The Strong Do Not Run

There seems to be a growing trend in Christian society; a move toward becoming hermits in the wake of all the liberal advances being made in this country. I have heard it from people online (as they withdraw from certain applications) and I have heard it from people "on the street" as they throw up their hands and tell me they have accepted the fact that the USA has changed forever and we are moving to a socialist state.

But we are followers of Christ, and I say that this is the time for us to stand and be tested. In some ways I welcome it, although I recognize the hardships we will face as this culture grows in its opposition to God and tradition. Here in the good old USA we have been knights in our castles, individually enjoying a wide array of pleasures while the armor of God rusts in our closets.

The strong do not run; the strong draw their resiliency and their hope from the Lord Christ himself. We must prepare ourselves for battle, to take courage and strive to live in the fruits of the spirit. It is time for true religion to shine and for those who have embraced the world to be ashamed and repent. It is time to pull out our armor and polish it, to hone our swords for the spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of those who live around us.

Ephesians 6:10

The Hobbit... So the journey begins!

It was with great curiosity and high hopes that I went with my wife today and watched The Hobbit. Yes, I know, this movie has been in theatres for some time now. But with life being as crazy busy as it has been for me this was my first opportunity to view this major production.

First, in answer to those who might wonder, yes, I have read the book and enjoyed it greatly. In fact, it was one of the first if not the first fantasy title I ever read. Jackson's film did not disappoint me. Yes, he added in a few elements and drew greatly from The Scilmarillion (I thought). The Hobbit is more uplifting than the Lord Of The Rings. Delightfully so. The acting was great, the special effects were amazing, and the choreography very satisfying.The violence in this movie is a bit more than in LOTR but I did not feel it was gratuitously so.

Did anyone else pick up on the moment that Galadriel gave Gandalf the ring of power?

Anyway, there is my simple review. This is a great film (but don't bring your little ones to see it).

The importance of visualization

You have heard the adage "Don't judge a book by its cover" but how often have you found that to be true?

When I look for a new book to read, especially if it is fiction, my eye turns first to the intriguing, unique, and beautiful covers. With fantasy novels I think this is especially important. Without good art the reader will have  a poor understanding of the type of story that is hidden between the covers.

Introducing the latest artist to do a book cover for me, Petra Rudolph. I discovered Petra on Elfwood and proceeded to explore his website. He is highly talented. You can learn more about him and his work at Dracoliche.com

The sketch you see here marks the beginning of the upcoming cover for Neverqueen book 1. I hope it intrigues you! This book will released Fall 2013 along with book 2 in this new series. Neverqueen is an expansion of The Sword of the Dragon series.

2013 in Foresight!

2012 is almost gone. Hard to believe isn't it? A lot has happened over this past year. My second child was born in February, I drove a 3,000-mile book tour to Colorado, my third novel was released in the Spring, I signed on with the MacGregor Literary Agency, and prior to Christmas I received the preliminary contract for the last four books in The Sword of the Dragon series!

So what is in store for 2013? Three new novels from Scott Appleton, all centered around The Sword of the Dragon series! The first is In Search of Dragons, the sequel to Key of Living Fire. Then I am going to release the first two books in my new series, Neverqueen! In the midst of all that I am going to try to finish my steampunk novel, Star Train.

Next month I will be working with an artist from Germany who will illustrate the Neverqueen books... Stay tuned folks! This is going to be a fun year!

In the mean time, AMG Publishers has reduced the cost of the Kindle version of Swords of the Six... Now only $2.99! Please tell your friends to check it out here.

Entertainment and Pleasure: finding the healthy balance

It is amazing how easily we Americans sink into pleasures. We have so many opportunities and arguably this is the predominant factor in our decline as a society. Pleasure is good. God intended for us to enjoy things and people. But everything is best in moderation and our society is far from being moderate in our use of pleasure.

Pleasures can relax and rejuvenate us, or they can overwhelm our senses and steer us away from wisdom, prudence, and compassion. It is my prayer that, as a Christian author, my writings will entertain but also instruct in wisdom and encourage to holiness.

In the utilization of pleasure we must not forget the needy, the orphans, the widows, the handicapped, and those who are spiritually searching for the Hope that we have. That Hope, of course, comes by Jesus Christ.

What are your thoughts on pleasure and entertainment? Where do we go too far?

Hope amid growing spiritual darkness

Especially after the results of the recent presidential election here in the U.S., people are scrambling to stay positive. We already know that the president is a strong supporter of abortion, the gay lifestyle, and liberal spending policies. The projections of financial planners and spiritual leaders points to the ruin of the freedoms we enjoy.

But I am not interested in re-hashing all of that. I was reminded the other day, while listening to the Christian radio station, that American Christians have lost sight of what really matters. We hear all around us the doom and despair, but where are the cheery countenances of thankful people pleased to live in the midst of darkness in order that their spiritual lights may brightly shine?

As Christians, we have a responsibility (no, a privilege) to look beyond the temporal world. We have hope, and a Hope empowering. As the world around us sinks into greater darkness, then and only then can the blinders of godlessness be removed from their eyes.

I feel that this country is like an old sailing ship. For over two hundred years we have dropped anchor in the port of Christ and let Him clean the barnacles off of our hull. Gradually we have made our stops more infrequent, until now our ungodly leaders think we are ready to do without a cleaning. And so the ship sets sail into the waters of the godless, little realizing how many holes the barnacles are opening. Will the ship sink entirely? It remains to be seen, but praise God we cannot sink with it. We have hope and assurance of rescue by the Lord himself who will take us out of this world.

If I could paint, I would paint a picture of our ship out in an ocean of deep blue. But surrounding the ship would be a pool of blood; the blood of the deceived souls who died there and the blood of the innocent babies murdered there.

Hope shines. This is our opportunity to show how great the Light is within each of us. This life is not about us... It is about those deceived souls who despise every fiber of what we stand for.

Star Wars VII; what's in store?

There was once a young boy who was playing on the floor in his Grandfather's house when all of a sudden he saw something that stirred within him a dream of fantasy stories embracing the power of good versus evil and the triumph of light over darkness. That boy was me, and that something was the movie Star Wars IV: A New Hope.

Have you heard the news? Disney bought out LucasFilm and in 2015 they are going to continue the Star Wars saga with a new film that will pick up where the original movies ended.

Some fans are worried that Disney will mess this up, but considering that Steven Spielburg's right-hand lady is at the helm... I think this is going to be fantastic. Disney proved with At World's End, and with the Voyage Of The Dawn Treader that they can do classic, darker films that do not just appeal to kids.

So what is in store in Star Wars VII? I am going to put my vote out there that Disney produce the Thrawn trilogy, based around Timothy Zahn's original novels.

What do you think? Will the blue-skinned master strategist finally make a film appearance?