Got Sick AGAIN

Gosh the flu isn't fun. This is my second go round with fever, chills, aches, and other annoyances. I actually was home from work yesterday recovering, and today, I'm working on tabulating points. Hang in there scouts, adventurers and way-makers! Should have a winner by the end of the week provided I don't go under again!

BOOK REVIEW POINTS DOUBLED

All right today is the LAST DAY of the contest, and I should have results for everyone by Monday of next week. However, I am going to ask that you start tabulating your own POINT SCORES and e-mail me where you think you are point wise, this will make the counting and checking for me, go faster. You can do that anytime between 12/11/09 and 12/14/09. Also today anyone who writes and posts reviews for

BRYAN DAVIS
DONITA PAUL
or WAYNE THOMAS BATSON

TODAY ONLY

will receive double the points.

Double POINTS for Book Reviews!

Wow, just looking at all that glorious posting going down there with the songs and hymns is amazing guys! Keep at it. Remember, you've got till December 10th to find your songs, find the history, and post it to claim your glorious points.

Today however, I'm adding to that DOUBLE POINTS for anyone who posts reviews of Jonathan Roger's books.

Double Points for Book Reviews OF

That's right, I'm also going to do two more of these.

Today ONLY you get double the points for reviews of L.B. Graham's books, and Eric Reinhold's books.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Life is crazy right now. And I'll be honest, I'll be glad when this contest is done on the 10th (it's been fun but I haven't done half the things I wanted to have you guys do mainly because of time constraints) and I can just get back to idly blogging about stuff for a while. :-D

It's Christmas.

I work in Retail.

Nuff Said.

However, for the last two days I'm going to have one final assignment which is not book related. Well it is and it isn't.

Stories,  songs,  and history hidden in tunes all factor into Sharon Hinck's  The Restorer series.  The interesting thing is that our world too has a vast and relatively unknown history behind the hymns and worship songs sung today. It's amazing the stories you uncover when you scratch the surface of a hymn. I was blown  away by the story behind the Christmas Song "Good King Wenceslas" and I think you will be too. That's something to share after this contest though, when I have a moment to breath.

Right! Your assignment is this:

 Pick a hymn, praise and worship song, or Christmas carol. Then use the internet or books to find out the history behind it, and post the most fascinating thing that you find here in the comments.

This can be done more than once.

However, if two people pick the same hymn/worship song/ Christmas carol, the one that posts their findings first, gets credit.

Also in the post, provide a link back to where you found the information or the book that you took the information from.

For internet research on something, I'm going to ask for three links--and yes the wiki counts. For books, just one will be fine.

That's all. Have fun!

Oh wait.

Wait.

I mentioned points, didn't I?

1000 points for each hymn/praise and worship song/ Christmas carol that you find the history of and share with the rest of us.

Two days.

48 hours.

This is going to be interesting. ;)

SATURDAY DEC. 5th ONLY

Anyone who reviews  Christopher Hopper's Rise of the Dibor or the The Lion Vrie gets their points for those reviews DOUBLED. COTSK does not count.

RESTORER GIVE AWAY NEW CHALLENGE FANTASY FICTION 4EVER SO STAY MOTIV8TED!

Sharon Hinck was part of  not one, but  two momentous  fantasy fiction tours.

The first was the Fantasy 4 Fiction Tour which stretched on the East  Coast  from Florida all the way up to New York State with scores of stops along the way.  Her fellow authors were Christopher Hopper, Bryan Davis, and Wayne Thomas Batson, and a merry time was had by all!

The second fantasy fiction tour was the MOTIV8 tour and that was on the West Coast where again she teamed up with Christopher Hopper, Bryan Davis, and Wayne Thomas Batson. She also met and became friends with   Donita Paul, Jonathan Rogers, L.B. Grahm  and Eric Reinhold on that tour. 

What does this have to do with anything?

I'm so glad you asked!

To celebrate the selflessness of Sharon, and the fortitude and grace she showed on those two tours your assignment is to write reviews for her books, and the books of her fellow authors! The rules are simple.

1) You MUST have read through completely the book that you review.

2) You MUST explain in the review what parts of the book you loved/adored/wanted to kick the writer in the shins over and not just say that the book is amazing.

I want you to tell readers WHY they need to read the book you are reviewing. It's Christmas time and this is the PERFECT moment to get reviews out there and catch the shopper's interests!

3) You MUST use at least three sentences in the review. You can be as verbose as you want, but each review must be three sentences long.

There are the RULES.

Here is the POINTS SYSTEM BREAK DOWN.

PRIMARY REVIEW:  A review of one of Sharon's titles, fantasy or otherwise earns you 1,000 points.
                                     You can do this ONE time, with ONE title only.

SECONDARY REVIEW: A review of  one of Sharon's  titles  different from your Primary Review earns
                                         you  500 points. This can be earned multiple times.

MULTIPLE POSTING REVIEW: A review of one of Sharon's books (you may use the Primary or
                                                       Secondary Review) posted in several locations earns you 250 points per
                                                       posting.  This can be earned multiple times.


                                                     

That's part one of the challenge. Here's part two.

Write reviews for any of the authors that toured with Sharon on the Fantasy 4 and Motiv8 fiction tours.

List of Authors:
---------------
Wayne Thomas Batson
Bryan Davis
L.B. GrahamChristopher Hopper
Donita Paul

Eric Reinhold

Jonathan Rogers

PRIMARY REVIEW:  Review of any book by any of the above authors earns you 500 points. One time, one title only.

SECONDARY REVIEW:  A review of a title  different from your Primary Review earns you 250 points. This can be earned multiple times.

MULTIPLE POSTING REVIEW: A review ( may be the Primary or Secondary Review) posted in several locations earns you 100 points per posting. This can be earned multiple times.

All right Questers! You have from today, until December 10th to complete your reviews and e-mail me the links to where you left them. Remember to use the screen name you use here so you can get full credit for your work. As awesome as your alternate screen name is, I won't know that's you!

