DAY #3 "HEED THE PROPHECIES!"

On our last day of the blog tour for Wayne Batson and Christopher Hopper's "Berinfell Prophecies," we're featuring the great new website dedicated to the series: HEED THE PROPHECIES (dot)com

On the site you'll find the latest news on the series as well as a public forum where you can interact with the authors and other fans. And if you want to know a bit more about Wayne and Christopher, there's also some great biographical info as well.

DAY 2 : THE INTERVIEW!

Joining me today are Christian Fantasy authors, Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper. Wayne is the bestselling author of the Door Within Trilogy as well as Isle of Swords & Isle of Fire. He is also a middle school teacher with a heart for kids and their eternal destiny. Christopher is the author of the White Lion Chronicles as well as a Pastor and Worship leader. Both of these men have a passion for Christ and have joined forces to bring us a new Christian Fantasy series entitled "The Berinfell Prophecies." Book One, "The Curse of the Spider King," has just recently come out and is quickly moving up the charts. As you can see these guys are serious about their fiction--so buy their book or they might "cut yor 'ead off!"

Wayne was gracious enough to take some time, from his busy schedule, in order to fill us in a bit on this joint effort and the Berinfell Prophecies. Tomorrow we'll feature more cool STUFF on Berinfell Prophecies!

Wayne, how did you two come up with the premise for The Berinfell Prophecies?

I have a file folder on my Mac that contains somewhere around 30 "story kernels." These are kind of cool little nuggets of plot that have the potential to be fleshed out as a novel. One of these I was particularly keen on, I proposed to Christopher. It was about a young boy who thought of himself as pretty unremarkable but was noticed (in a suspicious kind of way) by the school's librarian. CH loved it and together we brainstormed what could be going on here. It soon became apparent that this one boy was not alone. There were seven youths in the mix and there were dark forces stalking them.

Did you have any fictional inspirations for the story?

Tolkien always inspires me. But there wasn't any other story that gave me inspiration.

How about any biblical inspiration for the story?

Biblical inspiration, definitely. The scriptures that speak of God grafting us in, adopting us as sons (and daughters), calling us "friend," those are powerful influencers of this novel.

Describe your process for coordinating the writing between two novelists.

Thank God for technology. CH is a 7-hour drive from me in Upstate NY. So we have used cell phones, iChat, Yahoo Messenger, texting, etc. to be able to go back and forth. We begin by outlining together. We need a road map, so we took quite a bit of time to flesh out where we thought the story would go. We broke it down into scenes, rather than chapters and divided those scenes between the two of us depending on who was most passionate about that scene.

Can Christians learn any important lessons from the Elves in Berinfell? Please describe any allegory taking place in the story.

Curse of the Spider King, as well as, the other Berinfell books will, we pray, encourage believers to stop fighting over things and start fighting the enemy. Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces in this dark world.

Will Berinfell be a trilogy and what are some things we might see in the next installment?

The Berinfell Prophecies, God-willing, will be at least a trilogy. We're nearly finished the second book, Venom and Song, and are already batting ideas around for a 3rd book.

Where did you two learn to swordfight?

On the Fantasy Fiction East Coast Tour. We actually met a stage combat teacher while doing a signing in Barnes & Noble, I think in Virginia. She taught us some basic moves. And the rest we kind of just make up as we go. Though, I think CH might have some more formal training.

CURSE OF THE SPIDER KING: BERINFELL PROPHECIES #1

CURSE OF THE SPIDER KING by Wayne Batson and Christopher Hopper, is the huge kick-off to a brand new Christian Fantasy series. And while intended for young readers, there's plenty for young adults and adults (young at heart) to enjoy and keep you turning pages furiously all the way to the end.

Be sure to stay tuned tomorrow for an interview with Wayne Batson and Christopher Hopper!

Curse of the Spider King Reivew:

Nevermind the old cliche, one or two heros to the mix, in Curse of the Spider King we find seven Elf Lords who've been transported to the earth realm as infants. Caught in the Spider King's web during a major overthrow of Elf power in his realm, these infants cannot be killed without unleashing a terrible curse. The Spider King's servants defy his orders and send the infant lords to earth in order to avoid the curse and the wrath of their king. But now the children, adopted by human parents, have grown to maturity and their individual Elf abilities are manifesting themselves. For their part, the children have no idea of their real heritage until the Spider King's assassins begin to move in. Only their secret protectors among the elves can stop them. But the race is on to get them back to their homeworld, where these seven lords will face the Spider King himself in a battle that could save or end the Elves forever!

Spider King is a non-stop fantasy thrill ride that kids will love. It's hard to pick a favorite Elf lord out of the bunch, because each has their own special power which makes them volatile to say the least. It's almost like trying to pick your favorite among the X-Men and both girls and boys will find someone they can empathize with in this exciting tale. Batson and Hopper have overcome the long distance obstacle to seamlessly stitch this story together. I've read both of their individual works and honestly could never figure out who had written what. By the time you reach the cliffhanger ending Spider King will have you locked in its web of action and intrigue, ready for the bigger adventure still waiting in Book 2!

