Great News on Faith Based Movies - recently in Forbes Magazine

Family Friendly Movies Make Big Money: Hollywood Noticing By Paul Jankowski

Movieguide, which has been analyzing how movie content compares with its cash intake since 1991, has found repeatedly that family-oriented movies make more money, while the movies with higher instances of sex and violence do not fare nearly as well.

The overwhelming success of movies like Passion of the Christ and The Blind Side, with their overtly Christian themes, stunned a lot of filmmakers and movie critics. Other faith-prevalent, recent releases such as Soul Surfer, with box office receipts of $43 million so far, are also getting a lot of attention. And while such outright portrayal of faith still is by no means common, more and more movies are sneaking faith-based messaging and values into films.

The family-friendly film, “Dolphin Tale” rose to first place in its second weekend of release, taking in $13.9 million at theaters in the U.S. and Canada for Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. studio.

The film unseated the 3-D re-release of “The Lion King,” which ranked No. 1 for the prior two weekends, and edged out four new movies, researcher Hollywood.com Box-Office reported.

“Family films are a hot commodity right now, and this demonstrates that,” Jeff Bock, a film analyst for Exhibitor Relations in Los Angeles, said in a telephone interview with Bloomberg Business Week.

According to Movieguide, the number of movies that include at least a little Christian content has increased 455 percent from 27 in 1991 to more than 150 movies in 2009.[2]

This past weekend, another faith-based movie stunned the industry with a #4 box office ranking. COURAGEOUS, the #1 new movie of the weekend opened against movies with three times as many screens for a total box office of $9 million.

“Sony picked this up wisely, and this film had a great grass-roots marketing campaign,” Bock said. “It’s amazing when a faith-based film does that much money.”

The Hollywood press was surprised:

Box Office Mojo
“Made outside of Hollywood without any major stars, Courageous managed to fly under most radars (including my own) until very recently. It’s unfair to ignore the vast majority of church-going Americans for whom typical Hollywood fare isn’t of great interest, though, and Sherwood Pictures has impressively found a way to mobilize this subset of the population.”

I had to comment on “subset of the population.” According to a Pew study, roughly 74% of Americans identify themselves as Christian; hardly a “subset”.

Time
Like the Christian-themed Soul Surfer, the Kendrick’s holy-cop film (with a $1-million budget) was pitched to the faithful, who came out fervently this weekend and gave it an A-plus CinemaScore. Opening in just 1,161 theaters, Courageous had the top per-screen average of any movie in the top 25. Even an agnostic would call that heavenly.”

Finding family-friendly content is tough. Many parents rely on word of mouth while others use movie reviews and ratings to find what’s best for them. As a result, a host of online sources have popped up that rate movies based on their family friendliness.

Christian-based and sometimes controversial, Focus on the Family, reviews movies online for things like sex, violence, drugs, alcohol, and other “negative elements.” Their reviews are very detailed and even mentioned a cartoon character’s cleavage and tanks of “some kind of strong drink” in their review of Disney’s Tangled animated movie. I’d love to meet the guy that writes these reviews.

Kids-in-mind.com rates movies based on their levels of sex, violence, and profanity, with notes on specific questions kids might ask after seeing a movie, prevalence of things like substance abuse, and the kind of message a movie sends. Fandango also offers up its picks of the best family-friendly flicks and keeps a calendar of upcoming movies for kids.

I personally don’t rely on these websites to determine what’s right for my kids. And yes, the older ones have seen Twilight and read all of the Harry Potter books, twice. But I need to stress that word of mouth is incredibly powerful in the Heartland, especially when spoken by influencers like a values-based website, friends and members of our extended family.

Regardless of how Heartlander’s decide what to see, the box office results are proof that family-friendly movies ring the cash register and that’s the only sound Hollywood wants to hear.

I'M LETTING GO

I'm Letting Go by Francesca Battistelli is another song that reminded me of book 1, especially the scenes where Ryann and Liddy and then Terell are jumping into Lake Dora to make the journey into Aeliana. Letting go of the security of the dock and this world and take a literal leap of faith into the next.

An analogy our pastor gave last week, in regards to our faith, spoke to scripture that says "the Lord is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." It's like a flashlight lighting that one step just in front of us while several steps out the path is still dark. We rely on him to light our path and have faith in Him, in what lies ahead. Enjoy the song, words, and the life that comes in Jesus.

My heart beats, standing on the edge
But my feet have finally left the ledge

Like an acrobat
There’s no turning back

Chorus
I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go

This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace

The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone

Chorus
I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go

Giving in to your gravity
Knowing You are holding me
I’m not afraid

Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
Feels like I’m falling and this is the life for me

Earl Release Book Party

I had a fun time at my early-release open house. This picture is of my beautiful high school sweetheart and now wife, Kim (21 years next month)... I know we look like newlyweds!

Over 250 books have sold through pre-orders on my website and I'm looking forward to the retail release date on May 5th. When you have a minute, please spread the work via e-mails, blogs, twitter, facebook and put a review up on Amazon, Borders, or Christian Books.com. Speaking of all these places on the net, if you haven't found me on FACEBOOK yet then type in Eric Reinhold and Ryann Watters Book Fan Club. You can follow a lot of the happenings and see other fun pics that I don't post here.

My website is currently being overhauled to coincide with the release of book 2, so check http://www.ryannwatters.com/ in the next week to see if it's up and running and give me feedback!

Have a blessed week!

Eric

The Books Are In!

YEAH!!!

