Holy Bestsellers, Batman!

Once again, I am humbled by my readers. Thank you so much for reading. There seems to be a wonderful resurgence of popularity in The Door Within books, all my books, really. I'm still awed that God lets me do this and doubly awed that He seems to be working through these books in the lives of others. Please let that encourage you. If God can use me, He can use you. Maybe that's why Paul kept referring to himself as the worst of sinners. He wanted us all to know that God can forgive us no matter what we've done. And He can still use us no matter how broken we are. Thank you, God.

And once more, thank you readers. Please see the bestseller lists below and give God some serious glory for it. The top list is the CBA Young Adult Bestseller list. The bottom list is ECPA Young Adult Bestseller list. Cool, eh?

Tribe Building Update and New Tribe Quest!

Greetings Tribes! I will be posting current Tribe Points in the next week or so. Please be on the lookout!

In the meantime, it's time for the 2nd Tribe Building Quest. This is a time-sensitive task that can earn your tribe lots of bonus points! So have at it!

The Quest:

Preface: As you know, two summers ago, I toured with seven other fantasy authors. We called ourselves the Motiv8 Tour and we hit dozens of venues from California to Canada. On that journey, I got to know author Eric Reinhold quite well. He's the author of a fantasy series called Ryann Watters and the King's Sword. If you haven't already heard, his books' movie rights were purchased last year and they are actually filming a major motion picture based on his book. COOLNESS!

This is --without any exaggeration-- a turning point for Christian artists. If this movie does well at the box office, it will open the door for other fantasy books to be made into a movie (maybe even The Door Within, eh?) It will send a message to other studios that Christians can be a player in the entertainment marketplace. If the movie fails, the door will slam shut for who knows how long.

Your Mission: Below this text, I'm including all kinds of promo materials and links for the movie. Your job is to scavenge that info and CREATE! Find ways to promote this movie all over the web in your schools--anywhere and everywhere. How many points is this worth? It depends on your project. I'm not telling you what to do. This is kind of like the Amazing Open Category. You take the Ryann Watters movie info and figure out cool ways to promote it. Let me know what you're thinking (email me) and I'll tell you the ridiculous amounts of points you will earn.

Seriously, we need to hit this ball out of the park. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, eMail, Posters, Flyers, Postcards, Bookmarks--whatever you can think of. You might even contact Mr. Reinhold personally and see what he's got going on and how you can help. Tribebuilding aside, this really is a mission. Do you want more God-honoring entertainment? Do you want Christian artists to thrive? Then go after this!

Treasure Chest of Movie Hype:

Eric tells me that The best way to “hype” the movie, would be to get your “army” posting about it all over the web and sending e-mails, etc. to friends and directing them to the official movie website (www.KingsSword.com) , my blog (www.ryannwatters.blogspot.com) , and Facebook (Eric Reinhold) and Twitter (Ryann Watters).  

Filming officially begins in Mount Dora , Florida on August 4^th and the State of Florida has already approved tax incentives for the movie in the amount of $250,000, which is 1/3 of the budgeted $750,000.  Some of the “Courageous” crew (the follow up movie by Sherwood Pictures, ‘Facing the Giants’) have come down from Georgia to be part of the movie.  I’ve attached some pics of the 4 principal characters.  Taylor Boswell (of Bowling Green , Kentucky ) has the most extensive experience of the group.  The adult roles are more limited and they are providing the opportunity for some household name actors to be a part of the film.  I can’t confirm any of those yet, but will do so on Twitter, Facebook, and my blog as soon as they are confirmed. 

Here are some fun links you can work into your blog for readers as well, since they are youtube videos. 

There isn’t a movie trailer, yet, but there is a teaser announcing the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97mxHXeLkA0

Book signing in Mount Dora :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cxW6G5Rxkk&feature=related

Amateur video done by a high school student at my church with three Middle Schoolers summarizing the book:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=629li1sTJ0s&feature=related

Here are some of the latest updates on the movie website:

 

Under NEWS at the Official Movie Website: www.KingsSword.com

 

“Director Mike Germaine has assembled an amazingly talent team – com posed of alumni from very successful Christian movies such as “Fireproof”, “Letters to God”, etc., and the team has been covering every inch of downtown Mount Dora and surrounding area as they are blocking shots, determining best time of day to shoot for lighting, etc.   In addition, the team is collecting B-Unit and “plate” shot footage to help assist the Production process this week and next leading up to 2 full weeks of filming the exciting chase sequences, where DRAKE DUNFELLOW pursues RYANN WATTERS through the narrow alleyways and quaint streets of downtown, as well as the other sequences involving the beautiful gazebo and scenery of Evans Park on the shores of Lake Dora.”

