Seems like lately I've been getting a lot of requests for advice from young and/or aspiring authors on the topic of getting published. So I thought it might not be a bad thing to write an article on the subject. I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer on how to get published, and I certainly don't claim to be the ultimate authority on the subject. But for whatever it's worth, here's my advice:
(Begin Large Parenthetical Lament: Oh, and by the way, my clock is on the blink lately. Silly thing. No matter what I do--oil the gears, install fresh batteries--it still only gives me 24 hours in a day! Sheesh. Can't get anything for your money these days. All that to say, I won't write the whole article in one sitting. I'll probably post and then edit and add to this same post as time allows. ;-) So check back often if the topic interests you. End Large Parenthetical Lament)
#1 Work on your novel's opening chapter relentlessly. It is the critical chapter of your book. You must intrigue, captivate, and hook your reader there, or you will likely never be published. Editors receive hundreds if not thousands of manuscripts each week, so they have very little time for dull exposition in the opening. Go after your reader. Create suspense that won't quit.
#2 Work on your language. I don't mean punctuation and spelling--though those things better be sparkling in any manuscript you send out. But I mean the words from your palette--what you will use to paint the picture in the reader's mind. Take a contemporary poetry class--seriously. You will never learn more about making every word count.
#3 Read widely in the genre you want to publish. But read like a scientist rather than a spectator. Remember the parts you like and scrutinize them. What made them interesting? How did the author craft the plot? What made the twists and turned work? Every well written book is a treasure or resources that we can all learn from.
#4 Don't just write about what you know. I know, I know...you've heard other author's say it; you've heard your teachers preach it: write what you know. And the theory behind the advice is good. Write about what you know because you have the inside info, the details, and the experience to write about that topic or field. You play county soccer? Good, now go write a story about a character who plays county soccer. You have piano practice every Thursday? Wonderful, now go write about a character who plays piano. Now that's fine advice if you're writing for an audience of one or two. Will it work to get you published? Uh...not so much.
Writing what you know will not get you published unless, of course, your day job is: CIA Code Breaker, Supernatural Phenomenon Investigatory, CSI Agent, or Tour Guide for the Amazon Jungle. What I'm saying is, the average, day to day life is not interesting enough to be the plot of a book. Now, if something interrupts that normal life: a tragedy, a phenomenon, a mystery--well, now we're talking. Most readers want a story to grab them, to move them, to take them places they've never been to before. Most publishers want the same thing.
So, how do you write about stuff you don't know? 1. Research: watch the Discovery Channel, read National Geographic, surf the World Wide Web--there's a novel plot, character, or setting just waiting for you. 2. Make it up: Now, this especially applies to the whacked lot of writers who want to write fantasy or scifi. You get to open your mind and just create. Make things the human eye has never seen before. Tweak reality. Have fun. Chances are, if you have fun, your readers will too.
(More to come...)
Please Consider this Powerful Ministry
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Suspense Technique #4, Frustration. And the Winner is:
Whew! A plethora of authors entered the contest on Suspense Technique 4: Frustration. {Uh, El Guapo, I do not think plethora is the right word.} Nevertheless, I've debated the winner of this one over and over. One of the potential winners was dripping with powerful suspense. I was reading it and everything got quiet around me...that's when you know you've got something good. But its main competitor made the best use of the actual technique.
So, it gives me great pleasure to announce the winner:
Pais, email me your snailmail and what book you'd like signed, and I'll get one to you as soon as possible.
Here's Pais' winning entry:
Laura raced down the stairs, envelope in her hand.
“Mom! I'm going to the post office, I'll be back in a few minutes.”
Her mom walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. “The post office? Why don't you just put it in the mail box and let the mail man get it tomorrow.”
“Because,” she grabbed her keys and purse from the table beside the front door, “It needs to be postmarked by today, or....” she glanced at her watch. 3:50! The post office closes in ten minutes! “I gotta go!” She turned, giving her mom a hurried wave and flew out the door.
She threw her purse and the envelope into the passenger seat of her car, strapped herself in, put the key in the ignition, and turned it.
Nothing.
Laura narrowed her eyes, and turned the ignition again. The car still wouldn't start. She sighed heavily and popped the hood , then flung the door open and walked towards the front of the car. Reaching in she grabbed the oil dipstick and pulled it out, looking at it. She scowled and rammed it back in, then slammed the hood closed. She looked at her watch again. 3:52.
Laura grabbed her purse and the envelope and ran back to the front door. She opened the door a crack and popped her head in. “Mom, my car won't start, can I take yours?”
Her mom's voice floated out of the kitchen. “Sure, honey! The keys are right there on the table.”
Laura grabbed her mom's keys and slammed the door shut behind her, running full speed towards her mother's car, parked right beside hers.
She sat down, buckled in again, and turned the ignition. The car purred to life and Laura smiled. She put the car in gear, and backed out of the driveway, then turned around and took off down the road.
A few minutes later, Laura sat at the second red traffic light. She ran her hands through her hair and rubbed the back of her neck. Only two traffic lights between my house and the post office, and they both had to be red. Her eyes darted to the clock. 3:57.
She scowled again, and glared at the red light. Turn green, turn green, turn green!
The traffic light changed to green, and Laura waited impatiently for the person in front of her to move, then followed it. She was on the homestretch, the final leg of this race to the post office! She smiled again. I might actually make it in time.
She turned the final corner, and pulled into the parking lot, just as her clock ticked to 4:00pm. She parked in front of the post office and looked up at the door with a heavy heart.
Closed.
Pais Charos: Using the time limit mechanism was genius. Nothing ups the frustration like feeling time slipping away. Every obstacle--each one annoying by itself--was amped to the next level with the addition of time. Cool.
Honorable mentions go to:
Patrick: devastating story hook. I was all over this. I'm still wondering how the king was beheaded. Hmmm...
Cecilia: If you'd given your protag something besides a birthday, something that she REALLY wanted or needed--something the readers could buy into--yours might have won. If she was looking forward to that night because her mother was at last due to be back in the castle after years of separation, and it happened to fall on the night of the attack--now what would have been gut-wrenching frustration. Still splendid work.
Amy: Brilliant stuff. He was trying so hard to get out of the kingdom and then to run into the boy with the mysterious past...awesome.
So, it gives me great pleasure to announce the winner:
Pais Charos!
Pais, email me your snailmail and what book you'd like signed, and I'll get one to you as soon as possible.
Here's Pais' winning entry:
Laura raced down the stairs, envelope in her hand.
“Mom! I'm going to the post office, I'll be back in a few minutes.”
Her mom walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. “The post office? Why don't you just put it in the mail box and let the mail man get it tomorrow.”
“Because,” she grabbed her keys and purse from the table beside the front door, “It needs to be postmarked by today, or....” she glanced at her watch. 3:50! The post office closes in ten minutes! “I gotta go!” She turned, giving her mom a hurried wave and flew out the door.
She threw her purse and the envelope into the passenger seat of her car, strapped herself in, put the key in the ignition, and turned it.
Nothing.
Laura narrowed her eyes, and turned the ignition again. The car still wouldn't start. She sighed heavily and popped the hood , then flung the door open and walked towards the front of the car. Reaching in she grabbed the oil dipstick and pulled it out, looking at it. She scowled and rammed it back in, then slammed the hood closed. She looked at her watch again. 3:52.
Laura grabbed her purse and the envelope and ran back to the front door. She opened the door a crack and popped her head in. “Mom, my car won't start, can I take yours?”
Her mom's voice floated out of the kitchen. “Sure, honey! The keys are right there on the table.”
Laura grabbed her mom's keys and slammed the door shut behind her, running full speed towards her mother's car, parked right beside hers.
She sat down, buckled in again, and turned the ignition. The car purred to life and Laura smiled. She put the car in gear, and backed out of the driveway, then turned around and took off down the road.
A few minutes later, Laura sat at the second red traffic light. She ran her hands through her hair and rubbed the back of her neck. Only two traffic lights between my house and the post office, and they both had to be red. Her eyes darted to the clock. 3:57.
She scowled again, and glared at the red light. Turn green, turn green, turn green!
The traffic light changed to green, and Laura waited impatiently for the person in front of her to move, then followed it. She was on the homestretch, the final leg of this race to the post office! She smiled again. I might actually make it in time.