It's now official... I have received my pre-order shipment of book 2, "Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith." It's exciting to be able to have my own extensive supply of books so that I can easily take them to book signings and also provide a service to readers through direct sales. My website (or of course in person) is the only way to get a signed book...

PLUS, I had a printing company put print awesome, full-color, glossy bookmarkers that combine the front and back covers of the book. Those come free with an order off my website http://www.ryannwatters.com/.

I was concerned on the day of delivery as Central Florida was experiencing a downpour of rain. Fortunately the driver was late and the rain stopped by delivery time. My wife, Kim, and two of my kids came by to help move the boxes of books into storage.

In the same vein of the chip company that says "we'll make more," I'm hoping to get the word out about Ryann Watters so that I can say, "we'll print more!" Thanks for taking an interest and please pass the word about The Annals of Aeliana via e-mail, Facebook, book reviews on-line (Amazon, Borders, Christianbooks.com, etc.). I appreciate it!

Be blessed,

Eric

Pre-order Book 2 now and get $5 off!

Yeah! Book 2 is now available to Pre-order

and will be shipped April 18th!

That's 3 weeks ahead of Amazon and your favorite bookstore. Plus I'll be signing all of the books and including a free, full-color, glossy bookmark with each one. They can be ordered directly here:

http://shop.ryannwatters.com/main.sc

Thanks for your support! If you can pass along the word to friends via e-mail, facebook, and in person at church, school, clubs, and sports teams I would appreciate it. Books build momentum via people and the sales on book 1 and 2 will go a long way towards my publisher engaging me for book 3.

Thanks again!

Eric

Book 2 is off to the Printers!

The count down has begun! My manuscript has gone through final approvals and is now off to the printer! Coming in at a whopping 400 pages, it will be almost twice the fun as book one! Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith is going to be in stores on May 5th but I will be receiving early release copies on April 15th! Yes, there is a bright spot for tax day this year.

I will be making the book available for a SPECIAL Pre-release discount if you order early and your signed copy will be mailed out on the 16th and 17th! Please spread the word! Check http://www.ryannwatters/ next week!

I thought you'd enjoy a sneak peak at the title page treatment!

Thanks, Eric

Clacking Away on my Keyboard

DRAGONS

Clackity Clack Clack... goes my keyboard as I go back and continue revisions on book 2. I was a tad premature on turning in my manuscript (see previous blog entry). With the friends I have made in the Christian Fantasy genre, I was honored to have Donita K Paul, offer her assistance in "polishing" my latest work. So now, we are going back and forth daily on two chapters of my book and all I can say is that it is a fantastic blessing.


Donita is awesome and I get a kick out of the comments she makes in regards to my story as well as the suggestions. This will not delay the printing process, but I guarantee that it will make book 2 a more enjoyable read!


Off to the right we have my version of "Sorcha." One of the key characters in book 2. As you can see from my screen saver above that, I really like White Dragons! I have several other characters from my book in plastic figurines, which I custom paint for realism and motivation.


Here is a close up...

If you want to see more, let me know and I'll put a few up of Ryann, riding the Pegasus, Adain, also in book 2 and the main character, Carwyn, who is a white unicorn.

Thanks,
Eric

Whoopee! Shield of Faith Manuscript Submitted

Today is a cause for celebration!




I have officially submitted the manuscript for book 2 in the Annals of Aeliana series - Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith. It ended up being 95,250 words and 400 pages versus 55,000 and 224 pages for book 1. It will be in the editors hands for a few weeks and then back to me for revisions. In the meantime, they will be working on layout for the cover and interior pics etc.

I will try and post some of the art work to give you a taste of what's to come! It is very exciting. I have mentioned that I have a new interior artist, Jared Sloger, and he is doing an amazing job. Corey Wolfe is still the cover artist and updated the Aeliana map, inside, to expand to 2 pages instead of 1.


For now I will leave you with a still to be revised front cover for book 2 and the back cover. I'd appreciate any comments you have. Some of the issues still under consideration are whether to put "Book 2 in the Annals of Aeliana Series" line on the front or along the spine. What do you think? Also, the moon will be removed from the backcover (in case you're looking at the details) and there will be two moons on the front. If you've read book one, you know what that's all about.


I had a totally different idea for book 2's cover, but when I was visiting the Northwest this past summer with my family, we visited Corey Wolfe in Portland, OR. It was then that I say down and brainstormed with Corey. He listened to my idea for the cover and then asked me if there was another scene in the story in which a lot of characters are involved.

He sketched out the idea for this scene as we talked. Ryann is on the Pegasus, Adain, and Liddy and Terell are on the White Dragon, Sorcha, escaping from the Black Unicorn, Narcissus. There are thousands of bats chasing them, but also hundreds of Hugons on the ground. Hugons are part of the bad army of Narcissus and are "half Human and half Dragon." I know, such a clever name! I also had a chance to work in "the Shield of Faith," with Ryann carrying it. The White Unicorn, Carwyn, is the hero of the story.

Thanks again for your feedback. I can't wait to share the story with you. Look for it on my website http://www.ryannwatters.com/ in pre-release in April and on Amazon and stores in May 2009.

My series of interviewing and focusing on each of the authors involved in the Fantasy Fiction Tour '08 is coming to a close, but not without a crescendo. The hope of all the author is to encourage readers who have experienced one or two of us and our work, to get a better idea of other Christian writers that they might be interested in.