Watch for HIGHLIGHT days during this time where you can DOUBLE your points if you post reviews for the Author I HIGHLIGHT on that day during these next ten days. And keep checking back! There's other shorter quests that I'll be posting this week!

RESTORER STANDINGS AS OF 11/29/09

Katie G =2500 points

Nathan R Petrie = 2500 points

abbie = 2000 points

Barie-ah Hue-en-la =1500 points

Chris = 1500 points

IJD= 1000 points

MillardtheMK = 1000 points

E-mail me with questions about your standings! And keep checking back!

Restorer Sharon Hinck NEW CHALLENGE AND UPDATES

Two days only, today (November 26th) and tomorrow (November 27th) each person who posts a list of things that they are thankful for here, will receive 500 points in the Restorer Signed Copy challenge. The list must be AT LEAST ten items long, and NO LONGER than fifty. :-D Length doesn't factor into the points either. If you list ten things you're grateful for, you get 500 points. If you list 50 things you're grateful for, you get 500 points.

To get your points, make a list and then POST it here in the COMMENT section.

Tonight or tomorrow I should have the standings posted though each of you who have done quests and other things in this contest probably all ready know. There hasn't been anyone who has done something and been disqualified, though there is at least one person with only partial credit for a quest!

So, have fun with family and friends, draw close to Christ, and remember that I am very thankful for each and every one of my internet buddies!

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Scribe

Picking a Favorite is So Hard-Restorer CHALLENGE #2

But not impossible. 

Your NEXT challenge in the Restorer Signed Copy give away is to follow this link and then scroll down and follow the directions for the voting.

IMPORTANT

Do not vote FOR Sharon Hinck's nominated title UNLESS YOU HAVE READ IT.

The whole point of the voting is for the one that is actually the most popular to stand up head and shoulders above the rest. I didn't vote for her, I voted for George Bryan Polivka's book. Why? Because in my heart of hearts I believe, Bryan's book is better. That book of his, verses that book of hers. If the Restorer had been up there, I would have cried and probably not voted, because I wouldn't have been able to pick. Thankfully, you can nominate up to three titles for consideration. Remember, I don't want you to skew the voting for Sharon--I just want you to vote. Vote for whomever you like best. And if you haven't read the books DO NOT VOTE.

Here's what you need to do (this is also important or you're not going to get credit, just the knowledge that you voted):

1) Go to the linked site
2) Click on the voting tab
3) Fill out the information
4) HIT THE PRINT SCREEN KEY ON YOUR COMPUTER KEYBOARD OR WHATEVER KEY COMMAND WILL TAKE A PICTURE OF THE SCREEN.
5.) Go into MS paint or whatever equivalent you have and paste the image of the voting screen that you've filled out there. Save it as a .bmp or .jpg
6.) Finish voting
7.) Email me the screen capture of your voting in the pole
8.) Receive 1,000 points


All e-mails must be received no later than Sunday November 22nd for full credit. Partial credit will be given up to  November 24th.
Di

Operation Christmas Child PICTURES!

The van is packed with 251 shoe boxes. Not a single box more would fit. 251 shoe boxes.

There aren't any other passengers :-D Just my Mom, my Dad, and 251 shoe boxes that we sent down to Ellicott City.

This is Jessie, who works in Ellicott City (the lovely young lady in the blue jeans) and one of our volunteers up in the bed of the tractor trailer truck. The brown cartons behind them are the crates that have to be packed with the shoe boxes (those are done) and they're merrily stacking shoe boxes for crating on the side of the truck.  Thankfully it's been warm, but it's going to get down into the 30's tonight.

All those prayers, toys, and blessings waiting to be shipped around the world. Pretty amazing really!

Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Count 11/16/09

Well archers, thanks for the prayers today, and please, as you have time continue to put bolt to bow string. Today in Eldersburg we took in 688 shoe boxes.

Last year at this time we had a grand total of 270 shoe boxes.

For those crunching the numbers in their heads like my friend Andy does, I'll give you a moment to finish.
*Hums Jeopardy Theme Song* 

Ding da ding ding ding bam bom!

Time's up!

We took in 418 MORE shoe boxes than we did last year on this same day (the first day of collections) and so far, the churches have been very careful to tabulate what the cost to ship each one is and to add it to their shoe boxes. So the prayers for provision are being answered!

However this is only the first day, and we have seven days to go.  I am very sore, and very tired, and can't really think of how I'm going to get 418 shoe boxes down to Ellicott City tomorrow.

Archers, Now I Need Your Bows

First off, Christopher and Wayne are working over hard to meet the soon coming deadline they are facing and that as we all know can be as much fun as getting your face caught in a hand-cranked workbench vice. So, please, pray for rest, for inspiration, for peace. If you don't have a lot of time to pray for the dangerous duo, just ask Jesus to hang out with them in a tangible way for the next seven days. :-D

He'll know what they need and when.


And second, archers, I need your prayers this week. His Way Christian Bookstore partners with Operation Christmas Child (A division of Samaritan's Purse) every year for one week. This year it's November 16th through November 23rd.

The larger locations, Ellicott City &Glenburnie, are actually Operation Christmas Child collection centers where they have tractor trailer trucks leave the cargo portions of the truck behind the store to be filled with shoe boxes.

Eldersburg, is a Operation Christmas Child relay center where we take the shoe boxes in and then have to transport them 30 minutes down to Ellicott City where the truck is waiting.

The praise all ready is that churches and individuals are calling and letting us know how many boxes they are bringing! This is inordinately helpful because we know to make certain there is space in the back room.

Monday November 16th Eldersburg will be getting 300+ boxes which have to be logged, counted, stored, then packed into my parent's van, and taken to Ellicott City.

Our biggest obstacle so far is that in Eldersburg, I only have the one volunteer, my mom, to run the boxes. Now staff will take some when we move from EB to EC but the bulk of the moving last year fell on my parents and it is a lot of work. So this year, we desperately need more volunteers. Ellicott City and Glenburnie desperately need volunteers too, to help crate the shoe boxes and pack the trucks.  It's the beginning of the week and everyone at the stores is feeling excited and swamped at the same time.

Last year we took in over 11,000 shoe boxes and this year the store's goal is 12,000+.

The employees are going to be exhausted from working on the trucks and taking in the boxes as well as doing their normal stuff and tempers get short when people are tired, backs and arms ache from being used, and spirits get deflated when the seemingly insurmountable wall of shoe boxes grows every hour. Everyone at the stores will be under stress to serve our customers AND Operation Christmas Child to our fullest capacity.  Here are some specific things that you can aim for as you put arrows on string for us:

1) His PRESENCE

We need Jesus be with each staff member every moment of every day during this week, at the store and at home and every place along the way. It is  hard to be Christ-like during normal days for us (yeah, His Way's full of a whole bunch of forgiven sinners, just like the church ;) )  and with the added stress I know our flesh-nature is going to be hissing and spitting and struggling to get out and be UGLY. So pray that Christ be in us, and for us, behind us and a head of us.

We know that the enemy of our souls isn't going to be happy about this, because of the great opportunities for the Gospel that are attached to these little boxes full of love and hope. Which leads to request #2.

2) His PROTECTION

There are so many ways that people can get hurt getting on and off the truck, carrying too many boxes, being out in the cold, and driving from location to location. Every year it seems we have minor injuries and once or twice there's been a major catastrophe for someone who is working on the truck. So pray for wisdom in how to do what we need to do, and protection from accidents both for the staff and for the amazing volunteers that have pledged to come and help us out.

3) His PROVISION

Every year, families either forget to put the $7.00 needed to pay for the shoebox shipping, or can't afford the shipping and leave it out. Every year so far, we've had other people come and leave checks for shipping or for Samaritan's Purse and every year it evens itself out. However, this year is harder than the years before have been on everyone and all ready there are signs that we may end up sending boxes unpaid for to the Sorting Centers. This isn't a world shattering thing, but it does mean that Samaritan's Purse winds up using money that could go somewhere else to send shoe boxes. So pray that the Lord impress on people's hearts to give what they can afford to give, and that our 12,000+ boxes go down all paid up and ready to ship!

Keep checking back here, I'll have photos during the week and hopefully tonight or tomorrow I'll have the Restorer Standings posted and a new assignment up!

Scribe~

Rules, Regs, and Other Annoying Things

Right, well I should have posted this earlier, but I was a wee bit under the weather and am still fighting to come out of the aforementioned illnesses. So, any and all participants that have started the contest are "grandfathered" (doesn't apply to them) when it comes to the DISTANCE stated below. But since there are others who have expressed interest, here are the boring bits that should have been posted yesterday and weren't.

1.)If you are under 18 years old, get your parents permission before starting this contest.

2.) You must also be a legal resident of the United States or Canada to participate. (sorry guys, I can't afford to send it over seas)---this does not apply to those who have posted assignments as of 11/10/09

3.) I ( Michelle Black) am in no way affiliated with Sharon Hinck or Nav Press

4.) I (Michelle Black) am in no way responsible for lost, misdirected mail, or for damage in shipping of the prize to your house.

Signed Copy of the Restorer Give Away First Challenge! 11/10/09-11/14/09

The sound of metal against metal, the cries of the archers on the upper reaches of the castle and the twangs from their bows,  the shrill scream of horses near the gate and the deadlier rumble and thud of missile from a catapult all ran together in a mighty din. Llana sucked in a trembling breath and then jerked hard and bit her lips to keep from screaming  as a metal arrow tip pierced the deep grain of her chamber door. 

There was no doubt that her father's holding was under siege. 

Ever felt like that?  You wake in the morning and find yourself  all of a sudden mired in a war that hadn't been there when you went to sleep the night before? Well in The Restorer  there are several people who feel that way, that they've gone to sleep in peace and awakened  in the middle of battle.

Only the enemy they're facing has weapons that are far more damaging than swords and catapults, and these weapons are as subtle as a whisper and as dangerous as a flaming arrow.

In  The Restorer, enemy agents have the ability to put dark thoughts into the minds of those that are standing against them. These thoughts latch and begin to slowly bring despair, despondency, numbness, and incapacitate the mightiest among them.

Sound familiar?

The Enemy of our soul works in the same way, planting doubts as to who we are and to whom we belong.

In The Restorer  the antidote to mind poisoning is rather interesting, and something that Sharon Hinck worked into the plot in a marvelous way.  I'm not going to tell you what it is however, you're going to have to read the book to find out.

However, it does tie-in with your assignment, and with some thought you sharp minded tale binders will likely figure out the connection. 

In the comments below each contestant needs to write/list 10  Bible verses (you can use book, chapter, verse references rather than writing whole thing out ie John 3:16 rather than "For God so loved....") that fall into ONE these categories:

1)  Scriptures that tell us what the Lord is like
2)  Scripture that tell us who the Lord says we (His rescued children, Christians) are.
3)  Scriptures that tell us what to do with our thoughts.

So you can have two scriptures  that fall into category 1,  five  that fall into category 3,  and three that fall into category 2 and there are your ten scriptures. Any combination is acceptable, they don't have to all be in one category or some in each. Just ten scriptures that fall into those categories.

This assignment (ten verses posted here) is worth 1,000 points. 

To keep the temptation of cheating away (and to make it slightly harder) I'm going to say no repeats.

That means if someone posts a scripture, someone else can't post that same scripture.

But there are literally thousands of scriptures that fall into the categories above and Bible Gateway can be used if you get stuck!

This assignment starts today (11/10/09) and runs through Saturday (11/14/09)

Questions?

Don't post them here--comment section is for posting of the assignment only. E-mail me at everlastingscribe(at)hotmail(com)

Scribe's Been Sick--sorry about the delay! :-D

I've had the stomach flu and then on top of it, allergies that have been making me dizzy and congested.  They are each, the opposite of fun.

Look for the contest for The Restorer to officially start on  November 10, 2009 (why Tuesday and not Monday? Well because NEW RELEASES always hit store shelves on Tuesdays and part of this contest is going to be about doing things OUT OF ORDER  like starting a contest for a book going out of print on a day when traditionally books are introduced to the public) and be prepared for some unusual and hopefully fun assignments!

Sneezing Scribe--AAAAhhhhCHHHoooo

Restorer Series Going Out Of Print-Contest Announcement!

That's right, sad news for all of us who are fans of Sharon Hinck's The Restorer, The Restorers Son, and The Restorer's Journey.

However, over at Sharon Hinck's blog the lovely scribe herself isn't wallowing in woe-is-meisms but is choosing instead to celebrate the run of this usual, cross over series.

Recently I came across a copy of The Restorer by Sharon Hinck that I had bought and low and behold, this copy is SIGNED. Uh-huh, I'm sure I bought it for someone's birthday or Christmas gift some time ago but I can't remember for the life of me who that might have been.

However, Scribe's faulty memory is YOUR blessing.

I was going to do a COTSK give-away in November (I've all ready bought the book ;) so have no fear) but instead I'm going to be giving away the signed copy of The Restorer by Sharon Hinck.

If you are interested in taking part in this contest--just sign up in the comments below. I'll post more about it this evening.

Don't know who Sharon is? Go here!
Don't know anything about the book? Go here!

I first met Sharon when His Way hosted the Fantasy 4 Fiction Tour, and here are some of my favorite pictures of her from the event! You might recognize some rapscallions in the pictures beside her. Ignore them ;)

The green banner is the one that I made for Sharon, some OTHER AUTHOR has the blue one in the back ground there.  You get bragging points if you can guess author/book it is suppose to represent.

There's Sharon, goofing off with some rapscallions. It was a real blessing to be on hand and see Sharon meeting fans and ministering to those with wounded hearts from all over.  There  was a price for this selfless act however, the fellows she hung out with corrupted her vocabulary with words like DUDE and COOL. :-D

And more proof that the lady can handle steel and goof off with fans at the same time! One of my favorite pictures of Sharon, with my two "little brothers" rented for the day, Christian in red and Kirk well, emphasizing Sharon's skill with steel.

Archers this is not The End

Did you really think that I'd come back after the events and tell you guys "Well done, now go oil your bows and wrap them in fine linen and hide them away."

Piffle.

Now that you know you have this skill, and I know that you know, and you know that I know that you know, I'm going to be calling on you more often.  Don't make that face. 

Right now, I know that Christopher and his family would love some prayer for restored health, for rest, and for refreshment.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Wayne and his family would welcome prayers for that too. 


And you could pray for the staff of the Borders  too, where they had a sell-out situation and ran out of books.
Ooh, that could sting the organizer badly. Hopefully not, but praying for the clerks and staff at the store would be nice, it's not good to run out of product.

Product=Sales. Sales are good. People who come to buy stuff at a store that advertised it and the store doesn't have it when they get there are prone to be angry, and angry people are not the kind of customers that any store wants.

Bryan Davis Signing!

Yay! We are about to go live with Bryan Davis at His Way Christian Bookstore In Ellicott City MD!

Click here to tune in for all the fun!

The Properly Dressed Archer

So far I've told you about  the laws governing archery, and some of the amazing things that archers did with the longbow or from the back of a horse. Today, I'm going to show you what the well-armored archer sported to keep themselves safe from the enemy. Now all that I'm going to show you an archer would have worn atop his tunic, hose, boots, and regular clothing. Layers in medieval warfare equaled protection, and an archer who lost an eye or was wounded in the arm was no good to anyone, except their enemies.

Starting at the top, they usually had an open-faced helmet to protect their head from incoming fire. Yes, the other side usually had archers too,  and then there were catapults to worry, about not to mention falling debris if they were in a building.

For further protection, some archers wore a maile Aventail that attached to the sides and back of their open helmet. This gave their cheeks and neck added defense against arrows and debris that might other wise have injured them. 

Over their torso (that's from just under the neck to just below the hips also referred to as the trunk of a person some times) the archer wore a Padded Gambeson or Aketon . Unlike the flowing garb of lords and knights, an archer always had tight fitting (and sometimes removable) sleeves whether on the battle field or wandering around the Keep. Flowing sleeves wouldn't keep a knight from wielding a sword, but flowing sleeves on an archer's tunic made him worse than useless.

Over the Padded Gambson, if he could afford it, the archer wore one last item, a shirt of small-ringed maile. The smaller the rings of maile, the more expensive the shirt, but also the more protection the archer could get out of it.  Smaller rings = less damage a weapon could do to the one wearing it.









Why all the talk of armor today? Well I wanted to make certain that in praying for Christopher and Wayne, that all of you archers were well covered and protected in the armor we've been given. Here's the armor we have in Christ:

Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
 ¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.<sup>"


Now, I don't want you to pray for believers everywhere, that's not what your assignment is today. No, Archers, today, I want you don your armor, the set outlined above, and to fire prayers off not only for Christopher and Wayne but also for each other,  today. 

Had a bad week? Let us know in the comments. Want prayer for something specific? Put it down there in the comments. Whatever you want to share (and you can email me or one another if you don't want to stick it out for all to see) share here, and we will pray for you.


Part of the Roman's fighting style was for in the midst of battle one warrior to wheel around and put his back and shoulders to one of his friends. Fighting that way put someone else's strength where his weakness was, and put his strength where that other person's weakness was.

So trade weakness for strength, and cover one another this day, in prayer.</sup>

Archers ready for arrow sprints?

According to the research of  the Archers of Ravenwood (the ladies and gentlemen who shoot demonstrations at the Maryland Renaissance Festival ) an English archer of average proficiency could fire 12-15 arrows a minute with the long bow. That works out to roughly  one arrow every 4-5 seconds. And that's an  average archer, not someone who was top of their class.  And there's more.

Not only were the longbow men  fast they were accurate, hitting targets the size of a man from over 200 yards away.

To give you an idea of distance, American football fields are 120 yards.