She turned the final corner, and pulled into the parking lot, just as her clock ticked to 4:00pm. She parked in front of the post office and looked up at the door with a heavy heart.
Closed.
Pais Charos: Using the time limit mechanism was genius. Nothing ups the frustration like feeling time slipping away. Every obstacle--each one annoying by itself--was amped to the next level with the addition of time. Cool.
Honorable mentions go to:
Patrick: devastating story hook. I was all over this. I'm still wondering how the king was beheaded. Hmmm...
Cecilia: If you'd given your protag something besides a birthday, something that she REALLY wanted or needed--something the readers could buy into--yours might have won. If she was looking forward to that night because her mother was at last due to be back in the castle after years of separation, and it happened to fall on the night of the attack--now what would have been gut-wrenching frustration. Still splendid work.
Amy: Brilliant stuff. He was trying so hard to get out of the kingdom and then to run into the boy with the mysterious past...awesome.
Friday, August 24, 2007
They're Here...
No, I'm not actually talking about the arrival of malevolent spirits planning to kidnap small children. I'm talking about...drumroll please…
That's right, my new pirate adventure novel, Isle of Swords, has been spotted. Amazon is apparently shipping IoS now, and several bookchains have them in stock!
If you are planning to get yourself a copy of this here pirate tale, first of all, thank you. Secondly some food for thought. The first month of sales for any novel is a critical month. Here's why:
• Prior to the books release, all preorder sales are allocated toward the first month sales numbers, meaning that the potential is there for a book to hit all kinds of Bestseller lists. If presales were good, and nonPreSale purchases continue at a high rate in that first month, good things can happen. And, of course, success begets success. If Isle of Swords appears on bestseller lists, more people find out about it, leading to more sales and a higher place on the bestseller list...of it goes.
• Publishers set marketing budgets well ahead of a book's release, but if the book does well early, publishers will often jump in with both feet to promote the book even more. If sales are low, some initial promotional ideas might not come to fruition.
• Publishers also like to launch books with a promotional bang. Thomas Nelson is doing just that. In some participating bookstores, if you buy Isle of Swords, you can get a free copy of The Door Within Lost Chapters Edition! Call your local store and see if they have the deal. But the deal is only for "While Supplies Last." Hence the call to hit it this month.
• And finally, purchasing a book in the first month of its release is great because authors sometimes like to give away free stuff to people who purchase books early. {Cough} And having said that:
Wayne Thomas Batson's Isle of Swords Promotional Giveaway!
If you, kind reader, purchase a copy of Isle of Swords during August or September, email me your snailmail address, and I will send you very cool piratey bookplate sticker--signed and personalized to you or whomever you are buying for! No limit to number of stickers. If you purchase 4,000 copies of Isle of Swords (Hey, it could happen.), I'll be happy to sign 4,000 stickers. (The last coupla hundred signatures might be a tad messy due to nerve damage in my hand, but I'll do it.)
Not sure if Isle of Swords is for you? Did you like the Pirates of the Caribbean movies? Well, Isle of Swords is like that (the first movie, that is) only with more depth. ;-)
Still not sure? Here's a Sneak Peek at one of the opening chapters of Isle of Swords:
Echoes of Cannon Fire
A cannon shot, deep and sudden, trailed off like a peal of thunder. Something cold touched his fingertips. Another shot. Run them all out, boys!
Water trickled over his hand. She’s taking on something awful! Bosun, pitch that leak! Another shot, nearer still. Water surged into his mouth and nose. A wave partially submerged his head and sprayed his back.
He woke, jerked his head up from the surf, and flailed onto his side. His face, his arms, his back—throbbed and burned. “What happened?” he moaned, coughing up seawater and grinding sand between his teeth. He could not see. Has someone cut out my eyes? Hands trembling, he reached up. His eyes were swollen and caked shut . . . but at least they were there.
After several painful attempts, he managed to pry them open. Brilliant white light knifed in, he clutched at his face. His head throbbed, sun blazed mercilessly off the white sand, but slowly his eyes adjusted. He squinted under a cloudless blue sky and saw water. As another wave raced toward him, he rose to one knee. That little bit of movement brought tremendous pain. It felt as if there were shards of glass embedded in his skin.
With another groan, he stood. He reached over his shoulder and, between the tatters of his shirt, he felt ripped flesh, sticky and wet. His fingertips came back glistening with blood, and he became lightheaded. He swayed for a moment, then steadied himself and looked around.
Across a slope of white sand, there stood a deep copse of trees—mostly tall palms, surrounded by sea grape and divi-divi trees. He stared at the leaning, gnarled trunks. Divi-divi trees always leaned to the southwest. That meant something . . . he felt sure it did, but he could not grasp what. He looked along the tree line, up and down the shore, and again, out to sea. “I don’t know this place,” he whispered.
He grabbed fistfuls of his matted blond hair. His welted face felt foreign . . . like someone else’s. A sharp ringing came to his ears. The world seemed to spin. “My God,” he mouthed,
“I . . . I don’t even know who I am.”
A flash of green racing across the sand drew his attention, and he turned. At his feet, a large iguana sat gnawing at the leather drawstring of a pouch that lay half-buried in the sand.
Brushing aside the lizard, he picked up the fist-sized pouch. It had some weight to it. “Is this mine?” he wondered aloud. He thought it had to be, but nothing about it seemed familiar. Still, when he loosened the drawstring and began to pour out its contents, he couldn’t help but feel a strange gravity weighing upon him.
A sparkling green stone fell into his hands first. It was shaped like an almond, but much larger. The brilliant sun flickered within it as if the stone was alive with fire at its core. Next, a lock of lustrous red hair dropped out and lay in his palm close to the jewel. The hair was a little damp but still very soft. He ran a finger lightly over it, wondering. . . .
The surf raced in and covered his feet, just as the last item—a rusty iron cross—fell into his palm. Ancient it looked—and not just from the tarnish. It bore strange markings and a script of some design, but he could not read it.
He dropped the three tokens into the pouch. He did not recognize any of these things. Nothing made any sense! His head ached. Weak and confused, he watched as an iguana scurried away and disappeared over the slope. Then he froze, for nearby the lizard’s trail was a trail of footprints. They wound away from the trees, down from the slope, almost directly to where he stood. A wave crashed with a sound like a cannon shot . . . or maybe, more like the crack of a whip, and he jumped.
The ringing came back to his ears, and he felt dizzy. As his vision blurred, he looked at the footprints leading up to where he stood. The thought, I am not alone, flashed into his mind before everything around him faded into darkness.
Once again, Isle of Swords, a swashbuckling high-seas adventure, is on sale now online and in all fine stores. A cool piratey tale just in time for back-to-school reading!
If you purchase Isle of Swords Aug-Sept, email me at: batguy21784@yahoo.com
**And as a bonus, anyone who posts a review of Isle of Swords on Amazon, CBD, or
Barnes & Noble, I'll send you a sneak preview chapter of the Isle of Swords sequel currently in production. Post a review and email me, and I'll send the chapter right off.
**And as a bonus, anyone who posts a review of Isle of Swords on Amazon, CBD, or
Barnes & Noble, I'll send you a sneak preview chapter of the Isle of Swords sequel currently in production. Post a review and email me, and I'll send the chapter right off.
Not sure if Isle of Swords is for you? Did you like the Pirates of the Caribbean movies? Well, Isle of Swords is like that (the first movie, that is) only with more depth. ;-)
Still not sure? Here's a Sneak Peek at one of the opening chapters of Isle of Swords:
Echoes of Cannon Fire
A cannon shot, deep and sudden, trailed off like a peal of thunder. Something cold touched his fingertips. Another shot. Run them all out, boys!
Water trickled over his hand. She’s taking on something awful! Bosun, pitch that leak! Another shot, nearer still. Water surged into his mouth and nose. A wave partially submerged his head and sprayed his back.
He woke, jerked his head up from the surf, and flailed onto his side. His face, his arms, his back—throbbed and burned. “What happened?” he moaned, coughing up seawater and grinding sand between his teeth. He could not see. Has someone cut out my eyes? Hands trembling, he reached up. His eyes were swollen and caked shut . . . but at least they were there.
After several painful attempts, he managed to pry them open. Brilliant white light knifed in, he clutched at his face. His head throbbed, sun blazed mercilessly off the white sand, but slowly his eyes adjusted. He squinted under a cloudless blue sky and saw water. As another wave raced toward him, he rose to one knee. That little bit of movement brought tremendous pain. It felt as if there were shards of glass embedded in his skin.