THE MILLER BROTHERS

The Miller brothers have had the distinct privilege of growing up in a CBA Bookstore. As children they learned first hand the value of faith-based stories while helping their parents operate several Christian bookstores and clubs for 30 years. As a result, Lumination delivers more than simply good stories, we bring passion to write and illustrate stories that inspire and illuminate the truth of God's Word in a fresh way.

Christopher & Allan are formally trained with a degree in Computer Animation. They have worked as animators for the popular CBA kids video series, Juniors Giants, and have recently written and illustrated the newly released book The Legend of Gid the Kid and the Black Bean Bandits, the first book in the Heroes of Promise Series (Warner Press Kids).

That's some of the background on these two authors and I had the chance to meet Alan and Chris Miller for the first time during the Northwestern leg of the Fantasy Fiction Tour '08. They are very energetic and creative types that have taken their unique talents and combined them with amazing results. They made the Motiv8 + 2 part of the tour for Canada and Seattle and while in their hometown I had the pleasure of crashing in their basement, which also works as their home studio.

Their digital animation rocks, so be sure to take a look at their website, blogs, etc. They are a big part of the Christian Arts revolution and were also responsible for designing their own cover art, interior design and website.

My friend L B. Graham had an interview with them recently and here are a few excerpts I thought you might enjoy:

LBG: You guys work together, not just on your books, but in your day job – what’s it like working so closely together at not one but two “jobs?” Did you two always work together well? (Ie, any good sibling rivalry stories lurking in your past?)

CHRIS: Allan and I have been blessed to have each other as brothers. I realize not many siblings enjoy each other as much as we do, and it is truly a gift from God that we have been best friends since we were very little. We've pretty much been a team since day one and even went to college together to pursue our passion for computer animation (back in the days before Toy Story...ehem). I find that even though we have similar skillsets (art and writing) there is a key difference between us that really makes the dynamic "work". I'm more of a big dreamer kind of guy, I see the big picture and provide direction and ideas on a broad scale. Allan is more of the details guy, he usually reigns me in so I don't go too far out in left field, and he helps fill in all of the glorious details that make the final product the best it can be.

LBG: I gathered from conversations on Tour that you two trained in computer animation. Did you ever, or do you still, have any aspirations to make pursue use of those skills in video production or film, to be the next “Big Idea?”

CHRIS: Our passion is for storytelling in all of its forms. Film is a very powerful and engaging medium to use, but the key is having good stories to tell. In terms of being the next "Big Idea" the answer is "yes" and "no". Yes - in that we love animation, and would think it is the coolest job in the world to animate one of our stories. No, because our passion is for the teen/pre-teen ages of kids. So we would focus on a different demographic than Big Idea.

LBG: For the uninitiated who might be reading this on my site, how would you introduce your Codebearers Series and the first Hunter Brown book to them?

CHRIS: Fans of Narnia and Pilgrim's Progress will love this book. It is cut from the same vein...an allegorical journey of Spiritual awakening and understanding. Hunter Brown shows us a different kind of hero. Where most stories will say that the hero "has good in them" and they must struggle to find that good to overcome evil...we take a differen approach. In many ways,Hunter is somewhat of an anti-hero. His entrance into the realm of Solandria causes more trouble than it solves.

In the beginning, Hunter thinks he's a pretty average kid, but what he doesn't realize is that he and his friends are secretly infected by an invisible horde of creatures known as the Shadow. An ancient book magically transports him to another realm, where he must search for the only one who can save him from the Shadow's infection. After arrving, Hunter is befriended by the Codebearers and trained in the ways of the Author before finally being tasked with recovering a sacred artifact known as the Bloodstone. Through it all, he must come to grips with the reality that he is not as good as he thinks he is.

LBG: As you work feverishly on Book 2 in the series, what are you free to tell us about where the series is going that will whet the appetites of folks who have already read book one and are looking forward eagerly to book two? (Like my son – so come on fellas, make me a hero and tell me something good I can pass on.)

CHRIS: Hmm...what can I say without giving away too much.

Well for starters, the title is tentatively set to be Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. Hunter is re-written into the Veil lands, his old home in Destiny, but unfortunately, his best friend Stretch has no memory of their previous adventure, which leaves Hunter alone in his beliefs. Strange things begin to happen, and Hunter quickly realizes that even though his connection to the Shadow has been broken they are still very much alive and well. Oh yeah, and a new threat emerges as a deadly assasin is sent on a mission to destroy the Codebearers Resistance - or what's left of it.

From now until shortly before Christmas, the authors involved in the Fantasy Fiction Tour '08 will be collaborating on a joint blog tour. We'll be focusing each Monday - or thereabouts - on a different author each week. Our hope is to encourage readers who have experienced one or two of us and our work, to get a better idea of other Christian writers that they might be interested in.

JONATHAN ROGERS

Q. Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head. (be as specific as possible).
A. Shortly after I quit my cubicle job, I wrote the first chapter of The Bark of the Bog Owl and showed it to agent John Eames, who was a friend of a friend. I told John, “My wife is pregnant with our fifth child. I’m in no position to do art for art’s sake. Does this look like the sort of thing you could sell?” John said he thought he could sell it if I could write a whole book that lived up to the promise of that chapter.

I think that meeting was late May 2002. I wrote The Bark of the Bog Owl throughout the rest of 2002… I finished it between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Starting in January of 2003, John Eames pitched it to about a dozen publishers as the first book of a trilogy. A couple of publishers made offers in the spring, and we settled on Broadman and Holman.

