It’s Finally Here!

“Andrew Toy has created a unique and interesting story that spans several genres from mystery and adventure to fantasy … Toy’s debut novel will leave readers talking and will make them instant fans of his storytelling abilities. This will surely be a must-read for every adult that once created a world of their own when they were young, just by using their imaginations.”

-Nicole McManus, reviewer and blogger

My publisher handed me several copies of my book, The Man in the Box, yesterday in a … well, box. To many, it may seem like I’ve accomplished my dream of publishing a book. But that wasn’t my dream. As elated as I was to finally see my book in print, I still can’t ignore the ultimate goal. My occupational dream is to become a full-time author, and there’s still miles to go before I get there.

I know no amount of begging or coercing can get unwilling people to buy my book. I cannot even make promises that you will absolutely love it (though there’s little doubt that you will). But I can share facts, and throughout history facts have caused decisions to be made which might not have otherwise been made, stubborn minds to shift, and cold hearts to thaw. Here are some facts about my book, The Man in the Box, that I hope will persuade skeptics to look into purchasing a copy.

1. I spent three years writing this book, pouring over plot points, struggling with story lines, and not once being satisfied with nothing but the best possible results. I labored ruthlessly to develop something that is unique, unpredictable, and that appeals to all audiences in some way or another. I believe with this book, I have done just that. I invite you to be the judge.

2. Purchasing a copy of my book will help Sarabeth and me to get one step closer to adopting a child. That’s what this site is all about, isn’t it? Sharing our story and raising support to help bring a parentless child into our home. If you purchase The Man in the Box, not only are you investing in a good read, but you are helping us to become the foster-to-adopt parents we long to be. If you want to go an extra step for our cause, review my book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, any place that lets you.

3. I’ve selected six people with impressive platforms to read and review my book. I expected two to not ever get back to me, and at least one to not even like it. All six spoke very highly of it, and would (and do) recommend it to people. They were all breathless in suspense, and also recognized the core themes of the book, which are meant to cause readers to ponder the deeper things in life. You can read some of the reviews here.

4. Alright, I can’t help it. I’ve got to say it. You will LOVE this book! It’s truly got something in it for everyone. If you liked Jurassic Park, The Hunger Games, King Kong, zombies, jungle adventures, family sagas, inspiration, then this book is for you. I’m urging you to get it as soon as you can, because it is my goal to have it become a best seller. Wouldn’t it be fun to say you were one of the first to read it? And remember, Christmas is coming soon, so if you know of anyone who is always looking for their next favorite book, this book is it. They’ll thank you for it.

You can order your copy of The Man in the Box from any of the links below. You won’t regret it.

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Blackwyrm. Or, add it to your goodreads bookshelf. And get it on your Kindle here.

“Expect dinosaurs and giant creepy-crawlies. And if that kind of thing scares you, then you’re like me, which means you’ll go ahead and read the book anyway, with no one to blame but yourself for all the flinching you’ll do … There was no going to bed until I’d reached the end. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat with worry about how everyone was going to get out of this, heart thumping out of control the whole time, except for that one minute where it almost stopped.”

-Danielle E. Shipley, author and blogger

Read Chapter Three here.

Win a Free Book!

Most of you know my book, The Man in the Box, is being released on November 30. It will be free on Kindle and Amazon the first week it’s out. But not everyone is into ebooks quite yet, so my publisher over at Blackwyrm has agreed to do a little a contest to give you a chance to win a free hard-copy of my book! It’s a great book and it’s a fun contest, so read on.

Send a picture of a box. 

You might send a photo of you in a box, your pet in a box (see below), or maybe a puppet in a box. One entry per person, and the photo must have a real box in it -cardboard, metal, wood, shoe, but a box.

Maybe you’re artistic and would rather show us what’s in the box and send a picture or diorama insde your box of where it leads – Where would you would go if you had a magic box?

Photos will be accepted until November 20 @ marketing@blackwyrm.com . Then, the voting will begin at our page!

The photo with the most “likes” by 9 p.m. November 29 will receive a brand new box! That’s right, and this box will have stuff in it that’s not imaginary! A free box of goodies to the winner, including a copy of the book! 

Here is the facebook link to the contest.

Here is The Man in the Box facebook page. Please “Like.”

And here are what people are saying about The Man in the Box:

“Be prepared for the peaks and valleys of adventure, fantasy, real life, and war.”
-Sam Williamson, Founding Director, Beliefs of the Heart

“There was no going to bed until I’d reached the end. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat … heart thumping out of control the whole time.” 
-Danielle E. Shipley, author and blogger

“Andrew Toy has created a unique and interesting story that spans several genres from mystery and adventure to fantasy.”
-Nicole McManus, reviewer and blogger

“I was not disappointed—I finished it in a day. I had a hard time putting it down.”
-Ken Stewart, blogger

Yes, these are our dogs. In a box.

