EPIC!
Since then, I have read pretty much all your books, except Sword in the Stars, which I want to order soon, and am readily recommending the Door Within trilogy to all my friends.
All glory to God,
Kenny (Never Alone!!!)
P.S. (I didn't know if you knew this, but Amazon only has the first book on CD now =(
I didn't find your books, my older sister did. About 4 years ago my sister recieved Donita Paul's Dragonspell and L.B Graham's Beyind the Summerland for christmas. That was our first intro to christian fantasy and we liked what we found. We devoured the rest of those author's books, but we wanted more. So we went to CBD and did a genre search. Your covers attracted us, as did the good reviews we found on CBD and Amazon. So we bought the entire Door Within series and read them within a week. A few months later ISle of Swords came out and I bought that. I think Isle of Swords is your best work and it is one of my top ten favorie books. Isle of Fire was a christmas present. Sword in the Stars I just recieved for my birthday and enjoyed greatly. Especially the reference to Sharon Hinck's character Keiran of Braide Wood. You are one of my favorite authors and one of the few I've actually met. I met you and Christopher Hopper at the Banshee Pub. I am looking froward to Ghost. Keep writing, I love your work and I can't wait for the Errant King.
Estelwen
I first found "The Door Within" browsing the library shelves. Back then that was how I found what I was going to read, and consequently I got into some not-very-good stuff. Never judge a book by its cover or what it says on the inside jacket! Being a very young girl at the time, what I read in some books confused me and made me feel uncomfortable. So, naturally, I "entered" "The Door Within" tentatively. Imagine my elation at discovering that it was a Christian story! I ate up the trilogy eagerly, certain that I wouldn't run into anything inappropriate. I wasn't disappointed. The story was wholesome and interesting, and the end left me thinking for days. It was just what I needed to help get me on the right track book-wise. Thanks for writing something meaningful for kids!
As for your other books, my library doesn't have any more than the Door Within trilogy, so I will have to request them to be sent from another library. Do you have any suggestions as to which I should read next? ;)
Thank you again, Mr. Batson!
Never alone.
Hello Wayne,
I found your books not too long ago, probably less than a year, through another writer's website. I think it was L.B. Graham, but I'm not sure.
So far I have read The Door Within, Rise of the Wyrm Lord, The Curse of the Spider King, and Venom and Song. I'm hoping to get the Final Storm and Sword in the Stars soon.
Your story is really inspiring, thanks for posting it. One day I hope I'll get something published that will be able to say something meaningful to our generation, even if it's not a work of fiction.
Once again, thank you so much.
Well, in all honesty I can't remember when I really got into reading. One memory has me recalling reading The Door Within and discovering my love for reading and another is a recollection of reading Raising Dragons. Either way I've read all of your books except SitS which is just taunting me, but because of responsibilities as a book reviewer I haven't been able to read it yet.
I actually was at my cousins house who recently moved into our area and was asked to recommend some books that would fit their sons age group. I immediately thought of The Door Within.
Seth,
A good friend of mine told me about The Door Within soon after it was first published. I checked the library for it and saw that they had ordered copies for it. So I put my name down for it. I still remember reading it for the first time. It was unlike anything I had read so far, and I LOVED it. I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Aidan. Once I finished, it was absolute torture to wait for the Rise of the Wyrm Lord to come out. I liked the books so much that I bought them. And ever since I have been buying your books as soon as they come out. So I have read all your books and am eagerly waiting for The Errant King.
Thank you for writing these books! They have been favorites over the years.
Blessings!
-Violinist4Christ
Dear Mr. Batson,
I really enjoyed reading that post! I can honestly say that I do not remember how I found your Door Within Trilogy, but I do know that it's one of the best Christian trilogies that I've ever read! I think my mom found it when my mom and I were at the library one time, and I loved it (even though my friend spoiled it all for me), and I was so happy when I bought them for myself back in February at the His Way Christian Book Store in MD (and thank you for signing them!!!)