What made me go with Broadman and Holman was the fact that Gary Terashita, the acquisitions editor, asked if I’d be willing to beef up the story—make it longer, and make it appeal to a little bit older target group. Ever since I started writing the book, I was afraid I’d end up with a publisher who would ask me to dumb it down.

Not all publishers show young readers the respect they deserve. To my mind, I was writing serious books, and I didn’t want them to go out into the world wearing footie pajamas. In retrospect, I don’t think that was as big a danger as I had supposed, but Gary’s challenge was very energizing—and it resulted in a much better series.

Q. Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

A. I don’t often doubt whether what I’ve written is good enough. I usually succeed in writing the sort of thing I like to read; and since that’s the best way I know of judging whether a piece of writing is “good enough,” I rarely experience doubts at that level. What I do doubt—every day—is whether or not I’m faithfully pursuing my calling. What is an appropriate use of my talents? Should I spend next three hours writing the prose I can write, or should I devote that time to self-promotion? I can rationalize either choice. If I apply my talents toward writing bank brochures (something I frequently do), does that count as pursuing my calling? After all, feeding those babies is part of my calling too. I’ve got a couple of novels I want to write—I would even say I feel called to write them—but I don’t have any reason to believe they would help me provide for my family. What constitutes faithfulness in that situation? And what does a string of rejections mean? Is it a fiery trial for the purpose of hardening my resolve, or is it a signal that it’s time to go back to the cubicle?

Q. What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

A. I don’t know if this is the best advice I’ve ever heard, but at least it’s something your readers may not have heard before: if you want some serious training as a writer, get a job writing advertising copy. I know it sounds pedestrian. But every day you’re forced to try out several different voices, speak to several different audiences about several different subjects, some of which are so dull you can’t imagine saying anything interesting. But you need to get paid, so—lo and behold—you find you’re able to come up with something after all. And deadlines…sometimes you have 2 or 3 in a single day. Obviously, being a copywriter isn’t going to teach you everything you need to know about writing. But I’ve learned things about my own capabilities that I could have never learned from a writing class or seminar. Yoking my creative tendencies to the matter-of-fact, professional approach required of a copywriter has done me a world of good. Plumbers don’t get plumber’s block. Lawyers don’t get lawyer’s block. They get up in the morning and do their jobs. Are you a writer? Then get up in the morning and write.

Q. What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

A. I once had a well-meaning person from a marketing department advise me to turn the character Dobro Turtlebane into a girl. Your readers who are familiar with the Wilderking books will know how funny that is. For your readers who don’t know the Wilderking books, Dobro is a smelly, rude, belligerent swamp-dweller. The Bark of the Bog Owl had no girl characters, and my friend from marketing knew that girls read a lot more than boys…and girls understandably like girl characters. I ignored the advice, of course. To base any narrative decision on marketing concerns would have utterly contradicted the earthy, swampy ethos of the Wilderking books.

Q. Who is your favorite character from all of your books so far, and why?

A. That’s an easy one: the main character in the Wilderking books is a boy named Aidan, but my favorite is a wild swamp boy named Dobro Turtlebane. When he’s on the scene, something wild and funny is going to happen. His behavior seems erratic—courting danger, fighting with people he actually likes, etc.—but if you can accept a few basic premises about his unusual worldview, his behavior is actually quite logical. Dobro is a great example of what I was saying in an earlier question about character driving plot. He’s a game-changer, for sure.

Q. There is the ongoing debate in Christian fiction on the overtness of the gospel in novels. You’ve used allegory and hints, but no outright salvation plan on the back page. What are you hoping to accomplish through your stories?

A. A lot of times when people use the phrase “the gospel” they’re talking about evangelism. Of course that’s an extremely important part of the gospel, but it’s not the whole gospel. Once you’re converted, you’ve still got the rest of your life stretching out before you. And the fact of God’s grace in your life ought to impact every decision you make. It ought to shape every interaction. It ought to define your attitude toward work and family and community. That’s the gospel too. It’s true that there are no conversions in the Wilderking (actually, there’s an implied conversion in Book 3)—but I hope the gospel is pretty overt.

From now until shortly before Christmas, the authors involved in the Fantasy Fiction Tour '08 will be collaborating on a joint blog tour. We'll be focusing each Monday - or thereabouts - on a different author each week. Our hope is to encourage readers who have experienced one or two of us and our work, to get a better idea of other Christian writers that they might be interested in.

This week it's all about ME!

ERIC REINHOLD

What I thought I would do, since most of you who frequent my blog, know me to some degree, is to post the interview that L.B. Graham did with me over the Thanksgiving Holiday. So here it is, completely unedited:
Welcome to my lbgraham.com exclusive interview with Eric. Here we go!

LBG: You went to the Naval Academy, played Division-I college football, started your own financial planning company and now you've written a novel - what motivates you to pursue all these challenges?

Eric: The first thought that came to my mind when you asked this questions was, "I do what I love!" So many times I run across people that have gone to certain schools for the wrong reason, or chosen a career based on someone else's expectations. God blesses us all with different skills and abilities. We may feel like aren't special, but that's not biblical. The key is to find out where God has gifted you and to use those gifts to the best of ability. Don't choose a job because of how much money it makes. The world values positions different than God does. You may not be a star NFL football player or a World-Class Surgeon, but you can be the best teacher, salesman or plummer! Do what you love and then be content to live on the money that the world pays for that job. For me, I loved football growing up and tried to be the best I could be and it led to a coach recruiting me to play football for Navy. I knew nothing about the Service Academies, but graduated with an Economics degree and was the payroll officer on my ship and the financial advisor for the Midshipmen at the Naval Academy on my shore duty. That in turn led to my career as a financial advisor. I loved reading fantasy and science fiction growing up, so when my girls challenged me to write a book, I thought... "I could do that," and off I went.