With another groan, he stood. He reached over his shoulder and, between the tatters of his shirt, he felt ripped flesh, sticky and wet. His fingertips came back glistening with blood, and he became lightheaded. He swayed for a moment, then steadied himself and looked around.
Across a slope of white sand, there stood a deep copse of trees—mostly tall palms, surrounded by sea grape and divi-divi trees. He stared at the leaning, gnarled trunks. Divi-divi trees always leaned to the southwest. That meant something . . . he felt sure it did, but he could not grasp what. He looked along the tree line, up and down the shore, and again, out to sea. “I don’t know this place,” he whispered.
He grabbed fistfuls of his matted blond hair. His welted face felt foreign . . . like someone else’s. A sharp ringing came to his ears. The world seemed to spin. “My God,” he mouthed,
“I . . . I don’t even know who I am.”
A flash of green racing across the sand drew his attention, and he turned. At his feet, a large iguana sat gnawing at the leather drawstring of a pouch that lay half-buried in the sand.
Brushing aside the lizard, he picked up the fist-sized pouch. It had some weight to it. “Is this mine?” he wondered aloud. He thought it had to be, but nothing about it seemed familiar. Still, when he loosened the drawstring and began to pour out its contents, he couldn’t help but feel a strange gravity weighing upon him.
A sparkling green stone fell into his hands first. It was shaped like an almond, but much larger. The brilliant sun flickered within it as if the stone was alive with fire at its core. Next, a lock of lustrous red hair dropped out and lay in his palm close to the jewel. The hair was a little damp but still very soft. He ran a finger lightly over it, wondering. . . .
The surf raced in and covered his feet, just as the last item—a rusty iron cross—fell into his palm. Ancient it looked—and not just from the tarnish. It bore strange markings and a script of some design, but he could not read it.
He dropped the three tokens into the pouch. He did not recognize any of these things. Nothing made any sense! His head ached. Weak and confused, he watched as an iguana scurried away and disappeared over the slope. Then he froze, for nearby the lizard’s trail was a trail of footprints. They wound away from the trees, down from the slope, almost directly to where he stood. A wave crashed with a sound like a cannon shot . . . or maybe, more like the crack of a whip, and he jumped.
The ringing came back to his ears, and he felt dizzy. As his vision blurred, he looked at the footprints leading up to where he stood. The thought, I am not alone, flashed into his mind before everything around him faded into darkness.
Once again, Isle of Swords, a swashbuckling high-seas adventure, is on sale now online and in all fine stores. A cool piratey tale just in time for back-to-school reading!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
CSFF Blog Tour: George Bryan Polivka, Day 2
Greetings all! Welcome to Day Two: The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka. The cover you see above is the recently released 2nd book in the Trophy Chase Trilogy. I'm a big fan of trilogies, and so far...this one sounds like a winner. Love the title "Hand That Bears the Sword." Very evocative. It makes promises to the reader, and from all accounts, it lives up to those promises.
Today, from Harvest House's website, an interview with George Bryan Polivka:
First things first: take us back to the beginning and explain how you became interested in writing. Have you always wanted to write fantasy fiction? What inspired you to start?
I’ve always written. I wrote my first book, which I also illustrated, when I was seven– or eight–years–old. It was a comical spy thriller. I have no idea what happened to it, but I know it was never published. It was well–accepted by its target audience, though, which consisted of my parents. I’ve been writing ever since.
I became interested in fantasy in high school, when a friend gave me a copy of The Fellowship of the Ring. I was deeply, deeply moved by the trilogy and read it several times. I wasn’t a Christian, and these books spoke about good and evil, light and darkness, in a way I had never encountered. Then the same friend introduced me to Narnia. Eventually, I followed the light to its source. So, truth–filled fantasy has always been extremely important to me. I wrote my first novel just after graduating from college, almost got it published, and then wrote ten more before Harvest House found one they liked.
How did you dream up the premise for the Trophy Chase series, and how did you develop the idea of the Firefish?
The Legend of the Firefish is neither my first nor my latest novel, but something I started about a dozen years ago. I can’t remember the exact sequence of events that triggered the creation of Nearing Vast, but I know there were multiple inspirations. Before I graduated with my English degree I had done two years in Bible college, planning to go into the ministry. I was not expelled, but dropped out. When I wrote the first draft of Firefish, I’d been in the business world for ten years or so, and was impressed (not always positively) by the risks entrepreneurs were willing to take. That was about the time that the Internet began to take off, and there was a serious glow around new technologies in general. I remember thinking that a man with no fear could harness a new technology, even a very dangerous one, and exploit it to make himself rich. Or, he could try to use it for good. Out of all that, somehow, came Packer Throme, Scat Wilkins, and the Firefish.
Have you had any experience aboard sailing ships? What do you think it is about a seafarer’s or pirate’s life that is so captivating?
I’ve been on tall ships, and to me they are poetry. I’m not sure why that is, but there is nothing on earth that speaks to the longing of the soul quite like the sea, and nothing that gets to the heart of the sea like a tall ship. And this trilogy is really about longing, about different longings, and where they lead when you follow them. That’s why I chose this setting.
Tell us about Panna and your motivation to create such a strong female character.
I remember being in a college English class when my professor, a woman, stated flatly that “men can’t write believable women characters.” I took it as a challenge. I think good writing is about getting inside people’s heads, finding what’s unique and interesting about them, discovering motivations, and then letting them be themselves for good or ill in different situations. Strong women are strong in ways that men just aren’t, and they make different mistakes. I find those differences compelling and interesting and worth exploring.
I know that a woman’s traditional role is more service oriented, while a man’s is more control oriented. But for generations women have managed to control through their service—and I don’t mean by being manipulative (though of course that has been known to happen!). I mean by giving love sacrificially, for the reward of having given it. Sacrificial love may appear soft on the surface, maybe unmanly, but it is an extraordinarily powerful force that shapes everything around it. And in healthy situations, that love is returned in full measure with devotion. That’s the fundamental family dynamic, usually driven by the mother. And it’s also the heart of the Christian message. It’s what God did, and does, for us. Panna doesn’t reflect all that perfectly, of course. If she did, she wouldn’t be very believable. But it is her basic orientation, part of which she fights against, part of which she embraces with great passion. I think people want to see how all that turns out for her, which makes her both strong and compelling.
One of the great things about the Trophy Chase trilogy is watching Packer and Panna’s love story unfold. So does this mean you are a romantic at heart? What dragons did you slay to win your own lady’s heart?
Jeri and I have been married for more than 25 years, and we do have our own love story, and it’s quite a yarn. It’s got romance, comedy, tragedy. Add children, and you get the whole gamut, like it or not! In Firefish, we’re seeing Packer and Panna at the outset of their life together, when everything revolves around romance. Jeri and I met when we were teenagers. So yes, I drew heavily on the only love story I know. How could I not? But we’re a private couple. You won’t get me to kiss and tell!
Where do you think your creativity comes from? When you sit down to write, crafting characters like Talon, Packer Throme, and of course the illustrious Firefish, how do you get the creative juices flowing?
I’ve heard about this thing called “writer’s block,” but I have never experienced it. I don’t always feel like writing, but I never have trouble sitting down and doing it, or getting into characters’ heads, or crafting a scene. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was “just write the good stuff.” When you’ve got it in your head that you want to do a scene, and you can see it, and you feel the joy of it coming on, and you’re thinking how cool it would be if this happened or that happened, just write it. Don’t say to yourself, “Oh, I’m not there yet. I have to write all this other stuff that leads up to it first.” People tell me that the Trophy Chase books really move, that they can’t put them down. My father likes to call Firefish a “Pirate 24” and tells everyone that Packer Throme is Jack Bauer with a sword (although, for the record, I wrote Packer’s adventures long before there was a Jack Bauer!). But I think that’s why the stories are packed with so much adventure. I just write the scenes I like. And apparently other people like them too, for which I’m very thankful.
In The Trophy Chase trilogy, you communicate the Christian message overtly, rather than allegorically or symbolically. What factored into this decision?
