Sunday, March 27, 2011

A Worker/Writer is Worthy of his Pay


Getting paid for your writing effort isn't bad. It is expected that now or later you will get paid for your labors. 1 Timothy 5:18 KJV (For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer [is] worthy of his reward. ) A problem occurs when your misuse of a writing gift creates a negative or harmful result. For example, if you have a gift of writing and decide to write material that leads another to sin, isn't your writing creating a stumbling block for others? Romans 14:13 KJV (Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in [his] brother's way.)

You can write a story for the right reason, but deliver it in the wrong manner. As Nissa pointed out in her comment, a preachy, negative tone gets in the way of a story. What is your reason for writing the story? Is it a sincere attempt to aid others through your writing, or are you using the story as a soapbox to pound someone over the head until a desired belief is accepted? Fictional stories can contain a theme and a message. A story shouted too loudlyat the reader to persuade them of a certain view may prevent the reader from staying to hear either the theme or the message because they have already closed the book.
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Saturday, March 26, 2011

Are you Called to Writing?

During a recent discussion the question came up whether writers should view writing as a calling. If you are crafting words merely as a way to make lots of money, then your writing may not be a calling. That's not to say you won't ever make money as a writer, but what is your primary purpose in writing? If it is to become rich, then you may view writing as a way to support you and your family. If you write to share your faith or help others strengthen their faith, your writing focus has a spiritual focus .

In that case, if you are called to write and fail to write that for which you are called and gifted, are you not a little like Jonah? Jonah was called to take the word of God to Nineveh, but kept getting side-tracked. God had a plan for what he wanted Jonah to tell the Ninevites. Someone may need to read that story you keep putting off until a better time comes round. Your story may not make the New York Times bestseller list, but your story may make a difference in another person's life. What you wrote even make a difference in your own life.

You'll never find out until you place yourself before a keyboard and start typing.




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Saturday, March 19, 2011


The Catholic Writers Conference Online

http://www.catholicwritersconference.com/


March 21 - March 27, 2011

Workshops, Chats, and Pitches gathered on one website.


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Wednesday, November 03, 2010



The Skin Map:
The Bright Empires Series - Book One
by
Stephen R Lawhead

Blog Tour - Day 3

It's Not Just Skins versus Shirts in the Grand Scheme of Things




(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

The Skin Map - available from:
Author Webpage:
Stephen R Lawhead – http://www.stephenlawhead.com/


I received a review copy from Thomas Nelson of The Skin Map
for this blog tour


On the third and final day of the Skin Map Blog Tour I wanted to mention some of the little details Mr. Lawhead included that helped bring the settings to life. One of the most painful chapters to read concerns when the original Skin Map owner, Arthur Flinders-Petrie travels to China during the early days of Chinese-British trade. Arthur returns to the House of Wu, the most gifted tattoo artist in China, to render on Arthur's chest the most important location yet found. Until reading the tattoo scene I had never realized the pain suffered through to gain the tattoo. This chapter is aptly named "In Which an Honorable Skin is Notably Inscribed."

Another chapter title I liked is, "In Which Wilheminia Changes History Much for the Better." As mentioned in yesterday's blog, one of the themes, or lessons, I liked is that things work out for a reason. In Wilhemina's case, her terrible plight is instead the best thing that might have happened to her. How she turned the tables on the businessmen in 1600s Prague reminded me of Mark Twain's book, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. She used her modern knowledge to level the playing field for her and Etzell.

A small detail I appreciated about the Skin Map layout are the inclusion of the swirls and marks appearing at the top of each chapter, and alluded to on the Skin Map. The symbols helped me visualize how the Skin Map may have been marked in like manner. I even wondered if the symbols in some way point to the locations of each chapter.


In closing, I want to say how well I enjoyed reading the book. When the book arrived in the mail Friday afternoon I was afraid I might have too short a time to do the story justice. Instead, I finished the book by the next evening and hated to close the cover as the last chapter ended. Fans of Sliders and The Time Tunnel will appreciate the rich storytelling and scenes found in The Skin Map. I wish the sequel released early next year, but craftsmanship takes time and makes it worth the wait.