LBG: Your road to publication was unusual and interrupted. What would you say you learned along the way that would be of interest for others out there who want to be published one day too?

Eric: As stated above, it’s important to pursue what you feel God has blessed you in to the fullest, but it is also important to remember that God brings about everything in His timing. I pursued my writing of a book with vigor, conducting the research, outlining twenty chapters, and writing the first ten chapters within a year, then… along came 2001 and a week before the tragedy of 9-11, I came down with a fever, my doctor sent me to the hospital emergency room where they hooked my up to IV’s and wheeled me to a room to do tests. Two days later I found out I had a bacterial infection in my heart, which would take a month to kill and then I would have to have Open-heart Surgery to replace a bad valve with a titanium valve. Talk about a wake up call. My book was put on the shelf as I dealt with my own mortality, I was out of work for 3 months, and all during this time the crisis of 9-11 was going on. It would be six years before I came back to my book. The irony was that while many authors get dozens, if not hundreds of rejection letters, I didn’t get any. I came back to my book last year, wrote the final ten chapters in three months, and then one morning when I met with one of my clients over breakfast (who happened to be the President of a publishing company) I mentioned I had written a book and he suggested I send it over. I had my book published and in hand within five months. What you should get out of my story is that you pursue what you can to the best of your ability and God will bring about the results in his timing. Be patient and you to will have a story to tell.

LBG: What, in your view, is the biggest strength of "Ryann Watters and the King's Sword?"

Eric: The biggest strength of my story is that there is believability. At least early on, everyone can picture themselves as Ryann. He lives in the real town of Mount Dora, Florida (20 miles Northwest of Orlando - there's a cool book trailer video up at www.ryannwatters.com with my daughter as Liddy) and is visited in the middle of the night by Gabriel and tasked with finding the King’s sword. Gabriel gives him three gifts to help him along the way. I loved super hero comics growing up (still do), so Ryann is given a staff (smooth and metal with 7 buttons) and as he matures throughout the story, the buttons light up and have different powers. Not only that, but he is given a ring that changes colors when he’s near different things. He has two good friends, Liddy and Terell, and together they have to piece together clues to find Aeliana and search for the sword. Across town, the class bully is visited by a Dark Angel and told to stop Ryann. Book 2 in the Annals of Aeliana is almost finished. I’ve gotten carried away and it’s over 400 pages now, but "Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith" introduces a very cool cast of new characters, including; a Pegasus, White Dragon and Unicorn, a Black Unicorn, Elves, Dwarves… oh, and a new evil race – The Hugons (half human – half dragon). It’s due for release in May 2009 and you can find out more on my blog.

LBG: As you look back at our Tour in early October from this vantage point in late November/early December, what experience or events stand out to you?

Eric: The trip was such a blessing for me. Meeting the seven other authors provided a great deal of insight into each person’s unique story and how God is using them in their part of the world. Antics along the way, whether in the van or fast food stops, were a hoot. As the most inexperienced author on the tour, I gained a great deal of knowledge and wisdom from stories, experiences, and insights into the publishing world and writing in general. I’m very much looking forward to finishing book 2 before Christopher Hopper finishes his book 3, so I can move up the chain! Seriously, I’m so glad God brought us all together and look forward to what the future holds for all of us, hopefully teaming up again!

SPECIAL BONUS Q!

LBG: If Maryland plays Navy in a bowl game this year, who would win?

Eric: Ha! That’s an easy one – Navy! That goes for whether they play Maryland, Virginia or Wake Forest (oops, we already beat them this year!). Actually, since I grew up in Miami, I’m hoping for a Navy-UM Bowl game… if so, I’m there!

DONITA K. PAUL

It was truly a joy having Donita on the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour. Donita's quick wit and insights always seemed to arrive at the most appropriate times. In addition, her spontaneous action to jump into any situation, especially when it was directed at young children, was a sight to behold (see pics below of our visit to the Central California Children's Hospital and the Fresno Inner-City Reading Program).

Make sure you check out Donita's website and blogs, but for now as you enjoy your Thanksgiving week, here are some tidbits about our favorite Dragon Writer that you might not know!

Ten Things:
Ten things Donita K. Paul is thankful for:

1. Jesus (of course!)
2. Family and Friends
3. Church
4. Business Associates—the WaterBrook Staff, the Alive Communications staff, especially my editors and my agent
5. American Christian Fiction Writers
6. The Internet social networks—Shoutlife, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkdIn
7. The Internet Read groups—GoodReads and Shelfari (Anytime I think everyone is watching Netflix and playing video games, I visit these reader spots and breathe a sigh of relief)
8. Living in USA
9. Finding my niche, professionally
10. The knowledge God has provided and still encourages me to pursue

Ten authors Donita K. Paul enjoys:
1. Patricia Veryan
2. Max Lucado
3. Edward Eager
4. E. Nesbitt
5. Jane Austin
6. Charles Dickens
7. A. A. Milnes
8. Beatrix Potter
9. L.M. Montgomery
10. Too many Christian authors to list them all

