Tribe Contest WINNER!

Hi, all! The Tribe Building Contest has at last come to an end. Christopher and I are stoked about the results. Really kind of awed. You are simply amazing people. We're a little overwhelmed by the flurry of late activity, but we cannot, CAN NOT thank you enough. More on prizes later. See below:

As you recall, this was the order of the leaders as of a month or so ago:

1: Nightwing

2: Silvertree

3: Shadowtear

4: Swiftstorm

5: Ashheart

6: Valorbrand

The 2nd ranking was:

#1 Silvertree

#2 Nightwing

#3 Swiftstorm

#4 Shadowtear

#5 Ashheart

#6 Valorbrand

The FINAL UPDATE Leaderboard is as follows:

#1 Nightwing

#2 Silvertree 

#3 Swiftstorm

#4 Shadowtear

#5 Ashheart

#6 Valorbrand

And now…it is time to announce the CONTEST WINNER!! 

 Oh, but you'll have to click HERE to find out who one.

By the way: if you have anything to comment or post on, do it here, not the site this links to. lol

Tribe Building Contest Ends Sunday, March 7th

Tribe Building Contest Ends Sunday, March 7th! 

I know, I know. It was supposed to be March 1st, right? But I want to post the Tribe Leaderboard one more time before that! So look for the LAST leaderboard right here, as well as, on the Underground--later today!

Who will be 100?

Hi, all! I just noticed that The Door Within has 99 reviews on Amazon! I'm floored and grateful that the overall ranking is still 5 stars. Honestly, it's my first book ever and 13 years of my life went into crafting it. But I know it's far from perfect. Even after 7 books, I know I have a long way to go…so much to learn about the craft of storytelling. But I love it, and Thank YOU, God for the gift of being able to do something I love.


But I wonder…who will be the 100th person to review The Door Within on Amazon?

Speechless: Teens Create Promo Video for Curse of the Spider King

Why title this post "Speechless"? Easy. That's what I was when I watched this video. You need to understand that ALL of this is totally original material. These brilliant kids wrote the script, filmed, acted, edited, created the special effects, and applied them postfilming, and wrote and performed the original soundtrack.



I don't know about you, but I nearly jumped out of my chair when I saw that giant Warspider on the kid's roof. Please post a comment and let these prodigies know what you think of their 100+ hours of effort.

Post Script: It seems that this blogger format won't show the full screen version of the video and like a third of the right part of the screen didn't show up. Here's the link so you can see it full screen:

Click Here for the FULL SIZE version!

Post Script 2: My 12 year old son watched the video and just about flipped off of our bed!

Tribe Building Contest: Quest Alert!

March 1st.

That is the deadline for the Curse of the Spider King Tribe Building Contest. Right now, the standings are close. VERY CLOSE. I will post standings one more time before the end.

Time Sensitive Quest!

Looking for Vanadil Points? Here's a chance to get a pile of them:

BLESS A FRIEND THIS EASTER:
Purchase a Copy of Curse of the Spider King by clicking on my Amazon link in the sidebar. This purchase is designated as a gift that you plan to give to a friend or family member this Easter. This quest is repeatable as often as you wish, but only until March 1st. Note: this does not apply to books purchased prior to today: Feb. 19th.

Vanadils Earned for each Spider King Book Purchased for this Quest: 5000

This also applied to any of my other books purchased from my sidebar Amazon links, but the vanadils earned will be 1000 per book.

I need your ePinion about something...

 

Hi, all! I guess, by now, everyone has heard of eBook readers: Kindle, Nook, Sony eReader, etc. Kinda makes you wonder where the publishing business is going. But the purpose of this post is NOT to debate whether or not paper books would ever or should ever go away. 

But I want to do some fact finding. I figure most of the folks who visit here are pretty avid readers. What I want to know is how many of you:

A) Own an eBook reader of some kind or have access to one?

B) And, of those who could potentially read eBooks on a reader: what would you think of me writing a book to publish ONLY for eReaders? I literally have 24-28 book concepts fleshed out and saved in digital folders. What if I wrote one just for eBooks? The price would be much lower $3-5, most likely. 

Thoughts? Insights?

Thursday Writing Challenges! Today! Jump in folks!

Double Writing Challenges Today! 12 noon EST and 4pm EST. If you want to join us, just comment here. Post what you're working on. Post your current word count. Then from 12-1, set your fingers afire and write like crazy! Same from 4pm-5pm. I'll probably be writing in between some too if you want to jump in.

 

Click HERE to get in on the action.

Writing Challenge Today! 4pm EST

 

Greetings fellow writers! I'm hosting a writing challenge today at 4pm EST. Just visit my Facebook page or click the link below. 

WtB Facebook Page

What is a writing challenge? It's a way to get serious about writing, avoid distractions, and second guessing---and get some serious content written. 