So an average English longbow men could  string arrows and fire them at a target at the end of a football field striking it 12 time in one minute without breaking a sweat.

That would be one dead target.

What does all this have to do with today's prayer assignment?

I'm glad you asked :-D

Tomorrow, Christopher and Wayne will be visiting:

Indian River Middle School  in the afternoon,
and then in the evening, from  4pm to 7pm EST (and probably longer, the poor guys never get out on time)  they are going to be at:

Borders
Salmon Run Mall
Watertown NY



Aaaaand knowing those two, there are probably drive-by signings that will happen and other things they may add in as they run around New York. 

Let me tell you just those two events make for one long day.

So, archers at the ready? Here are some things to pray specifically for as they head out into this long day of fun and ministry:

For heath, that they not get sick or be afflicted with coughs and sniffles.
For rest, that they get a good night sleep and be well rested in the morning
For peace, that they not be caught in traffic or in any way get diverted away from their destinations unless Christ is doing the diverting.

For fellowship with those holding the events and the fans that attend.

Sometimes in these big settings people feel unimportant and lost waiting in line, and then  because of the volume of people, there's hardly any time when they get up to the table to actually meet the author(s) they came out to see.

When I was at B&N for one of the Isle of Swords events, everyone around me was angry and upset because of the long line. That all chanced however when young boy in front of me started asking me about my favorite bits in the book and we got to talking and laughing and sharing. Soon he had nearly everyone around us talking about their favorite parts in the book and the ENTIRE mood of the line where I was, changed.   That's all it took. One fan and his gregarious outlook,  and what could have been a nasty experience was turned into a time of fans and readers having FUN while we waited.

Guess what I was doing before the youngblood turned around and started talking my ear off? I was  praying like mad. Guess what other Christians in line were doing when they saw the same thing happening they were? They were  praying like mad.

How do I know?

Because as the event broke up and I collected my camera and other stuff (like my borrowed brother Christian) I ran into a woman that I knew and she confessed that she was amazed at the turn out. And when the mood had started to go sour, she just started praying.  And it wasn't St. Petersburg prayers either, she told me. It was Jesus, help! Help help help.  And He did. And it was turned into an amazing time.

We, archers, can't be there to stand in line and make goofy faces at Christopher and Wayne, but we can pray. And it is needed, it is vitally needed.  So, arrows on string, pull back, and let your prayers fly straight and true.

Want more on archery from some really awesome people? Head over here:

Archers of Ravenwood

A Parthian Shot

Well done Archers! Keep praying, as now Christopher and Wayne have only a handful of hours before the fun and frenzy begin!

For those that have been nudging and nosing about the event with Bryan Davis, we might well have a web cast thanks to Connie, she and I are in the process of working that out. Keep checking back here for details!

Now back to Christopher and Wayne.

I came across more interesting factoids about archery this morning and they determined the direction of this next post. Most of you probably all ready know about the Parthian Shot, but for those that don't, here's what it is:

It is the shot fired while the archer feigns retreat. The Parthians perfected this and in battle would act as if they were running away and then fire as the opposing army pursued them. This was done from the back of a horse, so that the archer was riding foreword while looking back and causing damage to the enemy.

I didn't have a whole lot of time to dig up the facts on the Parthians or the phrase but you can check out the wiki and see what it has to say if you want to learn more. What I was interested in was the whole 'riding one way and firing the other' which is rather incredible.

In that same way, today I'm going to ask those that are all ready praying ahead for Wayne and Christopher's signing, to 'turn in the saddle' and fire off a volley of arrow prayers for their families while at the same time, still praying for the signing.

That's right, I want you to fire your prayers foreword, and in reverse. I know that you archers are up for the challenge!

Archers and Marksmen. . at the Ready

The English Long Bow has a vast history, enough for this curious scribe to dig up some facts on it as I keep comparing prayer warriors to archers. Sorry if anyone here prefers the cross bow, I'm a long-bow fan and have been since I saw the archers at the Renaissance Festival three years ago.

To start with, there were laws governing archers and archery in England. One document of interest is The Assize drawn up in 1252AD at the behest of King Henry III. In that grouping of early law, it stated that all free men who owned land worth between 40-100 shillings had to acquire bows and become proficient with them.

In 1285 King Edward I extended this in the Statute of Winchester to say that every free male who had income less than 100 pence had to obtain a bow and they had to practice on Sundays and holidays and be ready to stand up for the king if he had need of their skills. *

The King ordered all men of a certain rank and class, to be prepared to do battle and to fight with him should the enemy attack.

Hmmm. That sounds kind of vaguely familiar in a way. Lettsee. . .

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT

¹⁶" Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus"

The italics are mine. But unlike King Edward I and King Henry III, the edict of this Eternal King comes with some pretty wild promises. Look here:

Matthew 15:19-20

"I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything that you ask, My Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three are gathered together as my followers, I am there among them."

Luke 11:5-10 NLT

"Then, teaching them more about prayer He used this story: 'Suppose you went to a friends house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him ,'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit and I have nothing for him to eat.' And suppose that he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and I and my family are all in bed. I can't help you.' But I tell you this---though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need for your shameless persistence. And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

You fathers---if your children as for a fish do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him."

Pretty wild stuff. Now, we could get into a discussion about how some prayers take longer to be answered, and some go unanswered all together, but that's not what I want to do right now. If enough people express interest, I'll create a separate place so that we can discuss those things. Right now, I want you to put arrow to string, and pray.

When Wayne came in to sign a book for one of his fans, I asked him to give us ONE THING to pray for throughout the week. ONE THING.

He thought for a moment and then asked if we would pray that he and Christopher have TIME to write together. They have deadlines for Nelson, they have deadlines in their own fields, and they have all kinds of things that the want to do with their families, that they need to do for their families, and TIME is in short supply.

Now both of these gentlemen are extremely disciplined, I know they aren't goofing off.

They just would like a storm of arrows, to flash over their heads as they settle down to do what the Lord has called them to do, write.

Archers ready? Put bolt to string, and let your prayer fly on their behalf.