Ten movies Donita K. Paul enjoyed:
1. Arsenic and Old Lace
2. Bringing up Baby
3. Secondhand Lions
4. Enchanted
5. Stardust
6. Mary Poppins
7. The King and I
8. Sense and Sensibility
9. Scrooge
10. Pride and Prejudice

TV Shows Donita K. Paul watched as a kid:
1. Roy Rogers
2. Man from U.N.C.L.E.
3. Gunsmoke
4. Alfred Hitchcock
5. Twilight Zone
6. Bonanza
7. Disney’s Wonderful World of Color
8. Ed Sullivan Show
9. Wyatt Earp
10. Dick Van Dyke

Ten foods Donita K. Paul likes:
1. Steak, medium rare
2. Soup, not creamy
3. Salads, the more varied the veggies, the better
4. Pumpkin pie, cookies, cake, and bread
5. Brownies, gooey is best but any brownie is acceptable. (I wonder why it is brownie and not browny.
6. Rotisserie chicken
7. Pizza, lots of toppings
8. Marinated artichokes
9. Mushrooms
10. Turkey

Ten foods Donita K. Paul does not like
1. Macaroni and cheese
2. Rice pudding
3. Rye bread
4. Curry
5. Coconut
6. Greasy fried food
7. Menudo
8. Haggis
9. Fruitcake
10. Turnips and rutabagas


Favorite type of jewelry: ear rings
Hobbies: beading, knitting, stamping
Game: Uno
Holiday: Christmas
Restaurant: Texas Roadhouse
Beverage: Coffee, Pepsi
Fast Food: Taco Bell
Collections: Children’s Books, dragons, statues and pictures of animals reading books
Flower: Pansy
Song: Tomorrow from Annie

Seasonal activities:
1. Spring—smell flowers
2. Summer—listen to kids in the neighborhood squeal
3. Autumn—watch leaves fall or blow down the street
4. Winter—curl up with a good book
How to shop, mall or online? ONLINE
How to communicate, telephone or email? EMAIL
Transportation for long distance? CAR with someone else driving.
Gathering, with kids or no kids? WITH KIDS



Ten places Donita K. Paul would like to go:
1. Hawaii
2. Disney World/Epcot Center
3. Carribean
4. New York-Upper state
5. Heaven
6. Ireland
7. Scotland
8. England
9. Washington State
10. Minnesota

Colors in order of preference
1. Yellow
2. Red
3. Orange
4. Purple
5. Blue

What Donita K. Paul wants people to say when they remember her: She was nice.

From now until shortly before Christmas, the authors involved in the Fantasy Fiction Tour '08 will be collaborating on a joint blog tour. We'll be focusing each Monday - or thereabouts - on a different author each week. Our hope is to encourage readers who have experienced one or two of us and our work, to get a better idea of other Christian writers that they might be interested in.

CHRISTOPHER HOPPER

This week it is my pleasure to introduce you to Christopher Hopper, in the event you are not already familiar with him or his work. There are very few people that I feel like I connect with the first time I meet them. Through our conference calls and e-mails in preparation for the Fantasy Fiction Tour, I felt that Christoper might be one of them. In this case, my sense was correct and we hit it off from day one.

Christopher brought many talents to the tour. Despite being the youngest both in age and heart (some might debate that based upon the maturity exhibited by the other authors), CH brought the techinical skills to set up our webcam TV, his oratory skills to lead all of our sessions, his writing skills as an author, his zany humor and most importantly his wife Jenni. In addition, both of them displayed their talents as musicians and I would be remiss to not mention checking both of them out on iTunes!

Swordplay is also one of CH's gifts, well... maybe one that is still being honed, as he did manage to cut Wayne's finger during one of the sword duels at an event! He has written an excellent series with book 3 in the trilogy going to the editor soon, which will be released in 2009. With the premise of a people group living in a Garden of Eden type setting and the idea that "what if the people hadn't sinned... the first time around?" Christopher lays out an exciting story of the second visit by Satan.

Instead of doing an interview this month, I'll give you two fun videos to watch. The first is an interview that was conducted by KSEE Channel 24 NBC in Fresno, CA (Wayne Thomas Batson is also in the interview) and the second is a video book-trailer for his series.

The Lion Vrie Book TRailer

Fantasy Fiction Tour '08 - Blog Tour

From now until shortly before Christmas, the authors involved in the Fantasy Fiction Tour '08 will be collaborating on a joint blog tour. We'll be focusing each Monday - or thereabouts - on a different author each week. Our hope is to encourage readers who have experienced one or two of us and our work, to get a better idea of other Christian writers that they might be interested in.

SHARON HINCK

This week, I'm highlighting Sharon, who added such warm and caring heart to the book tour. Sharon's books appeal to a wide age range... especially teen girls and all the way through mothers and even grandmothers who are intrigued by the idea of a young mother pulled into another world for a fantasy adventure.

Here is some interesting background on Sharon:
Sharon is a wife and mom who has had many adventures, though none have involved an alternate universe (thus far). She has an M.A. in communication and has spent her life working in the arts (music, theatre, dance, and writing). Her other novels include The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Bethany House, 2006), Renovating Becky Miller (Bethany House, 2007), The Restorer (NavPress, 2007 – Christy Finalist), The Restorer’s Son (NavPress, 2007 – ACFW Book of the Year Winner), The Restorer’s Journey (NavPress, 2008), Symphony of Secrets (Bethany House, 2008), Stepping Into Sunlight (Bethany House, 2008).