 

From the Producer (a prayer)

As the Production of Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword moves into Hi-Gear this week with start of Principal Photography, the very first thing we want to do this morning is to stop for a moment and pray.

“Father, we thank-you for this day and for this opportunity to serve you.  We are so grateful and excited about the opportunity you have allowed for us with the movie project of Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword.  We believe it to be Your call for us to bring this to pass and we are thrilled that you have chosen us to work through on this important calling.  We thank You for stepping in and helping take our fragile human efforts and Bless it with Your supernatural strength, wisdom, creativity, connections, and purpose.

We thank You for opening doors and making a way out of no way and for bringing the right people from the North, the South, the East, the West – every direction point on the com pass – so that we may effectively and efficiently carry out the duties that You have assigned for us.  Thank You for the Production team, thank You for the Cast, thank You for everyone working behind-the-scenes, thank Your for the business acumen and the finances required to bring this to pass.  Make the path straight – make the path easy – connect us with those with whom we should be connected and keep us from connecting in areas that are not according to Your purpose.  Give us favor with those we deal with and let their efforts rise, together with ours, to assist in the fulfillment of Your project.

Lord, let this be life-changing and revelatory to those of us who are working on this movie and book project and for any one who is remotely connected with us on this.  Let us function effectively together for Your purposes and bind any atttempt of the enemy to interfere in any way, on any level in this.  We know that ALL things are under your auspices and NOTHING moves without your approval and we thank You, in advance, for your covering and protection throughout our efforts here – for us, for our colleagues and partners, for our investors, for families and for anyone who is anyway connected to us on this.

Lord, we thank You also  for allowing this to have a significant and meaningful impact among the next generation – those who will watch this movie and read this book and be impacted by it.  We call a generational Blessing to all those who seek Your Will and obey Your Word and we ask this in the mighty name of Jesus!

Now, as we move forward, we thank You for giving us nimbleness of mind, efficiency of purpose, ability of direction, and Blessing of com pletion for this project.  We thank You for the Mercy and Grace to ac com plish all of this and we will be careful to always remember to give You the Honor and the Glory in all of our efforts with this.  We thank You, most of all, for Your Son, Jesus Christ and for allowing us to com e boldly to the Throne of Grace in His precious name.  Amen.”

NOW – IT IS TIME.  WE’RE GOING TO MAKE A MOVIE – IN JESUS’ NAME!

 

Door Within Audiobooks and Studio Unknown!

Over the summer, I had the great pleasure of recording the audiobook versions of The Door Within and Rise of the Wyrm Lord. (I'll be doing The Final Storm too, this fall). I've always enjoyed reading stories aloud and have had tons of practice reading to my students over the years. But I've never done any professional reading. Oasis Audio purchased the rights of The Door Within Trilogy and was kind enough to invite me to read. Still, I was nervous. But I needn't have been, because Oasis found me an amazing studio in Baltimore called Studio Unknown.

Studio Unknown, Owned by Kevin Hill, is a cool and clever all-purpose audio/video shop that won't be unknown for long. Their slogan is "Discover Creative Sound," and they earn it every day. It seems there's nothing they can't do. Scoring movies, ADR, Sound Production, Foley--you name it, Studio Unknown can do it. Not only are they professional, but they are personable as well.

Shown above with me are Jon Krintz(mid) and Kevin Hill (right) who guided me through the process and showed me the ropes. And, in the process, I feel like I made two new friends. The studio itself is tucked away in a massive industrial park. In fact, if I hadn't been told exactly where to go, I would have been hopelessly lost. There was just a tiny doorbell that said: Ring for Studio Unknown.

But once the door is open, WHOOOSH!! You enter a completely professional, ultramodern recording studio--beautiful decor with lots of dark wood and track lighting. Upstairs is the main studio. Kevin and John worked their magic from behind a sound board that looked like the bridge console of the Starship Enterprise.

I was behind the glass in "The Booth," and I belted out The Door Within in 3 Days; Rise of the Wyrm Lord in 3.5 days. Along the way, I flubbed about 12,000 lines. LOL. Not quite that many, but I did make up some very interesting words such as "dilemina." Look for The Door Within and Rise of the Wyrm Lord on audiobook from Oasis this fall! I'll post links as soon as they are up.

And if you have any audio/video needs, please call Studio Unknown. They will help you discover creative sound.

Are you a Christian...and yet, you're still thirsty?

You remember the time during Jesus' ministry that he came across the Samaritan woman at the well? It's in John 4: 1-42 if you want to read the whole account. It's a rich encounter and there are thousands of sermons seeded within it. But there's just one verse I want to think about right now, and I'm really hopeful that you'll think about it with me and maybe discuss your experiences also.

