Why I Wrote a YA Novel

That's right!  In case you haven't heard, I am now a published author!  I've entered an interesting new stage in which people I haven't seen for a while come up to me and ask, "So you've written a book?"  

Some people think it means I have instant wealth now that I'm a successful author, failing to realize that the terms "successful" and "published" are not synonymous and I still have quite a few books to sell before I make any return on my initial investment.  This is compounded because of the type of book I've written.

Fiction.

A novel.

About spiritual warfare, starring a skateboarder as the main character.

For young adults...teenagers...who are notoriously not fond of reading.

So now a more appropriate question might have entered your head... "Why on earth did you decide to invest money and time to write a young adult fiction novel?"

The answer is really simple.  God has given me a heart for youth...ever since I was 12.  If you don't know my story, I'll give you a few of the highlights that led up to the publishing of this work.

I was saved at 10 years old, but I really started walking with the Lord in earnest, answering His call and living in relationship with Him when I was 12.  Why the Lord chose me out at such a young age is a mystery except that His strength is made perfect in weakness and I was weak enough to display His glory.  As for why I answered the call, I think it was because enough things had happened to me by that point, (such as my dad dying, and our family being rejected by a church) that had matured me enough to realize how much I needed Him.

Anyways, as I began seeking the Lord as a 12-year-old, God placed an unmistakable burden in my life for our youth group.  There were so many times in prayer when I would just weep and sob over them and it was as if I could feel His heart for them and His longing to have a relationship with each of them.  So as a result, I decided to start a youth Bible study.  I was dumb enough to not be dissuaded by the obvious obstacle that I was 12 and was planning on teaching a Bible study to a group of kids that were all older than me.

Remarkably enough after a couple of rough attempts, several of the young people actually began consistently attending!  I would study a chapter in the Bible, pray and then do my best to communicate it to whoever showed up.  Sometimes it was just one, other times there were eleven or twelve, but a lot of times it was four or five youth that would come.  As it happened, they began asking me questions or arguing with me about certain surface issues...standards, as I called them, that their parents insisted they live up to.  How to dress, what entertainment was acceptable, etc.  I would go round and round with them on some of these issues, but gradually, through prayer (as I was frustrated at not being able to get through to them) I came to realize that the problem lay deeper and if I wanted to get anywhere with them in my Bible study I had to address the root issue.

The root issue, as I came to see it, was that they really didn't believe that God loved them and wanted a relationship with them...that they couldn't really grasp how much He cared.  If they got that, then all the other issues would work themselves out.  But how could I get them to see that all the standard arguments we were having were just smokescreens distracting us from the real problem?  As a storyteller at heart, I decided to write something from another character's perspective to try to show them what was really going on.

That is how the first chapter of Darkened Eyes was born.  I came up with a character--a teenage skater who was rebelling against his mom's Christianity, and fought hard against all the rules, but really just didn't believe God loved him.

By the time I wrote this little short story, I was 14.  I only intended to write those couple of pages, just to introduce the idea that was in my head and communicate it in a different way, but as I was writing, the storyteller in me got the best of me, and I threw in a sinister, suspicious character behind a tree, watching the skater, with a deeper, darker purpose.  I'm not even really sure where the idea came from, because it just occurred to me to throw it in there out of the blue, but once the concept was on the table I wanted to play around with it and see where it took me.

Thus, I began writing a story, chapter by chapter, that would eventually become a published novel.  My sister (who was 11 at the time) would read each chapter as I finished it, give me feedback and push me to write the next one.  Without her promptings I don't know that I ever would have completed the project.  Over the next several years, I wrote the story, and finally actually finished.  The question then was: "Now what?"  Suddenly I had a finished novel manuscript sitting on my computer doing nothing.

Practicality told me that there was no way it would be good enough for publication since I was a teenager writing a book for the first time.  But whenever I got the chance, I would send it to friends or other writers who would as time went on edit it and give me feedback.  I went to a writer's conference purely to get advice, and was actually told by the publishers I met who read the little bit that I'd written that they thought it was good enough to be published!  But it was still in the metamorphasis stages, constantly changing and adapting as I got different types of feedback.  When I went to college, several of my English major friends jumped in the mix with edits and suggestions.

Finally after multiple drafts, proddings and attempts, I found an agent that would represent me who connected me with Axiom Press, who published my first novel!

But again, why go to all the trouble and expense to finally get the novel published?

Well, aside from the creative process itself being fun and invigorating to me, I really do have a heart for young people, especially in our culture.

We are waging war whether we realize it or not.  We are daily engaged in a supernatural conflict, in which very real spiritual sources are trying to influence, corrupt and claim us.  And I personally believe that teenagers are prime candidates for this war.  I believe each soul has value and that the Kingdoms of both God and Satan struggle over winning young people to their respective causes.  I wanted to write a book that would depict that.  A story engaging enough to keep a young person's interest, but that would also reach down to the root of the issue and address the battle that is happening in the mind and heart of the person reading.

I don't know how God will use my literary offering.  I am super inexperienced in areas of marketing and promotion and feel like I'm constantly floundering trying to figure out what to do next.  However, my prayer is that whoever will most benefit from this book, God will get it into their hands.  If you know someone you think could benefit, or if you're struggling personally with issues of the problem of evil in the world, whether or not God loves you, or why there are so many rules in Christianity...if you're an adult who is trying to reach into the world of teenagers and impact them for the kingdom of light...if you're a young person who has grown up in the church but struggles with some of the teachings...I pray that this book blesses and impacts you.  (And, of course, any help you can give me in getting the word out is greatly appreciated!)

Ultimately, my goal is expressed in Acts 26:18, which gives a hint at the reason for my enigmatic title: 

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 

May this book aid in some small way in accomplishing this purpose!

Darkened Eyes is available on Amazon or in any local bookstore to whom Ingram distributes (like Barnes and Noble or most Christian bookstores).  You can also purchase a signed copy directly from me at www.darkenedeyes.org.

Reviews:

"I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because the author used a story that almost everyone can relate to, made the reader wonder what's going to happen next by letting the suspense build, and used many elements to grab the reader's attention." (Paige, age 14)

"I wasn't sure what to expect but I definitely didn't expect to cry, laugh, roll my eyes and feel genuine fear for this imaginary character. The story in itself is interesting as the author brings you believable and relatable characters that go on an unexpected adventure, but the deeper journey that it takes you on is what got five stars from me. I did not except to pause and re-evaulate my life from a youth book about a skateboarder." (Emily, age 24)

"Darkened Eyes is a great action-packed YA novel featuring a relatable protagonist. The story has a great plot with lots of twists to keep things interesting. Be aware that there are very overt religious themes in the book, but since the story is essentially about angels and demons battling over souls of humanity, that is to be expected. The glimpses into the supernatural realm that the author depicts are vivid and compelling." (JD, Christian pod-caster)

"I just finished reading this book! It held me captive right from the start. Great read, suspenseful, and a great depiction of humanity and the unseen battle for our souls. Thank you Michael Schroeder for using your God given talents for His glory. Now everybody who needs good reading especially for a young person who likes adventure buy this book." 😀 (Michelle, Author of Legacy of Grace)📕"