And some background on The Restorer series:

Susan, a modern-day soccer mom, is pulled through a portal into another world, where a nation grappling for its soul waits for a promised Restorer to save their people. Can she fill that role? While she struggles to adapt to a foreign culture, she tackles an enemy that is poisoning the minds of the people, uncovers a corrupt ruling Council, and learns that God can use even her floundering attempts at service in surprising ways.

Link to amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1600061311/

Now... how about some questions for Sharon!

Q. What was the inspiration for The Restorer? A. I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Deborah in the book of Judges, and wondered what a modern woman would look like in that role. The fantasy genre provides a powerful way to look at a familiar story in a new way. I loved the challenge of creating a completely relatable character, and then inviting the reader to follow her into an imaginative journey.

Q. What kind of reader did you have in mind as you wrote the book?

A. I wrote this story for my friends – ordinary women who are sometimes called on to fill extraordinary roles that they don’t feel prepared for. We may not be literally yanked into an alternate universe, but the idea of being pulled into an unexpected challenge is very real to most of the people I know. I wrote this book for my friends who receive a diagnosis of cancer, or the news that their child has a learning disability, or their parent is battling Alzheimers, or their spouse has lost their job. They suddenly find themselves in a foreign world, facing new rules, and being asked to fill a role they don’t feel ready for. My prayer is that as well as being entertaining, this novel can inspire courage and determination for those facing daily battles.

Q. How much of The Restorer is drawn from your own life?

A. Susan’s spiritual journey – her desire to follow God and her confusion when the road is much harder than she expected—is very parallel to my own. I’ve never carried a sword into battle, but I’ve faced the challenge of surrendering more deeply to God’ s purposes when they didn’t make sense to me.


What some are saying about the series!

The Restorer is a great book for the hero – or heroine – in all of us. Sharon Hinck gives us a beautifully-realized world that demands the best that an everyday, run-of-the-mill Mom doesn’t even know she has. Hinck’s prose engages us in every moment of the struggle as the strength of the One drives the battle of the faithful against unimaginable odds, Excellent characters and an intriguing plot provide readers with great entertainment along with spiritual inspiration and enlightenment. I simply loved this book, hated for it to end, and am grateful that there’s another in the Sword of Lyric series coming soon.
~ Kathryn Mackel, author of Outriders and Trackers

“A compelling adventure, an engaging heroine, a unique and fascinating other world The Restorer satisfies on many levels. Skillfully incorporating themes of faith, sacrifice and the power of words to deceive or deliver, Sharon Hinck has crafted a tale that resonates in both soul and spirit. A welcome addition to the expanding genre of Christian fantasy. Don’t miss it!”
~ Karen Hancock, author of the Christy Award-winning Legends of the Guardian-King series.

I knew that Sharon Hinck was a gifted writer, and I knew that her ability to write details was impeccable. What The Restorer showed me is just how big her imagination is! She's taken two concepts that have no right to work in the same story -- a harried housewife and a sprawling fantasy world with its own science, culture, and rules -- and smashed the two together into something altogether fresh and compelling -- even for a red-blooded, testosterone-driven guy like me. She zigged every time I expected her to zag, and the world she created is full of mystery and suspense and the awe of discovery. But it's the characters, especially her soccer-mom-come-prophesied-hero, who keep you coming back for more.
~ Robin Parrish, author of Relentless; creator of Infuzemag.com

"Sharon Hinck has done a remarkable job in writing a fantasy for people who don't normally read fantasies. A soccer mom finds herself in an alternate universe where she has to save her adopted people from vastly more powerful enemies. Loved the swordplay. Loved the spiritual insights. Most of all, loved the main character, Susan Mitchell, a compelling mix of Everymom and Wonder Woman."
~ Randy Ingermanson, award-winning author of Retribution

Lastly, here's a cool video if you want to know more!

Fantasy Fiction Tour '08 - Blog Tour

L. B. GRAHAM

This week I am highlighting L.B Graham, who is the author of The Binding of the Blade, a five book epic fantasy series with P&R Publishing that began in 2004 and just recently culminated with the publication of All My Holy Mountain in 2008. The first book of the series, Beyond the Summerland, was a 2005 Christy finalist in the “Visionary” category.

L.B. was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up there before heading to Wheaton College outside Chicago in Wheaton, Illinois. From there he went to St. Louis to attend Covenant Seminary. Since 1996 he’s been teaching in St. Louis, the last 9 years at Westminster Christian Academy where he also serves as the Bible Department Chair.

L.B. was a hoot on tour and added quite a bit to our van escapades as we "rocked the suburbs!" Well... now let's get into a little Q & A with this accomplished author!

Q. The fifth and final novel of “The Binding of the Blade” (BOTB) just came out. How does it feel to be finished?

A. Actually, I was finished writing All My Holy Mountain, the last book in the series, in 2006, and it did feel a little surreal. BOTB runs about 2500 pages all told, and it is essentially one big story rather than five individual ones... though I guess the first book could be seen as a sort of prologue to the other four... At any rate, it was a pretty sizable undertaking and it felt almost odd to be finished.

Q. It sounds sizable. When did you start?
A. Well, I would say that I started working on the series, and by that I mean seriously working on the world-building and story-building, in the summer of 2000. But, that being said, the first seeds for the idea were sown long before that, in the summer of ‘92.