HAUNT OF JACKALS BY ERIC WILSON

Haunt of Jackals by Eric Wilson When Jesus was resurrected, ancient scripture says many rose from the grave. Today, 36 from this group of undead remain. Known as the Nistarim, they are here to watch over the world.When Judas hung himself, his blood mysteriously gave rise to another group of undead: the unholy Collectors. Now very much alive, they feed on souls and human blood.Both groups of immortals still walk among us in an eternal struggle. Now both are after a single target--a boy named Pavel who may possess the key to the Collectors' unlimited power...or ultimate downfall.Gina, a woman fleeing for her own life, is determined to protect the boy at all costs. She has survived one battle with the undead already, but has no idea how long she'll be able to stay a step ahead of them.The Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy takes readers on a riveting journey, as imaginative fiction melds with biblical and archaeological history.

Amazon Reviewed: I found Haunt of Jackals to be an awesome read. This is not usually the kind of book I read but I won the first book of the series, Field of Blood and I was very anxious for the second one to be available. I love Eric Wilson's writing style and I couldn't put the book down once I started it. I can't wait for the next one. Vampires are really intriguing.

What's So Great About Salvation?

The Lord has led me to do some non-fiction Bible study writing recently, expanding upon some of my sermons. The first that will soon appear both in paperback and as a Kindle E-book is "WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT SALVATION?" which is an in depth look at all the different things we've been given as believers through the free gift of salvation. Many you'll know, but hadn't realized just how great it is...others you may have never considered before. But we have a whole lot of reasons why salvation is the greatest thing mankind has ever been given!

THE VANISHING SCULPTOR by Donita K Paul

The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul : is a delightful tale of otherworldly adventures laced with heavenly meanings. Author Donita K. Paul skillfully transports you to a fantasy world populated with emerlindians, tumanhofers, speaking grand parrots, wizards, and magical librarians; where flying dragons communicate and mysterious portals whisk you across the world. Readers young and old will love journeying along with the enchanting questing party on their mission to save the world and discover a loving God.



“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.”–Wayne Thomas Batson, bestselling author of The Door Within Trilogy, Isle of Swords, and Isle of Fire



“Stunning beginning to a new series! Rarely does an author re-capture the exquisite charm and the bold freshness first discovered in their initial series. Donita K. Paul fans are in for a treat as they uncover new wonders and enchantment in the world of Amara. New readers will revel in the magical blend of mischief and mayhem woven with wittiness and intrigue throughout this engaging tale. From the zany disposition of Lady Peg to the spirited charm and wit of Tipper, her youthful daughter, The Vanishing Sculpture, tingles our most fervent emotions of love, joy, and hope. An exciting complement to The DragonKeeper Chronicles and a fantastical adventure for inaugural audiences of all ages.”–Eric Reinhold, author of The Annals of Aeliana, Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword and Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith

OFFWORLD by ROBIN PARRISH

I thought Offworld by Robin Parrish was very well written. The premise drew me into the story with the idea that everyone on Earth has disappeared while this team of astronauts has been away on Mars. However, the premise on the book cover isn't accurate...not everyone has disappeared at all, even though it appears they have during the first half of the novel. There's a good deal of action in Offworld and as I said, it is well written. However I found myself disappointed at the end by the reason for everyone's disappearance. I don't want to give spoilers, but with all of the suspense during the first half of the story, I was just expecting something a bit more monumental...something better explained than the Quantum machine thing.

A page turner until I began to see my expectations let down toward the end.

"THE REALM SHIFT" has been RELEASED!

After some time, trial and a title tweak, THE REALM SHIFT has been released on Amazon.com under the KINDLE BOOK format. The novel is also available as a TRADE PAPERBACK. The second novel, THE ORDER OF SHADDAI, (updated: Has been released) and the final Installment, THE SWORD OF GIDEON, will release early spring 2010. I've done the cover work on these and was very pleased with how they've turned out.

Synosis: THE REALM SHIFT - "The strangest thing about Ethan's first encounter with a demon was not that he could see the creature, but that the demon could not see him....Hunted by these malevolent spirits and the Warlord allied to them, Ethan struggles to stay alive in the midst of a growing rebellion within his homeland. As war erupts, he must flee to the white walled city of Emmanuel, in hopes of fulfilling the long held prophecy of "Shaddai's Deliverer," or die in the attempt. At every turn, enemies, both seen and unseen, conspire to kill Ethan before he discovers how to unleash the awesome power of the Realm Shift."

"The Realm Shift's intrigue is second only to its action!" -- Wayne Thomas Batson, author, The Berinfell Prophecies and The Door Within Trilogy.

"The Realm Shift doesn't just draw you in, it sucks you in! The story is full of mystery, adventure, danger and inspiration. I highly recommend it!" -- Brian Tubbs, Pastor, Sligo Baptist Church.

"The Realm Shift is written in a grand mythic type of storytelling reminiscent of Tolkien's Lord of the Ring Trilogy. It grabs the reader from the get-go and takes you on an intense ride through its thrilling, unstoppable trajectory!" -- Rai Aren, author, The Secret Sands.
"The Realm Shift is spiritual warfare as you've never read it before. An awesome book!" -- Betty Dravis, author, Toonies Invade Silicon Valley and 1106 Grand Boulevard.