I've been writing since third grade when I attempted to write the last Harry Potter book way before it officially came out. It was just a fun (and poorly written) thing that I did when I was bored. Sixth grade was when I started writing seriously, and I was trying to do a superhero type novel, which flopped.
Then, one summer, my friends and I made up this game and I knew that I just had to write it down, so I started to, and it also flopped. In eighth grade, I started The Ghost Speaker Chronicles off a writing promp. That's still a WIP, and probably won't be finished for a very long time, if ever.
Recently, though, I decided to go back to that story based off a game, and I plan to finish it by the end of the summer, which probably won't happen because I'm not even halfway done it yet. But, I'm very happy to say that it is now over sixty pages long and has a title (Bluehart), which is probably going to be the final title.
So that's my writing story. It's not over yet, and hopefully it never will be.
God Bless,
~Hannah~
I found your books through my parents, who read The Door Within Trilogy to me at night. (I had some very advanced nighttime reading material, ok?) Then, someone (either my mom or my friend) suggested that I read Isle of Swords. From there, it's history. I love your books, and go crazy every time I hear about a new release. I've read all your books except for Ghost, and I recommend them to anyone looking for good fantasy, fiction, or books in general.
I believe that God led me to your books :) sounds crazy but heres the story:
We went to Texas for a cousins wedding, it was more stressful than vacation because an employee decided to quit and move to washington while we were gone. During the chaos (who's watching the shop now?!?!) I had read my only book, my mom took pity on me and my sister and took us to barnes and nobles. I was just about to leave with nothing when out of the corner of my eye I saw a purple spine sticking out of the shelf, I could swear it wasn't there before. It was the only one there. I looked at the beautiful cover then read the back synopsis. It sounded amazing, so I brought it with me.
And that my friend, is how God gave me my favorite book of all time 'The Door Within.' (I seriously swear that the book wasn't there before.)
Its an awesome story. Its very inspiring that its a true story. I'm also thinking of self publishing my book through amazon also.
One sunday afternoon, my friend from church brought me your book The Door Within,(I just started reading christian sci-fi type books) and I read in three days! How could I wait the rest of the week to get the next book!?!? Thus began my seaching and reading of W.T.Batson's books. I have read the whole The Door Within series, Isle of swords, (will there ever be a third book? ;) and The sword in the stars. I'm hoping to read the Curse of The Spider King and Venom and Song this summer. I can't wait for The Errant King and Ghost! I know they will be good!
♥macy
A friend of mine introduced me to "The Door Within," and I've been hooked ever since. I've read all of the books you've published so far, and they were all AWESOME.
By the way, when's "The Errant King" gonna come out?
Probably unlike a lot of your readers, the first book that I read of yours was "Isle of Swords". I had seen it in the CBD magazine, and thought that it looked interesting, but wasn't sure whether it was good or not. But when my mom and I were at the Christian Book Store I saw it again, read the back, and decided that I'd give it a try. No sooner had we gotten back into the car and begun driving then I had opened it up and begun reading the first chapter... and well... frankly, I've been hooked ever since. :) That was before "Isle of Fire" was out yet, so once I had finished reading "Isle of Swords," I moved on to "The Door Within Trilogy," and then eventually "Isle of Fire" and "The Berinfell Prophecies." Absolutely LOVED all of them and proudly display most of them on the top of my shelf (where I put all of my favorite books), only missing "Venom and Song" and "Sword in the Stars". (I am VERY eagerly awaiting a chance to read "Sword in the Stars"!!!)
As to what I'd tell other people who haven't read your books.... First of all, READ THEM!!!! They are completely amazing, well written, and stuffed with good messages and inspiring stories. They've encouraged me so much in my writing, and, when I was in writer's block, spurred me on to get back into my story and write.
Thank you, Mr Batson, for writing these books. :)
God bless.
~ElizabethMarieKauffman~
This is an awesome blog-post!