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Tuesday, November 02, 2010



The Skin Map:
The Bright Empires Series - Book One
by
Stephen R Lawhead

Blog Tour - Day 2

Grow Where You Are Planted or
Things Happen Because of a Grand Plan




(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

The Skin Map - available from:
Author Webpage:
Stephen R Lawhead – http://www.stephenlawhead.com/


I received a review copy from Thomas Nelson of The Skin Map
for this blog tour


One of the spiritual themes I liked in the Skin Map is the concept that everything works according to a celestial plan. When Kit's former girlfriend, Wilhelmina, is dropped into a strange world and time she thinks everything is horrible thanks to Kit sending her to a such a cold, muddy place. In her time she was a baker's assistant and endured the work as best she could.
She meets Englebert Stifflebeam, or Etzel as he prefers, who is on his way to Prague in 1606 to open a bakery. When Etzel finds out she knows how to bake, he tells Mina - her nickname - that God's providence brought them together at that time. She scoffs at first, but finds in Etzel a strong faith in God and patience that she needs, and Etzel finds the business sense and baking skills he needs. Over time, Mina admits to herself that she is far happier than she ever was in London, even without modern conveniences.
Kit the Questor-in-training learns from his great-grandfather that all things work with a purpose toward a final goal. Through harrowing experiences Kit also gains a faith in God as he learns to trust in a higher power, rather than believe his life existed at the whim of fate. The Skin Map shows but a small portion of this great causeway though space and time, and the reader will gain a idea of Creation's vastness. Kit also learns that the choices we make can have far reaching consequences. A kind gift of bread by Cosmo, Kit's great-grandfather, to a poor lady may have averted the Great London Fire. But Kit is warned that Wilhelmina may inadvertently grave affect another time stream.


Our lives are like Kit's interactions with the past. Our choices and actions do ripple out like a stone cast into a quiet pond, influencing everything we come into contact with; directly or indirectly. When we chose to follow the right path, our influences can provide a long term positive effect for others.

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Monday, November 01, 2010





The Skin Map:
The Bright Empires Series - Book One
by
Stephen R Lawhead


Blog Tour - Day 1
SLIDERS MEETS THE TIME TUNNEL


(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

The Skin Map - available from:




Author Webpage:
Stephen R Lawhead – http://www.stephenlawhead.com/





I received a review copy from Thomas Nelson of The Skin Map
for this blog tour


One of the things I've noticed from past books I've read by Mr. Lawhead is how richly he paints a setting. The Skin Map myriad settings surpassed his prior books as the characters are catapulted from modern-day London to a 19th Century sea-side town to 17th Century England to ancient Egypt. In his latest book, readers are treated to a mad journey through time and across the Globe to recover the elusive Skin Map. At first the title and idea of a map tattooed on someones skin brought back memories of old pirate movies, but I soon found myself getting into the story and rooting on the good guys.

The main character, Kit Livingstone, meets his great-grandfather after a series of London subway and bus mishaps. His ancestor convinces Kit to follow him down a misty London alleyway that opens on a fishing village on the coast. Kit thinks the village a quaint reenactment site, but finds he landed over a century in the past. Over a loaf of bread and fresh cheese, his great-grandfather explains that Kit has the gift of walking Ley lines - a naturally occuring energy source - and traveling to other places and othe times.

Cosmo, the great-grandfather, continues that not everyone can locate and travel these Ley lines. His small, close-knit group known as the Questors have travelled and recorded the more common paths, but are looking for the Skin Map; a vast compendium of paths and connections that is comparable to the London underground but vastly more conplex.

What's a good story without bad guys? That's where the Burleys come in. Henchmen for Lord Burliegh have trailed and almost cornered the Questors in an attempt to gain control of the Skin Map and control of the Ley lines. It's a race against time, for he that controls the Ley lines controls time itself.




