Oh well, it was a good ride...lol

I hate those nonsense words that you have to type in on blogs and whatever to prove you're not a SPAM-BOT. And so I left Enter the Door Within, so that folks could open post and comment.

Well, after nearly 3 years of safe blogging, I'm starting to get spammed. Everything from Russian messages about who knows what to sales of prescription drugs---LOL

So from here on out folks, I've had to raise the security level, and…that includes the silly little nonsense word guardian. I apologize for the inconvenience, and I hope that the faithful visitors to Enter the Door Within will still post and comment as before.

Thanks for your time.

PS: You know I can't resist a cliffhanger. Stay tuned for a very cool announcement or two.

PPS: Oh, and next week is the CSFF Blog Tour three day event for Curse of the Spider King! Please visit all the sites/blogs involved. You may find out some very, very interesting things. ;-)

Last Chance to Vote! Banner Contest!

The Banner Contest is over. 33 entries were submitted. I've posted them all below. First, I cannot thank enough those of you who entered. I know a bit about design work. It's very exacting and very time consuming. And now, I'm left with the choice of which one wins the contest and becomes the official Banner of Enter the Door Within. And...

I can't make up my mind! Please see the poll in the sidebard and vote for the design you like best. It I get a majority, that will help me make the decision. Thanks!

I've not included the artists names at this time, so just refer to each header by it's design number. If you would like to review the rules and regs, click HERE!

Design 1.


Design 2.


Design 3.


Design 4.


Design 5.


Design 6.


Design 7.


Design 8.
Design 9.


Design 10.

These just added as of March 21st:

Design 11.


Design 12.

Design 13.

Design 14.

Design 15.

Design 16.


Design 17.

Design 18.

Design 19.

Design 20.

Design 21.

Design 22.
Design 23.

Design 24.


Design 25.


Design 26.


Design 27.


Design 28.


Design 29.


Design 30.

Design 31.

Design 32.


Design 33.

A Mystery and a Contest

First, the Mystery: Take a look at the image above.
What is it? Any guesses?
Post a comment, saying what you think it is.
Then, if you cannot stand to wait, use your mouse
and highlight the blank space below to find out.

This is a piece of the cover design for Curse of the Spider King,
Book One of the Berinfell Prophecies Series by me and
Christopher Hopper.


I will post more pieces in the coming days. See how many pieces it takes you to guess correctly. That is, if you haven't already peeked. ;-)

And now for the contest. I'm getting tired of looking at the plain header
for my blog. I know some of you have got to be amazingly good with
Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. So, design a header for this blog. The
best Header will win a signed copy of any of my books.

Here are the requirements:

1. Must say: "Enter the Door Within"
2. max width is 660 pixels wide. (I can't figure out the height)
3. Image must be in jpeg format and emailed to me (see sidebar for email)
4. All entries must be submitted by May 1st.
That's it! Now get designing, you creative people you!

Are you a Realmer?

Are you a Realmer? You are if you've joined the thriving Door Within Forums. It's been up for almost a year now, and a great many lasting friendships have been forged. See it's not just about the Door Within books. It's about community. People find a lot of people who read the same books, who think the same way, or have similar interests. And guess what happens? All kinds of conversation breaks out.

Conversation and creativity. Within the Door Within Forum are tons of sub forums, including the above Isle of Swords/Isle of Fire Forum. There's also a place for artistic fans to share artwork: hand-drawn or CG. There are several threads for writers where you can get amazing feedback on what you write. Who knows, you may even meet someone there who will one day publish your book. There are contests, games, quests, and yes, lots of discussion about most every topic under the sun. So if you're not already a Realmer, head on over and sign up.

Yes, Take Me to the Realm!

Oh, and speaking of cool artwork. Check out these sketches by FantasyPunkPrincess! Too Cool, eh?

The Number 8 and a Warning...

8

So 8 authors just visited 8 cities in 8 days. The Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour. I was blessed to be one of them. And now, I get the news that Isle of Fire hit #8 on the CBA Young Adult Bestseller List. I'm really starting to like the number 8.

Now that the tour is finished, the 8 authors have covenanted to continue "Cross Promotion." In other words, we know that readers never have enough good books. And we also know that DoorWithin/Isle of Fire readers don't necessarily know about the books of the Bryan Davis, Donita K. Paul, Eric Reinhold, Sharon Hinck, Christopher Hopper, Jonathan Rogers, and L.B. Graham. And their readers don't necessarily know about my books. So we want to get the word out every way we can. To that end, Monday will begin the first Fantasy Fiction Blog Tour. Check out their websites each week to see who their blogging about. You will DEFINITELY find out some things about your favorite authors you never knew before. And, since my last name is first alphabetically, Monday begins my week.

And now, the Warning: As a part of the blog tour, my blog will be visited by a very dark presence. Be prepared.

PS: I'll also have an announcement for you some time later in the week.

Who Will be #10,000???

I'm a little amazed at how much traffic has blown through here since I got a counter and opened this blog for real back in January. I have to tell you all that I've really been challenged and encouraged by so many who visit here. I've made quite a few new friends and have sharpened up friendships with others. I know that there are plenty of hideously evil applications for the Internet, but it's great to be able to connect with other Christians and other Christian Fantasy fans. Not that you have to be a Christian to hang out here. It's not that kind of place. But thanks to all who have made this a homey community.

Now who will be the 10,000th visitor? We're almost there.