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 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.

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!

You can purchase Isle of Swords here!

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.)

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.

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!

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.

—George Bryan Polivka, author of Legend of the Firefish

Bryan, let me know if I'm NOT supposed to borrow this interview from the Harvest Website. Not trying to step on toes. ;-)

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

I can get behind an author like this swordbrother. Amen?

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...

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:

Rain of Fire

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.

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!

Introductions Thread at SFFworld

And feel free to start your own threads, polls, etc. {Mischievous grin, bwah, ha, ha!}

Never alone!

WtB

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!

CSFF Blog Tour Day 2: Fearless by Robin Parrish

Robin Parrish
Author of Fearless

Hundreds of super-beings walk among earth's inhabitants. An unexplained series of natural disasters have shaken the populace to its core. Fear fills the heart of every human being. But in the darkness there is hope; the man known as Grant Borrows, whom the public has dubbed Guardian. He is heroic, powerful, and fearless. While Grant enjoys this new life, those close to him worry he may be hiding a terrible secret. A search for answers brings Grant and his friends to London, where an extraordinary discovery awaits that will challenge everything they thought they knew. With a deadly new enemy dogging his steps, Grant realizes that the world's only hope may come from unraveling the truth about himself once and for all. But what he comes face-to-face with leaves even this most powerful of men shaken with fear...

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:

RELENTLESS Link

FEARLESS Link

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

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

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.

Click Here for all Fantasy 4 Fiction Tour Videos!

Click Here to see my appearance on Fox and Friends

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).

You can also listen in ONLINE by clicking HERE.

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:

Day 8, 9, 10 (and all Tour video)

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.

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?

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.

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:

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.

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.

Fantasy Fiction Tour Report, Day 9: Belair, MD & Newark Delaware

Hey, all! The Fantasy Fiction Tour authors are all camped out in a Panera Bread who's managers allowed us to stay after hours to use their free WiFi! Suh-weet. Today we hit Christopher Matthews Christian Bookstore in BelAir, Maryland. What a great turnout. Met wonderful people, signed a lot of books, let a lot of young people play with sharp, pointy things.

In NewArk, we did a driveby of a Borders. Cool thing: they had 9 of my books FACE OUT. And one of the managers said, "I love your books!"

We spent the evening at Days of Knights--a medieval gaming shop. Double-sweet.

And here's the video link: Fantasy 4 Fiction Tour Video.

Fantasy Tour Update, Day 7 & 8: Richmond, Ellicott City, Washington D.C., and Alexandria

First of all: A HUGE thank you to Christopher Hopper and his wife Jennifer for taking the very little down time we've had on this tour to upload, edit, and post all these AMAZING Fantasy Tour Video Updates. A picture is worth a thousand words, so moving pictures are worth billions. Seriously, these videos capture the excitement and fun of the tour in a way that words don't seem to communicate.

New Tour Videos are Up. Click on the links below to go and see them!

Day Four and Five
Day Six

Recap: Richmond, Virginia
We marched into the Barnes and Noble Broad Street to find a beautiful display of our books and absolutely PRIMO placement up front and center in the store. A great day there with special guest visitors once again. This time it was Indie Recording Artist and Award Winning Vocalist, Denise Dovel. Check out Denise's incredible music by clicking HERE. She also happens to be my sister-in-law. We also had a visit from author Katy Pistole. She writes YA books in which horses play a big role. If you are someone who loves horses, check out Katy's books by clicking HERE. We met a lot of wonderful people, including a young DW fan named Dean who's been writing some pretty fantastic stuff himself. The manager was so pleased with the product and sales that he had us sign ALL of the remaining copies of our books. That means they aren't worried about returns. Coolness.

Ellicott City #1: His Way Christian Books
Traffic coming out of Richmond was unreal. We hit Fredericksburg and {sound of tires screeching to a halt}. After several detour attempts and U-turns, we finally got moving again. From there, it was "Mr. Sulu, warp factor 9!" We hauled up 95 to get to His Way--40 minutes late, unfortunately.

I felt horrible because His Way is my home bookstore. They were the first to offer me a booksigning when The Door Within had just released. And Michelle Black, the Author Liason of the local His Way chain has worked SO hard to make this event a reality. Custom, hand-painted banners adorned the ceilings (See top picture), swords along the floor to lead customers to the amazing throne-like signing area in the back--all painstakingly created by Michelle and the wonderful staff of His Way. Oh, and there were readers there too. LOTS of readers. There must have been 40+ folks there when we walked in the door. We signed and chatted and hugged and mugged (for photos, that is) until the doors closed and the store hours ended. It was amazing.