Jesus asks the woman to get him a drink of water, and in the conversation that follows, Jesus makes it clear that he actually has superior water for her to drink if she will. He contrasts actual natural water with spiritual, regenerating water by telling her,

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13).

I don't know about you, but I read that verse and, like the woman at the well, that kind of water sounds ridiculously good to me. LET ME AT IT! According to Jesus, the water HE gives will grant us the ultimate "ever-quench." We will never thirst. Never again.

But what if we do thirst again?

What does that mean?

The best place to start seems to be what Jesus meant by never thirsting again. Jesus doesn't lie. So whatever He meant by never thirsting again, MUST be true. Jesus contrasts the two kinds of water, so the kind of thirst Jesus speaks of cannot be physical thirst. The woman at the well probably got physically thirsty the very next day. No, Jesus must have been talking about some sort of metaphorical or symbolic thirst. What is this thirst a symbol of, then?

Jesus says the water He gives will become, in the person, a spring of water, welling up to eternal life. It's inside the person, that much is sure. It's active and increasing in measure--like a spring that flows and fountains. And apparently, the flow fills up to a point of being eternal life. The thirst then, must be for this kind of thing. It's easy to jump to an understanding like this: the thirst is mankind's need for salvation, need for connection to the creator, need for unconditional love. We might even extend the thirst to mean an inner satisfaction and fulfillment, and ultimate meeting of our innermost needs. Is that all true about the thirst? If it is, then Christians should never be troubled by a lacking of any of that. Do you see where this is going? Or, rather, do you "feel" where this is going?

If the water Jesus gives is really all of that as stated above, and the thirst is the unsaved person's need of all that above, then, once we drink Jesus' water, once we believe and are saved, then…we should never thirst in any of those ways again. I feel kind of guilty right about now. You?

I'm a Christian. Not by my own merit. Not by anything I've done or said, but only by the grace of God. He saved me. His word tells me so. But here's the thing, I still feel thirsty. There's still a deep, deep longing for something that is just out of reach, but seemingly impossible still to reach.

And I'm not talking about the physical thirsts. There are tons of physical/earthly things--real hunger, thirst, bank accounts, jobs, family, relationships, etc. etc. that are not completely satisfied. Jesus wasn't talking to the woman about physical thirsts. We should all expect to still have those thirsts, right?

But I still have deeper thirsts. There's a gut-wrenching need for a touch from God, a need for a deeper sense of His presence in my life, a need for eternal safety, eternal love, and eternal companionship. I'm just being honest. I still thirst like that. Do you?

What does it mean if we still have the deep thirst? Does it mean we aren't really Christians? Can you feel the loose soil crumbling away beneath your feet? Can you feel yourself beginning to slide down that slope into a black chasm? If so, grab Jesus' hand.

"For God so love the world that He gave His only Son that ANYONE who would believe would not perish but have eternal life."

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

If you believe that Jesus died for you, that He is the provider of eternal life and your salvation, be at rest. You are saved. Jesus paid the price. He saved you. Why? For God SO LOVED THE WORLD. It is God's love for you. Not -your- love for God. When we were still enemies, HE DIED FOR US. It's not the quality of your faith; it's the quality of HIS GIFT. It's not that you didn't say the salvation prayer correctly. It's not that you didn't go up front during the altar call. It's not that you had and still have some doubts. It's none of that. All that stuff is you and me stuff--and don't we already know that our stuff is lacking?

The floor is not crumbling. You can stand. The foundation--thank God--is Jesus and His word, not our response to it. There is no stronger place to stand.

Go back to the thirst Jesus was talking about. Go back to the water Jesus was talking about. Go back to the qualities of it all. It is water that wells up to eternal life. The thirst, I think, is the soul's parched condition prior to salvation. When we come to Jesus, the scorched soul is flooded with eternal life. That thirst is eternally quenched.

So then, what is the thirst that we Christians still feel? I think it could be a number of things:

1) Thirst One: confusion between physical and eternal thirsts

This is a broken, sin-sick world. People get hungry, sick, worried, depressed. Relationships with spouses, family members, friends can grow strained. We can lose jobs. We can have people write nasty reviews of our books (ahem). lol  The washer machine can break down. You can take your car in for an oil change and end up with a $1,600 bill for repairs you didn't even know were there. It can rain on your picnic. If we start to look at our circumstances and measuring God's goodness by those screwed up circumstances, then, we are going to be thirsty. Jesus never promised the woman at the well that her physical thirsts would all be met. Jesus never promised us that all our physical thirsts would be met. In fact, Jesus promised us: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, for I (Jesus) have overcome the world.

