You made it! Great to have you here. Are you just discovering the hunt? Make sure you stop at #1 and grab the clues through all 31 stops. That let’s you enter to win one of our top 3 Grand Prizes!
A Few Quick Details before we get to my guest:
- The hunt STARTS on 3/1 at 12n, Mountain Standard Time at Lisa Bergren’s site, Stop #1.
- Use Chrome or Firefox as your browser. (Explorer won’t be your friend.)
- There’s NO RUSH to finish the hunt. You have the whole weekend. (Till Sunday, March 4th at midnight, MST.) Take your time, read the posts at each stop. Our hope is you find new stories, new authors, new friends.
- When you’ve visited all the stops, you’ll enter for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each stop, then submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at Stop # 31. Plus, many authors are offering additional prizes along the way! (Including me, see below.)
Now …
I’m excited to introduce my guest, and friend, Patrick Carr. I first met Patrick through his outstanding novel, Cast of Stones, then met him a few years later at a writing conference. We hit it off and have been friends ever since. Patrick is brilliant, kind, and wow, can he tell a story. Before we dive into his post, here’s a quick bit of info on his latest novel:
With the combined armies of the north arrayed for the last battle, Willet Dura and the rest of the Vigil must find a way to defeat the evil of the Darkwater. While assassins stalk the Kings and Queens of the north, Willet and his friends must unravel a mystery thousands of years in the making, but the clues are hidden in the unlikeliest place, Willet Dura’s mind.
Now, a few thoughts (insert drum roll here) from Patrick:
A Strange Economy, by Patrick Carr
My newest book, “The Wounded Shadow,” completes an epic fantasy series based on a world peopled by those with strange and wonderful “gifts.” Many who know me as a writer don’t realize that I hold down a day job as a high school math teacher. Many of my students think “gifted” in terms of the image shown. I often think the same.
But I’ve learned of a different type of gift and the strange inversions that take place in God’s economy. It may surprise you to discover my favorite students aren’t my most gifted. No, my favorite student each year is the one who struggles in my class and continues to persevere despite every failure, every poor test grade. One year, her name was Jayla. During instruction time in Geometry, Jayla was a great student – cheerful, engaged, and inquisitive.
On tests Jayla struggled. A lot. Despite all the work and tutoring she fought to maintain a “C” in my class. Finally, toward the end of the year, the grind got to her and she came to me in tears.
“Mr. Carr, I don’t understand why I can’t get this. I feel so stupid.”
The temptation to trot out the old teacher’s trope of “just keep trying and sooner or later you’ll succeed” died on my tongue. She had tried, harder than anyone else. And she hadn’t succeeded.
She was college-bound and needed every “A” or “B” she could get for scholarships.
What could I say?
I decided for the unvarnished truth. “Jayla, you’re not very good at Geometry.” Then I hurried to fill the silence. “Do you think you’d like to be a Geometry teacher?”
She laughed. “No.”
“I didn’t think so. You’re not strong in math, but I know you and I know the type of person you are and your beliefs. You’ve got great character.”
She gave me a look like she wasn’t sure she believed me.
“For an entire year, you never let your lack of success defeat you. You’ve shown up every day and worked your tail off. That’s character. I have no idea what you want to do in life, but I know you’re going to be amazing at it.”
She smiled and gave me a hug and two years later at graduation she told me I was her favorite teacher. I melted right then and there. Today, Jayla is majoring in communications/journalism and she’s a reporter for her university’s television newscast. She’s here: https://www.facebook.com/jayla.jackson.5
Ordinarily, this would be the end of the typical “teacher has an impact” story.
But there’s more. Teaching in a public school can be horrendously difficult. Many quit. Every time I thought I might, I often replayed that memory and found strength for another day to try and make a difference. Wow. What a gift she gave me. Here, I thought I’d been helping her. Instead, she was the one helping me. The Christian economy is a wondrous thing. In blessing others, it’s we who are blessed.
Jayla taught me that.
Patrick W. Carr is the award-winning author of two epic fantasy series, The Staff and the Sword and The Darkwater Saga. When he’s not writing, he’s teaching Geometry to high school students who inspire him in all sorts of ways. He owns a dog named Mr. Fruffles. He thinks writing about himself in 3rd person is kind of strange.
Here’s the Stop #16 Skinny:
You can order Patrick’s book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD, Baker Books, or at your local bookstore!
Clue to Write Down: THANKFUL
Here’s the link to stop # 17, on Patrick’s own site!
Yes, of course there’s more before you go:
Want to win a signed copy of your choice of one of my first three novels, Rooms, Book of Days, or The Chair? Simple! Just sign up for my newsletter (on the right hand side of this page) or if you’re already a subscriber, let me know in the comments and you’re in! 
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Release the hounds, I’m on the hunt for Day 2!
Thanks for hosting on this scavenger hunt, James! And what an amazing and touching story, Patrick! I have several friends who are teachers and am under no illusion that it is easy, but I have so much respect for you and them for pushing through and wanting the best for your students! Thank you for not giving up!
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“Release the hounds …” Love it, Alaina!
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