My dear readers,

Ever since High School, I have wanted to write a story that could change people’s hearts. After years of struggling to find that story, my brother-in-law suggested something to me that gave me the answer: “Why don’t you write a story for Lauren?” Little did I know that Lauren (my oldest niece) would help inspire what I believe would be my best story yet.

I thought about the reasons for writing a story for my niece. I knew I wanted my niece to read good stories that would change her for the better. I particularly remembered our weekly video dates as we read The Chronicles of Narnia. I read those to her because I wanted those books to change her, as they changed me. To move her as they moved me. But how would I want my books to change her? I knew our world was being torn apart by hatred and division and I hoped it wouldn’t harden her heart as it did so many people. That was when I realized the answer. I knew more than anything that I wanted Lauren to understand empathy.

So, I created Aria! Aria was a fun, adventurous redheaded girl who could talk to animals and feel the emotions of other people. And, like Lauren, Aria would have to learn to manage her emotions. I wanted Aria would to be someone who Lauren longed to become – someone fun, courageous, compassionate, and adventurous. And she had awesome superpowers. Aria was exactly what my niece needed. It just so happened that our broken world also needed Aria’s compassion as well.

This is why I’m thrilled to present to you the chapter book titled Finding a Familiar, book one of the Aria’s Adventures book series. If you would like to sample the first few chapters of the book, I can send those to you, when you join my monthly newsletter called Gabriel’s Café.

Thank you for your interest in Aria’s world! I hope you truly enjoy it and that it awakens your heart to experience empathy, love, and goodness.

My Very Best,

Author of Finding a Familiar

P.S.  If you like C. S. Lewis, you may enjoy The Raphael Letters which is a series of letters written by the Archangel Raphael to a guardian angel named Shariel.