2) Thirst Two: Impossible Expectations

What are you expecting out of people? What are you expecting out of this world? Do you, husband, expect your wife to meet your every need? Do you, friend, expect your friends to always be available for you? Do you expect every day to be full of fun? When you start expect all kinds of fulfillment from people--even people who are supposed to meet your needs, you place them (and yourself) in an awkward position. And even worse, if you expect people to meet needs only God can meet, you are being ridiculous. No can do. I love my wife. She's a great woman. But she's not Jesus.

3) Thirst Three: Something amiss in our lives

Look, I'm not telling you something you don't already know here. Sin destroys. Sin separates. Sin makes us uncomfortable. If you have sinned, or worse, have a repetitive sin in your life, you are handing satan a big old baseball bat with which he will beat you senseless. He likes to pull the "Bully Technique" on you. You know what bullies do, right? They torment the weakling and make it clear that to tell on the bully makes you even weaker, a "tattler" or some such. So the victim is in a no win situation. I get beat up, and I can't tell. Satan will beat you up with your sin, and then he'll tell you about all the trouble you'll get in if you own up to your sin, confess it, etc. Enough of that crap. Go to the Lord, confess your sin. If there's someone (a person) you need to reveal the sin to, even if it's painful--don't delay another minute. Bring the sin to life. Accept the consequences--and then let God rebuild you.

4) Thirst Four: Longing for our REAL home

C.S. Lewis said, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." The Bible tells us we are indeed strangers and pilgrims in this foreign land. Our real home is heaven. And there is a very real sense in which, we Christians will NEVER be totally satisfied until we are in heaven, physically with our Lord Jesus. In heaven, all the chains will FINALLY fall away. All the fears will vanish. And there will be a kind of love that we cannot begin to guess at here on this giant spinning mudball. It will be eternity with God.

News and Notes

Hi, all! Lots of news and announcements! If you have an interest in my books or in Fantasy Fiction, read on!

#1: It's looking very probable that the movie option for The Door Within will be purchased. Before you go crazy, know that what this means is that a well connected talent scout in Hollywood is optioning The Door Within for a limited time--to get a script written and shop it around to producers with the hopes that a Door Within movie might be made someday. It's a thousand miles away from a movie actually getting made. That said, it's a critical first step, so I'd appreciate your prayers.

#2: 3rd month in a row that The Door Within is on 2 Bestseller lists.

CBA YA Bestseller #6 for August

ECPA YA Bestseller #8 for August

ECPA also has: Isle of Swords at #17 and The Final Storm at #18

Thank you, readers, for being so faithful. Time is a precious thing--that you would spend some of yours reading my books still amazes me. I'm honored and very grateful.

#3: 

2010 Clive Staples Award Voting Begins Today!

Curse of the Spider King has been nominated for the new Clive Staples Award. Please read the following and consider voting for Spider King. Remember, this award is not for Christopher and me personally...it's about glory for God.

Here are the details and the link: 

Please read these instructions carefully, then proceed to the ballot by clicking on the link below.
CSA is not a popularity contest. The award has been established to recognize the work of fiction which readers designate as the previous year’s best. Consequently, voters must adhere to these basic rules.
    •    You MUST have read at least two of the nominations.
    •    You may vote only once for a first, second, and third choice.
    •    You may not vote for the same book as your second or third option that you voted for as your first choice.
    •    Your votes for second and third options may not be for the identical book.
    •    You may mark the “none of these” option if you do not have a second or third choice.
    •    Voting will close September 1, 2010.
    •    Second and third choice options will only be considered if a clear winner is not determined by the first choice vote.
To vote, click here and answer all the questions.

Fish or Cut Bait?

Ever heard the phrase Fish or Cut Bait? It's an idiom, a saying that means you can't sit the fence. Either you get in the boat and brave the waters to go fishing --OR-- you sit on the dock and cut bait for the fishermen. In a literal sense, I'm not sure the saying is actually accurate, however, the message is completely accurate, somewhat uncomfortable, and absolutely necessary.

I'm speaking to Christians and NonChristians alike here. No exceptions. Not even me. In fact, I'm writing this partly as a confession and a kind of self exhortation. But I hope what I write will have an impact on readers as well.

There is a way, you see, to live life with one foot in God's kingdom, one foot in the world. In this case, the feet I'm talking about are the figurative kind, meaning that we can sort of believe God and sort of try to get our needs met in the world. Or we can have an endless internal debate about God, who He is, and how we experience Him. We can even elevate our own "feelings" as a kind of proxy God. IE: I feel powerfully this way--in love, frightened, depressed--and, in spite of what the Bible says, this is my experience. We go with our gut. It sounds confident, macho even. So there we are, Bible quoting one day, and letting emotions rule us the next. It's a way to live life on the fence…it's a miserable way to live. I know. I've been there. Have you?