Next Day we zoomed over to First Presbyterian Church of Washington D.C., Condi Rice's church it turns out. Met some wonderful folks there and sold some books, but the highlight was getting to speak to their youth group. 30+ teens in one room. And they were as guarded as they could be when we walked in the room. After we spoke, they were as open as they could be. God was working there, I can tell you that. WHOA!!

Of to Alexandria for a very important event. The Barnes and Nobles Potomac Yard. Beautiful store and wonderful chance to do some readings. But also, a reporter for the Washington Post covered the event and is planning a big article on the Tour. Look for it in the Washington Post Metro/Religion Section Wednesday or Thursday this week. Also, please pray that the article would be a positive feature on Christian Fantasy. Momentum is building, and a good write-up in the post would REALLY be a huge catalyst.

Then {yes, same day} we flew back to Ellicott City for a signing at another one of my "home" stores. They had a SWEET arrangement of our books, once again, front of the store. And people came out in droves. We me tons of neat fokls and sold a gazillion books. Some parents went from author to author, buying each and every book available!

Okay, that's all for now. We're off to Belair, MD, Delaware, and then wrapping up in New York.

Family Break

I've not posted Saturday and Sunday because I'm back in my hometown for this leg of the tour. I'm spending time with my family, but more--MUCH MORE--to come in the coming days. All I can say is God is awesome.

Fantasy Fiction Tour Report, Day 6: Charlotte and Raleigh

Okay, something happened today that, had it been the only event of the entire tour, would have been enough for me. This morning we walked into the Barnes and Noble of Charlotte, North Carolina and found several fantasy fans waiting for us. Among them was a nice young lady who brought Bryan Davis a beautiful painting of a dragon's eye--and theme music she had composed to go with it.

But also among the folks waiting was a precious, precious family who blessed me on a level that I can barely describe. First of all, they drove from Rocky Mount all the way to Charlotte, stayed overnight there just to make sure they could be there when the author of The Door Within books arrived. I just about fell over. Really? I think to myself. I had no idea what was to come.

This family was a mom, two girls, and a son. They'd all read my books and professed to love them. But one of the daughters, a young lady named Shelby, just 13 years old, walked up to me and told me, "Your books changed my life." I just lost it. {Cue tear floodgates} She went on to tell me how she could finally see how vain so many pursuits of the world were, and how she now will walk the narrow way. She told me that God has taught her through my books that this world is not all there is and that she longs for heaven. AND, she brought me a manuscript she'd written...100 pages, a story she'd developed from one of the settings from Final Storm. She wanted me to read it to tell her what I think of her work. I'm loving it so far...it is so completely from her sweet, humble heart, and I am overcome. Her mother told me just before the family left: "Your books have radically changed our whole family."

If you happen to read this blog today, regular or not, I have something to declare to you from the rooftops: God is the keeper of the great and the small. Only God could have taken my inadequate words and touched hearts so deeply. And only God could have seen into my heart and known how desperately I needed to know that I was serving Him. And this morning before we even left for the event, I grabbed all my suitcases and was just about to leave the home where we stayed the night. I happened to glance at the table and saw a napkin. I thought, "Yeah, get the napkin. You might need to blow your nose on the road or something." Or something. No detail escapes God's notice. He sees your deepest need and waits for the perfect timing.

One day, I will thank Him in person. I will fall down on my knees and kiss his nail-scarred hands.


For a little video update click HERE.

Fantasy Fiction Tour Update, Day 5: Knoxville and Asheville

I said Tennessee is a gorgeous state, and as we drove east across the rest of the state, I found I am guilty of understatement. The Smoky Mountains were just incredible. I found myself conjuring all sorts of adventure that might occur under the canopies of the trees that draped every peak and valley.

Shown above is the Fantasy 4 at the Cedar Springs Christian Bookstore. Wow, did they treat us well. They placed us in the front of the store on a platform no less. We certainly don't deserve it, but it's really great to be where we can greet people--all the people--as they come in the store. One thing that went on behind the scenes--in transit actually--is I got to listen to Bryan Davis and Christopher Hopper swap faith stories. You know, those "this is what God did" kind of stories. I have to tell you I was absolutely blown away. I am just about speechless because the stories of miraculous God things that these men have witnessed--in person--not hearsay, they're simply unbelievable outside of God's divine intervention.

By the way, James Somers stopped by. So great to meet him. For those who don't know him, he's an author of two SciFi books called The Chronicles of Soone. Very cool stories. Pray for James as these books are now in the hands of some heavyweight publishers. We've got some great fantasy on the way, but very little CBA SciFi. Shown above: we had another unexpected visit. A splendid lady named Kathryn walked in and saw our swords. She mentioned that she teaches stage swordplay at the local college {where was that class when I went to Maryland U?} Anyway, several authors with puppy dog eyes pleaded "teach us! teach us!" And without a moment's hesitation she began to school us on proper stance, footwork, guard, and attack. {Where was she when I wrote The Door Within?} As you can see above, we actually staged a combat scene--put a few notches in our beautiful new swords. But it was 300% worth it.


