As a part of the CSFF bloggers, today I will be featuring a new release, Curse of the Spider King by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper, with the focus on the authors.
Wayne Thomas Batson (Taken from website)
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Christopher Hopper | biography Taken from author's website
Christopher Hopper was born April 25th 1979 in Ithaca, NY, son of record producer (April & Blackwood Records; Columbia Records; AireFire Records), recording & audio engineer (Clint Black, The Judds) and drummer (Janis Joplin, Phil Keaggy) Peter Hopper, and singer/songwriter Nina Hopper (Shenandoah Conservatory of Music).
Growing up in recording studios, his early musical talents secured him a position as a professional studio drummer at age ten. He toured and produced alongside his father throughout his teenage years with scores of records to his credit. At age nineteen he recorded and co-produced his own first full-length album, Don’t Let Me Go (1999 AireFire Records). The album opened doors for him to tour Europe, Africa and the US.
With his father also being a pastor, now for over 35 years, Hopper grew up preaching in the church, presenting his first sermon at age 11. He took over the youth pastor vacancy of his father’s church at age 17 and was ordained by both Good News World Outreach and Reach Out For Christ Church Inc at age 23, and then New Life Christian Church at age 26.
In the summer of 2001 he formed a trio and recorded a second studio album under the name, Christopher Hopper & Money For The Poor. The album, Please Come In (2001 AireFire Records) spurred a 26 state round-the-US national tour. Later in 2002 he would go back in the studio with a new band for a third studio project, only this time he would dedicate the entire project to worship. Vertical: The Worship Project (2002 AireFire Records), would turn a corner for Hopper as he found a “new calling†in leading worship.
Already having a growing fan base of teenagers and college students, as well as parents who finally found a style of Christian music that “both teenagers and their parents could enjoy together,†Hopper was approached to lead worship for the Joshua Revolution youth conference in Buffalo, NY in 2002. The event was recorded live and the result was his best selling record to date, Christopher Hopper Live! (2003 AireFire Records).
Immediately following the success of the album, tour demands and speaking engagements in Europe and his growing ministry popularity in France opened another door: a worship CD completely in French. In January of 2003, Hopper went into the studio for his fifth project, this time all in a foreign language. Pour Toi (2003 AireFire Records) was released in both the US and France, sent also to the francophone nations of Africa.
It was also in 2003 that Hopper proposed to his now wife, Jennifer Lee Hopper, also a singer, songwriter and pianist. Falling For You (2003 AireFire Records) would be a duet album released on their wedding in late December, marking 3 CD releases in one year.
Busy with married life, constant touring and conference speaking, his next record would not be recorded until late 2004, a second live recording, this time at HSBC Arena. Dialed In (2005 AireFire Records) would be his first-two disc set and hallmark yet another event in his life and ministry.
In 2005 Hopper would put down roots in the 1,000 Islands region of northern NY and release his eighth recording with the Christopher Hopper Band, Airborn (2005 AireFire Records). His latest album would be a departure from his band, chosing instead to partner with guitar-virtuosos, Paul Rohling, for an all-acoustic CD recorded live at his favorite coffee house in the 1,000 Islands. “Live at the Lyric” (2009 AireFire Music | Sprig Records) would also be the first product of Hopper’s newest ventures–a church-based record company called Sprig Records.
Apart from music, Hopper’s longtime hobby of writing emerged as yet another facet one of his gifts in communication. In 2005 Hopper entered into a publishing contract with Tsaba House Publishing Company (Reedley, CA), distributed by STL. The first book of The White Lion Chronicles, Rise of The Dibor, was released June 15th 2006, with book two, The Lion Vrie, released June 2007. Since then he has also signed a multi-book deal with publishing giant Thomas Nelson, with his first co-authored novel, Curse of the Spider King, due out in October 2009 with author Wayne Thomas Batson.
Hopper continues to tour internationally as a conference speaker, worship leader and concert musician. He is president of Quest Productions, a private company dedicated to excellence in the performing arts; director of Awakening, an international youth conference geared towards teaching youth how to affect their culture; owner of Grandath Films, a film company specializing in the production of Book Trailers and marketing videos; and president of DIBOR, an international discipleship school. Hopper is also an entrepreneur with multiple business interests in real estate and the restaurant industry.
Hopper and his wife serves as the Teen & College Pastor of New Life Christian Church in northern New York (33 Live), and have dedicated themselves to raising up the next generation of young, Christ-centered earth shakers–three of those being their daughter, Evangeline Mae, and sons, Luik Christopher and Judah Peter Kirk.
Be sure to come back tomorrow to see my personal thoughts on the book as well as to sign up for my giveaway!
Please be sure to visit these other stops on the tour to see what others have to say about this great book!
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I would like to thank the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for providing a copy for review. I have also purchased a copy of this book from Amazon.com that will be used later on in the week for a giveaway. I am an Amazon Associate.
I really like this post! What terrific information about these guys!
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