Till We Have Faces - A Review

I read this book over 25 years ago and remembered that I enjoyed it very much, so when given the opportunity to teach a literature class for homeschoolers this semester, I assigned it as our first book to read. So, to refresh my memory, I began it again.

This is an outstanding read. In some ways it feels quirky and cumbersome, discomforting and awkward, but as the reader becomes immersed in the story those feelings become natural. Why? Because our main character, Orual, is all of these things.

Her brutal mistreatment at the hands of her father, the king, is normal for her, as is her understanding of her own ugliness. The ignorant ways of her family and people are realized by the reader through Orual's Greek teacher, "the Fox," but to Orual such revelation becomes no more than another addition to a confusing mix of competing ideas--the natural versus the supernatural, philosophy versus superstition.

Mr. Lewis brilliantly clashes ideas of faith, through Psyche (Orual's half-sister), intellectualism (through the Fox), and superstition and cultural prejudice (through Bardia and Orual's father). The reader is led down heady roads that make him ponder applications in the real world, some clear and some rather foggy. What are we to think when we see supernatural works in this life that perhaps conflict with previous understanding? When does love turn into obsession? Why do people brush away evidence that doesn't conform to preconceived notions? The reader comes face to face with these and dozens of other questions as Mr. Lewis weaves this powerful story.

Parents, younger readers, even teenagers, might not appreciate this book. The reader should be accustomed to and enjoy mining great questions and pondering them thoughtfully. Otherwise, with the lack of frequent intense action, he or she might find the book boring.

For example, when my homeschool class gathered, I asked how they enjoyed the book. They all gave me a "ho-hum" kind of response. But as I unwrapped the first half of this book during our discussion time, I could see the lights come on in their minds. They began to get into the discussion, frequently adding their insights as the story elements brought up question after question. By the end of our one and and a half hours of Q&A, one said she really needed to read it again, and the others were excited about finishing the book.

Anyway, I highly recommend Till We Have Faces for all adults as well as mature teenagers. Read it, soak it in, ponder, and wonder. I'm glad I picked it up again after all these years.

Ryann Watters Contest Winners

Eric Reinhold, one of the Motiv8 tour authors, has announced the winners of his blog contest.

Here are excerpts of what the note he sent to me:

I decided that in addition to the grand prize winner, that in honor of the # 8, we would have “8 Runner-ups.” Everyone had the correct answers!

The Winner is: Andrew Knowles

The 8 Runner-ups are:

1. Connie Wolters of Virginia
2. Nathan Petrie of Kentucky
3. Ericka (estormgirl12) of Ohio
4. Noah Arsenault of Washington
5. Caitlyn Cauley of North Carolina
6. Lori Ann Weldon of Missouri
7. Megan Nisly of Connecticut
8. James Klousia of Missouri

Thanks again for participating and enjoy your prize!

Sincerely,
Eric
www.RyannWatters.blogspot.com
www.RyannWatters.com

Congratualations!

Motiv8 Tour Plans to Stream Live

For those of you who feel left out because the Motiv8 tour will be on the west coast, take heart. At the events where we can get Internet access, we plan to stream video live. You can watch the events at the Motiv8 site: Click Here.

The feed will include live Instant Messenger, so you will be able to interact with us as the events proceed.

You can also watch it here at this post or on my sidebar, which I will put up when the tour begins.



It will feed videos from our last tour until this year's tour begins.

A New Web Comic

Two of my daughters are collaborating on a web comic strip called "Cat in Progress." You can find it by clicking here. I hope you'll read it and leave a nice comment on their comic blog - Click Here

They hope to update it every Tuesday, so check in once a week for the new adventures of "Cat in Progress."

Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour - Promotional Video and Schedule

The Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour is drawing near, so it's time to get excited! Here's a promotional video to help us get pumped up.




Contestants, if you get this video posted on a blog, yours or someone else's, you'll get another thirty points. Of course, I would love for you to post it in a thousand places, but you'll get points for only three different places.

Also, here is the tentative schedule for the tour. It's not completely full yet, so watch this blog for updates:

Friday – October 3rd

Abbotsford, BC, Canada

Mennonite Educational Institute (Middle School)
4081B Clearbrook Road
Abbotsford BC
Canada V4X2M8

1pm – 3pm - Full school assembly
4:30pm – 6:00pm –Meet the Authors Dinner with 20 student reading contest winners
6:30pm – 8:30pm – Speaking Event with parents and students
8:30pm – Book Sales and Autograph session

Saturday – October 4th

Seattle, Washington

Harvest Logos Bookstore 3pm to 5pm
115 N. 85th St. #100
Seattle, WA 98103
206-781-8725

Salt Shaker Bookstore – 6:30 to 8:30pm
1456 Cole St.
Enumclaw, WA, 98022
360.825.7258

Sunday – October 5th

Portland, Oregon

Portland events to be announced

Medford, Oregon

Evangel Family Bookstore 6pm to 8pm
1600 N Riverside Ave # 1063
Medford, OR 97501
(541) 772-2849

Monday – October 6th

Sacramento, California

Trinity Christian School – 1:30pm to 2:30pm
5225 Hillsday Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95842
(916) 331-7377

Barnes & Noble - 6pm to 8pm
1725 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95815
916-565-0644

Tuesday – October 7

Fresno, California

Children’s Hospital Central California Charity event – 11:00 am

Berean Christian Stores – 6pm to 8pm
7512 N. Blackstone Ave
Fresno, CA 93720
559-431-0541

Wednesday – October 8th

Reedley, California

Reedley Downtown Association and Chamber of Commerce sponsored all City Downtown “Cultural Arts Night” on Reedley’s main street.

“G” Street will be blocked off with booths in the street. Reedley Exponent Newspaper is doing a full page article on the 8 authors and the event. They are inviting the local Artists, local Authors and our 8 Authors will be the featured special guests with a booth center stage. Live music and food booths.

Thursday – October 9

Los Angeles, California

Bethany Christian School – 1:00 pm to 2:30pm
93 N Baldwin Ave, Ste B
Sierra Madre, CA 91024

Bookstore event – 5pm to 7pm
Valley Book & Bible
6502 Van Nuys Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91401
800-421-8906

Friday – October 10

Sun Valley, California

Village Christian Schools 8:50am to 1:00pm
8930 Village Ave.
Sun Valley, CA 91352
(818) 767-8382

Calvary Chapel Church – 7pm to 9pm
7800 Edinger Ave.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(714) 891-9495

Saturday – October 11th

San Diego, California

Barnes & Noble – 2pm to 4pm
Mira Mesa MarketCenter
10775 Westview Parkway
San Diego, CA 92126
858-684-3166

Sunday – October 12th

To Be Announced

Motiv8 Contest Bonus Points Available

In order to promote the soon-to-be-released Eternity's Edge, from now until the end of the contest, contestants who report purchases of Beyond the Reflection's Edge or Eternity's Edge will receive fifty points each whether the purchases are made on-line or from a store. This includes pre-orders for Eternity's Edge.

Please send me a scan, photo, or computer image of the purchase receipt. If it's a pre-order, I'm not sure what proof is available, so we would have to work that out. Of course, if you pre-order it from me, I will have proof. The purchase must be dated after August 27, 2008.

The official release date for Eternity's Edge is October 1, but I will likely have copies well before that, and some online stores might have it available early, as well.

Portland, Oregon, People - The tour needs your help

If you live in or near the Portland, Oregon, area, or know someone who does, maybe you can help the Motiv8 Christian Fantasy Tour. We had an event scheduled at a church for Sunday, October 5, but the church had to cancel.

So, now we need to book an event in that area. Do you know of a church, bookstore, homeschool group, youth group, etc, that might like to host an event for the tour on Sunday, October 5?

Please let me know. You can either post a comment here, or, even better, email me: bryan (at) dragonsinourmidst (dot) com. Replace the words in parentheses with the appropriate symbols.

Thank you!

New YA Series with Zondervan

I signed a contract with Zondervan for a four-book series for young adults. The tentative series title is "Riders of the Apocalypse." Sound like an end-times thriller? Well, it will be a thriller, but it won't be like any end-times story you've ever read before--nothing like Left Behind or The Last Disciple. Even if you don't like end-times stories, you might just like this series, because it might be better to call it an anti-end-times story.

As usual, it will contain strong fantasy elements, but it will stay in the real world, or "real" until the story totally bends the world out of shape. It should be fun. But you'll have to wait quite a while. The first book likely won't arrive until 2010.

As the time for the series draws closer, I will give more details.

Motiv8 Contest - First Assignment

This is your first assignment for the Motiv8 Tour contest. Pick an author from the group going on tour and write a note expressing why you like that author and his or her books. When I get them collected, I will send them to the authors. This will encourage the author and help you practice your own writing skills.

Rules:

The note has to be at least 100 words. It must be turned in to me by email, bryan (at) dragonsinourmidst (dot) com. Don't post it as a comment on this blog.

It has to be turned in by Saturday, August 23, by midnight. The first five I receive will get 50 points, and the rest will get 45 points.

To get points, the author you choose must not be me. You can write one to me if you want. I always appreciate encouraging words, but you won't get any points for it.

Write the note as if you were addressing the author. For example: Dear Mrs. Hinck, I really like your books, because ...

I'm pretty sure Donita Paul and Sharon Hinck appreciate "Mrs." rather than "Ms."

As a reminder, the authors are listed below.

Wayne Thomas Batson
L. B. Graham
Sharon Hinck
Christopher Hopper
Donita K. Paul
Eric Reinhold
Jonathan Rogers

I'll look forward to getting your notes!

Let the Motiv8 Contest Begin!

We don't have as many contestants as I had hoped for, but maybe we can make up the quantity with quality. With that in mind, I will be awarding bonus points for especially good reviews, that is, compelling and well-written reviews for any of the authors' books. The bonus points will range from five to ten points. Of course, if you get a bonus and then use the same text for another review site, you won't get another bonus.

For the best review posted during the first month of the contest (August 14 to September 14), I will give an autographed poster of The Bones of Makaidos.

I will post the award winning reviews on the blog.

If you want to join the contest, please come aboard. I will need you to email me your contact information.

So, let's get started. Send me your point reports!

The Bravehearted Gospel - A Review

A few weeks ago, I read a pre-publication version of The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy. I am pleased to say that this is a fine book, something that the church desperately needs. It challenges the church to restore the foundations of truth and righteousness, to really live according to faith and obedience.

The book uses the theme of restoring the "masculine" side of faith and practice, while balancing that with the "feminine" side. You'll have to read the book to see how these are defined. Eric does a fine job explaining the relevant issues.

The point is that, masculine versus feminine aside, we must obey God as He is revealed in the Bible rather than in the way He has been popularized in our culture. It's really a simple concept, but it has been lost in the modern church.

I have some quibbles with Eric's inclusive language. He often writes, "We do this ..." or "We do that ..." though Eric doesn't really do these things. I know, as a reader, that I don't do them, so these portions felt like accusations rather than explanations. I asked Eric about these issues, and he said these are attempts to reach the majority of the church, the members of the reading audience who are doing these things. I understand the attempt, but I prefer literal accuracy.

For example, from the book (unless the final version doesn't include this):

Christianity is the most explosive, most vibrant, most beautiful, most extraordinary news this Universe has ever encountered, and yet all of us Christians are trying to “make it more palatable.” We are downplaying God’s right to rule, overtake and possess the lives of each and every person on this terrestrial ball. (Boldface emphasis mine)

I, for one, am not trying to make the gospel more palatable, and I don't think Eric is doing this, either, so I can't understand why he has made such an all-encompassing accusation that everyone is doing this. Such language occurs multiple times in the book, and these parts seem to contradict the book's teaching that we can and should do otherwise. I hope this kind of language doesn't confuse people.

With that reservation in place, I recommend The Bravehearted Gospel. With most churches operating in an emasculated state, we need men and women who are willing to stand up, put on their spiritual armor, and fight for the truth of the gospel. In The Bravehearted Gospel, Eric Ludy eloquently and forcefully warns the church that it will never change the world with a feminized Christianity, which leads to fear, a de-emphasis of Scripture, and a lack of vigorous thinking. He tells us that God has given us the power to live holy lives, completely consecrated to Jesus, without giving any quarter to the flesh. This is the medicine the church of today needs. For many, it will carry a bitter taste, but it will provide healing to the soul and to the body of Christ.

In closing, here is an example of the great stuff that thrums throughout the book.

The Grace and Gospel of Jesus Christ has been drained of its potency. It’s been transformed into a message merely about the hugs and kisses of God while the muscle and power of God is left standing on the sidelines wholly forgotten.

But God is in the business of building saints. He is the Universe’s foremost expert on overhauling the human existence and making it actually work the way it was originally intended to work. And He does this overhaul with a tool known in the Bible as Grace. He saves us with it, He breaks us with it, He rebuilds us with it, and He fully equips us with it to turn this world upside down.

Grace is the Life of Jesus imparted and actually living, moving, working, and thundering within our very bodies to accomplish the errands of God on planet Earth.

Tool for Authors

As you might have noticed, I recently added a series of widgets to my blog's sidebar that display all my books. When someone clicks on one of them, it shows several buying options. You can also put an associate ID in the link to get a kickback from any sales through that link.

If you email Fraser Kelton at the company: Adaptive Blue, they'll build a widget for free.

Here's the email if you're interested:
support (at) adaptiveblue (dot) com

Movie Review - Batman, The Dark Knight

Because of wildly glowing reviews, including from people I trust, I went to see the new Batman movie with great anticipation. Not only was I disappointed, I was discouraged that so many people see this as a good movie. It's not. In fact, I found it to be the most disappointing movie I have seen in a long time.

***Spoilers ahead***

The main reason I disliked it so much was the fact that every hero became corrupted. Harvey Dent was portrayed as an unselfish, sacrificial hero, yet, when he lost his girlfriend, he became a psychopathic, murdering maniac who was ready to blow the head off a little boy who had nothing to do with his loss. That seemed so ridiculous, it was truly pathetic, story-wise.

Then, when Dent dies, Batman and Gordon try to cover up this madman by lying about who killed the five police officers whom Dent had killed. Batman and Gordon agreed to say that Batman did it.

What? Are you kidding? Save the reputation of the psychopath and destroy the reputation of the true hero? For what reason? So the Joker wouldn't "win." Lie to honor the dead false hero, who can't help you anymore, and destroy the true hero who can help? That's absurd. It's stupid. It's wrong.

Because of this lie, the Joker actually did win. Every "hero" proved to be corrupt, just as the Joker had hoped. Batman and Gordon would spread this lie to the masses to protect a madman, a truly corrupt act.

Also, the movie seemed to glorify brutality and darkness. Brutal, callous murders abounded, including killing methods that were truly gross.

And the movie had so many story holes! Didn't anyone of the hundreds on that ferry think, "Wait a minute! Maybe the Joker's lying. Maybe pushing the button will blow up our own ferry!" I thought of it. Why didn't anyone else think of it?

Also, didn't anyone think about disabling the bombs? "Hey, if this thing is detonated by a transmitter, there must be a receiver at the bomb. Sure, it's hard to defuse a bomb, but it's usually a lot easier to disable a receiver." Yet, no one gave that a thought.

And how did the Joker get hundreds of explosive charges into the hospital without anyone noticing? How did he go into the hospital dressed as a nurse when obviously, with that face, he didn't look like one? Why was Dent, the one person who was to be guarded the most carefully, left unguarded?

There were many more holes like that. But the most important reason I disliked the movie was the corruption of every hero. If not for the lie at the end, I could have gotten through it with a smile, because good would have triumphed over evil, and light over darkness. As it ended, however, that wasn't true. Evil triumphed. Darkness prevailed.

Book Review - Trion Rising

I recently read Trion Rising by Robert Elmer. The premise is simple, "What would it be like if Jesus had come to another planet?"

The planet turns out to be a world with multiple suns, though they shine only on one side of the planet. The other side is perpetually dark, yet the citizens there (the Owlings) hold to a spiritual light that those on the sunny side don't understand, so those on the sunny side persecute those in physical darkness.

This makes for an intriguing backdrop for a visit from the Messiah to the world of physical light.

Colorful characters, unique devices, and plenty of action and thought-provoking dilemmas make this a first-class read. I recommend it to readers twelve years old and up. This adult certainly enjoyed it.

This is the first in a series called The Shadowside Trilogy. The second book, The Owling, is scheduled for an October, 2008, release.

New Contest for Motiv8 Tour!

In order to promote the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour (Click Here for tour information), I am starting a new contest. The prize? Books for life! The grand prize winner will receive one autographed copy of every new book I publish for as long as we both shall live.

From the previous contest, we already have three winners of the "Books for Life" prize. They are eligible again, meaning that they could end up with two copies of every book I publish. Also, if you won any books in the previous contest, you can just add on more books if you win something in this contest.

Since contestants will accumulate points in this contest, I will be able to award prizes to others who do well. The second place finisher will receive the next five books I publish. Third place will win the next three books, and all of the top ten finishers will receive a free copy of The Bones of Makaidos, book four in the Oracles of Fire series, when it comes out.

Here are the guidelines, which should be simpler than the previous contest. It took a great deal of time to process all the photos last time, so I won't be asking for those.

First, post a comment here to let me know you are participating. You will also have to send me an email with your real name and address to verify your participation. I will keep your personal information private. Please send the information to bryan (at) dragonsinourmidst (dot) com. Of course, replace "at" with the @ sign and "dot" with a period.

The contest will officially begin as soon as I get at least thirty participants, or on August 14, whichever comes first. It will end on October 13 (the end of the Motiv8 tour), so it will last two months. I will accept point reports until midnight on October 13.

Here is how you gain points:

1. Recommend any books written by any of the Fantasy Fiction Tour authors.

Bryan Davis, Wayne Thomas Batson, Sharon Hinck, Christopher Hopper, Donita K. Paul, L. B. Graham, Eric Reinhold, or Jonathan Rogers.

If some buys a book, send me a scanned photocopy of the receipt by email. The receipt must show the store name and the date, and the date must be on or later than today's date, August 7, 2008. Every book purchased is worth thirty points.

If you have a receipt from an online store, I have to be able to verify that it's real. Since I'm trying to promote buying at bookstores, books on online receipts will be worth only ten points each.

Buying a book for someone else counts. You can even buy every book that every author has written, and each one will count, even if you buy multiple copies of the books.

If you are unable to scan a receipt, you may mail a photocopy to me at P.O. Box 512, Middleton, TN 38052.

2. Write an online review of any books by any of the fantasy tour authors. Each review of my books is worth ten points, and reviews of books for the other authors are worth eight points each. The review must be on a public site such as Amazon.com or Christianbook.com, and the review must be positive. If you post a negative review, that doesn't help promote the books, right?

Reviews of Beyond the Reflection's Edge that were counted in the previous contest are not eligible, but old reviews that you have posted for my other books are eligible as well as Beyond the Reflection's Edge reviews that weren't counted in the previous contest. Reviews submitted to other contests, such as Wayne Batson's contest do count.

Reviews on blogs count, as long as they aren't just comments on a blog. I have learned that Goodreads is not public enough, so that won't count.

You may use the same text for reviews on multiple sites.

3. As the contest continues, at random times, I will post a something about one of the other fantasy authors, maybe a question about a blog post he or she made or something about one of their books that can be discovered from their blogs. I will announce the points available at the time. The first few to give me correct answers will get bonus points, so keep an eye on the blog.

4. I might also add new ways to get points, including a pop quiz from one of my books. As above, quick responses get bonus points.

5. Get someone else to participate in this contest. It's true that the new contestant will be in competition with you, but if you do well, you won't have to worry about that. When your referred contestant signs up through email, make sure he or she mentions you as the one who referred him or her. For each referral you will be awarded five points, but there will be a bonus. For every ten points your referred person accumulates, you will get another point. Does that sound like multi-level marketing? Yup!

If you get someone to participate, you won't get your five points until that person gets at least some points through reviews, photos, etc.

6. Get people to come to one of the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour events. Have that person tell me who sent him or her, and you will get thirty points for each person who comes because of your referral.

7. Put a Motiv8 fantasy tour banner on your website or blog. Click Here to get the code for banners. If you put a banner on your site and leave it through the end of the tour, you will get twenty points, but you must get the banner up by September 1.

8. Put an image of one of my book covers on your blog and leave it there for at least one month, and include a link to my author purchasing site: http://www.daviscrossing.com/shopping.htm

That will earn you twenty points.

The decisions of the judges will be final. If you have any questions, please post a comment.

I hope this competition stays loving and friendly. Although I hope you want to win the books, I also hope you want to share with others the benefit of reading the offerings of each author.

Endorsement for President - Chuck Baldwin

I normally don't get political on my blog, and I likely won't again during the presidential campaign, but I will give a one-time statement regarding my choice for president--Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party nominee.

The two major parties have abandoned the principles of virtue and law, so they have given me no choice. I cannot vote for a candidate who is not pro-life, and although John McCain claims to be pro-life, he is not. He has publicly stated that he would not want Roe vs. Wade overturned, and he supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. And, of course, Barack Obama is about as far from pro-life as a candidate can be.

Some people might say that we shouldn't vote based on one issue, but I disagree. If a candidate believes it is legally acceptable to kill the most helpless and innocent ones of all, he is not qualified to be president.

Also, John McCain has proven himself to be unfit for office in that he left his crippled wife for another woman, with whom he now still lives. According to the Bible, Mr. McCain has broken his vows and is in an adulterous relationship. I cannot vote for an unrepentant adulterer.

Both of the two major candidates, through their voting records, have shown a desire to spend taxpayer money at an alarming rate. Both worked to block conservative judge appointments. Both have done poorly in supporting the Constitution, especially the first, second, and tenth amendments to the Bill of Rights.

Some might say that voting for a person "who doesn't stand a chance" is throwing your vote away. This is illogical for several reasons. First, who can prove that any candidate doesn't stand a chance? If we let the media decide who has a chance and chant that mantra, then we are perpetuating the myth that we can have only two parties. This idea of throwing away a vote is self-created and self-perpetuating. Second, if we continue to believe that the two major parties are the only ones available and continue to vote for them, even if they march out unacceptable candidates, we will never get a real change.

It's true that Chuck Baldwin will take votes from John McCain, but maybe that will be good for the Republican Party in the long run. Maybe the party will wake up and see that they have abandoned their supporters. Otherwise, we will continue to get the same terrible choices.

Don't settle for the lesser of two evils, because this time around, the two evils are both intolerable. Vote for a real change for the better.

Chuck Baldwin is truly pro-life and supports the Constitution in reality, not just verbally. It would take a long time to list all his policies, so I suggest that you go to his website by clicking here.

I know that many people who read this will disagree. As usual, I will moderate comments. You may disagree, but I won't allow any comments that are abusive or insulting in any way.

Coming to Cincinnati

I will be speaking to a writers' group in the Cincinnati area, and it's open to the public.

Here are the details:

August 13 - 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Speaking to Writers' Group and Book signing
Faith Church -- Life Center, Room 9A
5910 Price Road
Milford, OH 45150
Phone: (513) 831-3770

In you live in the area, come out and see me. Please tell all your friends.

I will be glad to sign your books, and I'll have books available for purchase.

Invite me to Skyline Chili, and I'll be your friend for life. :-)

New Contest for Fantasy Fiction Tour Coming Soon

I have mentioned that I will be having a new contest. This time I will be featuring my Dragons in our Midst and Oracles of Fire books as well as books from my fellow author who will be going on the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour in October.

I plan to get this started around August 7, so watch this blog for details at that time. In the meantime, you might want to check out contests being conducted by the other authors. A list of their blogs is in my sidebar.

Just so this isn't an ugly, text-only post, I will include a photo my daughter took yesterday of the many hummingbirds that enjoy our feeder.

Beyond the Reflection's Edge Contest Winners

On my way back from the International Christian Retail Show, I stopped by the city where the first place and fourth place winners of the Beyond the Reflection's Edge contest dwell. I had the privilege of meeting them and giving them certificates commemorating their accomplishments.

In the photo, that's Shiloh (fourth place) on the left and Kale (first place) on the right. We had a great time talking about the books and eating ice cream. These two young ladies and their families were great!

The Bones of Makaidos Cover

I present to you the cover of The Bones of Makaidos, book four in the Oracles of Fire series. If you would like to see a higher resolution version of it, Click Here.

That's Sapphira Adi on the left and Bonnie Silver on the right. Those of you who have read Enoch's Ghost and Last of the Nephilim already know who the white horse is.

This book will likely come out in April or May of 2009 and will complete the series.

Please give me your comments on the cover. Now that all eight covers are out, I have posted a new poll asking which is your favorite.

No Apologies for the Gospel

As often happens when I attend the International Christian Retail Show, I witness something very disturbing. Last evening, I attended a publicity meeting at the show. At least that’s what it purported to be. It was really a panel discussion intended to promote a particular book. I won’t mention the title or the author, because I don’t want anyone to buy it out of curiosity.

Their premise is that the church is too antagonist toward unbelievers. This is “proven” by the fact that their perception of believers is that we’re judgmental, hateful, and hypocritical, and also that their perception of Jesus is much more positive. Therefore, if we would be more like Jesus, unbelievers would have a better perception of us as well. They said we need to stop criticizing and start being more loving and accepting. One on the panel went so far as to say, “We need to stop the apologetics and start apologizing.”

That’s when I almost lost my lunch. These panelists have it completely backwards. The church needs to engage with more of the truth, not less. We need more, “Repent, lest you die,” not “I’m sorry you’re upset.” Unbelievers will never come to true faith with a watered-down gospel of “acceptance.” They need to repent of their sins and turn to the living God in obedience.

Jesus told us that the world would hate us, so why should we worry about an opinion poll of unbelievers? They hated Jesus and crucified Him. Should he have apologized for saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”? Absurd. Yet these authors had the audacity to say that we should be apologizing.

The reason people give higher ratings to Jesus than they do to His followers is that they are evaluating a Jesus that they have invented in their minds, not the real Jesus. They don’t think about His command to repent or His insistence that they love Him more than life itself. If they were alive at the time of Jesus, they would likely have been among the crowds who shouted, “Crucify him!”

Another statement the author made that was just ridiculous was, “Yes, I’m a hypocrite, and I’m sorry. Yes, I’m not a good example of Jesus, and I’m sorry.” I wanted to stand up and say, “You must not be very sorry if you’re still playing the hypocrite.”

This is one part of their message that was true. Hypocrisy is a horrible blight on the church. The false doctrine of the carnal Christian continues to destroy the witness of the true believers. Yet, this author claims to be one of those hypocrites, gives a weak, “I’m sorry,” and, apparently goes on being a hypocrite, because, I suppose, he believes us all to be hypocrites. This is simply twisted thinking. True Christians are not hypocrites.

I’m going back to the convention today, and it’s likely I’ll see more disturbing examples of fake Christianity. It always grieves me and makes me wonder how God puts up with all this nonsense masquerading as truth.

Contest Wrapup

I have a few contest issues to wrap up. First, I will be creating "Books for Life" certificates for each of the top three contestants and mailing them to our second and third place winners. I will personally give one to Kale, our grand prize winner. The event will be at the Barnes & Noble on Airport Blvd in Pensacola, FL, on July 18, from noon to 2 pm. If you're in the area, come on out. I will be signing books, including Beyond the Reflection's Edge and Last of the Nephilim.

Now I will post a few contest videos. First will be Shae's, the one I awarded an extra twenty points for being my favorite. It was a tough decision, but I really appreciated the cut scenes between travel and violin.


And now, Araken's:


And Siobhan's:


And bookworm's:


And Michelle's:


And Zera's:


The quiz answers are as follows:

#1 - 1881
#2 part one - "Give three"
#2 part two - "book tunes in"
#2 part three - "composed date order"
#2 part four - "not Strauss include year"
#2 - Final instructions - Answers vary.
#3 - "Is this the answer" (Use 1881 to find the hidden phrase in quiz #2. The first word in part one's clue. The eighth word in part two's clue, the eighth word in part three's clue, and the first word in part four's clue.)
#4 - (1) Red (2) Saudi Arabia (3) $1.25 (4) A Northwestern T-shirt (5) 326

It was a lot of fun! I greatly appreciate every participant, and I hope you will consider helping in the next contest, which I hope to begin August 1. It will focus on the Oracles of Fire and Dragons n our Midst series as well as the upcoming Fantasy Fiction Tour. I will be posting much more about that soon.

If you want to get the book for yourself or friends, Christianbook.com has it for a great price, $9.99. You can get it at the link below:

Beyond The Reflections' Edge # 1 By Bryan Davis / Zondervan

Beyond the Reflection's Edge Contest Winners

What a great two months! I am so impressed with the contestants, it's impossible to write it in words. I wish I could gather you all in person and tell you how much I appreciate the work you've done to help me promote this new series.

Because of your amazing efforts, I'm increasing the awards again. So, as I list the winners, I will also tell what they've won.


This is Kale, our first place contestant (1369 points). Along with many reviews, bookstore photos, and purchase referrals, she did an amazing job with posters, hanging them in 129 different places! She wins "books for life," and she will be the first to help me create a character in a future book, that is, I will create a character who will be a fictionalized representation of the winner, using a name and characteristics that we will agree upon.


This is Twin4God, our second place contestant (1259 points). She was also great at putting up posters, 65 in all, but her biggest point accumulation came from getting 27 people to buy copies of the book. That's amazing. She also wins books for life, and she will be the second to help me create a character, probably a more minor character than what Kale's will be, but she'll know it's hers. That one will be later down the road, but we'll stay in touch to get it done.


This is Josh, our third place contestant (1152 points). He was another poster warrior. I checked his list of 73 posters, and I think he put one up in every Panera Bread restaurant in a three-state area! Josh also wins books for life, and he will be the third to help me create a character. Again, his will be a more minor character than Kale's, and it will be in a later series.

The rest of the prize winners are as follows:

Rounding out the top ten:
Shiloh – 858.9 points (Five books, including the next two in "Echoes")
Katie G. – 431.5 (Four books, including the next two in "Echoes")
Magma – 391.3 (Three books, including the next two in "Echoes")
Abigail - 332 (Three books, including the next two in "Echoes")
Shae - 327 (Three books, including the next two in "Echoes")
Moncowgirl - 315 (Three books, including the next two in "Echoes")
Lightbearer - 279 (Three books, including the next two in "Echoes")

And the Honorable Mentions:
Araken - 274 (Eternity's Edge and Book #3 in "Echoes")
Galadriel - 262 (Eternity's Edge and Book #3 in "Echoes")
Zera - 243 (Eternity's Edge and Book #3 in "Echoes")
Son of Shem - 234 (Eternity's Edge and Book #3 in "Echoes")
Djaq - 212 (Eternity's Edge and Book #3 in "Echoes")
Jessica H. - 206 (Eternity's Edge and Book #3 in "Echoes")
Katie L - 200 (Eternity's Edge and Book #3 in "Echoes")
Tegid - 165 (Eternity's Edge)
Bookworm for God - 159 (Eternity's Edge)
Michelle - 156 (Eternity's Edge)
MeghanTheDraygon - 100 (Eternity's Edge)

Prize winners, it will be very important to keep me up to date with any mailing address changes you have over the months and years. If I don't have your mailing address, I will email you and ask for it. I'm looking forward to these lasting friendships with you!