One thing that always bothered me about Middle Earth and Narnia was that for the good side, the spirituality was always symbolic, while the evil was literal. Never seemed quite fair to me. And so I asked myself, why does it have to be that way? I don’t think mentioning God should be breaking some rule of fantasy etiquette. Why should it put people off, so long as it’s part of the story and it makes sense to who the characters are? Setting these books in Nearing Vast, with its 18th century–like environment, made it very natural to address Christianity and its trappings, the church, priests, prayer, all of it, in a way that is both fun and meaningful. It’s easier to see where God is and where He isn’t when you don’t have to deal with the cultural baggage the church lugs around today. I find that refreshing, and I’m pleased that others seem to as well.
A recurring theme in the storyline of The Legend of the Firefish is that of submitting to God’s will and recognizing one’s own weakness. How have these themes played out in your own life?
My. Okay. Where to begin? Well, what makes fantasy ring true, is... truth. My life, looked at through the very significant lens of this particular truth, could be said to be one long lesson on this topic. As a long–time evangelical, I’ve heard messages about submitting to God’s will and recognizing one’s dire weakness over and over, but it’s almost always tied to salvation. Bow your head and confess, and ask God, and He’ll do what you can’t... He’ll save you. But somehow we forget that this is how we are to live our lives every day. Somehow we don’t think that falling to our knees and humbly confessing and crying out for his mercy is an everyday occurrence and the way we should behave all the time. I’m not sure why that is. It’s not like the message is hidden between the lines in Scripture... Pride comes before a fall. The meek shall inherit the earth. The last shall be first. Offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Turn the other cheek. Think of others as more important than yourself. It was the theme Jesus lived and said we are to live as well. He was raised up and given all the power in the universe because He humbled Himself to death, we are told— and even death on a cross. And we are to do likewise.
I have had a lot of success in my life. I have powered through, sometimes, on my own strength. And then my strength has failed me, and I’ve failed. But when I have cried out to God in pain, in humiliation, in weakness, He has always answered. He has lifted me up out of trials that seemed every bit as severe as anything Packer Throme ever experienced. That’s His power, not mine. And we all go through these times. God knocks us down, or lets us get knocked down, hoping we’ll learn how to trust Him there on our knees. If I ever write my autobiography, I’ll have to title it Just Stay Down! I still need to learn that. Because “knocked down” is where the power is, and where life and joy come from. That’s where God gives strength and the only success that matters.
I’ve always written. I wrote my first book, which I also illustrated, when I was seven– or eight–years–old. It was a comical spy thriller. I have no idea what happened to it, but I know it was never published. It was well–accepted by its target audience, though, which consisted of my parents. I’ve been writing ever since.
I became interested in fantasy in high school, when a friend gave me a copy of The Fellowship of the Ring. I was deeply, deeply moved by the trilogy and read it several times. I wasn’t a Christian, and these books spoke about good and evil, light and darkness, in a way I had never encountered. Then the same friend introduced me to Narnia. Eventually, I followed the light to its source. So, truth–filled fantasy has always been extremely important to me. I wrote my first novel just after graduating from college, almost got it published, and then wrote ten more before Harvest House found one they liked.
How did you dream up the premise for the Trophy Chase series, and how did you develop the idea of the Firefish?
The Legend of the Firefish is neither my first nor my latest novel, but something I started about a dozen years ago. I can’t remember the exact sequence of events that triggered the creation of Nearing Vast, but I know there were multiple inspirations. Before I graduated with my English degree I had done two years in Bible college, planning to go into the ministry. I was not expelled, but dropped out. When I wrote the first draft of Firefish, I’d been in the business world for ten years or so, and was impressed (not always positively) by the risks entrepreneurs were willing to take. That was about the time that the Internet began to take off, and there was a serious glow around new technologies in general. I remember thinking that a man with no fear could harness a new technology, even a very dangerous one, and exploit it to make himself rich. Or, he could try to use it for good. Out of all that, somehow, came Packer Throme, Scat Wilkins, and the Firefish.
Have you had any experience aboard sailing ships? What do you think it is about a seafarer’s or pirate’s life that is so captivating?I’ve been on tall ships, and to me they are poetry. I’m not sure why that is, but there is nothing on earth that speaks to the longing of the soul quite like the sea, and nothing that gets to the heart of the sea like a tall ship. And this trilogy is really about longing, about different longings, and where they lead when you follow them. That’s why I chose this setting.
Tell us about Panna and your motivation to create such a strong female character.
I remember being in a college English class when my professor, a woman, stated flatly that “men can’t write believable women characters.” I took it as a challenge. I think good writing is about getting inside people’s heads, finding what’s unique and interesting about them, discovering motivations, and then letting them be themselves for good or ill in different situations. Strong women are strong in ways that men just aren’t, and they make different mistakes. I find those differences compelling and interesting and worth exploring.
I know that a woman’s traditional role is more service oriented, while a man’s is more control oriented. But for generations women have managed to control through their service—and I don’t mean by being manipulative (though of course that has been known to happen!). I mean by giving love sacrificially, for the reward of having given it. Sacrificial love may appear soft on the surface, maybe unmanly, but it is an extraordinarily powerful force that shapes everything around it. And in healthy situations, that love is returned in full measure with devotion. That’s the fundamental family dynamic, usually driven by the mother. And it’s also the heart of the Christian message. It’s what God did, and does, for us. Panna doesn’t reflect all that perfectly, of course. If she did, she wouldn’t be very believable. But it is her basic orientation, part of which she fights against, part of which she embraces with great passion. I think people want to see how all that turns out for her, which makes her both strong and compelling.
One of the great things about the Trophy Chase trilogy is watching Packer and Panna’s love story unfold. So does this mean you are a romantic at heart? What dragons did you slay to win your own lady’s heart?
Jeri and I have been married for more than 25 years, and we do have our own love story, and it’s quite a yarn. It’s got romance, comedy, tragedy. Add children, and you get the whole gamut, like it or not! In Firefish, we’re seeing Packer and Panna at the outset of their life together, when everything revolves around romance. Jeri and I met when we were teenagers. So yes, I drew heavily on the only love story I know. How could I not? But we’re a private couple. You won’t get me to kiss and tell!
Where do you think your creativity comes from? When you sit down to write, crafting characters like Talon, Packer Throme, and of course the illustrious Firefish, how do you get the creative juices flowing?I’ve heard about this thing called “writer’s block,” but I have never experienced it. I don’t always feel like writing, but I never have trouble sitting down and doing it, or getting into characters’ heads, or crafting a scene. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was “just write the good stuff.” When you’ve got it in your head that you want to do a scene, and you can see it, and you feel the joy of it coming on, and you’re thinking how cool it would be if this happened or that happened, just write it. Don’t say to yourself, “Oh, I’m not there yet. I have to write all this other stuff that leads up to it first.” People tell me that the Trophy Chase books really move, that they can’t put them down. My father likes to call Firefish a “Pirate 24” and tells everyone that Packer Throme is Jack Bauer with a sword (although, for the record, I wrote Packer’s adventures long before there was a Jack Bauer!). But I think that’s why the stories are packed with so much adventure. I just write the scenes I like. And apparently other people like them too, for which I’m very thankful.
In The Trophy Chase trilogy, you communicate the Christian message overtly, rather than allegorically or symbolically. What factored into this decision?
One thing that always bothered me about Middle Earth and Narnia was that for the good side, the spirituality was always symbolic, while the evil was literal. Never seemed quite fair to me. And so I asked myself, why does it have to be that way? I don’t think mentioning God should be breaking some rule of fantasy etiquette. Why should it put people off, so long as it’s part of the story and it makes sense to who the characters are? Setting these books in Nearing Vast, with its 18th century–like environment, made it very natural to address Christianity and its trappings, the church, priests, prayer, all of it, in a way that is both fun and meaningful. It’s easier to see where God is and where He isn’t when you don’t have to deal with the cultural baggage the church lugs around today. I find that refreshing, and I’m pleased that others seem to as well.
A recurring theme in the storyline of The Legend of the Firefish is that of submitting to God’s will and recognizing one’s own weakness. How have these themes played out in your own life?
