A Visit from Wayne Batson

I've always loved books. Growing up, authors were mysterious and amazing gifts to my little world. So once I became a novelist, one of my favorite perks was the opportunity to get to know other authors and spend time with them.

Each week for the next two months, I'll share a little about one of the authors from the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour. I toured with these authors from October 3-12, 2008, all over the West Coast. You get to know a lot about an author when they get up at 4:00 a.m. to hit the road for another long day of events, or you see them sit beside a child in an oncology unit to share a book, or you teach an English class side-by-side with them. I hope whatever genres you read, you'll enjoy hearing about the HEART of each of these authors.



This week, I'm welcoming Wayne Batson. His website and blog do an excellent job informing about his books, so be sure to visit them. He's the author of the best selling Door Within series, and Isle of Swords books. He's been a middle school teacher for sixteen years, and although readers of many ages enjoy his books, he has a special appeal to the 10-12 year-old reader.

Anyone who has heard Wayne do a reading from his stories, complete with English accent, creepy voices, and dramatic pauses knows that he is a gifted actor and story-teller. And he and Christopher Hopper could do company clubs with their improvisational skits and comic sword fights.

But there is something that impresses me even more than his talent for writing and performing. After two tours with Wayne, and many conference calls and emails, I have deep admiration for his passion to give God his best every day, and his empathy for the hurting. When I've felt discouraged by a professional setback, he's been the first to email and agree that the road IS hard, but he also reminds me of God's love and purposes.

If you have children in your life who enjoy fantasy tales, or pirate adventures, (or you enjoy them, too!) they will be drawn closer to the heart of God by Wayne's stories.
I know that to be true, not only because I've seen hoards of kids mob him at book signings, but because he's talked to me about his walk with God, and I know his kind of faith will always bleed through the pages of a story and impact the reader.

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck