The Story Behind the Story
The entire Shadowind series was spawned from my childhood. We were a large family living in a small house. As such, my brother and I shared a room with our youngest sister. In order for her to fall asleep, I would perform plays using her stuffed animals. Every night when the lights went out, the stories would commence until she fell asleep. Or until my mom came in, flicked on the lights, and said, “Okay, that’s enough for tonight.” And so I began writing plays when I was eight years old, and my first book when I was nine.
Logan, the male lead, is the name of that same sister’s child who died in infancy from a hole in his heart. Mindy is a portrayal of my sister. So she and her son are still able to run through life together, if only in fiction. They'll have to wait for heaven to do for real. I hope that the Quests of Shadowind stories can ease the pain and the waiting just a little.
Speaking of heaven, I've written some Christian parallels into the series. Take the basic story line, for example: Two children awaken only to find themselves orphaned and lost in a strange and dangerous world. They soon join with other similarly lost children, and encounter both spiritual and physical challenges. With outside help from sometimes enigmatic and unseen helpers, they must overcome these obstacles, caused by Shadowind’s virus, which are blocking their path back home to their parents and their world.
According to the Bible, Adam and Eve found themselves kicked out of the Garden of Eden. A virus had entered their lives -- sin. With their relationship to God severed, their lives would become a struggle. But with God’s intervention every lost child can reach our heavenly home. Faith in Christ and His merits are key, and Logan and Mindy (the stories’ main protagonists), have plenty of hope. Although sometimes it wavers.
There are evil spirits known as Deep Shadows who thwart Logan and Mindy every step of the way (demons). And what of Shadowind’s inhabitants, the anibots? They are robotic creatures, depicting that animals are different from human beings: they don’t have a soul. There are aliens called Nulenacs and Scursions who represent anti Christian forces. And the spider bots that suddenly appear and zap people away from the Mainland are like death itself.
On the positive side, there are Light Shades, beautiful spirits who supply help and protection (angels). Watchman Danby tends to Delta Village, giving guidance and wisdom, acting like a pastor or a priest. There are two men in particular, Captain Aimery and Crazy Bill Purdy, who guide Logan and Mindy on their quests. Often seeming nonsensical and enigmatic, these men portray God's sometimes mysterious intervention in our lives. And a character who will be introduced in a later book will loosely reflect God Himself -- if any fictional character can.
Even the name “Shadowind” is derived from a combination of Bible verses (Ecclesiastes 6:12, 2:11).
In these stories, the similarities to life as a Christian are sometimes like the undercurrents of a rip tide: strong but difficult to see. But with the wise words of Jesus, “He who has ears, let him hear,” those hidden meanings will rise to the surface and become clear.
Logan, the male lead, is the name of that same sister’s child who died in infancy from a hole in his heart. Mindy is a portrayal of my sister. So she and her son are still able to run through life together, if only in fiction. They'll have to wait for heaven to do for real. I hope that the Quests of Shadowind stories can ease the pain and the waiting just a little.
Speaking of heaven, I've written some Christian parallels into the series. Take the basic story line, for example: Two children awaken only to find themselves orphaned and lost in a strange and dangerous world. They soon join with other similarly lost children, and encounter both spiritual and physical challenges. With outside help from sometimes enigmatic and unseen helpers, they must overcome these obstacles, caused by Shadowind’s virus, which are blocking their path back home to their parents and their world.
According to the Bible, Adam and Eve found themselves kicked out of the Garden of Eden. A virus had entered their lives -- sin. With their relationship to God severed, their lives would become a struggle. But with God’s intervention every lost child can reach our heavenly home. Faith in Christ and His merits are key, and Logan and Mindy (the stories’ main protagonists), have plenty of hope. Although sometimes it wavers.
There are evil spirits known as Deep Shadows who thwart Logan and Mindy every step of the way (demons). And what of Shadowind’s inhabitants, the anibots? They are robotic creatures, depicting that animals are different from human beings: they don’t have a soul. There are aliens called Nulenacs and Scursions who represent anti Christian forces. And the spider bots that suddenly appear and zap people away from the Mainland are like death itself.
On the positive side, there are Light Shades, beautiful spirits who supply help and protection (angels). Watchman Danby tends to Delta Village, giving guidance and wisdom, acting like a pastor or a priest. There are two men in particular, Captain Aimery and Crazy Bill Purdy, who guide Logan and Mindy on their quests. Often seeming nonsensical and enigmatic, these men portray God's sometimes mysterious intervention in our lives. And a character who will be introduced in a later book will loosely reflect God Himself -- if any fictional character can.
Even the name “Shadowind” is derived from a combination of Bible verses (Ecclesiastes 6:12, 2:11).
In these stories, the similarities to life as a Christian are sometimes like the undercurrents of a rip tide: strong but difficult to see. But with the wise words of Jesus, “He who has ears, let him hear,” those hidden meanings will rise to the surface and become clear.
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