A book signing will be combined with sword fighting and live music Friday at Borders at Salmon Run Mall.
The event, from 4 to 7 p.m., is a pre-release celebration of "Curse of the Spider King," by north country resident Christopher K. Hopper and Maryland resident Wayne Thomas Batson. They are both fantasy writers and collaborated on "Curse," to be released Tuesday by Thomas Nelson publishing, the largest Christian publisher in the world.
"Curse of the Spider King" was recently awarded a silver Moonbean Children's Book Award presented by publishing services company Jenkins Group Inc. of Traverse City, Mich. Jenkins Group has been involved in book packaging, marketing and distribution since 1988.
Mr. Hopper, Clayton, is youth pastor of New Life Christian Church, Watertown. In 2006, his "The White Lion Chronicles, Rise of The Dibor" was released by Tsaba House publishing. The publisher released book two in the "White Lion" series, "The Lion Vrie," in 2007.
Mr. Hopper also is a musician, a conference speaker and owns a film company specializing in the production of book trailers and marketing videos.
Mr. Batson lives in Maryland where he is a middle school reading and English teacher. He wrote "The Door Within Trilogy," published by Thomas Nelson.
Mr. Hopper said he met Mr. Batson in 2006 at a book convention.
"It was one of those relationships where we finished each others' sentences," Mr. Hopper said.
After deciding to collaborate on a book, besides exchanging e-mails and instant messages where they would share story passages and ideas, they often drove to meet "half-way" from each other, which turned out to be a pub in Scranton, Pa.
Mr. Hopper said one of them would write a passage and share it with the other. "The other person had the option of tearing it to shreds," Mr. Hopper said. "Then it would be passed back."
He said that by doing this, both of the authors' voices found their way into the "Curse of the Spider King."
"We didn't want readers to go, 'This is Chris Hopper's chapter and this is Wayne Batson's chapter,'" Mr. Hopper said. "We wanted it be our book."
The story concerns the elven lords of Allya, who were thought to be dead. "With a glitter of hope in their hearts, sentinels are sent to see if the signs are true," according to a description from the publisher. "But theirs is not a lone errand. The ruling warlord of Allyra, the Spider King, has sent his own scouts to hunt down the seven and finish the job they failed to complete many ages ago."
Mr. Hopper said the book is targeted to young teenagers. The main "elven" characters in "The Curse" all exhibit special powers when they reach age 13.
"It's a great premise that teenagers may feel subpar but they have incredible gifts," Mr. Hopper said.
The elven lords, Mr. Hopper said, come from all parts of the world, including the home turf of the authors and more far-flung locations like Paris and Scotland. "They are hunted by two different factions; good and evil," Mr. Hopper said.
"The Curse" is the first of a planned "Berinfell Prophecies" series.
Mr. Hopper said he and Mr. Batson began a "fantasy fiction tour" based on their experiences as traveling musicians and they will incorporate their act into Friday's event at Borders.
"We developed this little shtick and banter back and forth," Mr. Hopper said.
There also will be mock sword fighting and discussions.
"We want to inspire young people about the value of reading," Mr. Hopper said.
