From the Mouth of Elijah epub ebook

The epub ebook version of "From the Mouth of Elijah" is now available at CBD.

Click here to go to the CBD page to purchase.

From the Mouth of Elijah for the Kindle

From the Mouth of Elijah is now available for the Amazon Kindle.

Two New Books Now in Stock at Christianbook.com

From the Mouth of Elijah, the second book in the Children of the Bard series, is now showing "In Stock" at Christianbook.com. Click here to go to the web page.

Liberator, the fourth book in the Dragons of Starlight series, is also "In Stock" at Christianbook.com. Click here to go to the web page.

Two New Books Now in Stock at Amazon

From the Mouth of Elijah, the second book in the Children of the Bard series, is now showing "In Stock" at Amazon. Click here to go to the web page.

Liberator, the fourth book in the Dragons of Starlight series, is also "In Stock" at Amazon. Click here to go to the web page.

Two New Combo Packs

Now you can save on my books in two new combo packs:

Both Children of the Bard books for $20 plus shipping - http://www.daviscrossing.com/BardCombo.htm

And all four Dragons of Starlight books for $35 plus shipping - http://www.daviscrossing.com/DOSCombo.htm

All books will be autographed according to your preferences.

Liberator ebook Now Available

Liberator, the fourth and final book in the Dragons of Starlight series, is now available for Kindle, Nook, and other ereader devices. The print book is scheduled to come out in a couple of weeks.

September 2012 Tour

I now have a few events for my September promotional tour with Amanda L. Davis. It will begin in the U.S. and then extend throughout Canada. Here is a link to the current schedule map - http://goo.gl/maps/jJCU

I will be adding many more events, so if you have a school or homeschool group that would like an author visit, please send an email to bryan (at) daviscrossing (dot) com.

Truth in Fiction: Fantasy Genre Inspires Active Faith

(An article AMG Publishers submitted to Christian Retailing Magazine - slightly edited for this blog)

Dragons and wizards and magic! Oh my!

For some Christians, the “Oh my!” is a shout of joy. For others, it is a cry of anxiety or even disdain. Fantasy in stories generates a variety of responses from Christian readers, some filled with praise, some with condemnation, while many have lingering questions. With speculative fiction titles dominating bookshelves, from Harry Potter to The Hunger Games to Percy Jackson, parents of faith are justifiably curious, skeptical, or unsure of what to do with the genre. And for a long time, Christian retailers had few answers, and certainly few book alternatives that would clearly reflect a Christian world view.

Why does fantasy mesmerize our youth? How do these stories capture their hearts? Is it simply the fun of escapism, or does the answer lie deep in their longings? Perhaps it is a desire to commune with a greater power that calls them to embark on a journey. There must be a Camelot, a hidden Utopia. Fantasy opens their eyes to a better place, a shining city they have not yet seen. The stories provide a bridge to horizons they could never distinguish with their physical eyes.

Young people are especially aware of fantasy’s alluring call. Boys and girls, still unjaded and brimming with ideals, feel their God-given programming. When a young man watches a hero draw steel from scabbard, displaying a bright, sharp sword, the boy feels valor, the bravery of a knight. He becomes a champion, copying the role model he may have never witnessed in real life. Deep inside, his heart comes alive. He feels that he, too, was built to charge the battlements, to defend the weak, and to conquer evil.

When a young lady watches a heroine prepare reinforcements, persuade the authorities to send troops, or kindle the fire in quavering hearts, she feels her inner calling. When the heroine crashes a jar over the villain’s head to save her fallen hero, a girl’s heart leaps. The courageous young lady has used whatever strength she had, at risk to her own life, to prevent disaster. Without her, all would have been lost.

Our youth long to see good triumphing, to see evil exposed and destroyed. And there are many authors who are willing to give children images they crave—some for good, and some that are poor reflections of that vision.

For most of the previous decade, Harry Potter led the way in the fantasy genre by capturing the hearts of millions of young readers. Yet some Christian parents had legitimate concerns about the content and wondered if there might be Christian-themed books that exhibited the same imaginative flair.

Unfortunately, early in that period, the Christian market had not yet filled that need, so parents continued to rely on the Chronicles of Narnia, though these celebrated tales did not incite the same appeal for older readers or for those who desire a more modern setting.

In 2003, AMG Publishers hoped to fill this void. Acquisitions Editor Dan Penwell met Bryan Davis at a writers’ conference and learned about his fantasy story Raising Dragons. Bryan had been seeking a publisher for eight years, but mainstream editors deemed it “too Christian,” while dragons and fantastical content scared Christian editors away.

AMG decided to take a bold step and publish this story, using the opportunity to create a new imprint, Living Ink Books, the foundation for their approach to creating visionary books for the Christian marketplace.

Within a few weeks of publication, Raising Dragons became a bestseller, and because of its success, fantasy titles from other publishers followed the trail AMG blazed. AMG followed up that series with more bestselling titles from Bryan Davis, including Eye of the Oracle, which hit number one on the CBA young adult list in 2007, further establishing AMG as the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. They later added other top fantasy authors, such as Amanda L. Davis, Jenny Cote, Scott Appleton, and C. S. Lakin, thereby solidifying their standing in the publishing world. In fact, Family Fiction magazine named Bryan Davis the #1 speculative fiction author in the Christian market for 2011 and Amanda L. Davis the #1 new author overall, proving the market’s hunger for the genre.

AMG reports that hundreds of readers have communicated life-altering moments because of these fantasy novels. From initial salvation, to recommitments to Christ, to forsaking sins, to leading others to faith, young readers have been drawn closer to God. Such is the power of a fantastical story.

One teenaged girl wrote, “My life has changed! I now live for God! And still, every time I read one of your books, I feel like I'm filled with the Holy Spirit! Eye of the Oracle especially inspired me in that I need to sacrifice, and that God is there no matter where you are.”

Even adults are affected by fantasy’s high calling. A 44-year-old father wrote, “I'm guessing we all have moments in time when we are spiritually at a low ebb. Ironically, Christmas day was one of those low points for me. I was toast. However, during the course of reading The Candlestone, the prose sparked my own faith and continued to bring my mind back to my Savior and his wonderful love.”

These stories are not really about dragons or wizards; they are about life, about faith, about a journey to a higher plane where heroes are welcome, virtue is honored, and evil is conquered. Christian fantasy is a catalyst that incites a change for good and not for evil. Boys are looking to take the sword and discover the man they feel in their hearts. Girls seek a heroine, longing for someone to imitate, a true lady cast in the image they see beyond the mirror.

We have an opportunity to create strong soldiers by using the power of story, even through the pages of the impossible. If parents will allow fantasy its proper place, as an inspiration toward heroism, allowing powerful images to create positive models in children’s minds, they will create home-grown heroes who will build and display integrity and virtue.

Publishers and bookstores can work together to capture hearts and minds with champions of virtue, images that will reach inside and ignite the flame, setting free the heroes or heroines that God has implanted in the hearts of children. Because of AMG and other publishers who have followed their lead, parents now have an option, and bookstores have an answer. If you want to grow heroes for God, we have shelves filled with novels that will plant the seeds and provide fuel for growth. Maybe even the parents will peek inside the pages and become inspired themselves. Take a look. The dragons in these books won’t bite, but they will light a fire.

Kentucky Speaking Event

Kentucky readers! Amanda L. Davis and I will be speaking in Danville, KY, on September 6, 2012, from 10:00 am to 12 noon. All are welcome.

Danville First Church of God
3220 Harrodsburg Road
Danville, KY
http://www.danvillechurchofgod.com
859-236-4700

If you live in the area or know someone who does, please spread the word about this event.

Please do not comment with questions or requests about other places you want us to come unless you have a contact with someone in a group who can set up a speaking event. If you do have such a contact, please email me - bryan (at) daviscrossing (dot) com.

Fathers Day Gifts

Now that Mother's Day has passed, maybe you're thinking about Father's Day. I have gifts available that the father in your life might enjoy.

The Image of a Father is now available as an audio book with Bryan Davis narrating (download or MP3 disk) or as an ebook. For all purchase options, click here.

"Seven Promises from a Father to His Daughter" is a short devotional designed for a Christian father to read out loud to his daughter, now only 99 cents.

For a pdf file of "Seven Promises" that you can read on a computer - click here.
For a Kindle version of "Seven Promises" - click here

To read the first promise without purchasing - click here.

Planning a Canadian Tour

I am working on scheduling a nationwide tour of Canada in September, and I will be touring with Amanda L. Davis. If you have a group in Canada, such as a school or homeschool group, that would like an author visit, please let me know by email - bryan (at) daviscrossing (dot) com.

Please don't comment with a request to come to a particular place unless you have a group contact (not a bookstore) who can help me make an event happen. I would love to come to a thousand places, but without contacts, I have no way to make it happen. :-)

If, however, you do have a contact, no matter where you live in Canada or the U.S., please email me, and we'll see what we can do.