Tomorrow: Grow Where You Are Planted or Things Happen Because of a Grand Plan


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Wednesday, September 29, 2010



Venom and Song:
The Berinfell Prophecies Series - Book Two
by
Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper


Blog Tour - Day 3
WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

Venom and Song - available from:




Author Blogs:
Wayne Thomas Batson – http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/
Christopher Hopper – http://www.christopherhopper.com/blog/

Months before I heard about the Venom and Song CSFF Blog Tour,
I purchased a copy of the book at SAMS Club because
I enjoyed Curse of the Spider King so much.


This is Day 3 of the CSFF blog tour for a great read by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper. The book title is Venom and Song, a sequel to another arachnophically titled book named, The Curse of the Spider King. I mentioned the Spider King in my tour day 2 blog. Today's blog title comes from the view that the Spider King would have everyone at odds with one another so that he can achieve what is best for himself. In contrast, Ellos the Creator, would have his followers work together to achieve for is best for all. The Spider King's focus is ever inward, while Ellos focus is on others around us.

The Spider King would have everyone the same, much like tiny chess pieces he continually moves around his strategy board. Ellos created each one with a different gift. Even among the young Elf lords, there are differences between what each can accomplish as different situations require different abilities.


There are temperament differences , and even skin colors like Kat Simonson the blue-skinned Elf. I liked the way the authors handled this point for young readers. Kat Simonson thought she was strange and different, but at the coronation she realises her skin is merely a different manifestation of Elven kind. Young readers who feel left out because they look or act differently than their peers will empathize with the blue-hued Elf maiden. Reading Venom and Song may help readers come to realize their differences are what provide different abilities complimenting and augmenting the abilities of others.


I Corinthians 12 points out that we can not all be an eye, for then where would be our sense of hearing? Venom and Song points out that not all Elf Lords are able to cast fire or perfectly aim arrows. Each gift strengthens Ellos' work when the members combine forces. Even the Spider King grudgingly admits that removing one Elf lord will change little, but it will weaken the seven lords' group as a whole. The seven young lords were brought to Allyra because they are part of a grand plan that was centuries in the making by Ellos. Returned home, they must learn to unite for this plan to work together, or all is lost.


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Tuesday, September 28, 2010



Venom and Song:
The Berinfell Prophecies Series - Book Two
by
Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper

Blog Tour - Day 2

LORD OF THE THINGS OR THE SPIDER KING STRIKES BACK

(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

Venom and Song - available from:



Author Blogs:
Wayne Thomas Batson – http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/
Christopher Hopper – http://www.christopherhopper.com/blog/


Months before I heard about the Venom and Song CSFF Blog Tour,
I purchased a copy of the book at SAMS Club because
I enjoyed Curse of the Spider King so much.

For day two of the Venom and Song blog I wanted to discuss the series' arch-villain, The Spider King. The name works well on a couple of levels for me. The Spider King controls thousands of gwars and their warspiders. So visually he reminds me of a large spider carrying multitudes of tiny, less powerful spiders. On a spiritual level, the Spider King lives up to his name because he is the ultimate planner/schemer that tries to track his prey within his web before disposing of the body, or in this case the spirit. The Spider King preys on weaknesses and uses deceptions to twist truths and beliefs.

Early on in Venom and Song, a Wisp - a shape shifting trail of smoke - nearly kills one of the Elf lords after assuming the form of Jimmy's teacher, Mr. Wallace. The Spider King uses the Wisp on the inside to provide information and remove the young lords as they come into their powers. These powers, or abilities, are most evident and strongest in the royal bloodlines, so the Spider King must remove the lords before they help thwart his plans for conquest. The Spider King wants to remove these pure bloodlines once and for all, so that he will triumph over all of Allyra and eventually Ellos himself.
The Spider King sees himself as the ultimate strategist; able to out wit, out think, and out plan anyone. His pride is his undoing. That and his undying thirst for vengence against the Elfs. These actions by the Spider King's struck me as allegory for Satan's vain attempts at killing Christ. The Elfs were defeated and driven underground for a time, but came forth again, though the Spider King thought he had won. Much of the Spider King's strength derives from lies and deceit. Those who remain faithful to Ellos find more strength than they possess alone, making it harder for the Spider King to warp them into pawns for his plans. The Spider King is the anti-thesis of Ellos; pure evil for Ellos' pure good. Small wonder the Spider King would see all Elfkind removed. The Elfs are a reminder to the Spider King that someone greater than he exists, and that person is Ellos; Lord of All.