My dad was working at Thomas Nelson for a time and he read "The Door Within" and suggested that I read it. I was in the middle of something at the time (I believe it was a Harry Potter book) and declined the offer. My older sister read it. She loved it and suggested it to me. Once again, I declined.
The book sat on this little table in the family room for some time, a few months or so, and I became used to its presence there. One day, my mom moved the book to the huge bookshelf while I was away, and when I came back to the family room after being out all day one of the first things that struck me was that the book was not in its normal place.
I didn't really care, but I decided to look for it anyway. When I found it on the bookshelf, it struck me that it DID look pretty cool, so I picked it up and read the first paragraph.
SOLD.
That's how it started, and not long after my dad brought home an Uncorrected Advance Reading Sample of "The Rise of the Wyrm Lord" and later "The Final Storm". I felt like the luckiest guy in the world.
Much better than that Harry Potter I was reading.
I'm writing some of my own fantasy now, and, you know how every author always has influences? Well, my friend described my writing as a mixture of Terry Goodkind, Bryan Davis, and Wayne Thomas Batson.
I've read almost everything else of yours, and I really hope you decide that you DO want to write a third book to Pirate Adventures.
Michael
Haha! Thats SO COOL that you were in a heavy metal band. I love rock music as much as I love fantasy! I'm grateful for your christrian based fantasy. When I go to the bookstore and scan the teenage fantasy, so many of the books have dark messages or inappropriate sexual behavior. It's good to have books that has all the excitement, plot, cool characters, and originallity that a good fantasy should and glorify God. By they way, it was Mom who sugguested The Door Within to me in eigth grade. Now I'm about to graduate and I'm still a fan. PS Thankyou for acknowledging that high school can be ROUGH!
Wow...it is neat to hear the story of the birthing of a novel (or mutliple ones at that).
I first learned of your books when I was standing with my mom in the check-out line of a Christian bookstore in some mall out of town. My younger sister came up to me, holding a book called The Door Within. "Doesn't this have a cool front cover?" she asked.
So there it was. A catchy front cover caught my sister's eye. I liked cover also...so much so that I read the back...and was intrigued. I rememberd the the title and checked the book out at my library. I liked it. Then I read The Rise of the Wyrm Lord. I fell in love...and have been a faithful fan since!
I have since recommended these books to dozens and dozens of people (And I don't believe I'm exaggerating.)To those I know love fantasy, I tell them there is a series they don't want to miss. To others who simply like fiction, I propose they read these fabulous books about pirates or elf kids...
Currently, I have two of my WTB books out to a middle school boy who wanted something to pass time. I'm confident that he will be blessed by them as well.
Keep up the good work!
H. Shoop
To answer your questions at the end...
I found the books from a friend friend I have who was on one of my favorite books series forum, she suggest The Door Within I read the first book and then well I read all I could grab!
I've read The DWT, Isle of Sword and Fire. Both Berinfell books and Sword in the Stars.
I can't wait to read The Errant King and the other Berinfell book and Isle of something book if they exist!
I'd probably tell them um... Actually usually I tell them some stuff from the book and then they want to read them. (My cousin is hoping to start reading your books very soon.)
I love your God-give in talent to write! I absolutely love it, I'll buy all your books if I can. (Before I run out of money... :) )
You're writings are awesome!! I have only read The Door Within Trilogy, but I love them!!!!! I am planning on re-reading them again this summer. Thanks for the tips and look into your journey. :D
I first found your books a little over two years ago. At the time, I was having a hard time finding anything good to read because my library was extremely small. I was looking in my library and saw a series books from Thomas Nelson. The books were the Door Within Trilogy. Upon reading the first chapter I was hooked. Honestly, I could not put them down! It's hard to put into words how much a book can impact your life. After I finished them I promptly looked for other books that you had written and found your pirate series in my library as well. Last year, as soon as your Spider King books came out I bought them. :D I have not been able to read The Sword in the Stars yet but I am looking forward to that. I am so excited for your third Spider King book!