I hope to have another contest soon. It will focus on the Oracles of Fire series and also promote the next fantasy tour, which I will be posting about a lot in the near future.

The Beyond the Reflection's Edge contest is over

Now that it is after midnight, and it's July 1, the two-month long Beyond the Reflection's Edge contest is over.

I will be posting the results sometime today. I'll do the best I can to get it done early.

Beyond the Reflection's Edge Contest - The Final Three Days

The Beyond the Reflection's Edge contest is down to its final three days. The deadline for submitting reports for points is June 30, midnight central time zone.

I haven't received many reports lately, so I'm wondering if some of you are holding back because you don't want the other contestants to know where you stand. In order to prevent an avalanche of reports late on June 30, here's what I'm going to do.

From now until the contest is over, I won't post any point updates. If you send something anytime between the time this blog entry is posted through the deadline, you don't have to be concerned about someone else knowing your total.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's see those reports!

Coming to Little Rock

On Saturday, June 28, from noon until 2:00 pm, I will be at the Mardel Christian Store 1t 5460 Landers Road in Sherwood, Arkansas, which is near Little Rock. If you're anywhere near that area, please come out. I would love to meet you. They should have all my books there. I'll have free posters, and I'll be glad to sign books you've already purchased.

Now for another contest photo. TwinforGod sent in several from various stores, but there are just too many to post. I will include one and list where else she has been.

Here she is with Cliff at (1) LifeWay in the Oxford Exchange Shopping Center, 1150 Oxford Exchange Blvd, Oxford, AL. She also sent photos from (2) LifeWay, The Landing at Arbor Place
9345 The Landing Dr., Douglasville, GA, (3) Family Christian Store,Douglasville Pavilion, 2838 Chapel Hill Rd., Douglasville, GA (4) Family Christian Store, Colonial Promenade Fultondale, 3471 Lowery Pkwy Ste 115, Fultondale, AL, (5) LifeWay, Riverchase Promenade Shopping Center, 1713 Montgomery Hwy S Suite 115, Birmingham, AL, (6) Family Christian Store, Inverness Plaza Shop Center,160 Inverness Plaza,Birmingham, AL, (7) Family Christian Store, The Shoppes at Woodruff, 1451 Woodruff Rd #20, Greenville, SC (8) Family Christian Store, Oaks Mall Plaza, 6747 W Newberry Rd, Gainesville, FL (9) Lifeway, Eisenhower Crossing, 4664 Presidential Parkway, Macon, GA, (10) Life, 8821-4 JW Clay Blvd, Charlotte, NC

Fantastic job!

Don't forget, Last of the Nephilim is now in stock in many places. You can get an autographed copy from me by clicking here, order from Amazon by clicking here, or you can use the link below to order from Christianbook.com.

#3: Last of the Nephilim By Living Ink

Beyond the Reflection's Edge Contest Quiz #4

There is only one week left in the Beyond the Reflection's Edge contest. Before we get to the final quiz, I will post a few photos:

Here is Kale with her poster. Kale sent photos of nineteen different places where she put up posters. At five points each, that helped her take quite a lead. With a week left, there is still time for some of you to catch up, but you'd better get going. I think Kale isn't likely to slow down.


Here is Katie G. with a poster she put up in her church.


Here is Lightbearer with Jonathan at Borders at the junction of Wyoming and Academy (streets) in Albuquerque New Mexico.

And Lightbearer again, this time with Monica at Borders in Cottonwood Mall, Albuquerque New Mexico.

Now for the final quiz, I will pose five questions from the story. Each one will be worth five points. The first five people to give me all five correct answers will get an extra five points.

When you report, please number your answers. If you get some answers wrong, I'll tell you which ones.

1. What color were the letters in the Clarks' welcome mat?

2. In what country did Nathan and Clara escape on motorcycles from a terrorist?

3. How much did the store-keeper charge Nathan for the map?

4. In the Chicago airport, Nathan wanted to use a pay telephone, but two people grabbed the last ones available. One of those two was a teenager. What was the teenager wearing?

5. On what page in the book is the title, Beyond the Reflection's Edge, mentioned in Nathan's thoughts?

When you respond, please put in the subject line that it's for Quiz #4.

Last of the Nephilim - Where to find it

Many readers have contacted me asking where they can buy Last of the Nephilim. This happens with every new book that comes out in the series. It gets released, and the stores that stock it run out of it in a hurry, and some stores don't get it quite as quickly as others, so readers in those areas have to wait.

I have heard that many of the Family Christian stores and the Parable group stores have them in stock, and many other Christian stores such as Mardel's, Berean, Lifeway, and Christian Supply either have them now or will be getting them soon.

Always call first. Gas is too expensive to waste. Although I always encourage my readers to support their local bookstores, ordering online is an alternative. Christianbook.com is showing Last of the Nephilim as being in stock at $11.99, which is $3 off retail. Here is a link for CBD:

#3: Last of the Nephilim By Living Ink

You can also buy an autographed copy from me by clicking here. I have plenty in stock as well.

If you see it in one of your local bookstores, please post a comment and let me know where you found it.

Contest Update and Yet More Photos

The Beyond the Reflection's Edge contest will be over in less than two weeks, and many contestants are sprinting toward the finish line. I plan to have one more quiz, and I hope to post it Monday morning, June 23. No fancy codes or puzzles this time, just a list of questions for which you'll find answers in the book.

