Hallooo, readers! Thank you for helping make 2018 my best year for self-published titles! I'm hoping to deliver a ton of epic goodness to you in 2019. Here's an update:

1) Book 3 of The Myridian Constellation: "The Forsaken Continent" is in the pipeline (see early draft of the front cover below). With the help of some great editors, I'm cleaning up the manuscript. That should take me a couple more weeks. After that, it's off to interior design and uploaded for Kindle. I'll also be asking Dave Cruse to continue voicing the series in book 3. Can't imagine any else reading for this series. If you haven't heard him in Sword in the Stars or Errant King, go listen to a sample on Audible. He's just ridiculously talented and skilled.

2) Book 4 of The Myridian Constellation: "Mirror of Souls" is about 40% completed. I'll be working on that hard and heavy, hoping for a summer 2019 release.

3) This summer, to celebrate my lovely wife's and my 25th wedding anniversary, we will be taking a 10-day trip to Scotland. During this trip, I'll be visiting many of the places that are key settings in "Ghost 2: Minister of Fire." I'm about 30% into that book, but decided to postpone until after Scotland. I plan to bust my rear on that book all summer and am hoping for an October 2019 release date.

4) Somewhere in and around all this, I have a short story called "Will o' the Wisps" for the Realm Makers Consortium anthology that will debut this summer.

5) And for Door Within Trilogy fans, I -MIGHT- have a huge surprise for you. But, right now, it's super hush, hush. I'll reveal what I can whenever I can. :-D

Cue Dramatic Music and Fanfare: Announcing the Title of Berinfell Prophecies, Book 3

Greetings and a very fond hello from Tannersville, PA, the new location of Christopher Hopper and my Writer's Bootcamp. We are ensconced in a hotel that is literally built into the side of a mountain, and madly chewing away the hours of Saturday with a frenetic display of head-to-head typing. Seriously, we are hitting the keys so fast and for such a prolonged stretch that our fingers are beginning to tingle. :-D

{Hey, Wayne, shut up about the writing already and get to the title!}

Oh, oh, right! The title. The title for Berinfell Prophecies Book 3…that title? {YES! THAT TITLE!}

Right. Now to it! The title for Berinfell Prophecies book 3 is:

The Tide of Unmaking

{Um, Wayne, I don't see anything there. Where's the title???}

You have to work for it. Just click in the open space above and highlight the invisible text. Or, you can just look in the fine print on the photo below!

Mark your calendar. Berinfell Book 3 will release in all formats May 15th. Info for the Collector's Edition Hardback will be forthcoming soon.

Why Should Kids Get to Have ALL the Fun?

Nothing against kids, but it has always seemed unfair to me that they always get to be whooshed through the portal for all kinds of great fantasy adventures. I guess it must have seemed unfair to prolific author Sharon Hinck as well because she's written a fantastic fantasy series--an epic adventure for women and moms! Sound odd to you? Not so. In fact, without any fear of "Man Card Deductions," I read The Restorer and REALLY enjoyed it. Looking for gift idea for the fantasy woman in your life...check out Sharon Hinck's The Restorer!

Order The Restorer-Expanded Edition at Marcher Lord Press (at their discounted price!) before December 9th and receive two free downloadable booklets ­ an indepth Restorer literary guide, and a creative bookclub/party planner. http://www.marcherlordpress.com/

The Book Battle--Game, Set, and Match!

The Book Battle Is Over: Ladies and gents, it gives me great pleasure to announce the end of warfare, a cessation of hostilities between Christopher Hopper's Chrome Dome Crew and my own Lavish, Long-Haired Freaks!

For as of 6:39 this afternoon, I have completed the principle manuscript of The Errant King! Thank you, Lord!

As to the final word count and the winner, see below. But I have NO idea who guessed the closest. The best thing would be this: if you posted a close number and think you've won, check all the other posts here and on Facebook to make sure no one posted a more accurate number earlier than you own!

So without further ado, the final word count is:

140,352

As most of my readers know, Author Christopher Hopper and I are good friends. But that doesn't mean we won't engage in a little friendly competition and ribbing. If you've ever been to one of our "Duel Book Events," you'd know we tend to fight…a lot. Mostly about which type of hairstyle makes a warrior more…er, warrior-ish. I contend (and rightly so) that the long hair style is the best for warriors. Whereas, Sir Christopher contends that the shiny, no hair, chrome dome is the warrior's style du jour. It's quite the controversy (in his mind). And I suspect we will duel over it again soon. That said, we've recently discovered something else to fight over.

You see, Christopher Hopper and I both have NEW books in the pipeline. And we are currently both writing these books. Christopher got off to a huge head start, but due to his ridiculously busy schedule, I've almost caught him. And now, I've thrown down the gauntlet…and it landed on Christopher's big toe. {Notice the limp next time you see him}. After the ER visit, Christopher picked up the gauntlet and has decided to answer the challenge. It's a race…to the death {well, sort of}. And YOU get to play along!

THE CONTEST: Simple! The first man to finish his book wins. I'll be completing The Errant King, book 2 of the Dark Sea Annals. Christopher Hopper is working on a book I'll just call SR for now. Christopher will tell you more about it as he sees fit. Very hush, hush that shiny-skulled brute!

Where do you come in? Well, we'd like to invite you into the carnage. {Nice of us, eh?} All you need to do is choose a side. Who do you say will win? Post here or on CH's site, or on FB or wherever we have posted first! Say who will win and then tell us approximately how many thousand words the book will be.