What would I tell others about your books? I tell them that your books are inspiring and encourage faith. Your books not only describe heroes and victories but also show things done wrong and their consequences. Your books don't deal with fluff, they show life as it is, the good and the bad. Since picking The Door Within Trilogy up two years ago I have reread it three times, and it was just as inspiring every time I reread it. I will always be thankful that I stumbled upon your books.
HALLLELUJAH!!!
...That is all I have to say. :)
One of my friends from Church, let's call her Dawnflower, lent me the Door Within books a few years back. I LOVED them, and I borrowed them from her twice as well as from the library multiple times. I had my younger sister, "Fuzzypaw", read them too, just recently. (That is to say – I grabbed them off the library shelf and stuffed them into her bookbag with many and various words of praise for them.) She loves them too! Although she's very sad about Bolt dying. And Valithor.
These books belong right on the shelf with the Chronicles of Narnia. :D
I remember hearing about your first book in 7th grade! You visited MVMS to give a writers workshop, which I couldn't miss for the world because hearing advice on writing from a published author was so exciting. (and still is!) I've been a dedicated reader ever since! Next book signing you do at Barnes and Noble, I still have an unsigned copy of Venom and Song :)
I have read the 'Door Within Trilogy' and the two pirate books. I found them from searching on Amazon from christian fantasy books.
I really want to read 'Curse of the Spider King', 'The Venom Song', and 'The Sword In The Stars'.
I would tell people that if they are looking for good books that are clean and are still adventurous and is full of action yet still a christian side to them then these are the perfect books.
Thank you for writing Sir Batson. Your books mean soooo much to me. Especially the 'Door Within Trilogy'.
I didn't read it all. After I read the teacher section I skipped ahead to the request. I'm not good at staying focused. So... How I found your books...
I was at a birthday party for a friend a few years ago. One of the presents she got was a book called, "The Door Within" by some random guy I had never heard of. My friend (Talitha) never read books. We were both about 12-14 (somewhere around there) but while I read everything, she barely knew how to read. Later, she called me to tell me about this great book she had just read. She said it was called The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson. She said that one day she was really bored and she figured it couldn't get any worse if she read it. Next time I saw her, she had already bought and started The Rise of the Wyrm Lord, and she asked me to borrow The Door Within. Like her, I was unable to put it down. Next time I saw her, I had finished The Door Within and returned it. She had finished The Rise of the Wyrm Lord and let me borrow that one too. She was reading The Final Storm. Book two was also amazing. Next time I saw her, I hadn't quite finished TRotWL, but I was close. She was on the last chapter of TFS, but she wouldn't read it because she didn't want it to be over. I finished TRotWL, and convinced her to read the last chapter. Finally, I read The Final Storm while she read the series again. When I returned TFS, I borrowed the Trilogy from the library. But it might be more accurate to say that the library gave them to me and I sometimes let them borrow them back. I kept renewing them and reading them over and over. Eventually, Mom and Dad wondered what could be so good that I literally read the entire trilogy every day. They bought me the trilogy for my next birthday, and I returned the library books to the library. I also told everyone I knew about TDWT. It took a while to convince David to read them, possibly because I started off by saying that Nock was a better archer than Legolas. He's the ultimate LotR fan, after my dad. Finally, I convinced him to read them. A few days later, he said he had finished them and that I was right, they are better than LotR.
I love your writing! As a 12 yr old writer i really see you as an inspiration! I have just started my first novel, and my editor is Bob Hostetler, a good friend of my dads. Reading books as good as yours inspires me to keep working ar it!
I found your books at the library; my mom spotted them and I love anything fiction, especially novels, knights, and Christian/inspirational. I started The Door Within and was swept away into the Realm! I felt like I really was with Aidan, and then Antoinette, and then Robby. And, your books have made my longing to have a close relationship with my King really really strong! I am headed to the library right away to find your other books (I just finished The Final Storm). Keep up the awesome writing!