Tomorrow: Charlotte and Raleigh, NC.

Fantasy Fiction Tour Report: Day 4 Manchester and Nashville

Tennessee is a beautiful state. I now understand why so many people, including tourmate Bryan Davis, have up and moved there. A lot of the main highway was cut into the sheer rock of the meandering southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. So as we drove through, it was like passing within dwarven mines delved in days of old. Strata of gray, brown, orange, red, and white stone glistened in the sun. And then, the road would spiral down between great green humps of mountain, shrouded in gossamer white mist. It reminded me so much of the mountains of New Zealand as they appeared in the Lord of the Rings movies. I half expected to look over the guardrail and see two slender gray boats, directed through the currents of the Anduin by a reluctant king and his motley fellowship. {sigh}



Our first stop on the Tour took us to a wonderful little Methodist church in Manchester, TN for a meeting of Homeschooler Moms. Very nice people--as Tennesseans all seem to be--and the Fantasy Foursome had the first chance to test our speaking program. Funny how God works. Each of the 4 authors developed a 20 minute speech/reading, independent of the other authors. In fact--way back in the formative stages of the tour, we discussed topics so that we WOULDN'T overlap. But God had other ideas. Turned out that there was a wonderful thread woven through all four messages...a thread God seemed to wish to use in the lives of those who came to visit.


Then, that evening, we visited Borders in Nashville. The staff there had us set up nicely with posters and more than ample space to wield swords {ahem}, which we did. Bryan Davis even had an impromptu duel with a customer. She defeated the Dragon Master without breaking a sweat. If you ask me, he let her win. ;-)

We also met a brilliant young man named Austin who {prepare to feel intimidated} at the age of 13, has written a 400 page manuscript and submitted it to Thomas Nelson. FOUR HUNDRED PAGES. I don't think I'd written anything longer than 2-3 pages by that point in my writing career. Christopher said, "I think I was still climbing trees when I was 13." The next Christopher Paolini, maybe?

There were several other wonderful young folks, three young ladies in particular who seemed to enjoy bantering with us in British accents. Too fun.

The photo you see above shows some of the wonderful kids who came by. And by the way, look to the right of author Christopher Hopper. See the guy in the brown shirt? That's guitar legend Phil Keaggy who happens to be Uncle Phil to Christopher. Eddie Van Halen was once asked, "What's it like to be the greatest guitarist in the world?" Eddie replied, "I don't know. You'll have to ask Phil Keaggy." Nuff said. That was a blessing.

We finished the evening with a long drive to Oak Ridge, during which we all realized how exhausted we were. Sharon would turn and say, "Wayne, what day is it?" To which I would reply, "It's still Wednesday...I'm pretty sure."

Tomorrow: Knoxville, TN and Asheville, North Carolina...

Fantasy Fiction Tour Report: Day 3

Day 3 of our stay in Atlanta brought the Fantasy 4 for our first "together" signing. It went spectacularly well with hundreds of retailers coming by to get books. I reiterate: remember, these retailers own or manage bookstores or even chains of bookstores. If they like the books, they order them for their stores and…the genre grows.

The taste of medieval banter between us was balm to the soul (I know, I'm weird that way), and I so look forward to more goofing around in fellowship with these wonderful people.


I'd love to tell you more, but I am just plain exhausted. Some day the tale of Author Christopher Hopper and his wife doing a beatbox rap to get us free parking must be told. But tonight, I must go and read, and then sleep much as we hit the road for Tennessee tomorrow morning.

I'd like to leave you with this photo as a reminder of why we do what we do. Bryan Davis got an email from this young man who is a fan of our books, and he was excited to hear that Bryan was going to be in town with me. I couldn't make the signing in Gainesville this evening, but Bryan was nice enough to bring this young man one of my books. The look on his face is worth more than all the royalty checks in the world.

Fantasy Fiction Tour Report: Day 2

Day Two of the Fantasy Fiction Tour found my agent and I getting up at 7a.m. and then deciding NOT to go to the gym after all. lol We went back to sleep.

Thanks for your prayers. The Hoppers arrived safely, albeit with very little sleep. We were a little alarmed about Sharon Hinck though...at first. Bryan Davis, Christopher Hopper, and I met at the Tsaba House booth for our Meet and Greet Kickoff, but even as the start time ticked off, there was no Sharon. We'd all read her email about getting a terrible sore throat and thought, uh oh. Turns out, she had so many people in line for The Restorer that she could barely tear herself away.