* Taken from Disputed Pleasures :Sports and Society in Preindustrial England by Thomas S. Henricks, P. 56

Walks, Wanderings, and Words

*Whew* it's been a busy weekend here for me! I had a friend's wedding to attend on Saturday, and today I've been catching up on laundry and life in general. Also, for whatever reason, my keyboard has scratches on it and its' created a rough spot where my wrist rests against the board. That constant irritation seems to be summing up my life this past week. What I wanted to do, I couldn't do for various reasons. Then the things that I didn't want to do, I nerved myself up to do, and got them done though I was unhappy in the doing of them.

At least now, they are over.

In short, I am tired, cranky, and not in any way ready for Monday.

But the wedding was awesome!
May Christ bless and keep the both of them (AJ and Jessica) now and forever more!

Check back on Monday when I'm not so cranky, and you'll find the beginning of the Arrows on String for Christopher and Wayne's next book signing, and all the fun facts on the Prep for Bryan Davis' signing on October 31st!

Scribe.

Calling All Warriors! Scribe is Starting to oil Her bowstring and Notch Arrows

Hey all. Christopher and Wayne are going to have at least three signings/events in New York in the next two weeks (towards the end of the month) you can go to Wayne's blog and get the exact dates.

What I am going go do here, is start running a prayer log. I'm starting my prayers now for a very simple reason: I know what it's like to run an event and all the gremlins that pop up along the way.

Not only am I going to be praying for Wayne and for Christopher, but for their families, the staff at the stores, the families of the staff at the stores, etc etc etc.

There's a small army involved in getting an event together no matter where it's held. Someone has to set up chairs, someone has to decorate, someone has to order the books, and lots of people have to talk themselves hoarse telling others about the events.

They need prayer.

Those that don't know the Lord and are involved in the events could have a holy curiosity aroused about the Gospel through our prayers for their salvation, those that know the Lord and serve Him and are involved in the events will come under attack and would love our prayers flashing bright and beautiful before Him on their behalf.

I thought it would be really cool if those who were going to pray anyway (remember Wayne asked for your swords a while back? This is why he wanted them) set down their prayers here. It's neat to do that and then go back and see how Christ answered them later on.

I did this back in 2007 with the Fantasy Four Fiction Tour and it was amazing how many people prayed in advance of events and then God moved in mighty ways. Having the record of the prayers before and then the things that happened after was an amazing faith-booster for me.

Now, when I say set your prayers down here, I don't mean that they have to be perfect (if you wait to pray perfectly you will never pray) and I don't mean that they have to be eloquent (usually the less-eloquent the prayer the more power it has) they just have to be from the heart.

Shy? Don't want to write your prayers here? Don't know how to pray? Want to help but are uncertain how to start? Well, then just agree with someone else in prayer. That's how I learned.
The most important thing is to pray. Jump in and get your feet wet, and know that there is no wrong way to pray to the Lord.

In conclusion (because I've rambled all over the place) I'm starting a prayer log here for the Dangerous Duo's next events and you're welcome to join me either by leaving your own prayers here for others to see and agree with or by reading what's here and agreeing with it. But it's time, warriors and scouts, to get arrow to string and get the prayer bolts winging ahead of them.

One last thing: In the middle ages, several documents that survived to the present mention battles that involved archers. One describes the sky full of bolts that fell so thick and fast it appeared to be snowing.

Snowing deadly bolts, because the archers had the high ground and they weren't going to let the invaders come to harm those they loved.

I would love to see the skies ahead of these events thick with prayer arrows, so thick that to the Enemy it looked as if it were snowing.

~Scribe

Two Book Give Away Winner Announced!

Due to some pressing family issues, the judges who were slated to make a determination regarding this prize are no longer the judges. In other words, they were greatly moved by the presentations of everyone working hard to see that their friend got a book to either encourage them in their faith or to sneak the gospel in through the back door via Wayne's books, but they are throwing the decision back to me.

Begin trembling now. No, I've all ready reached my decision, and boy howdy was it a hard one.

However, the winner of the two-book give away is:

Kayla! For her camper/friend nomination of Tayshia

Kayla, when you see this, e-mail me at everlasingscribe(at)hotmail(dot) com with your snail-mail address as well as who each book is to be personalized to, and I'll get them signed and in the mail as quickly as I can.

Congratulations Kayla!

I Know Why the Angels Dance Interview Up At His Way's Blog!

So there are no points involved, you don't get any prizes, and you might, just MIGHT find that reading the interview makes you come up to the store on Saturday October 31st from 12:00pm-3:00pm when you weren't planning on doing so.

HOWEVER I thought I should tell you that Bryan's interview was amazing and you can read it HERE.

Pictures from the COTSK Signing

That's right, it's exactly what it said up there. Pictures of the signing. Hold on to your hats (or helmets) and prepare to be amazed!



This is what the back wall looked like thanks to Caitlin's genius and some willing spiders:


So that's what it looked like as you walked up to the table and then this:



This was behind the guys, look at all the spiderwebs *shudder* and oh yeah, the LOVELY GREEN BOOKS THERE. LOOK AT EM. LOOK AT HOW MANY ARE THERE. SCADS OF EM. SCADS AND SCADS AND SCADS. It's a shame that you can't reach into the photograph and pluck them out.

I mean really, see? Four deep. We had 96 to start with and we sold 45. Uh-huh. And we had Wayne and Christopher sign 20 more so we'd have em on hand. I sold 2 of the 20 in Eldersburg today. Should have had em sign 40. Ah well.

This was the stack at the back counter, and yeah, that's the helmet from EB. People kept coming and buying, and coming and buying, and coming and buying. That's what we want to see at a signing, you know. :-D I had to refill this display 4 times while I was back there. That's not a complaint.






















Aaaaand those were the books that I was working on for WEEKS before the event.