Seven Promises from a Father to His Daughter is now only 99 Cents

My short devotional for fathers - "Seven Promises from a Father to His Daughter" is now only 99 cents.

Amazon link for Kindle file - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007XXR2RG

Link to my website for PDF file - http://www.daviscrossing.com/SevenPromises.htm

This would make a good Father's Day gift for a father with a young daughter.

Maiden Flight now available for the Nook

Maiden Flight is now available for the Nook at Barnes & Noble, just 99 cents. Click here for details about this story.

Here is the link for the Barnes & Noble page - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maiden-flight-bryan-davis/1110603145?ean=2940014469838

Maiden Flight now available in PDF format

My new lost-chapter story, Maiden Flight (click here for details) is now available in PDF format.

The pdf file can be read on a computer using Adobe Acrobat reader and printed. Also, the purchase page is an experimental attempt to sell downloadable files from my website. When you purchase, you will get an email with download instructions. If you have trouble, please let me know.

Here is a link to the pdf purchase page - http://www.daviscrossing.com/maidenflight.htm

Maiden Flight - The Story of Bonnie's First Flight

Maiden Flight, is a chapter-length story from the Dragons in our Midst and Oracles of Fire story world about Bonnie's first flight when she was ten years old. It is now available for the Kindle at Amazon for only 99 cents. Amazon has free programs that allow you to read Kindle files on a computer.

It will also be available in epub format for the Nook and pdf format so you can print it out if you desire. I will post on the blog when they are available.

Link for Maiden Flight - Click here

Link for Kindle readers for computers and other devices - Click here

Whether or not I write more of these stories depends on the success of this one, so please help me by telling others about it. And please don't copy it and send it to others without another purchase.

It is copyrighted, but I didn't put DRM protection on it, because I trust that my readers have integrity and will act accordingly. :-)

Family Fiction Readers' Choice Awards

I am amazed and grateful to God for how I fared in the Family Fiction Readers' Choice Awards:

Author Overall - #2
Novel of the Year - #1 for Song of the Ovulum
Series of the Year - #1 for Children of the Bard
Speculative Fiction Author - #1
Young Adult Fiction Author - #1

Daughter Amanda L. Davis was #1 for new author and #4 for Speculative Fiction author.




Click here for a link to the magazine.

What a great gift to receive the day before my tenth anniversary as a full-time author!

Seven Promises from a Father to His Daughter EBook

I wrote a short devotional book called "Seven Promises from a Father to His Daughter" designed for a Christian father to read out loud to his young daughter. It's available for the Kindle on Amazon. The formatting isn't as good as I had hoped, but the words are all there, and it's only $2.99. It will probably be an e-book only publication.

Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can read it on your computer using one of Amazon's free applications.

Click here to go to the Amazon ordering page.

From the Mouth of Elijah on Amazon

From the Mouth of Elijah is now available for pre-order from Amazon. If you want to order from Amazon, you might want to wait until the date for an Amazon blitz day I am planning, probably sometime in July. I will be sending an autographed sticker for the book to all who order from Amazon on that date.

Either way, here is the link - Click here

Diviner ebook on Sale for $2.99

Now is a good time to get Diviner as an ebook. It's only $2.99.

Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/Diviner-Dragons-of-Starlight-ebook/dp/B004PYDL7G/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1333647609&sr=1-1

B&N Nook - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/diviner-bryan-davis/1100054437?ean=9780310404804&itm=1&usri=diviner+bryan+davis

iTunes - http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/diviner/id423511918?mt=11

Christianbook.com epub - http://www.christianbook.com/diviner-ebook-bryan-davis/9780310404804/pd/16461EB?product_redirect=1&Ntt=16461EB&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Even if you don't have an ebook reader, Amazon and Nook have programs that allow you to read their formats on almost any device, including your computer.

Mini-tour in Kentucky and Ohio

It's time to start planning another mini-tour. I am looking at coming to places in Kentucky and Ohio--Louisville, Frankfort, Lexington, Cincinnati, Columbus, and the surrounding areas for the fall (September/October).

If you have a group--school, homeschool, church, etc--that would like for me to come and speak, please contact me by email - bryan (at) daviscrossing (dot) com.

I will need contact information for someone in your group who can make the event happen and who you know is interested in having me come.

Please don't comment here with requests to come to any places outside of this region. If you want me to come to a different area, and you have a group that wants me to speak, please email me.