Since I was about three years old, I wanted to write stories that both entertained and encouraged people. My first inspiration was The Little Engine That Could, with pretty pastoral illustrations and an energetic young train engine.

Later I read J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings stories. Such joy! I wanted there to be reality behind the magic. The joy of the hobbits sustained me through dark teenage times.

After Tolkien’s books, C.S. Lewis’s space trilogy came to me from a friend (thank you, Michael!). The message, especially in Perelandra, was clear: The spiritual realm of Christianity with angels and demons is real. And since I was very familiar with lies and dangers, I yearned for truth, a reality that could give me protection as well as joy in my quest.

In high school I began writing fantasy. But I was in my thirties when a writer looked at a chapter I’d written about a princess fleeing from a wicked plot to take over the kingdom. The experienced writer told me, “There’s always a layer of truth under a good fantasy.” So, I wondered, what is the layer of truth, of joyful reality behind my stories?

As I matured, I unpacked a whole Tardis of trouble and saw how Jesus has protected me from evil and replaced mental “stinking thinking” with a joyful soul. The underlying bedrock firmed under my books. At this point, I have two published. The bedrock under them is the struggle between good and evil.

In Book 1 of the Soul’s Warfare series, The Hot Marble, I pose a question: What do you do if the devil kidnaps your soul?

In Book 2, The Cave Chamber, I pose the question, How can you just be yourself and, with God’s help, rescue your universe? Note: Book 2 is rather dark. The reality behind the story is a tormented soul in deadly warfare.

Book 3 is named The Horned Edge, the deep dark organization that plans to conquer two planets—and on from there. The forces behind The Horned Edge intend to devour, not just territory, but the people’s souls. My question is, How can you be your broken self and overcome a huge evil with just what you’ve been hiding in your sock drawer?

When you read the books, you can just sit back and enjoy the adventure. There’s humor and romance, too. And, if your soul needs to escape some darkness, may the books point you to what and Who can help you and give you joy.