I actually wrote three books when I was 10 or 11 but only finished one. I kept them all in my portfolio. I didn't know I was any good at writing because I never got any feedback on it. Everyone was always praising me for my art talent so that was where I went. However, I'm glad the Lord didn't give up on me.
I was an avid reader and would go through the aisles of the library looking for books to read. I found The Hobbit that way and many other classics that I enjoyed - especially adventure, sci-fi and fantasy. These were the genre that always attracted me.
I did well in school because of being a good reader, but school was boring and I was painfully shy. My father died when I was 13 and that didn't help any. However, it did help me turn to the Lord for help. By high school, I had discovered The Lord of the Rings and read that three times. I fancied myself a member of "The Inklings" which were the inner circle of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien and some other fantasy writers but I didn't have an inkling of how I would ever write anything to be a part of it.
When I was 15, a person told be about Jesus Christ and I received Him as my Personal Savior. That changed my perspective and helped me cope better with the problems in my life.
Upon graduation from high school, I went to Bible College and studied to be a teacher. I had lost most of my interest in art or writing by then.
However, the Lord had other plans for me. I ended up teaching school in Memphis, TN and that was my inspiration for the Land of Efacia. I will let you know next time the continuing story of how this book came to be...