How do we do it? Simple. Just post a comment on my Facebook thread telling us what story/scene you're working on. Post your current wordcount. Then, write like a crazy person! ONE HOUR straight. Butt-in-Chair. Nothing but writing. 

At 5pm, we compare results. It's all friendly, but the accountability is RIGHTEOUS!1

Do you have the passion? Musical Fuel for Writing, Episode 2

Greetings, all. If you've been visiting my blog for any length of time, you know that I like to listen to music while I write. Symphonic, cinematic rock seems to be the ticket for me. It's grand, it's powerful, it's intense, it's beautiful, it's epic--all the things I want my stories to be. It is some of the most melodic and technically brilliant stuff out there. And over the last coupla years,  I've been blessed to discover some amazing bands. The first band I blogged about was The Orphan Project. To read the interview with OP front man Shane Lankford, click HERE and HERE.

Next up is a band called Stream of Passion. Their first CD Embrace the Storm caught my attention simply because of the concept "Embrace the Storm" really resonated with me. Jesus told us in this life we would have trouble. And yet so many of us get struck with hardship and wonder "Why is this happening to me?" Just the CD title made me think about how I respond to calamity. And I wonder if maybe I ought to just embrace the storm as something Jesus will use to refine my faith, something that will force me to my knees because I have no other place to go. I don't think this is what the band Stream of Passion had in mind with the song, but that's where it took me. 

So I got the CD and listened to it on a long drive to Scranton PA, and WOW. It was so different, so unusual, melodic and delightfully crunchy, that I instantly became a fan. All the musicians in SoP are phenomenal--and I mean literally musicians of the highest order. SoP vocalist Marcela Bovio has a voice that defies category. We'll still try of course. She has the lilt of a Celtic balladeer, the gut punching soul of Nancy Wilson of Heart, and the restless melancholy of Amy Lee of Evanescence. Just make sure you understand that Marcela and SoP are not clones or even derivative of ANY other band. Seriously.

Marcela was kind enough to agree to do an interview for Enter the Door Within, so here it is. Enjoy your visit with Marcela and SoP. 

1. First, could you introduce yourself and the band? My name is Marcela Bovio, I’m the lead vocalist and violinist of Stream of Passion. Together with me in the band are Stephan Schultz (lead guitar), Eric Hazebroek (rhythm guitar), Johan van Stratum (bass), Jeffrey Revet (keyboards) and Martijn Peters (drums). I’m from Mexico, but I live in Holland as the rest of the band who’s all Dutch. 

2. If you were trapped on an island that just happened to have a solar powered CD player, but you could only have one CD to listen to, what would it be? Why?
Just one? Wow… Can it be an MP3 CD player? And can it be a CD filled with MP3 so I can squeeze more in it? J I don’t think I could ever choose for just one CD… But well, if you make me choose right now I’d go for my latest acquisition: Pablo Ziegler – “Tango and all that jazz”.

3. Same scenario as above, but what CD would you beg, “Anything but that!”?? Explain.
If you leave me on a deserted island with a reggaeton CD that would just be plain cruel…
4. Finish the simile. The sound of Stream of Passion is most like ______a hurricane_____________. Why?
Name a Weather Event
We aim to create music that sweeps you away, that strikes you with its intensity and emotions. I think a hurricane is a good description!

 
5. You’ve obviously pleased a lot of ears (mine included) with your outrageously cool sound, but given the powerful messages in your songs, have you heard back from fans about the impact your music has had on them? If so, do you have a favorite letter you could share a piece of?
I don’t have any specific examples, but I have had wonderful messages from people telling me just how much our music has touched them or inspired them. It’s the biggest reward you can get as a musician, to know that people can find themselves in your music.
6. In The Flame Within, it seemed you explored some very different shores from Embrace the Storm. Would you comment on that?
Embrace the Storm was an album that Arjen and I wrote back then without any specific ideas as to where the music should go. We started with some acoustic guitar ideas of his that I worked on and the songs evolved to be what they now are. For The Flame Within we had a way more specific idea of what we wanted, which was to make a more energetic, more live orientated album; we had the intention to write songs that would reflect the intensity of our live shows on how driven we are on stage.

 
7. With a voice like yours, you could have chosen just about any musical genre. Why progressive metal? It’s a genre that allows you to do a lot, and that’s why I like it. There’s the chance to do very delicate soft parts as well as louder passages, use classic technique, you name it.
8. The Art of Loss is an incredible opener. Can you give us some behind the scenes insight as to how Stream of Passion decided on that track as the first track?
We thought it really summed up what we wanted to say as a band with this new album; it has a lot of drive, some exotic feel to it, very melodic as well as heavy moments.

