Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour

Well - it's tour time again and many of our favorite authors have finally made it over to the West Coast. Yes!

The Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour is currently in progress and making a huge difference in the lives of Fantasy fans. It's running through October 11th, so you may still have time to catch them in a city near you.

I was blessed enough to be able to catch the tour in Portland, OR, (which is right across the river from where I live in Vancouver, WA) on Sunday, October 5th. It was raining and the spot the authors had to set up at, was an open-air gazebo in the midst of an outdoor mall. The roof of the gazebo was, thankfully, covered and rain-proof, however, it did make for an inconvenient place to gather. We, who call ourselves fans and Northwesterners though, didn't let that stop us from enjoying the authors we know and love, and even a few authors we hadn't known of until that day.

My husband, daughter, and I had a great time talking with Christopher Hopper, who is, well - there's no other way of putting it, a really cool guy. And Wayne Thomas Batson was even able to make a few minutes for us in the midst of a frenzy of teenage fans. We also had a nice chat with Eric Reinhold.

All in all, it was an awesome experience. I was inspired to keep writing, and my ten-year-old was inspired to keep reading. She actually said, "Mommy, you'll get to do that someday." I smiled and thanked God for giving me such a supportive family.

All eight of the authors will be touring for another four days. To see highlights of the tour and find out what's really been going on, check out the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour website as well as the authors' sites. Here's a quick list of links for you: Christopher Hopper, Wayne Thomas Batson, Eric Reinhold, Bryan Davis, Sharon Hinck, Donita K. Paul, Jonathan Rogers, and L.B. Graham.

A Great Opportunity

Lately, I've been having tons of fun over at Wayne Thomas Batson's blog, Enter the Door Within. He's running contests to win signed copies and special editions of his books. The real joy, however, has been the actual contests themselves.

He's challenged all who visit to enter by writing up to two submissions for each of his "Suspense Techniques." There are seven techniques in all, and the contest is still open to absolutely anyone. Many of the entries are written by authors, like me, who are unpublished.

It's been a total blast, and I've met some amazing people. Many are authors, as well as Christians. We give each other constructive criticism and lots of encouragement, and feel we're in the company of friends. Needless to say, I've found a niche there.

I've been able to stretch my writing to new heights and have discovered styles I had never dreamed of trying before. I'll be posting some of my entries here in the future.

I encourage all to at least check it out, under the Contests label, and maybe pluck up the courage to enter. It's a fantastic challenge and so much fun. I'm very thankful for the opportunities, Wayne has provided through his "Suspense Techniques."

The Beginning...

A person wiser than me once said that all authors, published or unpublished, are just that - authors. As an unpublished author, my quest begins. This blog will be used for many different purposes. Mostly as a place for like-minded people to congregate and support each other as we all turn the "Pages of Discovery."