In the early 90’s the plight of the Dinka came to my attention and I became financially involved. It was not uncommon to read of wholesale murder, slavery and other atrocities in the weekly updates. When our nest emptied in 2005, a particularly heartbreaking news story arrived. The concept for this book was born out of that heartbreak.
While it’s common in Fantasy for the protagonist to achieve greatness or powers by hereditary means, mystic download or just plain dumb luck, the protagonists in "Javen Legacy of the Seers," receive their abilities by conscious sacrifice. If I were to pinpoint any one uniqueness, it would be this. Just as the heroes in Sudan, dead and living, (even those bombarded today in the Nuba Mountains) make conscious sacrifices for the lives of their loved ones or strangers, I wanted "Javen’s’" characters to communicate these same sacrifices, pain, joy and growth to Young Adult Fantasy readers, like a Fantasy Fable.
"Javen Legacy of the Seers," isn’t an allegory or dark fantasy, but occasionally, the depravities occurring in Sudan speak. Though the bad guy doesn’t die in the end, – as he’s needed for the next couple books – this isn’t a dark story. A lighter hand was used, sometimes comic, sometimes poignant but always fantastical. In "Javen," the bad guy isn’t ugly, and some good guys look like gorgons, but that’s real. The evil don’t wear neon signs or always dress in black.
This continues to be the mindset for this series. Thank you for your interest.