 
9. What’s next for Stream of Passion?
We have some more dates planned, and hopefully add a couple more cool gigs for the year. Besides this we’re already busy writing stuff for a new album.

10. Finally, just wishful thinking here, but if one of my books were to be made into a movie, would Stream of Passion consider doing a track for the movie? Never done anything like that, but it would be a nice challenge!

Again, huge thanks to Marcela Bovio for taking the time out of the very busy SoP schedule. Check out Stream of Passion's newest CD: The Flame Within!

Note: As always, with ANY media that you watch or listen to, please use discernment. 

Next up in the Musical Fuel series: Theocracy.  

 

Avatar: Forget the Hype. It's better than that.

Finally got a chance to see Avatar tonight. Took my two sons with me. And parents, use your own discernment before the Lord as to whether you want to see it or take kids to see it.  But all I can say is: WOW. Seriously, I was absolutely floored by the movie.

I've heard lots of reviews talk about the special effects as if they are worth the price of a ticket, while the story is weak. NONSENSE. The story was brilliantly executed, if not terribly original. It's not like the story of Star Wars was that original either. Hello, Arthurian Legend?

One critical point and then back to raving. Beware, SPOILERS ahead, but I'll try not to ruin the movie for anyone. Ok, so the one hokey thing is that the Na'vi (the blue alien race) have a kind of New Agey/Indian Spirit World kind of religion going on. There are a couple of strange scenes where they all lock arms and kind of sway in a sort of prayer to All Mother (kind of like mother earth). And there's a line or two about us killing our own world's mother. But that's it. Official Disclaimer: there's some seriously foul language from time to time--from the space marines, which makes sense, but nonetheless made me wince a few times.

Effects: This is the first movie I've ever scene where I actually could not tell where the reality began and ended. The CGI is that good. From beads of sweat on a forehead to strands of wheat on a cliffside, to an uncanny look of love in the eyes of Neytiri (female lead), it was all absolutely spectacular. It was all just right. Camera angles, color, action, detail, shadow, movement---just flawless. And the world that Mr. Cameron developed was nothing short of breathtaking. After the movie, my son said to me, "Dad, I want to go back there." I asked what  he meant. "Back into that world," he replied. And you know what? So did I. The coolest thing was that on the drive home, the shared awe of this fantasy world gave rise to a conversation of what Heaven will be like--that it will blow Avatar's world out of the water! We also got to talk about doing heroic things here on earth by serving the Lord. How's that for post movie chit chat? Praise God.

Story: Humans have depleted earth's resources and go looking for more elsewhere. We find it on an alien moon where the Na'vi live. There's a powerful ore beneath the Na'vi's main home and so greedy people want to take it. Sounds like a lot of things, right? Well, not so fast. See Avatar isn't just a cool sounding name. It's the key to it all. Kind of virtual reality taken to a level never before seen. And it leads to all sorts of internal conflicts and passionate themes. I was inspired to love my wife better, to love my family with protective ferocity. There's this one scene I will never forget where Neytiri protects her husband who is wounded, and warding off enemies. After several battles, she crouches over her beloved and turns to face the attacker----WOW!!!  I want someone to love me with that kind of ferocity. I want to love others with that kind of ferocity. Maybe God loves us with that kind of ferocity. He loved us enough to die for us.

What did 2009 Bring? Remember this?

Happy New Year! Do you remember this? Last year, I posted the challenge below. It's officially next year now. So I'm wondering how you all did? No resolutions really, just prayerful goals. I'll go first--that way you can all feel better if you blew it. ;-)

------Last year's post below:----------------------------------
 


Happy New Year! Whether you're a regular to EnterTheDoorWithin, a lurker, or a visitor, I hope the new year brings you all God's blessings.

Funny thing this year, when the ball dropped signaling the END of 2008, I actually felt a wave of relief wash over me. It was a tangible, visceral thing. When the last second of 2008 was gone and the promise of all things new in 2009 arrived, it felt pretty good.

Truth is, 2008 was a tough year for me. It was a tough year for a lot of people I love very much. Don't get me wrong. God has blessed me exceedingly. I'm alive. I have a lovely wife and four special children. We're all relatively healthy. I have dear friends, many of whom would run through a wall for me and I for them. I have two terrific jobs: I love to teach and I love to write. But still, it was a tough year. For Christians, however, we know that God is a redeemer, meaning that He can take any situation--even the worst--and bring good from it. I've already seen Him doing it in my own life and in the lives of friends and family.

All this to lead into an interesting activity my brother-in-law did at the New Year's party I attended. He gave everyone a slip of paper, told us to write our name on it, and then write down some goals and/or predictions for the coming year. The goal being that we'd seal all the papers from all the party attendees in an envelope and open it next year to see how things turned out.