Tomorrow: WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!
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Monday, September 27, 2010



Venom and Song:
The Berinfell Prophecies Series - Book Two
by
Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper

Blog Tour - Day 1

CAVE SURFING ELVES

(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

Venom and Song - available from:



Author Blogs:
Wayne Thomas Batson – http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/
Christopher Hopper – http://www.christopherhopper.com/blog/


Months before I heard about the Venom and Song CSFF Blog Tour,
I purchased a copy of the book at SAMS Club because
I enjoyed Curse of the Spider King so much.

After reading Curse of the Spider King, I expected lots of action and a great story from the sequel by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper. Venom and Song didn't let me down. After an opening battle continued from the escape in book one, the second chapter drags six of the seven young elf lords on a harrowing trip through underground rapids in small watercraft called cavesurfers. Holding a torch, let alone keeping it dry while shooting twisting, turning currents is near impossible, so the cavesurfers carry their own torchcells that work like headlights in the darkness. Of course, if the group survives the rapids, there is always Dalage Falls and the deadly whirlpool below to endure. And this is only the first three chapters.
If you read Curse of the Spider King, you may remember there were seven elfin lords brought to Earth as babies for their protection. Only six of the young lords fought through the watery passage. Gravely injured, Autumn is carried ahead to Nightwish for intensive healing. But secrets uncovered at Nightwish will forever change the relationship between brother and sister, Autumn and Johnny. All seven lords must survive the trip and attend the investment ceremony as lords if the Elfs of Berinfell are to ever regain their cities and life above ground.

Venom and Song is filled with action, plot twists, and more action. The teenagers may survive their coronation ceremony, but will they survive drill camp and train enough to face more of the Spider King's troops? Things aren't always what they seem, even among your own kind. The Spider King has prepared too, and he wants to finish off those annoying Elfs once and for all. More about that tomorrow.


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Tuesday, August 24, 2010








CSFF August 2010 Blog Tour - THE FAVORITES


HERE BE DRAGONS!


Book Trailer from Bryan Davis' new book: Masters and Slayers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA2DgBJ9PYs






I first met Bryan Davis at the 2005 ACFW Conference in Nashville. At the time, the only Christian fantasy or science-fiction books I had heard of were the Lord of the Rings, or the Narnia series. Mr. Davis took time from his busy conference schedule to discuss writing and Christian fantasy. Ever since, I've enjoyed his various series; especially ones involving dragons. Mr. Davis still takes time from his writing schedule to speak at schools, bookstores, and churches.

His two new series, Starlighter (reviewed here just last month) and Tales of Starlight, are set in two worlds connected by a portal. Dragons rule one world, and are thought a children's fantasy in the second world.


Blog Tour Participants:

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Monday, August 23, 2010





CSFF August 2010 Blog Tour - THE FAVORITES


FLASH TO THE FUTURE!




Frank Creed's
FLASHPOINT:Book One of the UNDERGROUND
WAR OF ATTRITION:Book Two of the UNDERGROUND



The Writers Cafe Press: www.thewriterscafe.com/projects.html


Author Frank Creed creator of the Christian cyber-punk series the Underground announced plans for two new books in his near-future trilogy - War of Attrition (Underground book II) and Into the Underground ( An Underground anthology set in the Underground world). The expected release dates are some time during year's end.
I enjoyed the first book, Flashpoint, and look forward to more stories from the world of the Underground. One of the things I liked about the first book was that only the bad guys actually kill or badly hurt anyone. The good guys, called Sandmen, use their God-given gifts of projecting a mental blast that blows the fuse of the bad guys' mind and causes the bad guys to black out.