The Bible calls this way of living "double minded," and we're told that the double minded man is unstable in all that he does, blown about by wind and tossed by every wave that comes by. Why the ship imagery? I suspect it's because the doubleminded person is a ship who's lost his anchor. The anchor being truth, God's truth revealed in scripture. Without that anchor, without something to hold us firm, we drift every which way. A good friend of mine in high school put it this way, "You got to stand for something, or you're going to fall for anything." True dat.

So here's the choice: Fish or Cut Bait?

For the NonChristian, the choice goes like this:

Either this world, this universe, and everything in it is a great big cosmic accident with no intelligent guidance whatsoever. There's no god. There's no ultimate meaning. There's no ultimate write or wrong. Morality is whatever works, whatever suits you, or whatever suits the society that you randomly were born into. The point of life can be: find something meaningful to do and someone you love to share it with--nevermind that "meaningful" and "love" have ultimately no substance or surety in an abstract, random world. To quote Sheryl Crow, "If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad," right? Certainly, there's a lot of fun to be had living in an ungoverned universe. Just ignore the pangs of emptiness, even when you've got every single thing, the rest of the world covets: money, property, spouse and family, prestige, gadgetry, food, vacations, etc. etc--and you still aren't fulfilled. Live and let live. Eat, drink, and be merry…for tomorrow, we die.

--OR-- The world was not an accident. The world and the universe and you were designed by an intelligent designer. God, for lack of a better word, made it all. Therefore, this God might have some claim on your life. He might offer some way of knowing Him. He might have some ideas of right and wrong. So you need to investigate. You need to try with all your might to find out who God is and see what He wants of you. You might give prayer a whirl. "God, if you're out there, I'd like to know about you. I'd like to know you. Can you help me?" You might be surprised at what you find.

Procrastination won't work, nonChristian. Putting the decision off isn't really putting the decision off at all. To quote Geddy Lee and RUSH, "If you choose not to decide, you'll still have made a choice."

For the Christian, the choice works like this:

Either God is who He says He is…IE: God loves you so much He let his Son die for you. God wants you to come back to Him always. God listens to you. His ear is inclined to you. God wants nothing but your good--even though painful trials might be necessary to refine you into who you really want to be. God is truthful when He says you are saved, that you can KNOW that you HAVE eternal life. God is truthful that He is preparing a place for you in Heaven which will be beautiful and amazing far beyond our imaginations to conceive. God is truthful when He promises that neither life nor death, angels nor demons, height depth, nor anything else in all of creation can separate you from Him. No matter what you feel in the moment, God is better than that, more loving than that, more forgiving than that, more intelligent than that, and more powerful than that.

--OR--

He's not.

Fish or Cut Bait? You need to decide. Sitting the fence won't work. Delaying the decision is impossible--self deception at best. By the way, I don't think this is a one time choice. You may need to choose daily. You may choose one thing and then, in the middle of the day, catch yourself bowing to the God of emotion. Choose again.

I'm going fishing. Anyone want to come along?

Much love,
-Wayne Thomas Batson

July ECPA Bestseller List! Take a look!

This just in: Several of my books hit the bestseller list of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) for July 2010: ...On the Top 20 YA list:

The Door Within is #7

Isle of Swords is #12

The Rise of the Wyrm Lord is #13

The Final Storm is #18! 

Thank you, God! And thank you to my readers!

Lunch for Young Authors...Venom and Song Signing Event!

Greetings Adventurers, Storytellers, and Fantasy Fans of All Ages;

His Way Christian Bookstore in Ellicott City, Maryland invites you to our
The Berinfell Prophecies Book Two: Venom And Song
Launch Party on Saturday July 17th from 1-3PM
Come and meet Author Wayne Thomas Batson and have your copy of his latest book signed!

His fellow Author, Christopher Hopper, will not be able to attend, however signed bookplates from him will be available for those who come on the 17th! There will also be a dramatic reading, time to ask Wayne questions, and give aways!
Don't miss this wonderful opportunity for fellowship and fun!

Can't make the date? Pre-buy your copy and Wayne will sign it for you that day. We will also reserve a signed book plate for you from Christopher Hopper, and you can pick up Venom And Song at your convenience.

Here is what one young adult author/reviewer had to say about Venom And Song:

'Venom and Song is a classic Christian Fantasy novel with a page-turning plot, themes of bonding friendship and love, and the true power of God.' Seth Reid

Special Opportunity for Tween and Teen Writers

Wayne Thomas Batson will be at Nora's Cafe before the event and invites you to come and eat with him and chat about the writing craft. Seating is limited, and you are responsible for purchasing your own food.

To reserve your spot send an e-mail to HisWayEvents@hotmail.com
no later than Wednesday July 14th

The Venom & Song Blitz is NOW: Tuesday, June 22nd, 7pm EST!!