Now more contestant reports. First, here is a video from Abigail:



Now for some store photos:

Here is Katie L. with Jason at the Borders store at Rivertown Center,3819 Rivertown Pkwy SW Ste 100, Grandville, MI

Here is bookwormforGod with Ethan at Borders, 9205 S. Dixie Highway, Miami, FL


Here is Shae with Nate at Borders, 1501 Plymoth Road Minnetonka, MN



And Son of Shem with Jenni, at Borders at 1501 Plymouth Road, Minnetonka, MN

I also received a photo from Josh who posed with Patrick at Lifeway on Peoples Street, Johnson City, TN, but I couldn't get it to upload on the blog.

Last of the Nephilim is Now in Bookstores

I have heard from several people that Last of the Nephilim is now on the shelves of many bookstores, so it's time to grab a copy and see what happens in this next chapter of the story.

Be sure to call your bookstore before going. You don't want to waste gas!

Now for another bookstore BtRE photo.


Here is Shae with Emily at Borders, 8472 Tamarak Bay Woodbury, MN.

The Beyond the Reflection's Edge contest rolls on!

Contest Update and More Photos

We are now closing in on the final two weeks of the Beyond the Reflection's Edge contest. Quite a number of you have done a fantastic job with reviews, photos, posters, T-shirts, etc. Because I'm so overwhelmed by your participation, I have decided to add more prizes. Here is a list of how the prizes will be given based on a contestant's rank by total points earned.

#1 - Books for life and character creation in a future book (unchanged)

#2 - The next five books I publish (unchanged)

#3 - The next three books I publish (unchanged)

#4 through #10 - Eternity's Edge and Book #3 of Echoes from the Edge (Instead of just Eternity's Edge)

#11 through #15 - Eternity's Edge (Instead of no prize)

Thank you again for all you're doing.

At this point, Kale has jumped to a sizable lead. She has turned in nine bookstore receipts, which, at twenty points each, gave her 180 points. That's a great way to accumulate them quickly.

Josh is close behind, and several others are within striking distance. With more than two weeks left, there is plenty of time to make up ground.

I hope to have another quiz, but I will announce it more than a day in advance so you won't have to check the blog more than once each day.

If you haven't done a video and want to do one, please send me the link by June 30. That's when I will award bonus points for the judge's favorite. The contest ends midnight, June 30.

Now for a few photos.
Here is Katie L. with Chris at Kregel Parable Christian Store, 2830 E. Beltline NE, Grand Rapids, MI.

Here is Kale with Jeremy at Book A Million on Davis Hwy Pensacola, FL

Here is Josh with Eric at the Lifeway on 5449 Washington Pike, Knoxville, TN

Here is Josh again with John at the Lifeway on 10990 Parkside Drive, Knoxville, TN

Great job!

Contest Quiz Three and T-shirt photo

First, the photo. Moncowgirl made a Beyond the Reflection's Edge T-shirt and handed out fliers for the book.
Great job, Moncowgirl. That's worth twenty points!

Now for quiz number three. With this quiz, your brainpower and ingenuity are the key, so I'm not giving any help. I think some will find this very easy, while others will just go, "Huh?"

Here are your instructions. "Use the answer to the first quiz (click here to remind yourself of that quiz) to locate the hidden phrase in the second quiz."

The first five to answer will get fifteen points while everyone else who answers correctly will get ten points.

Enjoy!

Back to Photos!

Now that Quiz #2 is almost complete (yes, almost), I am posting another photo.


Here is Katie G. (middle) with Courtney (left) and Maggie (right) at the Family Christian Store at 85 Tunnel Rd Suite 25 in Asheville, NC. She also sent photos from the Lifeway Christian Store at 1714 Us Highway 70 SE in Hickory, NC 28602, the Lifeway store at 105 River Hills Rd in Asheville, NC, and the Family Christian Store 1916 Catawba Valley Blvd SE, in Hickory, NC .

Several of you had no problems solving the coded text, and it seems that quite a few of you enjoyed it. The next part will be quite tricky, but we'll see who can handle it.

Soon. I will tell you about it soon.

Contest Quiz Two Part Four

I will now give part four of quiz number two. If you didn't solve the first three parts, please read the explanation of the contest here before you try this. Remember that from one part to the next, the decoding method doesn't start over. Pick up the code where you left off at the end of the previous section.

Please send the decoded words from these paragraphs. When you attach them to the words from the previous three parts of the quiz, the combined words will create instructions to follow.

First send me the decoded words for this part of the quiz. Please let me know that you are answering Quiz #2 Part 4. Then, when you follow the instructions that the entire quiz creates, which could take quite a bit of time, send me the results of following the instructions in a separate email. Label that message Quiz #2 Final Instructions.

Send your answer to bryan (at) dragonsinourmidst (dot) com

The first three to answer correctly Quiz #2 Part 4 will get twenty points, and everyone else who answers correctly will get fifteen points.

The first five to give me correct results for Quiz #2 Final Instructions will get fifty points, and everyone else who answers correctly will get forty points.

Here is the new part--two paragraphs:

*****
Answer me this. Do pieces of music that a person loves determine what that anyone might do when confronting a steppingstone in his life? Sometimes adjustments have to be made, and those who love waltzes are often rabidly dancing through changes high on the agenda. Flying as high as an astronaut, they oversee these changes with skill and compensate with ease.

Please answer the final question politely. Even unknowing, you might activate sadness that dwells latently within, thou it wouldn’t be a Manitou, a spirit renegade, or something else that we can’t apprehend. Those belong to the myths of yesteryear. If you are a protester regarding these radical thoughts, then sorry. The code has ended.

*****
Have fun!

Internet Problems

I apologize for the delay in continuing the contest. My Internet is down, so my ability to run the contest is crippled. Even though the numbers on the blog aren't up to date, I have been keeping track of your totals, so don't worry about that.

Because of this problem, I'll let you know in advance when the next part of the contest will be posted. The Lord willing, I will put it here on Wednesday morning.

Thank you for your patience.

Contest Quiz Number Two - Part Three and Rules Update

I will now give part three of quiz number two. If you didn't solve the first two parts, please read the explanation of the contest here before you try this.

I'm looking for the decoded words from this paragraph only. When you attach them to the words from the previous two parts of the quiz, you will see instructions taking shape. With this portion attached, it might look like you can decipher what the final instructions will entail, but the fourth and final portion will add an important factor that you will need.

Send your answer to bryan (at) dragonsinourmidst (dot) com

Since this is a longer portion, the first three to answer correctly will get twenty points, and everyone else who answers correctly will get fifteen points.