In a fit of artistic dictatorship I conscripted my Mom, who is an artist in her own right, and she helped me finish them, bringing the insides to life (sadly I didn't take pictures of the insides) and keeping me from melting down when the BLUE BOOKS decided to be a problem child. Oh, that was a nasty book/box. We had an ongoing battle of wills, it and I, involving glue sticks, brown paper patches, sticky glazes, and wear along the spine. The red book was a model project that practically made itself.









This is the most awesome helmet that they brought along, I don't know if it's Wayne's or Christopher's but it is cooool.









For those who remembered the earlier posts where I was debating what table cover to use, I did go with the copper brown and I did use the trick of printing the book cover and trying it against the different fabrics. It really looked amazing with the green books propped up against it.






Then people started drifting in, and Wayne and Christopher were delighted to greet this little maid who was a bit on the shy side.







Until. . . .










Someone introduced her to steel. And then, right there in the store, a sword maiden was created. The boys look a little worried, for a reason. She BONDED with the blade.









However, before anyone could taste her cold blade, more fans showed up!



I know. They look so attentive and calm don't they? The photo is SO misleading. Please. Please I am BEGGING you. You HAVE to come and see these two at an event. Church-School-Store, it doesn't matter. You HAVE to see them in PERSON. They only thing that is quicker than their swords is their wit, and when you SEE them like this, it's like seeing thoroughbred horses in the gate before a race. The energy is just crackling over them, waiting to be released in all sorts of ways. Don't believe me? All right. Take a look at. . . .THIS:




Wayne is under attack! Christopher is heroically rescuing him!

Um.

Or he is villainous attacking him. There were lots of spiders going places and hitting things like authors. And books. And one decided to go . ..



back to the spider whisperer. The guys were definitely having fun. I fed them sugar.

Lots of sugar.

By the way, bottled water and hard candy are a MUST if you are going to be hosting the duo.

Wayne was struggling to keep his voice the latter part of the night, and the candy helps because they can pop a piece in and let it met to coat their throats. He had cough drops too. They had a long signing the night before at B&N and the weather was so nasty that night. I was surprised they held onto their voices the whole night.

Water is the number one must have for any author at a signing but it's hard to get it to them because, they tend to get pinned in behind the table and can't get out to get bottles. Thankfully our staff kept bringing it out for them.

They really were grateful.

But despite the rough throats and the fatigue that was gnawing on them they sang a song that they are working on getting into the book trailer (Christopher has more details on that) which was a huge hit with the audience:





















Yes, Christopher is a multi-talented gentleman, skilled in the art of the "quick change" (And also they sang it twice for us--a double blessing ;) ) Then, it was back to the awesome insanity of the signing!


There were more spiders!








And more sword bearers!




















And, more swords. Some, the sign-able kind:




And there were fans.






Lots









And lots


















And lots of fans.










Which meant that we (the staff) had to be patient, and had to wait for:


The REAL fun to begin! Oh yeah, SWORD FIGHT BETWEEN AUTHORS.



SCHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGGG!


CRUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNCHHHHHHHHHHH


CHING CHING SCHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING.

Most. Awesome. Sword fight. Ever.


And that, is how we end Author Signings At His Way.

;)

Hope you guys enjoyed a peek here at what went on!

NOW GO AND SEE THEM.

COTSK CONTEST UPDATE BOOKS-AWAY

The Books Are AWAY!


Yup, Mom mailed em for me today while I was at work. They should arrive within 1-3 days warriors and shield maiden, so let me know if they don't. There's not a lot I can do. . .but I'll be praying that they get to you all safe and sound. Right now, it's up to the US MAIL.

Hmmm Something's not right here. . .

COTSK RECOUNT

It was brought to my attention by MillardtheMK that indeed the poor soldier had been shortchanged for his work in the lists. He has appealed to the Marshall of the Lists, and a decision has been rendered in his favor. Please see revised stats.

MillardtheMK=15,500 (not the previous 7,000)

Noah=9,000(because of Melissa's generous heart)

Melissa=2,100 (because of Noah's chivalrous nature)

Now, Millard being the strategist that he is, has things bouncing about under his dragon-crested helmet, I would encourage Noah and Melissa to track the Millard (yes, he is his own group/type) and see what he is up to.

COTSK UPDATE 10/15/09

Noah=9,000 points (given by Melissa Rose who got reviews of the Door Within up everywhere! Go Melissa!)

MillardtheMK=7,500

Melissa Rose (who had none, and then Noah gave her his, and then she turned around and gave him her points)=2,100

COTSK IN PERSON!

Okay, well not really in person because it's a book. But you can't say in-book. I don't know why. . anyway, the books arrived at our store on Tuesday and look how lovely they are! Though I do have a bit of a dilemma. . .




Do I put it with Christopher's books?

(yes yes, that is MY bookshelf at home. I know you are all frothing and foaming with excitement. I'll wait a minute while you go mop that up.)










Or, do I put it with Wayne's books?

It looks nice either place and at the store it'll get set with Wayne's books because he's the first author listed. I think that's pretty much store policy wherever you shop. Co-authored books go by the first author listed in the inventory and on the shelf. So part of me wants to go and set COTSK with Christopher's books at home because I'll see it next to Wayne's books at work. Hmmmm











Oh, and yes, I am reading it. And yes, it is wonderful. Amazing. I could say more. . .but men with long sharp metal pointy things will be seeing me on Saturday and . . .well if I give things away .. .I might come home with more holes in me than I left having. . .after all, that's what long sharp metal pointy things are designed to do. So. ..you tell me where I should shelve the book, and I'll go back to my reading of it.

COTSK UPDATE

Noah has decided to hand his hard-fought points to Mellisa Rose. So he falls behind, and she forages ahead!

MillardtheMk=7,500

Melissa Rose=2,100

Noah= 0

As I said before, ANYTHING can happen in this part of the contest. ;) Nicely done, Noah.

COURAGE STATUS UPDATES FOR CONTEST

Nicely done Noah! I am stoked and impressed! Major courage there, my young warrior friend! That gets you 2,000 points!