Fullness In Christ

The following is taken from The Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett. To those of us trying to find fulfillment in passions, pleasures, satisfactions, cravings, needs, and wants other than in Christ: 

O God, though hast taught me that Christ has all fullness and so all plenitude of the Spirit, that all fullness I lack in myself is in Him, for His people, not for Himself, alone, He having perfect knowledge, grace, righteousness, to make me see, to make me righteous, to give me fullness; that it is my duty, out of a sense of emptiness, to go to Christ, possess, enjoy His fullness as mine, as if I had it in myself, because it is for me in Him; that when I do this I am full of the Spirit, as a fish that has got from the shore to the sea and has all fullness of waters to move in, for when faith fills me, then I am full; that this is the way to be filled with the Spirit, like Stephen, first faith, then fullness, for this way makes me most empty, and so most fit for the Spirit to fill.

Thou hast taught me that the finding of this treasure of all grace in the field of Christ begets strength, joy, glory, and renders all graces alive.

Help me to delight more in what I receive from Christ, more in that fullness which is in Him, the fountain of all His glory.

Let me not think to receive the Spirit from Him as a “thing” apart from finding, drinking, being filled with Him.

To this end, O God, do thou establish me in Christ, settle me, give me a being there, assure me with certainty that all this is mine, for this only will fill my heart with joy and peace.

Cast Your Vote Here!

As many of you know, my book, The Man in the Box, is getting ready to go to print with Blackwyrm Publishing. My good friend and founder of Enrich Design designed a couple of cover options for the book. And now, I would like for you to vote on your favorite cover to be used for publication. Feel free to leave comments bellow, and my publisher will be making the choice based off your votes. Click here for a description of the book. Click the link bellow for the covers. You can vote for either “Box in Jungle” or “Dinosaur Tail.”

MIBCoverIdeas

Excerpt From The Man in the Box

Here is an excerpt from my novel, The Man in the Box. Robbie Lake is a 30-something year old man who is having a hard time dealing with his wife and two kids. To top it off, he gets fired from his job after serving faithfully for eleven years. For the full synopsis click here. This excerpt is taken from chapters 3 and 4:

Before he crawled out of the box he sat upright on his rear and laid his back against the back of the cardboard while he waited. He realized he hadn’t been inside a box since he was a kid.

As he exhaled, he closed his eyes.

Instantly Robbie felt a cool breeze that sent a shiver up his spine. His knees were pulled up to his chest and his hands were at his sides and they were wet. He lifted them, dripping droplets of cool water all over his suit.

When he opened his eyes he saw that he was crouching in a giant puddle of crystal-blue phosphorescent water. The water glowed brightly enough to reveal a vast cavern surrounding him. A ray of light shone through a hole at several hundred feet above his head.

Robbie shivered as he stood up to observe his surroundings. It was chilly in the cave, especially with little gusts of wind wisping past him.  He had no idea where he was, or where he had come from. But somehow, he didn’t really care. He was just simply … there.

He could hear tiny waves lapping against the cavern’s rugged walls. The only other sound came from the echoes of leaking water trickling off the walls. The only way out had to be down one of the many corridors surrounding him.

Before Robbie had a chance to collapse into a paranoid state of claustrophobia, he heard footsteps splashing in the water. Someone was running down one of the corridors. Robbie, feeling soiled in his wet clothes, ran after the sound of the footsteps and called out, “Who’s there?”

He was desperately in need of answers.

He heard the pattering of footsteps in response to his query. With the intensity of a bloodhound he followed the sound down the corridor.

The light did not reach this far into the cave, so he paused to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. Finally, Robbie could just barely see the figure of a child about ten feet ahead. He walked slowly forward, not wanting to scare the kid off.

“My name is Robbie,” he said cautiously. “I just need to know how to get out of here.”

Although he couldn’t be certain in the darkness, this young child, a girl, was glaring at him.

“Can you tell me where I am?” asked Robbie as he inched closer to the child. “I promise I’m not going to hurt you.”

He took a few steps closer, reaching out his hand toward her as if trying to feed a frightened fawn. The girl remained motionless, her arms down at her sides and her bare feet spread slightly apart.

“What’s your name?” asked Robbie.

Then without so much as a warning the girl broke her scowl and hissed at him, warning him to stay back. He pulled his hand back in surprise. The fawn just snapped at him.

“I’m sorry,” he said instinctively. Then he realized she probably didn’t speak English. So he tried the only other way he knew to communicate. He gestured with his hands.

“I’m,” Robbie said, pointing at his chest, “nice.” He said nice while smiling really wide and pressing his fingers into his cheeks. “I’m a friend,” he clarified.

Then he waved his arm around in a big circle followed by an exaggerated shrug: “Where are we?”

The girl took a step toward him. Against his instincts, he stood his ground. She took another step and another, and gradually closed the gap between them. He could see her more clearly now. She looked like she was about eight or nine. She had long dark hair that dropped down her back in straight greasy lines. She wore a plain dirty beige cloak that hung down to her knees.

Now just feet away from each other, she slowly moved her arm behind her back to scratch. Robbie wondered briefly what kinds of lice she might be carrying.

Robbie felt uneasy.