My. Okay. Where to begin? Well, what makes fantasy ring true, is... truth. My life, looked at through the very significant lens of this particular truth, could be said to be one long lesson on this topic. As a long–time evangelical, I’ve heard messages about submitting to God’s will and recognizing one’s dire weakness over and over, but it’s almost always tied to salvation. Bow your head and confess, and ask God, and He’ll do what you can’t... He’ll save you. But somehow we forget that this is how we are to live our lives every day. Somehow we don’t think that falling to our knees and humbly confessing and crying out for his mercy is an everyday occurrence and the way we should behave all the time. I’m not sure why that is. It’s not like the message is hidden between the lines in Scripture... Pride comes before a fall. The meek shall inherit the earth. The last shall be first. Offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Turn the other cheek. Think of others as more important than yourself. It was the theme Jesus lived and said we are to live as well. He was raised up and given all the power in the universe because He humbled Himself to death, we are told— and even death on a cross. And we are to do likewise.
I have had a lot of success in my life. I have powered through, sometimes, on my own strength. And then my strength has failed me, and I’ve failed. But when I have cried out to God in pain, in humiliation, in weakness, He has always answered. He has lifted me up out of trials that seemed every bit as severe as anything Packer Throme ever experienced. That’s His power, not mine. And we all go through these times. God knocks us down, or lets us get knocked down, hoping we’ll learn how to trust Him there on our knees. If I ever write my autobiography, I’ll have to title it Just Stay Down! I still need to learn that. Because “knocked down” is where the power is, and where life and joy come from. That’s where God gives strength and the only success that matters.
Monday, August 20, 2007
CSFF Blog Tour: George Bryan Polivka's Legend of the Firefish, Day One
Greetings all! Welcome to Day One introducing you to a great new Christian Fantasy book: The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka. Now, I haven't read the book. Sadly, I've a deadline to meet and little time to read. And, honestly, I've heard so many great things about this "Piratey" fantasy that I'm a little leery of reading it because I'm afraid it might somehow influence the pirate adventure I'm writing right now. LOL
Nonetheless, I believe this to be a book series worth your time. So over the next three days, I'm going to provide as much introduction as I can dig up.
Today, a word from the author himself:
“I am one soldier in a great army of many, many thousands who have been enchanted and changed by the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. When I first ventured into Middle Earth, the outcome of the battle between good and evil, between creation and destruction within my own soul was far from certain. In a very real way the eternal loyalties of my heart were forged in Narnia. It is therefore my sincerest prayer that you will find your journey into the Kingdom of Nearing Vast worthy, if only in some small measure, of so rich a heritage, and so complete a victory.”
—George Bryan Polivka, author of Legend of the Firefish
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
OOPS…
Hello from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina!
I forgot to mention that I am on vacation this week, so I probably won't be blogging until Monday next. We are having fun in the surf and on the sand, but the internet here cuts out if the wind shifts. Alas...
I forgot to mention that I am on vacation this week, so I probably won't be blogging until Monday next. We are having fun in the surf and on the sand, but the internet here cuts out if the wind shifts. Alas...
Thursday, August 09, 2007
A Little Help: Title of Isle of Swords Sequel
Hey, Blogfam, I need some opinions. As you know I'm feverishly pounding the keys on the sequel to Isle of Swords. I had a title for it, but it lost its luster as I realized it gave away something important for the first book--not a good thing when you want people to read the first book. {ahem}
So, I've got a new title in mind, and I want to run it by you. Here's what I need if you are willing to lend aid:
1. Does the title grab your attention?
2. Does the title promise danger, action, and adventure?
3. Given the target age, middle school on up, is the title appropriate?
4. Do you see any problems, unintended connotations, etc?
The tentative title is:
So, I've got a new title in mind, and I want to run it by you. Here's what I need if you are willing to lend aid:
1. Does the title grab your attention?
2. Does the title promise danger, action, and adventure?
3. Given the target age, middle school on up, is the title appropriate?
4. Do you see any problems, unintended connotations, etc?
The tentative title is:
Rain of Fire
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sequel to Isle of Swords
I am in the midst of my next book, a sequel to Isle of Swords...yet untitled. I'm going to create a poll in a week or two with a series of possible titles. But in the meantime, if it seems like I haven't posted every day, you'll understand why. I have until Oct. 20 to get my best draft to my publisher. You may have noticed a new feature in the sidebar. My word count for this novel is 85,000. I'll be doing my best to get close, but not over, that number. I've outlined the whole novel. I know what's going to happen all the way through, except I don't.
Some people are seat-of-the-pants writers. They are the spontaneous lot. They write as the muse hits. Some are meticulous outliners. I'm in that camp, except I'm not. Are you following? Good. See I outline very carefully, sometimes taking a month or more to plot out the story. I have to or I'm doomed to massive rewrites and time consumption you wouldn't believe. BUT, when I start to flesh out the story from the outline, when the characters take on lives apart from my mind...well, the story must follow. So, the outline becomes flexible.
And...that's what's happening right now. This pirate tale has developed some themes and depth that I hadn't imagined initially. I'd hate to be in the shoes of some of my own characters. There are uncharted waters ahead.
What style of writer are you?
A. SOTP--spontaneous, as it comes, outlining is blasphemy.
B. StrictOutliner--flesh out the entire story before the manuscript. Never deviate.
C. FlexibleOutliner--know the whole plot but being open to character-driven twists.
D. Something Completely Different? Do tell.
Some people are seat-of-the-pants writers. They are the spontaneous lot. They write as the muse hits. Some are meticulous outliners. I'm in that camp, except I'm not. Are you following? Good. See I outline very carefully, sometimes taking a month or more to plot out the story. I have to or I'm doomed to massive rewrites and time consumption you wouldn't believe. BUT, when I start to flesh out the story from the outline, when the characters take on lives apart from my mind...well, the story must follow. So, the outline becomes flexible.
And...that's what's happening right now. This pirate tale has developed some themes and depth that I hadn't imagined initially. I'd hate to be in the shoes of some of my own characters. There are uncharted waters ahead.
What style of writer are you?
A. SOTP--spontaneous, as it comes, outlining is blasphemy.
B. StrictOutliner--flesh out the entire story before the manuscript. Never deviate.
C. FlexibleOutliner--know the whole plot but being open to character-driven twists.
D. Something Completely Different? Do tell.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
New Author Forum at SFFworld!
Greetings, all!
Amazingly good news: I've just been given an Author Forum at SFFworld.com. This is a hugely popular, secular Science Fiction and Fantasy website. This place gets tons of traffic from fantasy/specfic fans all over the world. I've been a member since 2005, but now, the powers that be have given me the keys to run my own forum over there.
I won't decrease my activity on this blog at all, but a forum at SFFworld will get The Door Within Trilogy and my new books A TON of exposure. A forum is also a great place to hang out with folks in a cyberland kind of way.
I've posted an Introductions Thread. Click on over and say Hi!
And feel free to start your own threads, polls, etc. {Mischievous grin, bwah, ha, ha!}
Never alone!
WtB
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
CSFF Blog Tour, Day 3: Fearless by Robin Parrish
You have to love Google. Today, I went hunting for factoids about Robin Parrish and his new book Fearless. For the final day of the blog tour, I'm showing you some of the cool stuff I found.
Bio:
Robin Parrish had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist.
In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract.
Born Michael Robin Parrish on October 13, 1975, Robin's earliest writing efforts took place on a plastic, toy typewriter, and resulted in several "books" (most between 10 and 30 pages long) and even a few magazines.
By the age of thirteen, he had begun winning local writing awards and became a regular in his high school's literary magazine. In college, he garnered acclaim from his English professors and fellow students while maturing and honing his skills.
After college, he entered the writing profession through a "side door" -- the Internet. More than ten years he spent writing for various websites, including About.com, CMCentral.com, and his current project Infuze Magazine, which is a unique intersection between art and faith which he also conceived of and created.
One of his more "high concept" ideas for Infuze was to return to his love for storytelling and create a serialized tale that would play out every two weeks, telling a complete, compelling story over the course of nine months. That serialized story eventually came to the attention of several publishers, who saw it as a potential debut novel for Robin Parrish.
In 2005, Bethany House Publishers brought Robin full circle by contracting him for the rights to not only that first book -- but two sequels. A trilogy, to unfold in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and 2008. One massive tale -- of which that first, original story would form only the foundational first volume of the three -- spread across three books.
Robin is the Editor in Chief and creator of Infuze Magazine. He and his wife Karen reside in High Point, North Carolina. Karen works for High Point's First Wesleyan Church, where Robin and Karen are members and Small Group leaders.
Comic Books Based on the Books? COOL!!