Everyone who picks the correct winner and gets the wordcount within +/- 5,000 words wins a prize!*

Whoever picks the correct winner and has closest to the actual wordcount, wins a bigger prize!**

Hint: the final word count of the winning book will definitely be OVER 50,000 words. If you're looking for a ballpark figure, you might consider investigating our other books:

Sir Christopher's Books:

Rise of the Dibor
The Lion Vrie

Sir Wayne's Books:

The Door Within
Rise of the Wyrm Lord
The Final Storm
Isle of Swords
Isle of Fire
Sword in the Stars

Together:

Curse of the Spider King
Venom and Song

What are you waiting for? Choose your side now: The Valiant, Long-Haired Warrior Clan or the Follically-Challenge Side. Who will finish his novel first and how long will it be?

*Note: the prize will definitely be better than a dirt clog but somewhat inferior to an all expenses paid trip to New Zealand.

**Note: the bigger prize will definitely be better than a bag of moldy bread but somewhat inferior to a stack of gold bars.

Tribebuilding Contest: Quest #1--Stoke the Amazon Blitz Fires!

Yo Tribes! Here's the first time sensitive Venture Quest!

As you know, we're getting ready for the Venom and Song, Amazon Blitz. Just less than a week away now. Christopher Hopper and I want the Internet to be flooded with word of our hostile takeover of Amazon's Bestseller List. So here's your mission, should you choose to accept it:

Every member of your tribe can post about the Amazon Blitz once a day (including but not beyond June 22nd) on as many social websites, blogs, etc. as possible. Each member should keep track of exactly where he/she posted--a running list would be best--and send that list to your Tribe Leader on the 23rd of June, along with a total of points earned.

How many points? 100 points per person, per post, per site, per day. Only exceptions to the one post per site, per day rule: Facebook and Twitter (up to 5 posts per day)


Suggested post: don't use this exact wording but something similar. Be sure to use the date and time and a link. Be creative!

Like to read fantasy? Join us for the Amazon Blitz on June 22nd, 7pm EST. For details: http://is.gd/cQG7Y

If you choose to accept this mission, God's speed. This message will self destruct in six days.

Sword in the Stars now available for PreOrder!

Hi, all! Well, this is a first for me. I actually have two new books about to come out within a few months of each other! Venom and Song, coauthored with the multitalented Christopher Hopper, comes out in late June. Then in August, my first book with AMG publishing, Sword in the Stars, will be released. Check out the preliminary cover art and the teaser below:

 

 Click HERE to PreOrder Sword in the Stars!

Haunted by memories of a violent past, Alastair Coldhollow wagers his life on the hope that a sword will appear in the stars and the foretold Halfainin, the Pathwalker, would come. Meanwhile, tensions simmer between Anglinore and the murderous Gorrack Nation, threatening war on a cataclysmic scale. The fate of all could rest on an abandoned child and the decisions of those who desperately seek to identify him. Sword in the Stars is the first release in The Dark Sea Annals series.

Caribbean Cruise

Hi, all! My lovely wife and I (along with our very close friends, Dave and Heather) are on a Caribbean Cruise. So I won't be doing my usual blogging. But, stay tuned. Shortly after the cruise, we will have a special series: The Adventures of Little Bunny Foo Foo. ;-)

Reminder about a Way COOL event in PA.

Hey, all! 12-2pm Saturday, February 7th, Christopher Hopper and I will appear at Scranton’s own Banshee Pub for an ALL AGES Dramatic Reading, Swordfighting, Booksigning, and Discussion. So if you know anyone in the great state of Pennsylvania who might be into Fantasy books, please spread the word and tell 'em to come out and meet us!



In days of yore, traveling Bards entertained audiences with tales of faraway lands and feats of derring do. Return to yesteryear as two award-winning authors and entertainers come to lunch with patrons of the Banshee Pub at 320 Penn Avenue. Fresh off a 10-city Tour of the West Coast, authors Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper will appear in full medieval costume to entertain Banshee customers of all ages with dramatic readings from their books, swordplay, and perhaps a song or two.


For Fans of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Eragon, and Inkheart
With five young adult Bestsellers and eight published novels between them, Batson and Hopper know how to spin a tale. Families are welcome. Young and old come and trek with Batson and Hopper down a spiral stair to a subterranean labyrinth where a gigantic beast dwells. Or visit the kingdom of Dionia where great heroes train and something treacherous lurks in the shadows. Batson (Thomas Nelson Publishing) will be signing copies of his Door Within Trilogy, Isle of Swords, and Isle of Fire, and Christopher Hopper (Tsaba House Publishing) will sign copies of his Rise of the Dibor and The Lion Vrie—with perhaps a sneak preview of his soon to be released Athera’s Dawn.


For more details, email me (see sidebar) or contact The Banshee Directly:

Banshee Pub
320 Penn Ave
Scranton, PA 18503
(570) 969-4248

Are you kidding me???

Hi, all! No, I'm not messing with you. I have had some intensifying thoughts lately, prompting me to revisit The Realm. I'm considering writing a 50,000 word novella based on The Door Within Universe. I spent about 2 hours the other night jotting down the first possibilities, and I'm getting kind of psyched about them.

I have no contract for it yet. I haven't even mentioned it to my publisher. I have no idea whether it will be a reality or not. As you know, I'm hugely busy with two other books right now, so I have no idea when I could even find the time. I only know that God is faithful, and if He wants it written, the time will be there.

So...where do you come in? Well, I've created a poll in my sidebar to ask you for the direction you'd most like a Door Within 4 to go. Well, have at it. Please feel free to comment once you've cast your vote.

And as always, Never alone.

-Wayne