That really got me thinking. A lot can happen in a year. So, I'd like to modify the activity for all you who visit here. Post a comment to this thread. Use your user name or real, whatever you will remember you used when you look back a year from now. In your comment, write any of three things:

1. Something difficult from 2008 that you pray God would redeem.
2. A prediction--something you think will happen over the coming year.
3. A goal; something you'd like to achieve.

You can write as many or as few as you'd like.

Then, next year, I will RE-POST the thread so we can all see how the year went. It's my hope that we will be able to Praise God for many things, and that maybe anyone who reads will think to pray for the others and their needs.

Mine will be the first comment. And again, I wish you the very best for 2009. Never alone.

Tribebuilding Contest…EXTENDED!

After a request from a number of readers and a discussion with Sir Christopher, we have decided to extend the Curse of the Spider King Tribe Building Contest! We have 5 very active tribes and one more about to go active. The new deadline for all Contest Activities is:

March 1st, 2010 

Ready to rock? Curse of the Spider King Music, Track 1

Christopher Hopper and I are pleased to announce the official release of The Lost Ones, our new single for the Curse of the Spider King. We batted around the idea of putting it on iTunes and numerous other online providers, but felt it was better simply to offer it to you directly through our websites. For free. If you'd like to donate a dollar for the song download, that's appreciated, but please don't feel obligated. This is a small 'thank you' to all those of you who have been so faithful to help promote our works through your enthusiasm.

If nothing else, please leave a comment to let us know you've downloaded the single.

"The Lost Ones"
Music by: Christopher Hopper
Words by: Wayne Thomas Batson & Christopher Hopper
Performed, Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by: Christopher Hopper
Sprig Records 2010

DOWNLOAD "The Lost Ones" (5.9Mb)

Free Spider King for Librarians--18 copies left

If you're in the Tribe Building Contest (or even if you're not), contact a local librarian (public library or school library) and see if they'd like a copy of Curse of the Spider King. Christopher Hopper and I would like to honor our "unsung heroes" for helping us all get good books to read.


Just have the librarian email me and provide the address to the school/library. I'll send them a signed copy of Spider King--free, not even postage required! lol


I have 18 copies left to be claimed!

Knowing Jesus, Part 2

12/3/09

Thanks to all who posted comments. There is some comfort to know that others share the fears, worries, and doubts. In thinking more about Jesus being baptized by John, I thought again about how aghast John was at the thought of baptizing the Lord of Lords. It struck me that, in addition to fulfilling prophecy, Jesus was really humbling himself. Right there at the start of his ministry on earth, Jesus let this dirty, sweating, sinful, locust-eating wild man baptize the perfect One of God. It’s kind of poetic that Jesus began and ended His earthly ministry by humbling himself at the hands of mankind. So, from this, I learn that Jesus, like the Father, has no interest in forcing us to love Him. Jesus is willing to go to all lengths, diminishing himself to serve mankind, to show His love by serving. How often I underestimate God’s love for us. I still can’t really feel it like a hug or a pat on the shoulder, but something stirs in my gut at the thought of Jesus humbling himself for mankind.

On to the next meeting with Jesus:

Matthew 4 (New International Version)

The Temptation of Jesus
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[b]"

7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"

11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Mannn, how many times have I read or heard this passage. I’m struggling to keep preconceived notions out of my head—Jesus fought the devil with God’s word, so therefore we Christians ought to memorize the Word to use it against the enemy. That’s true—and very important, right?

But Lord, what can I learn about you personally from this? Okay, you fasted for 40 days and nights. You have to be sold out, dedicated to even attempt something like that. How’d you do that anyway? You had to have water and something to eat or you’d have died. But still, it was a fast, so you had to deny yourself most everything. Why? Why do that? I can’t remember Jesus fasting anywhere else in scripture. The only thing I can think of is that you wanted to weaken your flesh…you wanted to make yourself vulnerable. You knew the Devil was coming, and you wanted the flesh to be nearly spent. Was this your way of showing us how important it is for us to come to the end of ourselves? It’s almost like you’re saying, “I just about killed myself, but I didn’t give in to the enemy.”

And how did He resist? Scripture—the Spirit. He didn’t try to solve the problem through his humanity. He didn’t try to climb down on His own. He didn’t negotiate. He didn’t give in. He spent all of his humanity so that He could rely on God and Him alone. So from this, I realize that Jesus is brave and kind of relentless. I also learn that you are superior to the devil in every way.

Knowing Jesus, Part 1

 11/30/09: I’ve been a Christian for 18 years, longer if my first salvation prayer accessed the reservoir of eternal life from God’s free gift. Thing is, my whole Christian life has been plagued with doubt, mostly because I know my own shortcomings. But also due to comparing myself to other Christians I know. Over those 18 years, I've met some extraordinary Christian brothers and sisters…people who, quite honestly glowed in the dark. But I wondered, do they really know Jesus like they say they do? Some of these great people spoke of Jesus like I would speak  of a best friend--as if they had frequent, actual contact.