Download this incredible Comic FREE by Clicking HERE!
And, as the gameshow host says to the mystified contestand: "And that's not all!!!"
COOLEST of COOL Cover ART
A Forum for Fans to Discuss the books!
CLICK HERE
If that hasn't convinced you that FEARLESS should
be on your TO-BE-READ Pile, you might want to
make sure you can still fog a mirror.
(And I mean that in the nicest possible way)
Click HERE to order your copy of FEARLESS!
A Forum for Fans to Discuss the books!
CLICK HERE
If that hasn't convinced you that FEARLESS should
be on your TO-BE-READ Pile, you might want to
make sure you can still fog a mirror.
(And I mean that in the nicest possible way)
Click HERE to order your copy of FEARLESS!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
CSFF Blog Tour Day 2: Fearless by Robin Parrish
Robin Parrish
Author of Fearless
This is the introductory blurb for Parrish's marvelous SpecFaith Thriller: Fearless. It is the 2nd book in the Dominion Trilogy. Check out both books by clicking on the links below:
Monday, July 23, 2007
Live at WRBS Radio, 95.1 FM
This morning, I had the great pleasure of appearing on WRBS Radio with morning anchors: Tracey, Mike, and Dave. Wow, what a great trio to work with. They asked insightful questions and fed off of each other seamlessly. Turns out I met Dave at a booksigning in Ellicott City one time. He even brought a copy of The Final Storm for me to sign for his son.
They sat me down in front of a mic and prepped me on how things would go. I noticed on the console in front of me there were three buttons: On, Off, and...Cough. Too funny. Thankfully, Tracey operated my on/off switch or who knows if I'd have ever been heard from.
WRBS is a Christian Music Station, and in the morning, they alternate music with traffic, news, and weather. This morning, they came in and out of music breaks introducing me and my books. They kept saying things like, "And when we come back, we'll continue our conversation with local author Wayne Thomas Batson, that is if you'll stay with us for a bit longer." I kept thinking, I'll stay on with you all morning if you want. LOL
Here are the links if you want to listen to the interview:
95.1 WRBS Interview with Wayne Batson, Part 1
95.1 WRBS Interview with Wayne Batson, Part 2
95.1 WRBS Interview with Wayne Batson, Part 3
95.1 WRBS Interview with Wayne Batson, Part 4
They sat me down in front of a mic and prepped me on how things would go. I noticed on the console in front of me there were three buttons: On, Off, and...Cough. Too funny. Thankfully, Tracey operated my on/off switch or who knows if I'd have ever been heard from.WRBS is a Christian Music Station, and in the morning, they alternate music with traffic, news, and weather. This morning, they came in and out of music breaks introducing me and my books. They kept saying things like, "And when we come back, we'll continue our conversation with local author Wayne Thomas Batson, that is if you'll stay with us for a bit longer." I kept thinking, I'll stay on with you all morning if you want. LOL
Here are the links if you want to listen to the interview:
95.1 WRBS Interview with Wayne Batson, Part 1
95.1 WRBS Interview with Wayne Batson, Part 2
95.1 WRBS Interview with Wayne Batson, Part 3
95.1 WRBS Interview with Wayne Batson, Part 4
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Are you FEARLESS?
This month's CSFF Blog Tour Book is Robin Parrish's new thriller, Fearless. I must confess I have not read the book, but knowing Robin, I'm sure it rocks. I've also noted that Fearless is showing up FACE OUT in several major bookstore chains. That's a big deal. It means the publisher believes in the story. It also means the publisher is pumping some $$ into marketing because bookstore real estate costs the publisher major green.
If you'd like to Purchase Fearless by Robin Parrish, click HERE.
The #1 Book Reviewer on Amazon gave Fearless 5 Stars and had this to say:
The world teeters on the brink of extinction under the RELENTLESS surge of natural disasters; obviously people are terrified as no respite happens between tragedies. The only hope is Grant "Guardian" Burrows who leads a group of Loci Ringwearers trying to save humanity. These Shifted Loci were once people for instance Grant was Collin Boyd, but now has a new body with extraordinary mental prowess. The Secretum of Six believes he is The Bringer who ancient prophecy claims will bring in a new age to the world.
Grant and his Loci pack do not hesitate to use their powers for the better good of humanity. However, as the Secretum of Six continue to watch the events unfold towards the coming of The Bringer bringing the new age with him, Grant realizes he and his team are not achieving much though the populace cherishes them as superheroes. He starts an odyssey to learn the truth whether he is the Bringer, but that means seeking his past as Collin and who knows what else he will find even before that persona. Thus he is pulled in two directions: saving what he can of the world now vs. saving what is left of the world assuming he understands and can make the Bringer prophecy happen. Either way people will die in biblical numbers
Whereas RELENTLESS set the stage with the series of disasters and the initial introduction to the Collin/Grant tyro superhero, FEARLESS goes deeper into his essence and his predicament as he gains superhero experience and begins to understand his limitations. Thus the audience sees Grant and his colleagues struggle with the demands and their limited ability to supply solutions. This action-packed suspense fantasy also goes deeper inside the mysterious Secretrium and provides more information re the Bringer Prophesy. Readers will enjoy the middle book while waiting the conclusion to learn whether it is end of the world, beginning of a new age, or status quo of pandemic disasters.
Harriet Klausner
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Fox and Friends Recap and WRBS Radio
You all are the most excellent prayer warriors. I cannot thank you enough for hitting your knees on my behalf. National TV was not to be taken lightly, and I was seriously nervous. If you watch the video of the last day of the Tour, you can actually see me getting the phone call from my agent when he told me that I was going to be on Fox and Friends, National Television. I turned sheet white, and my mouth dropped so wide open you could have flown a jet in there.
Here's a recap on what it was like to go on Fox and Friends. Fox sent a car to pick me up. Dropped at the Studio in the middle of Rockafeller Square downtown. Several levels of security--including the coolest glass doors I've ever seen--later and I was met by a producer. She led me to a small room filled with chairs, monitors, and muffins. There were two other guests in this room. I didn't recognize either, but my first thought was "Holy Cow, they're wearing a lot of make up!"
The producer told me that someone would be along to mic me in a few moments, and in the meantime, I could watch Fox and Friends on the monitor. Geraldo Rivera was the guest on at that time. A few moments later, he walked right into the waiting room. Nice guy, turns out. He introduced himself and offered his hand. I promptly shook and introduced myself. And then off he went.
Geraldo, huh? Who would of thought?
Next thing I knew, I was ushered into a little closet of a room. I sat in a kind of barber chair surrounded by mirrors, lights, and hundreds of different types of makeup. A kind lady (who kept calling everyone "sweetie") said, "I'm just going to put on a little to make you camera-ready, sweetie."
Then she went to work. A little tan stuff on her fingertip, right under my eyes. Then powder applied with a paintbrush thingy. She'd look at me and frown, then she'd get something else to layer onto my face. One time, she took out a tube of some clear gel that smelled vaguely of peaches and rubbing alcohol. She daubed that on my face too. One more final layer of some powdery substance and apparently I was ready for TV. lol
Btw, after the interview, I called my wife. She said, "Next time you go on TV, make sure you get some makeup on those bags under your eyes." I replied, "They DID put makeup under my eyes!" Where's the love?
After makeup, a nice fellow named Brian came in and put on my mic. Suddenly, it was time. Down a shadowy hall, stepping over cables and wires, then through a door that read "On Air." I found myself on the set. Three chairs and a coffee table on a dais raised from the floor about a foot. The commercials were on. During that time, Steve and Gretchen, the hosts of the show, introduced themselves. They had cue cards in their laps and ran through some of the questions with me.
Someone off camera said, "Clear set." And then began the countdown. On in 10, 9, 8, {Cue stomach flipflops} 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...The Camera rolled. The questions came in a blur, and whoosh, it was over. I came to find out later that they never showed the artwork of any of my books--major bummer. I was also bummed because they never brought up the Fantasy 4 Fiction Tour--which was part of the preInterview the day before. Nonetheless, it was national exposure for Christian Fantasy, and apparently, some folks were watching.
Amazing the power of TV.
Since 2005 when The Door Within first came out, the lowest any of my books have ever been on Amazon's Sales Rankings was 1200. That number indicates that, out of all 3-4 million books sold on Amazon, The Door Within was selling 1,200th. Anything under 100,000 means your book is selling fairly well.