As she pulled her hand back out bearing a dagger, her eyes narrowed at him and she bared her teeth like an animal. Robbie turned and sprinted in the opposite direction, all pretense of ‘friendly grown up’ behavior tossed aside as soon as he saw the dagger in the girl’s hand.

He heard her hissing and screaming from behind as he tried not to fall over anything in the darkness. He had to run with his arms stretched out in front of him so he wouldn’t hit a wall. After a few uncertain feet, he saw light ahead. Robbie set his tracks on the faint beam that shined through the dark cavern.

He feared that the little girl was more an expert in running in the dark through ankle-deep water than he was. His wet shoes and socks were weighing him down. He tried not to imagine the little girl’s knife stabbing him in the lower back. She was close enough now to do just that.

Somehow, he made it to the light. The sudden brightness blinded him temporarily and all went black.

Next thing he knew, the ground gave way under him. He was falling.

It all happened so fast that he didn’t even think to scream. All he could do was wait for the impact and pray that he wouldn’t feel it, as he twisted and twirled in the air.

Suddenly he was submerged under cold water and his body spiraled out of control as he plunged into the depths. He choked on the water splashing down his throat. When at last the current stopped thrashing him about he opened his eyes to determine which way he needed to swim for air. They had finally adjusted to the light and he was able to see the surface of the water.

He swam toward the sun.

Just as he thought the water would never stop rising against him his head broke through the surface and he gulped in a huge breath of air. This was the greatest satisfaction his lungs had ever felt.

As he breathed in the delicious air he heard a loud shriek coming from above, followed by a splash nearby. The girl had jumped into the water. She grabbed his foot and, with surprising strength, pulled him back under.

He tried kicking his foot to shake her off, but she grabbed onto his other foot. He couldn’t believe how strong she was. The situation was quickly escalating into a full-on fight for his life as the girl began clawing at Robbie’s legs. She climbed all over him, pulling him further underwater. She then let go of a foot to grab his right hand, and she bit down where his thumb joined his palm. Robbie screamed in agonizing pain, sending the rest of his air up in bubbles. He tried to tear his hand away, but the girl would not release her bite.

Finally, in a final act of desperation he swung at the girl with his one free foot, kicking her square in the stomach. The sudden release of her bite let forth a torrent of pain coursing through his hand. Now freed, he quickly made his way up to the surface and, again refilled his lungs with air, swirling blood around him that gushed from his hand. His head spun wildly from lack of oxygen and too much pain.

As he treaded in the cool water, he began to grow nervous that he may have actually killed the girl, which of course was not his intent. He waited and watched the water, but she never surfaced. The only movement came from his own feet as he worked to stay afloat.

Panic grew in his chest as he started to believe he was a murderer. It was self-defense! he assured himself. If he hadn’t kicked her, she would have drowned him for sure. He ducked his head back under the water, but couldn’t see any sign of her. The  lake was an empty abyss.

For a chance to win an advanced electronic copy, join The Man in the Box Facebook page and help spread the word of its upcoming release (TBA).

[Image Credit]

Summer Books for Your Kids (Part 1)

I consider myself a treasure-hunter. Part of that means storing up treasures for my kids to inherit in the future. This is one of the reasons why I watch so many animated films and read children’s books on occasion. Buried somewhere under all the Harry Potter and Captain Underpants influenza is a Tuck Everlasting , or a Charlotte’s Web. Stories that last for more than the 192 pages printed within the covers. Stories that stick with you forever in some way or another …are treasures. Here are some finds I have come across over the years that you can feel safe having your kids read, or that you can read to them, no matter how young they are.

Special Note: I have listed the following books on the right of this page. If you purchase any through those links you’d be supporting our sponsor and helping us reach our goal with adopting James.

101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

Sarabeth and I read this a few years back and still consider it one of the best fictions we’ve come across. This book is a milestone of children’s literature. It is just as engaging for adults as it is for kids. Talking dogs handling real-life problems. It’s a great ride, even if you’ve seen the old movies. There are still plenty of surprises to keep you and your kids on the edge of your seat.

 

 

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

I’ve never had so much fun giving my brain a workout. This is a highly imaginative book for kids who might be turned off by the girl heroine in Alice in Wonderland. If memory serves correctly, it was the first full-length novel I ever read, and I liked it so much I returned to it as an adult, and had just as much fun. And yes, to those of you wondering, this is the book they rave about in the show Parks and Recreation.

 

 

Peter and the Starcatchers trilogy by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry

Ever wonder how Peter Pan became Peter Pan? Find out in this adventure book loaded with short chapters and lots of pictures. This would make a good movie. There are four in the series, but I’d say the first and second are the two worth reading. And no, the author is not related to J.M. Barrie.

 

 

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Talk about pure gold. While your boys are immersed in Neverland adventures, pull out this classic treasure for your girls. Even as an adult I find these books to be among some of the greatest children’s literature of our day. It’s yet another book about an orphan who is reluctantly taken in by the Cuthberts, and how she changes their lives and the world of Avonlea for the better.

 

Check back next week for more books you and your kids will enjoy. Tomorrow: Are your eyes fixed on Heaven?