So, long story short, I wonder about this whole Knowing Jesus thing. How do we know God? I can’t see him, I can’t feel him, I can’t hear his voice—I know some good brothers and sisters seem to have more intimacy with him. I just don’t know. Are all these other people liars? Are they misinterpreting their experiences? Is knowing Jesus a psychosomatic phenomena? Or, can we actually know Jesus like our best friend? There has to be a difference in the relationship--He is God. He is invisible to us now. But I wonder, am I missing something still?

So, how can I know Jesus? I pray sometimes…not as often as I should. But sometimes, when I pray, I feel like a stranger looking around in a big empty house. Anyone there? Hello? My words seem to bounce off the ceiling.

I don’t blame God, though sometimes I’m arrogant enough to do so, but I still just don’t seem to get to know Him through prayer.

Well, there’s one place I’m confident his word exists: the Bible, esp. the gospels. So, I’m going to reread all of them, but with a different approach. I’m reading to get to know Jesus, and for no other reason. Lord God, I am a broken, messed up, confused, and sinful man. If you may be known, let me know you. And please know me and remember me when I die and stand before God. I would wither without you. Amen.

Official disclaimer: I don't claim to be an expert in Biblical matters. My theology might be stronger than some, weaker than others. I'm not attempting to teach anything to anyone. I'm just hoping to share the experience of getting to know Jesus. I welcome all feedback.

Matthew 3: 13-17

The Baptism of Jesus
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

15Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

This is the first scene in the NT where Jesus comes before the camera and speaks. John has been waiting for the Messiah, waiting for Jesus to come, but not waiting to baptize Jesus. John knows just who this is, he’s already reckoned himself unfit to tie Jesus’ sandals. John was blown away by Jesus coming to be baptized. In fact, John tried to deter Jesus. His motives were pure, but he was objecting to something he didn’t understand. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? How many criticisms of God are just that way? How many times have I growled at God as if there’s one thing in this universe I might actually know better than the Almighty?

But this isn’t about me. Back to Jesus. How does the Messiah, God in the flesh, respond to John? Gently, but with clear perspective. Let it be so now; it is proper—ie: in God’s plan, this is the right thing to do and will “fulfill all righteousness.” To John, it’s preposterous that he, a mere man, should baptize the Lord. But to Jesus, it was just as it should be. From this passage I get to know Jesus a little bit; I get a foggy window into His mind. Even from the beginning, Jesus had the plans of God on His mind.

Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour: Monday thru Wed this Week!

 Greetings all! I'm stoked to let you know that Curse of the Spider King will be featured this week on the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour. If you don't know the CSFF, allow me to tell you that their mission in life is to make more and more readers aware of good SciFi & Fantasy written by Christian Authors.

With each tour, an awful lot of bloggers put in an awful huge effort to discuss, review, promote, and celebrate good books. In the process, they usually run the book being discusses into the Top Ten Book Blogs on the enter world wide web. Pretty impressive eh?

Christopher Hopper and I are honored to be featured this week. So, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, you won't catch me on my own blog very much, but I will be visiting everyone on the blogroll below. Please join me. Drop some comments. Give us your .02.

On the following blogs, you'll find all kinds of new interviews with CH and I, not to mention some stories about us and the book that you'll find NO WHERE else.

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Amy Browning
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Tina Kulesa
Melissa Lockcuff
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Nissa
John W. Otte
Cara Powers
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher

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

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

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

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

Thanks for your time.

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

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

Tis the Season…

I know, you're thinking, what is this, Walmart? It's only November and you're hanging out the Christmas Stuff??? What's a guy to do? I heard my friend, author Eric Reinhold's doing something nutty, and I wanted to share it with you:

BOTH HARDCOVER BOOKS FOR ONLY $20!

I know this is crazy, but yes! You can get both book 1 (Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword) and book 2 (Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith) for the low, low price of $20. Retail price is $38. Consider it my contribution to a tough economy. Unlike on-line discounter, Amazon. com that charges $26.13 for both books, at www.ryannwatters.com PLUS you get both of them personally signed by me and two com memorative bookmarkers as well for just $20!



THE SUPPLY IS LIMITED!!!

Between now and Christmas, the goal is to sell out of the first run of books so we can go for the second printing. Take a few minutes to think of the following before you order:

1. What parents do you know that would like a safe, engaging story for their kids to read?

2. What kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins, do you know that would enjoy both books for Christams?

3. Does your school library or church have copies? What better donation to impact a lot of kids in a positive way.

4. How about donating a set to your local public library?

5. What about using them as a give-a-way for a prize in your youth group or children's Sunday School, homeschool group, or Awana store?