IT'S ON

Warriors and Swordmaidens, the time has come! Right now we begin our hostile (well sort of) takeover of Amazon's Bestseller list.  I hail all those who will raise a sword (or any other sharp, pointy thing) in this effort. The goal is attainable: Top 100 on the Amazon Bestseller list for Venom and Song.

Should you wish to join our merry band of conquerors, simply click the link below and purchase Venom and Song between 7pm and 8pm EST. If you're a reader of Batson or Hopper books, or just looking for a good summer read, please consider joining in the Blitz.

Click Below to Join the Blitz and Purchase Venom & Song

The Blitz Link

Click Above to Join the Blitz and Purchase Venom & Song

As of today at 7pm EST, Venom and Song is already climbing at 6,038th. How much higher will it go? I don't know, but I'm excited to find out.

It's 7:24 EST and already the number is dropping! Go Readers! WOO Hoo!

This just in! Venom and Song hits 443rd on Amazon's Bestseller list! The Blitz continues!

 

 Check back here often between 7pm and 8pm. I will update the ranking as often as I can!

Amazon Blitz II Tuesday, June 22nd, 7pm EST

Mark Your Calendars! Light the torches and gather the pitchforks!

Tuesday, June 22nd at 7pm, EST we will storm the Cybergates of Amazon.com and seek to propel Venom and Song to great heights on the Amazon Bestseller Chart!

Last year, we Blitzed for Curse of the Spider King, and the ranking went from 73,000th to 365th in one 24 hour period! And that thanks only to my generous readers, their friends and family.

This year, we are defining and actual time to shoot for. This will concentrate the effect of book purchases and hopefully launch Venom and Song into the top 100 or even better!

If you are planning to purchase Venom & Song anyway, would you please consider purchasing it from Amazon.com via the link I supply below. It's very important to have the purchases fall between 7-8pm on Tuesday, June 22nd. This maximizes the jump up on the Bestseller list.

Why do this? Books that hit high on Amazon's bestseller list get seen by a LOT more people. That exposure tends to generate LOTS more sales, which of course, starts a wonderful cycle. High purchases in the first week of release also tells Amazon that this is a book to push, so Amazon tends to include it in their eMailings, etc. And better still, the opening sales tells the publisher to plug in more marketing muscle to a book that is succeeding. So please consider joining us on June 22nd for the 2nd Annual Amazon BLITZ.

The Official Purchase Link:

Click HERE to purchase Venom and Song from Amazonduring the Amazon Blitz, June 22nd

For Tribes in the Tribebuilding Contest:

Here's the plan: If you purchase a copy of VENOM & SONG during the blitz day and time:  Tuesday, June 22nd at 7-8pm, EST you will earn 10,000 points for your Tribe. You read that correctly. 10,000 points. But there's more:

If at anytime between 7pm, June 22nd and 12pm noon on June 23rd EST, Venom and Song reaches a high point on the Amazon Bestseller List, then more points will be added. See below:

If V&S reaches 5,000th--10,000th place, add 500 points per person.

If V&S reaches 1,000th--4,999th place, add 1000 points per person.

If V&S reaches 500th--999th place, add 2000 points per person.

If V&S reaches 300th--499th place, add 3000 points per person.

If V&S reaches 100th--299th place, add 4000 points per person.

If V&S reaches 11th--99th place, add 5000 points per person.

If V&S reaches the TOP 10 (well, I'll do a backflip, but besides that) add 10,000 additional points per person.

This means per person who purchases from AMAZON and sends the tribe leader the amazon receipt for proof, that person earns a minimum of 10,000 points plus the bonus points depending on the Bestseller List. Keep in mind, it is not cumulative. IE: if V&S reaches the top ten, each person does not receive ALL the other bonuses 500, 1000, etc. It's the 10,000.

So mark your calendars now for the Venom and Song AMAZON BLITZ!

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.

Bestseller List Bonanza!

Thanks to my incredible readers, I just got the news that FOUR of my books made Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Bestseller List for June 2010:

The Door Within is #6! 

The Final Storm is #16!

The Rise of the Wyrm Lord is #18! 

Isle of Swords is #19!

I think a FanFest is definitely coming soon!

TRIBE BUILDING CONTEST BEGINS: NOW!!

Build Your Tribe

Begin Your Quest

Last year's Tribebuilding Contest for Curse of the Spider King was a HUGE success! We had six active tribes who worked together to do some absolutely amazing things! Venom & Song, book 2 of The Berinfell Chronicles will ship to stores beginning June 9th, so in honor of Book 2's release Christopher Hopper and I are launching:
Tribebuilding Contest 2


This year's contest will use the same general rules as last year's contest,  so if you know the basics, skip the next part (in purple text). If you are new to Tribebuilding, make sure you read.