The series struck me as a cross between Matrix and Blade Runner, but with a sactified bent. The two main characters are a video gamer and a hacker. What's not to like with today's techno-savy culture?
















I had the good fortune to interview Frank for the October, 2007 CSFF blog tour and include the link here:
http://fantasythyme.blogspot.com/2007/10/october-book-blog-tour-for-frank-creeds_22.html


During the series' interim Writer's Cafe Press created a role playing game set in the Underground world.













Blog Tour Participants:
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Monday, July 26, 2010


Tales of Starlight
by Bryan Davis
For those of you who enjoyed Bryan Davis' recently featured book, Starlighter, he now offers an adult track set in the same worlds. Masters and Slayers follow the story of Jason's older brother, Adrian.

To: Learn more: http://dragonsinourmidst.blogspot.com/2010/07/masters-and-slayers-pre-order.html

Masters and Slayers is available for pre-order from Amazon, with an autographed copy straight from the author for only a couple of dollars more.
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Wednesday, July 21, 2010





STARLIGHTER
Book 1 in the new Dragons of Starlight series
from
BRYAN DAVIS


Blog Tour - Day 3


END OF THE TOUR BUT NOT END OF THE STORY
(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

Starlighter - available from:



In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour,
I received a free copy of this book from Zondervan Press.


Today is the third and final day for the July CSFF tour of Bryan Davis' Starlighter. Starlighter is the first in a planned four book series. Mr. Davis mentioned on his web site that the story and characters introduced in Starlighter will bring to light new mysteries and new questions in later Dragons of Starlight books.
One of the things I liked about the characters in Starlighter is the way the two protagonists act as role models. Teens today face lots of stress and the temptation to take the expedient path to their desires. In Starlighter Koren, tries to do what is right and remain loyal to her friends and her promises. A one word description that comes to mind for Koren is Integrity. On Major Four, Jason tries to help others when the need arises and follow the code of conduct he learned from his older brother. Jason is willing to step out and take chances, yet he follows the Knight's code of chivalry when it comes to his treatment of ladies; so chivalry is a good one word description for him.
Jason and Koren must strike out on their own on their respective worlds and leave what passes for comfortable surroundings to discover the truth. A single truth connects the two worlds. The truth of a portal that was used to force humans of Major Four as slaves on Dracon. As
mentioned on the first tour day, the portal has become little more than a myth used by of the leaders of both worlds as a way to control the general population. Control what people learn and believe, and you control those same people.
But, truth has a way of winning over deceit and lies. Somtimes the truth sounds quesionable, or at least the source. This was the case with Tibalt, called Tibber the Fibber. In order to survive, Tibalt acted half-crazed around the Govenor and the jailers while captive in the dungeon. Jason finds that his friend Elyssa wasn't killed by a mountain bear, but held captive to help Govenro prescott locate the portal. On Major Four, the governing body has outlawed all portal stories and jailed those who would spread the truth. Dacon took the opposite tack by relageting
the portal stories to the status of children's tales.

It seemed one principle of Starlighter was to that we should uphold the truth; watching what we believe or follow lest half-tuths or outright lies lead us astray from what is true. There are many deceivers today who, like the black egg, talk a good talk but whose only concern is for their own gain.

Starlighter is a good tween and teen story with likeable characters and a bit of action mixed in to keep things moving along between the two story lines. I'm looking forward to the next Starlight book from Mr. Davis to see where the story will take readers.

*Participants’ links
Brandon Barr
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
R. L. Copple
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Jane Maritz
Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
SarahFlan
Chawna Schroeder
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010



STARLIGHTER
Book 1 in the new Dragons of Starlight series
from
BRYAN DAVIS
Blog Tour - Day 2


Interview withe the Author
(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

Starlighter - available from:
In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour,
I received a free copy of this book from Zondervan Press.


Mr. Daivs kindly took time from his busy writing and speaking schedule to answer a few questions on Starlighter and writing for the CSFF Blog Tour:

Where did you get the idea for your latest dragon book, Starlighter?