So, we all met for the very first time. Funny though. I felt so strongly that I'd known them for years. God's like that. Kindred spirits. And it was upon this meeting that John Cooper, owner of our Tour Sponsor: Real Armor of God, met us and girded us with sword and shield. My sword, The Ranger Sword is shown below. I cannot tell you how fun it is to hold this puppy!

If you'd like to see the other cool swords, shields, armor, etc. at Real Armor of God, click on the pic above. Seriously, if you think you want some medieval weaponry in your life, you will not find any better than RealArmorofGod.com.

From 11-12, Bryan, Sharon, Christopher, and I met dozens and dozens of retailers. We talked Christian Fantasy. We talked about our books. Everyone seemed to really get into it. Things are happening here. Glory to God for what He's doing here, and thank you so much for your prayers. We are seeing the results.

If you'd like to see a video of highlights from the floor of the International Christian Retail Show, click HERE.

Or visit:
http://www.fantasyfictiontour.com/?p=73

At 12:30, my agent, Gregg Wooding, and I ate lunch with my Senior Editor at TN and the Vice President of Children's Publishing. It was a wonderful meeting. During the meeting, I mentioned a new fantasy concept that I've been working on for some time. It's a huge, epic plot that I am LOVING so far. It could be as many as 5-7 books! Well, long story short, the VP said, "Send me a proposal." I just about fell out of my chair. ICRS Answer to prayer #216.

From 5-6 I did a Thomas Nelson Publishing Event called a Personality Party. This is where the publishers invite the top 100-200 retailers to come and meet noted authors and get new books signed. This was really cool as I got to sign about 200 copies of Isle of Swords about a month before the actual release. These copies are given to retailers free of charge, but the potential is astronomical. The idea is, each one of these retailers reads (and hopefully likes) the book. SO, they then order stacks of books for their stores or even for a whole chain of stores. See what I mean about ICRS being a BIG deal for the future of Christian Fantasy?

About noonish, we found out that RNS (Religion News Service--think Christian AP) carried a story about Christian Fantasy based on the Fantasy Fiction Tour. Awesome article: Move Over, Harry, Because Christian Fantasy is Back. Check it out if you get a chance.

God is just blowing the doors off during this first real day of ICRS. But I saved the best surprise for last. We're a half our into our Meet and Greet when my agent gets a call. Turns out it's The Washington Post. They want to do an article on the Fantasy Fiction Tour. At 3pm, I spent an hour with a wonderful reporter/columnist talking about all kinds of things related to my books, Christian fantasy, the Tour. It was amazing. She had really done her homework and seemed to know quite a bit about what we're trying to do. AND, she's going to come out an cover not one but two of our signing speaking events! The Post will be covering our signing in Alexandria, VA, and our event in Washington D.C. Including photos! This is the Washington Post we're talking here. A circulation of what? 20 Million?? Are you kidding me?

Please keep praying about this. Attention of this type could be HUGE for the Christian Fantasy Genre, as well as, for our books. ;-)

And also, if you can at all make it to one of the events being covered by the Post, that would really be great. The dates, times, and locations are listed below:


Sunday, July 15th (9:15am)
National Presbyterian Church
4104 Nebraska Avenue N.W.
Washington D.C. 20016
202-537-0800

Sunday, July 15th 3:00 - 5:00pm
Barnes & Noble
Potomac Yard Store
3651 Jefferson Davis Highway
Alexandria, VA. 22305
703-299-9124

Thank you again for your prayers. More tomorrow:

Never alone!

WtB

Fantasy Fiction Tour Report: Day 1

Well, the Fantasy Fiction Tour is off to a, uhm…well, a rather dubious start. I'm waiting in a line at BWI Airport when my cell phone rings. It's author Christopher Hopper. "Wayne, it looks like we're going to have another Tour vehicle."

"What?" I'm stupefied (not unusual, btw).

CH explains, "My flight got bumped. I have to drive to Atlanta."

"WHAT??" I'm stunned. Immediately, I'm thinking, I can't believe the enemy got to us this fast! "You have to drive from Buffalo, NY to Atlanta? What time will you be getting in?"

"4 a.m."

So, please pray for safe travel through the night for Christopher and his wife.

And then there was a little lost luggage incident for me. And if not for divine intervention, I would have been doing my first booksigning tomorrow--wearing shorts!

This picture is pretty much my view out of the window where I'm staying with my agent Gregg Wooding. God is good.

Much more tomorrow. We have the Official Fantasy Fiction Tour Kick-off Event at 11am. I'll be donning my cape, shield, new broadsword, and backhanger sword all for the first time.