The BASICS:

1. You will gather 14 people (friends, family, etc) to join your Tribe. As the gatherer of this tribe, you become the Tribe Leader.

2. Your goal is to have each member of the tribe do as many of the Tribe Tasks as possible, earning Vanadil Points for your Tribe.

3. Tribe Tasks are things like reviewing Batson or Hopper books on Amazon, Borders, CBD, B&N, etc. or making posters or videos, or blogging, etc.

4. The Tribe leaders send me a Tribe Report on the 7th of every month. The report lists what each tribe member did and how many points total were earned.

5. That's it. That's the basic contest.


Major Changes for this year's version:

1. Tribe can earn GINORMOUS points for Creative Open Category Projects! It will vary by concept. Just propose an idea, and I'll tell you how many points will be offered.  

2. Last year, we had six of the seven tribe names taken. If those tribes want to participate again, please let me know immediately so we can secure the Tribe Name for you. Additional tribes can create their own tribe name.

3. Tribe must be at least 14 people, not 21 like last year.

4. Tribes need not be geographically close in location to each other, but it helps when we plan the private book party.

5. Amazon Blitz, coming soon, so do NOT order Venom and Song just yet. If you order ON THE BLITZ DAY, it will mean ridiculous points for your Tribe! I mean OUTRAGEOUS, IMPOSSIBLY LARGE Numbers! WOOT.

Be on the lookout for RULE CHANGES coming soon.

I've outlined the entire contest and uploaded it page-by-page as you see below. You can click all the images and read right from the Web.

OR

You can click HERE and download the pdf file.

Also, Tribe Leaders from last year, please email me about Rules/etc. that didn't work too well last year or were confusing. I'd like to make this year's even better than before.

 Let the games BEGIN!

Tribe Names Claimed Last Year:
*Note: email me right away if you want to reclaim your Tribe's Name, or I will open them for new Tribes!


Valorbrand: taken by Kiada/Starfast/Robby  

Silvertree: Taken by Keeneye 

Ashheart: Taken by AmyA

Nightwing: Taken by Jacob Parker  

Swiftstorm: Taken by Seth 

Shadowtear: Taken by TimV 

Oakenflower: Unclaimed


Flaming Arrow:Created by Sir Andrew

----------------------------------------------- 

Did you think I forgot to mention prizes?


In addition to the prizes from last year (Private Book Party, Swords, Signed ARCs, etc), how about having EVERY member of your tribe mentioned in the Acknowledgement section of Berinfell Book 3*???


How about access to a special "Member's Only" Website full of Berinfell Lore, original Desktop art, games, and more!


CH and I are still thinking about additional prizes, so check back often for updates!


PS: Last year's Prize Winners will begin receiving prize packs in June! Thank you for your patience!

Will the Real Prodigal Please Stand Up?

This past Sunday, we had a guest speaker preach on The Prodigal Son. It was a captivating talk, and I learned a ton. Strangely enough, though, as much as I learned from the speaker, I found myself thinking about another aspect of the parable. It stemmed from the actual meaning of the word "prodigal"--one of the points the speaker made about the word's real meaning struck a chord and made the parable more meaningful to me than perhaps ever before. So, buckle your seatbelts, Dorthy, because Kansas is going bye bye!

In common use, the word "prodigal" has come to mean "wayward" or "errant," "lost" even. But the original meaning is quite a bit different. Prodigal actually means "recklessly extravagant, wasteful, or lavish." Wasteful and reckless, we get. It makes sense. After all, the son, took his portion of his father's estate and wasted it on carnal pleasures: food, drink, fair-weather friends, and female companionship. But "extravagant" and "lavish" bring to mind the provision of absurd luxury or giving in abundance. Maybe we can apply that to the son and therefore call him prodigal. But I got to thinking someone else in the story might actually be more prodigal. I was thinking that someone might be the father…who is symbolic of God. Before you cry "Blasphemy!" or start gathering flaming brands and pitchforks, hear me out. 

First, let's look at the actual text from Luke:

¹¹Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
 ¹³"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
 ¹⁷"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' ²⁰So he got up and went to his father.
      "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
 ²¹"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.^[a]'
 ²²"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
 ²⁵"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
 ²⁸"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
 ³¹" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Mannn, is Jesus a great storyteller or what! I love this story. It is SO rich and SO full of hope. And I think for too long, the focus has been on the son who left and came back home. We often call it the prodigal son or the "lost son." Maybe the son is one of the main characters, the protagonist even? But he's not the hero of the story. The father is.