After going on Fox and Friends, ALL of my books (The 3 Door Within books and Isle of Swords) went lower than they've ever been before. Here are the numbers:
The Door Within Hardcover #741
The Door Within Paperback #933
The Rise of the Wyrm Lord Paperback #638
The Final Storm Hardcover #509
Isle of Swords 10, 212 (And this book is still a PreOrder!)
It'll be interesting to see how long the wave lasts.
Radio Show Appearance Monday!
Not sure how many of you are in the Washington DC, Baltimore area, but I will be on WRBS Radio for an hour--8 to 9 am, Monday 23rd. (The time is Eastern Time).
Here's a recap on what it was like to go on Fox and Friends. Fox sent a car to pick me up. Dropped at the Studio in the middle of Rockafeller Square downtown. Several levels of security--including the coolest glass doors I've ever seen--later and I was met by a producer. She led me to a small room filled with chairs, monitors, and muffins. There were two other guests in this room. I didn't recognize either, but my first thought was "Holy Cow, they're wearing a lot of make up!"
The producer told me that someone would be along to mic me in a few moments, and in the meantime, I could watch Fox and Friends on the monitor. Geraldo Rivera was the guest on at that time. A few moments later, he walked right into the waiting room. Nice guy, turns out. He introduced himself and offered his hand. I promptly shook and introduced myself. And then off he went.
Geraldo, huh? Who would of thought?
Next thing I knew, I was ushered into a little closet of a room. I sat in a kind of barber chair surrounded by mirrors, lights, and hundreds of different types of makeup. A kind lady (who kept calling everyone "sweetie") said, "I'm just going to put on a little to make you camera-ready, sweetie."
Then she went to work. A little tan stuff on her fingertip, right under my eyes. Then powder applied with a paintbrush thingy. She'd look at me and frown, then she'd get something else to layer onto my face. One time, she took out a tube of some clear gel that smelled vaguely of peaches and rubbing alcohol. She daubed that on my face too. One more final layer of some powdery substance and apparently I was ready for TV. lol
Btw, after the interview, I called my wife. She said, "Next time you go on TV, make sure you get some makeup on those bags under your eyes." I replied, "They DID put makeup under my eyes!" Where's the love?
After makeup, a nice fellow named Brian came in and put on my mic. Suddenly, it was time. Down a shadowy hall, stepping over cables and wires, then through a door that read "On Air." I found myself on the set. Three chairs and a coffee table on a dais raised from the floor about a foot. The commercials were on. During that time, Steve and Gretchen, the hosts of the show, introduced themselves. They had cue cards in their laps and ran through some of the questions with me.
Someone off camera said, "Clear set." And then began the countdown. On in 10, 9, 8, {Cue stomach flipflops} 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...The Camera rolled. The questions came in a blur, and whoosh, it was over. I came to find out later that they never showed the artwork of any of my books--major bummer. I was also bummed because they never brought up the Fantasy 4 Fiction Tour--which was part of the preInterview the day before. Nonetheless, it was national exposure for Christian Fantasy, and apparently, some folks were watching.
Amazing the power of TV.
Since 2005 when The Door Within first came out, the lowest any of my books have ever been on Amazon's Sales Rankings was 1200. That number indicates that, out of all 3-4 million books sold on Amazon, The Door Within was selling 1,200th. Anything under 100,000 means your book is selling fairly well.
After going on Fox and Friends, ALL of my books (The 3 Door Within books and Isle of Swords) went lower than they've ever been before. Here are the numbers:
The Door Within Hardcover #741
The Door Within Paperback #933
The Rise of the Wyrm Lord Paperback #638
The Final Storm Hardcover #509
Isle of Swords 10, 212 (And this book is still a PreOrder!)
It'll be interesting to see how long the wave lasts.
Radio Show Appearance Monday!
Not sure how many of you are in the Washington DC, Baltimore area, but I will be on WRBS Radio for an hour--8 to 9 am, Monday 23rd. (The time is Eastern Time).
Friday, July 20, 2007
There and back again... (To borrow a phrase)
The Fantasy 4 Fiction Tour has come to an end. And coming from the author who wrote: Adventures are funny things...they always begin with the unexpected, you'd think I'd know by now that God is in the business of doing the unexpected.
Who knew that by the end of this Tour, The Washington Post would interview me and smack the story on the front page? Who knew that Fox News would see the article and invite me to appear on the nationally televised Fox and Friends show? Who knew that the four authors, from four denominations and four different publishers would become lifelong friends? And who knew a young lady would visit me at a Tour stop and show me once and for all that my stories are being used by God to change lives? Who knew?
God knew.
I am so glad for the technology that allowed us to write about our experience and show you through the Hoppers' fabulous films. You've all seen what God has done. The Revolution in the arts has begun. Are you seeking God's will for your place in it? What story have you to tell? What song have you to sing? What image will you paint (or render)? We can no longer let the world dictate to us what quality art can be. We need to blaze the trail. Are you ready? I am.
Here are the Final Tour Videos:
I'd like to close by rewriting the ending of my favorite fantasy tale. I'm superimposing the adventure I've just returned from. I hope you don't mind my borrowing from the Professor.
But to Sir Wayne the afternoon deepened to a hazy gray as he stood at the Haven, just around the bend from their final event. And as he looked down the traffic-choked network of streets, through the teeming crowds, and up between the towering structures that scraped the sky, he thought he caught a glimpse of something heavenly. There he stood far into the afternoon as his fellow adventurers moved their baggage from one place to another. Then all at once, the four of them knew the time had come. The elf-lord, Bryan, so aloof at times--and careful--but possessing an inner strength to topple strongholds...he stood like a statue, but there was a knowing look in his eyes--a wistful recognition of all they'd been through. Lady Sharon, the tender swordmaiden, skilled with herbs and things of comfort and healing--she gave to all such gifts as she could, but none more precious than the breath of encouragement to a downcast heart. The effervescent, Sir Christopher, darted to and fro crushing all in bear hugs, professing love and truth to all who would dare believe.
Sir Wayne let the moment wash over him, but too soon his companions of a fortnight had all gone their separate ways. But Sir Wayne flew home, and as he strode up the driveway, he saw that there was yellow light and a fire within. The afternoon meal was ready, and he was expected. And Mary Lu drew him in and set him in a chair, and put little Rachel upon his lap.
He drew a deep breath. "Well, I'm back," he said.
Who knew that by the end of this Tour, The Washington Post would interview me and smack the story on the front page? Who knew that Fox News would see the article and invite me to appear on the nationally televised Fox and Friends show? Who knew that the four authors, from four denominations and four different publishers would become lifelong friends? And who knew a young lady would visit me at a Tour stop and show me once and for all that my stories are being used by God to change lives? Who knew?
God knew.
I am so glad for the technology that allowed us to write about our experience and show you through the Hoppers' fabulous films. You've all seen what God has done. The Revolution in the arts has begun. Are you seeking God's will for your place in it? What story have you to tell? What song have you to sing? What image will you paint (or render)? We can no longer let the world dictate to us what quality art can be. We need to blaze the trail. Are you ready? I am.
Here are the Final Tour Videos:
I'd like to close by rewriting the ending of my favorite fantasy tale. I'm superimposing the adventure I've just returned from. I hope you don't mind my borrowing from the Professor.
But to Sir Wayne the afternoon deepened to a hazy gray as he stood at the Haven, just around the bend from their final event. And as he looked down the traffic-choked network of streets, through the teeming crowds, and up between the towering structures that scraped the sky, he thought he caught a glimpse of something heavenly. There he stood far into the afternoon as his fellow adventurers moved their baggage from one place to another. Then all at once, the four of them knew the time had come. The elf-lord, Bryan, so aloof at times--and careful--but possessing an inner strength to topple strongholds...he stood like a statue, but there was a knowing look in his eyes--a wistful recognition of all they'd been through. Lady Sharon, the tender swordmaiden, skilled with herbs and things of comfort and healing--she gave to all such gifts as she could, but none more precious than the breath of encouragement to a downcast heart. The effervescent, Sir Christopher, darted to and fro crushing all in bear hugs, professing love and truth to all who would dare believe.