Eric Reinhold

A Post About Nothing

I don't have anything meaningful to say. But I feel like writing. So hello to all my readers. For those who've already gotten Spider King, I hope you're enjoying it. Take your time. These things take a while to write, you know. I'm wondering why my Redskins are so terrible this year. Is it the owner? The coach? The players? I dunno. But it hurts to watch them. I feel like at some point, every player has got to say, you know this is a tough situation, but I still need to give my all. Dig deep. Fight adversity. If they don't, it's going to be a LOOONNNNNG season.

Last regular season football games for  my two boys. I sure hope they end on a high note. It's been a rough season. I just ate a protein bar that tastes roughly like hot cocoa and sawdust. Is that a good thing?

It's fall here in Maryland. Beautiful leaves falling. Nice cool temps. I still wish it was Summer.

News Galore: Moonbeams and Spiders and Audio, Oh My!

Greetings, all! How are you? I'm crazy busy and crazy wonderful. Please read on and find out why.


Item #1: The Amazon Blitz

Christopher and I are absolutely FLOORED by the devotion and generosity of our readers. In an attempt to kick of the release of Curse of the Spider King, we launched the first annual Amazon Blitz, asking readers if they were planning to purchase SK anyway to purchase on the same day (Oct. 7th) and drive up the Amazon Sales Rank Number. Now, we knew it would be good because our readers have always blessed us silly. But 70,000+ places good? Yup. CotSK's sales rank climbed from 70,617th to 449th in less than one day. It remained under 3,000 for three days and under 20 for seven days. For that kind of effort, we say thank you. We're honored.




Item #2: The Silver Moonbeam Award

Curse of the Spider King releases nationwide November 3rd, so Christopher and I were absolutely shocked to learn that our cowritten book was reviewed and awarded the Silver Moonbeam for Young Adult Fantasy Fiction. Click Here to see all the winners including a BRONZE for the Miller Brothers, YESSS!!

Item #3: Curse of the Spider King Audio!

For the first time ever, one of my books has been made into an audio book. Voiced by the incredibly talented Greg Whalen (Disney, Veggie Tales, etc) and produced by the audio wizards at Oasis, CotSK is done right. I listened to the first chapter today and practically jumped around my classroom. Mr. Whalen just nailed the voices of some of our main characters. You can listen to the first chapter of the audio book by clicking HERE.

Item #4: Webcast with the Miller Brothers!

I had the spectacular opportunity to be live with author's Chris and Alan Miller (Hunter Brown) tonight on their weekly webcast. 174 viewers joined us. It was a great time to talk author stuff, book stuff, and writing. If you'd like to listen in, click HERE.

Item #5: Spider King Releases in Maryland!

Christopher Hopper is on his way to Maryland. He and I will be officially releasing Spider King to fans this Friday and Saturday. Barnes & Noble Long Gate Shopping Center on Friday Night (6:30-close) and then His Way Christian Books Ellicott City on Saturday, 6-close. There will be swordfights, ridiculous banter, dramatic readings, music, contests, games, prizes, and a giant spider named "George." If you live within three states of Maryland, come on down. You will not want to miss this!

The Blitz Rolls On! We've Broken 1000!

Click on the picture above!

Check out the Amazon sales ranking.

As of 7pm EST, Curse of the Spider King is #994 #635

down from 70,617 this morning!

Folks we are doing this. Every purchase counts. We could break 100. God is good. Should He choose to bless, we could break into the Top 25!

If you'd like to get in on the Blitz, purchase Curse of the Spider King, and get FREE Bookplate Stickers signed by both authors, click the link below!

Join the Blitz! 

Today is the Day! Time for the Curse of the Spider King Amazon Blitz!

Today is the day!

October 7th

Now is the time! 

Blitz Amazon Day:

If you are planning to purchase Curse of the Spider King, would you consider preordering from Amazon TODAY, Wednesday, Oct. 7th? We are trying to get Spider King to climb (pun intended) high on the Amazon Bestseller List. 

Free signed bookplates for all who purchase Spider King on this day. Plus: If you're in on the Tribebuilding Contest, you get mega points for ordering on this day. Multiple copies count! lol

Please reply to this post if you "Blitzed Amazon" and purchased a copy of Curse of the Spider King today! And, if you get a chance, see what Curse of the Spider King's Sales Rank is up to and POST IT here on this thread.

As of 10pm on Oct. 6th (Blitz Eve), the ranking for CotSK was as you see below. 

 

Well done, so far you've helped CotSK increase its ranking: 59,165 places!!! Now it's at 10,947!

Correction, now it's at 2,217! AMAZING! 

Correction, as of 3pm EST, it's at 1,727! Spectacular! Come on folks, pour it on! 