Here is the new part--two paragraphs:

*****

If you don’t want to suffer from the pain of cardiac arrest, then stay away from a music conductor who insists that you play with the acumen of Mozart, especially when a multipart piece is placed in front of you, the composing author of which considers himself to be the second coming of Beethoven. You will surely cry out to the one who delivers us from such demons.

Since I have divided the contest code into sections, I feel like a word artisan, a sentence adaptor, a paragraphical whatever. If you reorder your focus, as I patronize you with these maddening verses, your mind will soon be one that elevates, and you will be able to solve these riddles. You will be a true editor.

*****

Rules Update:

Several people have sent reviews posted as comments on blogs. I am changing the rules so that these don't count. They are not searchable, and only a handful of people will ever see them. In fact, some bloggers have complained about the contestants posting review comments.

So, in order to make it an even playing field for everyone, I will go back and deduct points from the totals of people for whom I have already counted such reviews. A few contestants' totals were affected quite a bit, but most weren't hurt much.

Last of the Nephilim is Here!

Last of the Nephilim, book three in the Oracles of Fire series, has arrived! At least my author copies are here, as you can see from the photo of a copy on my desk.

It's probably not in any stores yet, so don't rush right out and look for one. They will probably show up on shelves in a few days, but always call your store first. You don't want to waste gas.

I will be mailing pre-orders in the morning, so anyone who ordered a copy from me will likely get theirs before anyone else. If you want to be one of the first to get one, you can order an autographed copy from me by clicking here.

You can also pre-order from Amazon by clicking here or from Christianbook.com by using the link below. Both of these sites will have the book in stock very soon.

#3: Last of the Nephilim By Living Ink

Contest Quiz Number Two - Part Two

I will now give part two of quiz number two. If you didn't solve the first part, please read the explanation of the contest here before you try to solve the code. Remember, the decoding method continues from the previous paragraph. You shouldn't start over.

I'm looking only for the decoded words from this paragraph. When you attach them to the previous words, a sentence will begin to form, but it will not be enough to complete the final instructions correctly. Send your answer to bryan (at) dragonsinourmidst (dot) com

As before, the first three to answer correctly will get fifteen points, and everyone else who answers correctly will get ten points.

This one might be a bit trickier than the first as you decide which words have three syllables.

Here it is:

*****

When examining the vague tangibles of winning this easy contest, sometimes you have to reconsider employing visionary reasons. The focuser groups of the past, the kabalas, would often retarget and refocus their efforts. If you need a calculator, go ahead and use a calculator. Still, you should give prominence to your mental competence. It might take hours of commonsense thought to figure it all out, but I’m sure you can do it. Rethinking every step is only natural.

*****

Now, for your viewing enjoyment, here is a new youtube video review of Beyond the Reflection's Edge.

Father's Day Gift and Contest Update

Father's Day is coming up, so here is a shameless plug for my book, The Image of a Father. In this book, I look at twelve of God's fathering attributes and how men can reflect them for their children. You can get an autographed copy by clicking here.

If you prefer to order through Amazon, click here. At that page, you can read reviews posted by readers.

Several people have answered part one of quiz number two correctly. Good job. Contestants can continue answering through the end of June. I won't announce when the next part will be posted, but it will be soon.

Contest Quiz Number Two

It's time for the second quiz in the Beyond the Reflection's Edge contest. This is a complex quiz, so please read the instructions carefully. I will give clarifications only if absolutely necessary. Your ability to follow directions and figure out the puzzle without any help is a crucial factor.

There will be four parts to this encoded puzzle, and I will give one paragraph of the code at a time, and I will not announce ahead of time when the next paragraph will appear.

When you figure out the day's message in the embedded code, send me that day's piece of the decoded statement. Each day, the first five people who send me the piece of the decoded statement will receive fifteen points. Everyone else who sends the correct decoded statement will receive ten points. Correct answers will be counted through the end of June. When you send an answer, I will tell you if it's correct or incorrect, but I will not tell you how much of it is right or wrong.

Each portion of the statement will be part of a larger assignment, but you won't be able to do the assignment correctly until you decode all four parts of the statement. Once you decode all four parts, read the entire, collected statement (they will be in order), and do what it says to do. The first three people to provide a correct response to the entire message will receive thirty points, while every correct answer after the first three will receive twenty points.

So, to complete the entire quiz, you will send me four pieces of decoded words, and you will also send a fifth message, the results of following the instructions that the entire decoded statement gives. When you email me your answers (to bryan (at) dragonsinourmidst (dot) com), please say that this is quiz number two, and tell me which part (one through five) you are answering.

The key to decoding the paragraphs is to use the scheme that Nathan and his father devised for sending and reading secret messages they send to each other. You will find that scheme in the book. One important factor is that after you solve the first paragraph, continue the scheme with the next paragraph as if the message continues. In other words, don't start over as if the second (or third or fourth) paragraph is a new message.

Here is the first part:

Is it fun creating puzzles that will make readers deposit a lot of time for such modest incentives? A reader’s effort represents the finest in fun distractions. So if you want to take a hiatus from your normal duties, take a cue from your writing conductor and solve this alien code. Even if it’s your fortieth try, don’t give up.

Have fun!

Maryland Tour Part 2

The first Beyond the Reflection's Edge book tour is now over, ending with a signing at Borders in Columbia, Maryland, with Wayne Thomas Batson, author of The Door Within series and Isle of Swords.

We also spoke together at Dayton Oaks Elementary School. Wayne is a great guy, and I'm please to call him my friend.

At this moment, I am stuck at a motel between Nashville and Jackson, Tennessee. Our van broke down, and I sent my wife and kids home with my wife's sister. I have to wait here for the van to be repaired. Fortunately, the motel has Internet access.

Here are a few more bookstore photos:Josh with Jessie at Pathway Bookstore, 930 25th Street, Cleveland, Tennessee

Kale, Sandy, & John at:LifeWay Christian Store,Store #4511,3233 Airport Blvd,Mobile, Alabama

Kale & Skye at:Crossroads Books & Gifts,1401 Hillcrest Road,Mobile, Alabama

Here is djaq at Family christian bookstore, 8085 W Fairview Ave Boise, ID

I hoped to get a new contest quiz on the blog on Monday, but because of car problems, I will try to get it here on Tuesday.