In the narrative of the story, the father allows his son to take his portion of the estate--early. This was to be the son's inheritance. However, the father lets the son take it and leave. In essence, saying, I will not force you to stay. I will not withhold this from you. I won't force my will upon you. The father represents God, and isn't this just like God? He won't force us to love Him. If we choose to run off and spend our time and talents on stupid stuff, God will let us. He doesn't force us to love him. He will allow the consequences of our sin to wise us up, though. And that's just what happened to the son. The son comes to his senses and returns. Do you see the point I'm building here? The father sets aside a certain portion of the estate. Think of this as riches, wealth, material, etc. The father sets this all aside for the son. It's a substantial sum too. The son was able to PARTY it up in the most lavish ways. And the father gives this to the son WILLINGLY. There's no fight. Even though it likely hurt the father's feelings, the father still let the son go. That is reckless, lavish love. 

But even more so is the son's return...or rather, the father's welcome. When the son comes home, thinking he's blown the possibility of sonship, hoping just to be a hired hand, a servant…the father runs to him. RUNS TO HIM. Have you heard that song? The father runs to the son. That's ridiculous, reckless love. And not just that, but the father throws a new robe on the lad, slaps a suh-weet ring on his finger, and calls the entire estate to a halt for a HUGE "welcome home" party. Talk about wasteful. Even the older son recognizes the excess. Anyone else hear the ring of Judas' voice in the older son? But if the word prodigal originally meant excessive, lavish, extremely extravagant, who in this story was more lavish than the father? No one. First he sets aside a portion of the estate, then he gives up the portion to the son, then after the son has wasted it and comes home, the father uses up even MORE resources to welcome the son home in GRAND fashion. Holy cow! What a wasteful father. What a wasteful God. And aren't we glad that He is. 

See, in our eyes, the son was a screw up. He blew it...BIG TIME. He wasn't worth the time of day, wasn't worth even a servant's position. But to the father, the son was more precious than ALL of the estate put together. To the father, the son was so precious...the only thing that mattered was having the son back home with him.

Jesus told this parable. There is no authority greater.  The kingdom of Heaven is like this. God is like this. God is good. He is a better kind of good than we can imagine or identify with. If we think we love our own children, God loves His more.

Now, I know some have interpreted this parable and have identified the "lost son" as a nonChristian who comes back to the father and is "saved." Some say the indignant older brother represents "Pharisee-like self righteous folk." After all, Jesus had a slew of Pharisees listening to Him tell this parable. Maybe the lost son represents the Gentiles and the older brother, the Jews. It might be. But regardless of the other characters, I think we need to focus on the Father. He is the One we should draw near to. He is the one willing to waste everything just to bring us home and welcome us to the place we MOST belong. He is the One who is so generously good that we very well can call Him prodigal.

So what's the take home on this? First, if you're a believer, stop and thank God right now for His goodness. For He gave us this life; He gave us all the good things in this world; He gave us a portion of everything. Praise Him. If you're not a believer, remember how much this Father loves you. He is waiting, not with blame, not with guilt, not asking for an explanation. God wants you to come home. He wants to embrace you and robe you. He wants to give you the family ring and throw a big party for you. And who says Christians don't party? Turns out, no one, but NO ONE throws a party like God's parties! See the invite below:

Who: You (whoever you are, no matter where you've been or what you've done)

What: Welcome Home Party!  (Abundant life on earth and eternity to boot)

Where: Your real home  (Heaven)

When: Right NOW (and much more after this life)

Why: Once was lost, but now are found (God is good. He loves you forever)

You've got to hear it to believe it!

Like expectant parents, Christopher Hopper and I waited to hear the audio version of our first book together: Curse of the Spider King. OK, maybe not quite like parents, but still…you get the idea. We were very curious and a little worried. Would Oasis Audio hire serious voice talent? Would the voice actor/actress get it right? Would it be overly dramatic or too plain? Just as an actor or actress can absolutely make (see Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men) or break (see Natalie Portman* in Star Wars Prequels) a movie, the voice actor is everything to an audio book. But then, it arrived:

Order Curse of the Spider King Audio CDs!

Christopher and I were thrilled. No, that's understatement. The narrator, Greg Whalen did a terrific job with all 104 speaking characters. How does he come up with so many voices? I have no idea. The thing is, he got it right. The voices in my head somehow turned out to be the voices he spoke. Looking for something new to listen to? Click the link above or the link in my sidebar. If you'd like to hear a sample, click below:

Chapter 1 of Curse of the Spider King as read by Greg Whalen

* To be fair to Ms. Portman, Hayden Christensen shared the worst dialog in cinematic history! "I love you." "No, I love you more." Blech! Eaccchh! Hack! Cough! Of course, it was Lucas who presumably wrote the dialogue. And to be fair, Revenge of the Sith was actually the best of the Star Wars prequels. At least Jar Jar Binks didn't have a staring role. 'Nuff said.

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.