This is getting crazy. The # is dropping by the hour. It's 5pm EST, and the number is now down to 1,426! People are emailing me with receipts of 3, 4, 5, even 8 book purchases! You are very generous and dedicated to jump in with both feet like this! 

And thank you so much for supporting us on this adventure. All glory goes to Jesus. 

Tomorrow is the Day!! Let's Blitz Amazon!

Wednesday, October 7th

Blitz Amazon Day:

If you are planning to purchase Curse of the Spider King, would you consider preordering from Amazon on Wednesday, Oct. 7th? We are trying to get Spider King to climb (pun intended) high on the Amazon Bestseller List. Free signed bookplates for all who purchase Spider King on this day. Plus: If you're in on the Tribebuilding Contest, you get mega points for ordering on this day. Multiple copies count! lol

Upcoming Events--Mark Your Calendar!

There are Several Curse of the Spider King Events Coming Up!

Please Mark Your Calendars 

Wednesday, October 7th

Blitz Amazon Day:

If you are planning to purchase Curse of the Spider King, would you consider preordering from Amazon on Wednesday, Oct. 7th? We are trying to get Spider King to climb (pun intended) high on the Amazon Bestseller List. Free signed bookplates for all who purchase Spider King on this day. Plus: If you're in on the Tribebuilding Contest, you get mega points for ordering on this day. Multiple copies count! lol

Friday, October 16th

† Christopher Hopper and I visit Liberty Christian School in Owings Mills, MD from 8:30-11am.

† Christopher Hopper and I visit Grace Christian School in Owings Mills, MD from 12:30-3:00pm. 

† Huge Release Party #1: Barnes & Noble, Ellicott City, MD.

Swordfighting, Music, Booksigning, Contests, and PRE-release copies of Curse of the Spider King available! 6:30-close.  

Saturday, October 17th

† Huge Release Party #2: His Way Christian Bookstore, Ellicott City, MD. Swordfighting, Music, Booksigning, Contests, and PRE-release copies of Curse of the Spider King available! 6:30-close.

Friday, October 30th

† Christopher Hopper and I visit Indian River Middle School in Upstate, NY from Time TBA.

† Huge Release Party #3: Borders, Salmon Run Mall, Watertown, NY. Swordfighting, Music, Booksigning, Contests, and PRE-release copies of Curse of the Spider King available! Time 4-7.  

Saturday, October 31th

† Huge Release Party #3: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford, NY.

Swordfighting, Music, Booksigning, Contests, and PRE-release copies of Curse of the Spider King available! Time 2-5.

(More to Come. Stay Tuned) 

CSFF Blog Tour, Day 2: All about the Vanishing Sculptor

The above review and teaser summary came from CrossWayz reviews, an awesome one-stop-review shop for all books that honor God and light a fire for the faithful. I agree wholeheartedly with their take on The Vanishing Sculptor.

Donita K. Paul and I have been friends for a while now. So when she inquired as to whether I would read her new book, The Vanishing Sculptor, I jumped at the chance. Here's my review blurb below: 

“Have you ever looked at a painting from a distance and thought it beautiful, only to draw nearer to it and realize it was more exquisite, complex, and wonderful than you ever imagined? The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul is like that. I began reading and liked it. As usual, I found myself happily enveloped in a vivid world full of emerlindians, tumanhofers, and dragons. But then, just when I thought the work was beautiful, something deep within me started to tingle…and I began to see that The Vanishing Sculptor was far more than simple entertainment or escape. I had one ‘Ah Ha!’ moment after another. Clues everywhere, right in front of my eyes, blossomed into truth until, at last, I put down the book and swam in the rich waters of adventure, peace, and blessed melancholy–that rare state revealing you’ve been touched by the story of an inspired author. The Vanishing Sculptor is sure to be loved by readers and re-readers of every age.”

Uhm...what are you waiting for? Click the link to the right in my sidebar. Get the book…and prepare to be immersed by a wonderful tale.

CSFF Blog Tour Day 1: Meet Donita K. Paul and Find the Vanishing Sculptor...if you dare!

Meet the Author: 

Today we begin this month's Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour for Donita K. Paul's new novel, The Vanishing Sculptor. If you're willing to take my word for it, don't wait for the Blog tour to end, get The Vanishing Sculptor now. Just click the link at right in my sidebar. And now, a little bit about the author.

Donita K. Paul retired early from teaching school, but soon got bored! The result: a determination to start a new career. Now she is an award-winning novelist writing Christian Romance and Fantasy. She says, “I feel blessed to be doing what I like best.”  

She mentors all ages, teaching teenagers and weekly adult writing workshops. “God must have imprinted 'teacher' on me clear down to the bone. I taught in public school, then home schooled my children, and worked in private schools. Now my writing week isn’t very productive unless I include some time with kids.” Her two grown children make her proud, and her two grandsons make her laugh.