Never alone!
Katelyn Knickerbocker
I found your books through a school reading program in fourth grade. In the program, each book in the school library is worth a certain amount of points. Based on your reading abilities, you have a points goal that you try to meet each semester. The prizes were really good too, so I needed a book that was worth a lot of points. I found The Door Within...and then I was hooked, not only on your books but on fantasy in general. Your books are the greatest fantasy novels I have ever read! Thank you so much for writing, for I think my interests would be much different if you hadn't. You are the best author ever!
Adam the Sagacious/Adam the Wanna Be elf
I know this is a post from a long time ago, but...
I love your books. On a vacation in 2011, my brother insisted I read the Rise of the Wyrm Lord. He figured I'd be more attracted because there was more of a girl main character. So the night before we left I grudgingly lay down in bed, thinking I was wasting my before-bed-reading-time. Oh boy, I couldn't have been more wrong! I soared through the first several chapters and by the time my fifteen minutes was up, I was in a fervor of excitement for tomorrow!
As you may have guessed, I read the Wyrm Lord during that week. When we got home I gobbled up The Door Within and The Final Storm. Whoot! I was so excited :)
But then my brother asked me to read the Curse of the Spider King. I'll admit.... it was too much. I was eleven, and my mind was on other things. SO. I didn't read it then.
A few months ago, though, I pulled it out and went outside to read. I spent the entire afternoon, swaying back and forth on a creaky wagon while I read your book! I finished it by the evening.
Venom and Song was definitely my favorite. Then I had to wait. And wait. And wait! Finally I couldn't stand it and my brother and I went in on the kindle version of the Tide of Unmaking. ;) I loved it! I read it in two days flat, with school and such.
So then I pulled out the Isle of Sword/Isle of Fire Duo. I gobbled them up in about four days, giving my mom play by plays. She, of course, had no clue who the "evil bad guy" and "really evil bad guys" were. But even so, I read aloud certain funny parts (think Cat's first proposal) to her. ;)
I have referred quite a few people to your books in the past couple of years. I give them beyond glowing reviews, and am always excited when I discover a new "BP fan" or "Isle of Fire fan" or "Door Within fan". ;)
Keep it up! Your writing encourages thousands today.
I love your books!! I've read your two pirate novels and your Door Within Trilogy (my favorite!). I guess I stumbled upon your books in the Christian book store, but didn't read them until my mid teens. I wasn't allowed to read "magical" books at the time, but was over-joyed to find that yours were a fantasy without witchcraft!
I suppose I'm a bit old for your books now--but that still doesn't stop me! :D I keep reading them because they are just so good. ;)
~Krista M.V.
My mom was the one who introduced me to your books. She's a blogger and she reviewed The Door Within. Since I was already an avid fantasy reader she gave it to me and I fell in love with it. Since then I've read the entire trilogy, The Blackwood, The Isle Chronicles, and the Dreamtreaders trilogy. Dreamtreaders is what I always say is my favorite book. :)
I'd love to read the rest of your books, as well, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. :P
I've also managed to get my best friend hooked on Dreamtreaders, and I'm hoping she'll also like your other books, but she has a much longer TBR pile than I do.
Never alone!
My Brothers are the ones that introduced me to The Door Within. After I read it, and convinced my best friend to read it, me and her were thrown into adventure after adventure of writing fantasy! we both LOVE your books, and I'm working on my Wayne Thomas Batson Book Collection! I've got almost all of them.... but not if you keep writing! Lol, just kidding though, NEVER STOP WRITING! you are one of the biggest inspirations in my life, and I will never forget your books! Anchor first, Anchor deep! Never alone! (oh, and by the way, if you're wondering if I'm a published author yet, I'm not. but I'm working at it! I'm writing a book called 'Harvest'.
- Hope
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