Q. 1992 is a long time ago - what happened that summer, or what were the ’seeds’ that were sown that summer?
A. I was a senior at Wheaton College, studying literature in England on a summer program, and two things collided to create the basic idea for the story. The first was, of all things, a footnote - I know, no one reads footnotes, but I actually do read them, at least sometimes. The footnote was in a poetry anthology of W.B. Yeats. The note was about archetypes... not very exciting to some, but to me, really interesting. Basically, for readers who don’t know what archetypes are, it is the idea that there are universal ideas or images or themes or symbols that carry with them, if you will, deeper meaning that add layers of richness to stories, movies, poems, etc…

Q. Like the ‘archetypal hero’ or ‘archetypal villain,’ that kind of thing, right?

A. Exactly. To use a familiar example, Gandalf is an archetypal “wisdom figure” and Frodo an archetypal “underdog” on the archetypal “quest” with Sam, the archetypal “sidekick” facing long odds against Sauron, the archetypal “villain” and so forth.

Anyway, this particular footnote was about geography. The idea was that geographical regions have archetypal connections in a lot of mythology and stories. For example, “the east” is often associated with spring, with morning, with new growth, with birth, with themes of things rising. “The south” is often associated with summer, with midday, with things in fullness and maturity, with romance, with themes of things having reached their full strength or potential. “The west” is often associated with autumn, with twilight, with things fading, with tragedy and themes of things declining, and “the north” is often associated with winter, with darkness and night, with sorrow and desolation, with themes of things lost.

The other seed that collided with this first one was much simpler. It was the famous image from Isaiah 2:4 among other places of swords and spears being broken down and remade into plowshares and pruning hooks. I would call this image, perhaps the archetypal image of peace, of our great hope for restoration.
Q. Those things don’t seem to be connected. How did you put them together?
A. It didn’t come together all at once, but what I conceived of was a story about a world where the making of weapons essentially represented ‘the Fall,’ or the loss of that world’s innocence and descent into sin and misery. And, on the other hand, the unmaking of weapons was the clearest picture for that world of peace, of things being made new. In short, the symbolic picture from Isaiah of our future restoration became a literal picture in my fantasy world, the picture of their great hope.

So, the Isaiah image became the thematic core of BOTB. The geography archetypes gave the story shape. I decided to structure the series geographically, matching tone and mood and theme and plot elements according to the pattern I outlined above.

Thus Beyond the Summerland took place in the south, was a story of romance and summer and things generally going well. The cover shows this summery feel. The story moved in Bringer of Storms to the west, in autumn, as things begin to fall apart pretty substantially, and as the world fades quickly into darkness. The stormy motif is portrayed pretty well here in that cover.
The story then cycles in the next two books through the north and into the east, each representing those archetypes in turn - darkness, night & desolation in winter followed by the slight glimmer of hope that comes with morning, sunrise, spring and things new. The covers for books 3 and 4 below show those seasons too. And then the last book returns to summer, though a different kind of summer, but I’ll leave it at that.

Q. So, those things help to explain some of the specifics of your series, but why fantasy? Did you know even back then in 1992 that you wanted to write Christian fantasy?
A. Actually, I would just say fantasy. I wouldn’t use the term Christian fantasy.

Q. Why not?
A. Well, the short version is that I think the adjective “Christian” is one that is properly applied to people, not things like “music” or “fiction” or in this case, “fantasy.” I know what people mean with labels like “Christian fantasy,” I just dislike the implication that Christian fantasy is good, and other fantasy is bad. I think that view is simplistic. Music, stories, movies and other artwork that conveys a message isn’t really divided into two piles - the good and bad. Rather I see them in a continuum. Some stories have lots of truth or good in them, others some, others not so much, and just because the author is a Christian doesn’t mean I’m going to agree with what he or she says or like the story. Likewise, I’ve read some great books by non-believers, who despite their unbelief are people made in the image of God and have created powerful stories.

Q. But isn’t there always something missing in those books, in those stories? Aren’t they always incomplete?
A. All stories written by finite, sinful human beings will be imperfect, if that is the question. However, just because there are certain things a writer can’t write about well or truthfully because he or she doesn’t believe those things, doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of other things they can and do write about well and truthfully. Stories from nonbelievers can contain beauty and power and truth, and I wouldn’t simply dismiss them out of hand because they come from non-Christians.

Q. Are you working on anything new, now that BOTB is finished?
A. Yes. I wrote a crime novel last year. It is a stand alone book, but I have ideas for 2 sequels right now. Currently, I’m also writing a nonfiction book and the first novel of a new series as well. None of these projects are under contract at the moment, though, so I couldn’t say what my next publication will be.

Q. Is the new series you mentioned also fantasy?
A. Yes, though I think of it as a fantasy/sci fi hybrid. I’ve posted a bit about that on my blog, but I won’t get into that here, since it is a bit complicated.

Q. Before wrapping up, what would you say to readers who haven’t heard of you or your books and may be wondering if The Binding of the Blade is for them?
A. It’s a fair question, as my books certainly aren’t for everyone. My publisher categorized them as ‘young adult’ fantasy, but I don’t think of them that way. Certainly younger readers who are good readers can read them, as many have, but I think of them as a bit older than that.
I guess what I would say is that there seems to be a lot more true YA fantasy stories than fantasy for older kids or adults out there in CBA, the “Christian” publishing world (there I go, doing what I don’t like doing, but I’m not sure how else to describe CBA!) As readers of those stories get older, they often become interested in stories that are geared a little older. Not that they necessarily outgrow the YA ones, but as they become ready for older ones too, then I’d encourage them to pick up Beyond the Summerland and see if they like it.