Donita has a testimony that might resonate with you. Check out what Donita says:


I thought I was a Christian. I’m definitely not Jewish. Not Muslim or Hindu. I’m an American. I was raised in the church. I started teaching Sunday school when I was thirteen. That’s right. Thirteen So when I reached twenty-five, and someone asked me if I was aChristian, I said, “Of course.” By the way, as far as I can remember, that was the very first time anyone had asked me. I must have looked as much like a Christian to those around me as I looked like a Christian to myself.

But it irked me that he had asked. So I decided to show him. I left my Bible open so he would see it in my living room. See? I had a Bible. That means I’m a Christian, right? Then I took to turning the pages so he could see I was actually reading it. I wasn’t, but that didn’t make any difference to me. Uh-oh! You and I (the "I" referring to me as a Christian now) know that’s a surefire sign I wasn’t a Christian.

He didn’t seem to be noticing the open Bible and turned pages, so I read enough in the New Testament to formulate an intelligent question to discuss. I did try the Old Testament, but it was too confusing. (Couldn’t even come up with a decent thought generated from that reading.) So we discussed. I read. We discussed some more. I read some more. BINGO! Sometime during my attempts to convince this guy I was a Christian, the message sunk in, and I became one. 

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)




I've known Donita for a couple of years now, mostly online correspondence, but also from the West Coast Tour. She's one of a kind. At times, a grandmother, at times a mysterious sage, and sometimes, as cantankerous as the dragons she writes about! But one anecdote I'd like to share about Donita that will give you a good idea what she's really all about.


During the Fantasy Fiction West Coast Tour, Donita and Christopher were scheduled to do a great TV interview on Fresno's Good Morning Show. When Donita discovered that the interview was going to cut into our time at the children's hospital. Donita chose to give up her interview spot. I was the fortunate one to take her place. I asked her why. She said it was simple: "Interview versus talking with sick children. No contest." Need you know anything more?


Please check out Donita's righteous Fantasy Stories:

Donita's Dragonkeeper Series!

Tune in tomorrow for my review of Donita's newest novel, The Vanishing Sculptor!

Cures for Writer's Block

About Writer's Block...

A young writer asked me what to do about writer's block. I've posted on this before, but maybe you're finding yourself stuck right now. Hope these suggestions help.

1. Make sure you've been getting enough sleep and aren't wired up on caffeine. Often lack of ideas is the direct result of a too-tired mind or one that is over stimulated.

2. Try outlining. Seat of the pants writers, God bless 'em, are great but much more likely to get blocked because they simply have no idea what will come next. Take a day, a week, a month and do nothing but outline the major actions of the movie. Then, when you go to produce the manuscript, BAM, you've got the structure right there.

3. Do a "pride check." Often writers block is you being too much of a perfectionist you want it just right the first time. No chance. Let the story come, no matter how dumb it seems. That's what editing is for.

4. Do a "Lazy-Me-Check." Similar to trying to be to perfect is being too lazy to want to do several drafts, so you get too careful. In order to avoid the extra work, you go too slowly and get very annoyed when it's not just right. Again, let it come.

5. Get out of the Driver's Seat. The best stories are character driven, meaning the distinct and colorful personalities of your characters should dictate which way the story should go. If you're having too much trouble deciding what should happen next, take a break and write up some character profiles. Who are these people? I mean, REALLY, who are they? Go deep. What's their life story? What scares them? How have they hurt in the past? Who do they like, not like, trust, distrust, etc.

6. Read in your genre. If you are writing a mystery, read mysteries. If fantasy, read my books. {ahem}. Seriously, immerse yourself in the genre and you'd be surprised what ideas pop into your mind. Plus, you get the added benefit of seeing what's out there being published so that you can do something original.

7. The best for last: Pray. I know not all the visitors here are Christian, but for those who are, pray and ask God to place some ideas in your mind. Lord, is there a story you want me to tell?

How would you like a private book party?

Greetings from the Realm of Berinfell. Lately Christopher Hopper and I have been getting a lot of emails and blog posts from areas of the country we've not yet had a chance to tour or visit. Just in the past week, I've heard from several disgruntled Minnesotans who claim their lovely state always gets overlooked. I also heard from a young man in Alaska who was quite sad that he couldn't make it to any of our events.

Well, listen up folks. How would you like Christopher Hopper and I to fly out to your hometown to do a private book signing party for you and your friends and family? This, of course, would include lots of Curse of the Spider King freebies, dramatic readings, swordbattles, music, and more. Sound good to you? Post here and let us know about it. Christopher Hopper and I are putting the finishing touches on a new contest, and the personal book party is one of the grand prizes. Stay tuned for the official announcement soon.