Sir Wayne let the moment wash over him, but too soon his companions of a fortnight had all gone their separate ways. But Sir Wayne flew home, and as he strode up the driveway, he saw that there was yellow light and a fire within. The afternoon meal was ready, and he was expected. And Mary Lu drew him in and set him in a chair, and put little Rachel upon his lap.
He drew a deep breath. "Well, I'm back," he said.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Update: My Appearance on Fox and Friends moved to 8:45am. (Eastern Time)
Hello to all! Just a quick note to say thank you for prayers and encouragement. I have had a HUGE sense of peace on me all day. God is in the HOUSE!
Also, please note the new time for my appearance:
Fox and Friends Friday 8:45 AM, Eastern Time. The interview will last about 15 minutes, so tune in early if you can!
Also, not sure of the technology involved, but can anyone record the segment and post it on YouTube?
Also, please note the new time for my appearance:
Fox and Friends Friday 8:45 AM, Eastern Time. The interview will last about 15 minutes, so tune in early if you can!
Also, not sure of the technology involved, but can anyone record the segment and post it on YouTube?
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Comments on the Post Article
If you haven't heard about the Washington Post article and about my appearance on Fox News this Friday morning, see the previous post.
But, if you get a chance, go on over to the Post Article and read some of the comments. The Jesus-haters have literally had a field day. Please consider leaving a comment of your own there so that we can have some Christian reason on the site. But, whatever you do, don't get into a "flame" war. Just state your thoughts respectfully.
Here's the site:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071702182.html
You'll need to get to the end of the article to leave a comment. Thanks.
But, if you get a chance, go on over to the Post Article and read some of the comments. The Jesus-haters have literally had a field day. Please consider leaving a comment of your own there so that we can have some Christian reason on the site. But, whatever you do, don't get into a "flame" war. Just state your thoughts respectfully.
Here's the site:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071702182.html
You'll need to get to the end of the article to leave a comment. Thanks.
Fantasy Fiction Tour Update: Hold on to your hats, folks...
Another update? You might be looking at the calendar and thinking, "Oh, the Tour's over." Well, that's what I thought. God {who is in the habit of doing so} had other ideas.
My agent, Gregg Wooding, calls in the middle of our last Tour Signing at the Timeless Treasures Store in downtown Manhattan. "Wayne, you might want to sit down," he says.
"I saw it, Gregg," I say, misunderstanding him. "The Washington Post put the Christian Fantasy article on the front page--my book Isle of Swords, right there on the front page."
He pauses, "Uh, yes, that was great, but there's more."
Stunned silence.
"Fox News just called. They want you to stay in New York so that they can have you as a guest on Fox and Friends, Friday morning 6:45 am."
More stunned silence, punctuated by rapid heart rate and shortness of breath.
This is real. God is making me into one of the small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains. It's happening. Adventures are funny things...they may appear down a seldom trodden path or even arrive with...a phone call. But they always begin with the unexpected.
So, my friends and family I beg you for this:
Please pray that I would speak the words God wants me to speak. Please pray that I could be a spokesperson for God's agenda and not my own. Please pray that I do not develop lockjaw, strep, or some other such thing.
Funny thing: I'm sitting here now, in a little business lounge high in the skyscraping Hotel Pennsylvania deep in the heart of New York City. I'm now committed to being apart from my family for another two days. I miss my wife and my children. My Tourmates, Christopher Hopper, Bryan Davis, and Sharon Hinck have all gone home. I miss them already.
I am a very little man in a great big city. But I am not alone.
I am never alone.
My agent, Gregg Wooding, calls in the middle of our last Tour Signing at the Timeless Treasures Store in downtown Manhattan. "Wayne, you might want to sit down," he says.
"I saw it, Gregg," I say, misunderstanding him. "The Washington Post put the Christian Fantasy article on the front page--my book Isle of Swords, right there on the front page."
He pauses, "Uh, yes, that was great, but there's more."
Stunned silence.
"Fox News just called. They want you to stay in New York so that they can have you as a guest on Fox and Friends, Friday morning 6:45 am."
More stunned silence, punctuated by rapid heart rate and shortness of breath.
This is real. God is making me into one of the small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains. It's happening. Adventures are funny things...they may appear down a seldom trodden path or even arrive with...a phone call. But they always begin with the unexpected.
So, my friends and family I beg you for this:
Emergency Prayer Request
Please pray that I would speak the words God wants me to speak. Please pray that I could be a spokesperson for God's agenda and not my own. Please pray that I do not develop lockjaw, strep, or some other such thing.
Funny thing: I'm sitting here now, in a little business lounge high in the skyscraping Hotel Pennsylvania deep in the heart of New York City. I'm now committed to being apart from my family for another two days. I miss my wife and my children. My Tourmates, Christopher Hopper, Bryan Davis, and Sharon Hinck have all gone home. I miss them already.
I am a very little man in a great big city. But I am not alone.
I am never alone.
Fantasy Fiction Tour Report, Day 10: Brooklyn Part 2 & Washington Post Article
New Tour Video, click HERE!
The Washington Post article is in today's paper. And get this, my book cover is on the FRONT page! God is electric good. Please check out the article by clicking HERE.
Or, visit:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071702182.html
The article is VERY positive about the Christian Fantasy genre, but doesn't mention Bryan Davis, Sharon Hinck, or Christopher Hopper by name. I am SO bummed about that because these wonderful authors are friends of mine. And without their passion--without Christopher Hopper's publisher Pam Schwagerl pouring her life and resources into the Tour, there wouldn't have been a Tour...and therefore, there wouldn't be anything newsworthy.
Nonetheless, God will work all things together for good. After this Tour, that is one thing I can say with certainty.
Oh, and about the Tour: Brooklyn
We met so many great folks at the Timeless Treasures store. One cool visitor gave us time for a little video interview. When asked why she doesn't read secular fantasy, she responded, "That stuff is crap." Christopher, I hope you got that. Please, tell me you got that. ;-)
{Sigh} Mixed emotions as the Tour comes to an end. One more stop to come. Much more later.
The Washington Post article is in today's paper. And get this, my book cover is on the FRONT page! God is electric good. Please check out the article by clicking HERE.
Or, visit:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071702182.html
The article is VERY positive about the Christian Fantasy genre, but doesn't mention Bryan Davis, Sharon Hinck, or Christopher Hopper by name. I am SO bummed about that because these wonderful authors are friends of mine. And without their passion--without Christopher Hopper's publisher Pam Schwagerl pouring her life and resources into the Tour, there wouldn't have been a Tour...and therefore, there wouldn't be anything newsworthy.
Nonetheless, God will work all things together for good. After this Tour, that is one thing I can say with certainty.
Oh, and about the Tour: Brooklyn
We met so many great folks at the Timeless Treasures store. One cool visitor gave us time for a little video interview. When asked why she doesn't read secular fantasy, she responded, "That stuff is crap." Christopher, I hope you got that. Please, tell me you got that. ;-)
{Sigh} Mixed emotions as the Tour comes to an end. One more stop to come. Much more later.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Fantasy Fiction Tour Report, Day 10: Brooklyn Part 1
Well, after narrowly avoiding a serious traffic accident on the Belt Parkway near the Verrazano Bridge--cool bridge by the way--just not so cool for the guy in the white car. After a sudden stop, he plowed into the car in front of him. A 3rd car hit him, so he had the Milachi Crunch. We burned a little rubber and burned up a brake pad or two, but were otherwise no worse for wear. Thank you, Jesus.
We're waiting right now, staying in a missions building for Living Waters Fellowship in a not-so-friendly part of downtown. I have to admit I'm not very comfortable having my daughter Kayla here, so any prayers would be MUCH appreciated. Battling dragons is one thing, but gangs with handguns? Yipe. ;-)
We have a signing at Timeless Treasures Christian Bookstore in Brooklyn today at 5pm. Details later if we have internet. Bryan Davis, his daughter, and my daughter and I are staying with Roheryn in NJ this evening.
We're waiting right now, staying in a missions building for Living Waters Fellowship in a not-so-friendly part of downtown. I have to admit I'm not very comfortable having my daughter Kayla here, so any prayers would be MUCH appreciated. Battling dragons is one thing, but gangs with handguns? Yipe. ;-)
We have a signing at Timeless Treasures Christian Bookstore in Brooklyn today at 5pm. Details later if we have internet. Bryan Davis, his daughter, and my daughter and I are staying with Roheryn in NJ this evening.
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