Noah=2,050 points

MillardtheMK=7,500 points

Melissa Rose =50 points

Now shield bearers and archers, here's where things get interesting: You can give or surrender all, some, or none of your well earned points to one another. This is a 'from your heart' thing, as Jonathan stooped to allow David to rise, so you can if you choose stoop to bring one who is below you, higher in the contest.

I am going to extend the COURAGE part of the contest longer--right up until the 15th of October at 5:00pm (I have to have time to notify you that you WON and you need to tell me how the gentlemen are to sign your book).

That's TWO MORE DAYS to write reviews and talk to bookstores and libraries to amass points.


Questions? Disputes? Want to randomly annoy me? (not recommended this week ;) ) Send all to everlastingscribe (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Scribe Goes to the Ren Faire Part One

So after a super-hectic week, and a nasty bout with foot poisoning Friday and Saturday (ick) the last thing in the world I really wanted to do was to go to the Ren Faire with friends. However, we'd been planning this for months, and had to do a rain check once all ready. So Saturday night I called up, confirmed that we were on for going on Sunday, and then went to bed. Jesse, who isn't featured in any photos unfortunately, had pity on me and picked me up at 8:30AM instead of having me drive up to her house to meet her there at 8:00AM. She said she had to get gas and was headed my way anyway but I think she was being kind. Just smile and not and agree that she's a good friend. Anyway, so we leave my house at 8:30AM and get to the fairgrounds around 9:20(ish). This is always a good thing to do if you have to buy tickets, which we did. She had mine and she had hers, but she needed to secure one for her brother and so we were there forty minutes before it opened to stand in line. Also, we wanted to see the opening promenade of characters and stuff. That's always cool and happens right as the Faire opens at 10:00am. We stood around and admired other people's costumes, though Jesse and Christians (her brothers) were my two favorites of the whole day. Here's Christian(no, not the one in the armor. The other one):



See? Awesome costume! And if everything goes right, he'll be wearing it AND a pair of the most righteous bracers I have seen in a long time this coming Saturday at the signing. But I digress.


So we arrived at the Ren Faire and waited outside for it to open. Here's the entrance:
Well, that's the stone lion AT the entrance. I think he looks rather smug, I think that he looks like he knows what's going on and no one else does. Smug metal lion, mocking our not knowing the inner workings of the Ren Faire. I wonder if he comes to life at night and roams the fairgrounds, sniffing for bits of funnel cake and turkey leg? That smugness comes from somewhere. The funny thing is that he looks just as smug when he's covered with kids, even the ones trying to stick fingers up his nose. Although that smugness might be from the fact that they can't get them in there, no matter how hard they push and wiggle. Right, anyway, that's the lion that guards the entrance to the Faire. However, the gate, the part that you actually walk through is massive. I think there are three or four gates, and each one is at least fourteen feet high and the wall has to be four feet thick. It really feels like you're walking through the opening in a old town wall, which is what you are suppose to think. I thought I had a picture of the gates, but I don't. What I do have is a pull-back on the gate that the actors enter through, and you can see the second smug lion there. What I want you to pay attention to however, is the thickness of the wall. Here it is:


See? See that massive arch and the way that it seems to go back forever? Yeah, walking through there is like stepping back in time. Well, except for the plague, religious inquisitions, wars, body order, and rotting food. No, no the Ren Fest frowns on all of those things. This is a sanitized if slightly goofy version of history. Not exactly Disney(TM) but it is suppose to be family friendly. Anyway, we waited outside for the procession to begin and sure enough, around 9:55 we heard squabbles and screeches and noises like someone was having a fit. The actors were scrambling around on top of the gate and towers, and the "mayor" was upset because some local bumpkin from a plagued town was standing in his spot, eating apples. The mayor was very annoyed, (as he is every year) because he wanted to get back into King Henry VIII's good graces and return to Court. He didn't want to be Mayor or Revel Grove. Poor man, I don't think that he's ever been able to free himself of Revel Grove. The actor's been the Mayor for the last five years that I've been going. However this year, he had a wife. That was unexpected and rather cool too, they're changing the story line a little which make life interesting for those of us who go year after year. Anyway, there was a mix up with the sheriff arresting the wrong people, including Captain Jean the Pirate Queen(TM) and several members of the Royal Family.



Here's the Apple Eater taking center stage away from the Mayor of Revel Grove. This is the area above and beside the actors entrance. So it's easily 20 feet easily over head and I wasn't standing right below it because then I'd just get shots of their feet. Which wouldn't be that interesting. *sigh* I can never get really close shots of the action.





There's the far too happy sheriff bringing his prisoners to the Mayor. The Mayor immediately points out that he has Captain Jean the Pirate Queen, one of the Royal Daughters, AND THE MAYORS WIFE trussed up there. The gentleman at the end right next to the too-happy sheriff in black and red is related to the King, and is also Scottish. And NOT HAPPY.




Thankfully for all involved in the mini-drama, the trumpets sounded and MAKE WAY, MAKE WAY FOR THE KING rumbled along the ground along with the clatter of armor and the thud-thud of very heavy horse hooves. These animals are really beautiful as well as well behaved. Most of the time. King Henry greeted the Mayor and said he was glad to be out of London, where the sickness was spreading. Oh, dear. Sickness? Yup, apparently the Plague has been sighted in Revel Grove.



The King's Champion laughed and said that with all the fine clean air and good food, and good wine, that they'd be safe enough from the traps of the city. And King Henry confessed that he might be willing to look for Wife #6 among the Revel goers this year. As long as she hadn't a cough or fever.








Once we got through the gates (after avoiding the Scotsman's 'boiling oil' and the Mayors questions about who might be carrying the plague, and Pirate Jean's shanghaiing) Jesse and Christian and I ran smack-daub into the King's Entourage. The gentleman on the end was very courteous and bowed to all of us. His costume is amazing, and it looks like it weighs 90 pounds. Look at all the layers!






But it wasn't just the well dressed that we found this year in Revel Grove. Oh no, there were scalawags and pirates too. As well as the rather harmless if shifty looking musicians. I'm not exactly sure what category these particular gentlemen fall into.