Zondervan wanted me to write a book with dragons for them, so I asked my kids for an idea. My daughter Amanda came up with the idea, I presented it to Zondervan, and they loved it. It’s as simple as that. I embellished the seed of the idea greatly, so I’m not sure if my daughter would recognize it at this point, but it definitely came from her.

Did you have any particular Bible verses in mind as you began writing Starlighter?

Yes, since this story is about rescuing slaves from bondage, two passages are often in my mind:

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34-36)

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

What would you say is the theme for Starlighter, and for the series?

For the series, the theme gaining freedom from spiritual slavery by faith. For Starlighter, theme is willingness to sacrifice for those less fortunate than yourself.

Was Starlighter originally planned as two worlds; a world where dragons keep humans slave versus a world where humans keep other humans slave?

It was originally planned as two worlds, but I didn’t include the idea of humans enslaving humans until the story developed. The slavery in the dragon world is overt and cruel, while the slavery in the human world is somewhat subtler, but it was interesting to contrast the two in the storytelling.

For those aspiring writers, how long did it take you to create Starlighter’s first draft?

I wrote the first draft of Starlighter in about three months and took another month to polish it before sending it to the publisher.

Did you begin your first draft with a well-developed outline, or find thatthe story flowed from your imagination as you discovered more about thecharacters and setting while writing?

I don't outline at all. I have a seed of an idea, and I sit down and writeabout the main character's normal way of life. Then, once I know thecharacter well enough, I create a crisis that sends him into the adventure.I am what some call a seat-of-the-pants writer, and I discover the story asI write it.
How long after finishing your draft did you have to wait until Starlighter hit the shelves?

It takes about a year for Zondervan to process a finished manuscript and get in to the bookstores. Not all publishers take that long.
Thanks again to Mr. Davis for the interview and insights on writing.


Tomorrow: Some final thoughts on Starlighter ofr Day 3 of the blog tour.


*Participants’ links
Brandon Barr
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
R. L. Copple
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Jane Maritz
Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
SarahFlan
Chawna Schroeder
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher

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Monday, July 19, 2010





STARLIGHTER
Book 1 in the new Dragons of Starlight series
from
BRYAN DAVIS


Blog Tour - Day 1

A TALE OF TWO WORLDS
(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

Starlighter - available from:




In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour,
I received a free copy of this book from Zondervan Press.


I was excited to hear that our July CSFF tour book would be Starlighter by YA author, Bryan Davis. We have been fortunate to host Mr. Davis at area schools where he spoke to students about books and writing. During his most recent visit, he mentioned an upcoming series from Zondervan that dealt with a human slave living on a planet run by dragons. After enjoying his two previous dragon series, Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire, I wondered whether the author might create another modern day adventure, or begin afresh in a new world.


The Starlighter story occurs in two locations; the human-run world of Major Four and the dragon-controlled world of Dracon, or Starlight. One of the things that struck me was the similarities between the worlds and he two main characters. Koren, the female lead, works as a slave for the stargazing dragon, Arxad. Jason, the woodcutter's son, serves as Lord Prescott's bodyguard. Both Koren and Jason have some small semblance of freedom, yet both are frequently reminded of their stations in life.

Prescott and Magnar both want to keep the location of the portal between worlds a secret to protect the status quo, and ultimately benefit themselves at the expense of others. Magnar holds the humans captive as her tries to unlock the inter-world portal and bring through more slaves. Prescott hopes to use captives in the lower dungeon to find the path to the portal and steal the expected dragon treasure. Both leaders know the other world stories are true. Magnor has convinced the humans the stories are mere fables to amuse children. Prescott has tried to keep the portal secret by outlawing the stories, and punish those who pass on these untruths.

I'm not sure if it was intended, but it struck me that these same doubts of faith are practiced in our own world. Those the world call wise, ridicule Bible teachings and call Bible tales fables, or stories fit only for children. Like Magnar and Prescott, I wonder if it is less a question of belief in the teachings of old regarding the wise of the world, so much as it is a fear of loss of power and control.
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