Dear Friends,
Hello and Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that another decade is drawing to a close and I have to say, this decade has been an absolute roller coaster ride for me. Some parts were amazing, others scary, but each unexpected turn brought new and exciting discoveries with it.
As some of you know, this decade started with me completing my undergraduate degree in philosophy and was quickly followed by my entering seminary with the Franciscans. Within a few short years I lived in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, PA, Victoria, KS, Santa Ynes, CA, Wilmington, DE, Pittsburgh, PA, Middletown, CT, and finally Richmond, VA. Through all that traveling, DC has become home and more importantly, all that traveling saw the start of a story which I never intended to write.
The Jewel of Life series came to me during meditation one morning. I probably should’ve been more focused on my morning prayer, but the imagery blossoming inside was impossible to ignore that early winter morning of 2012. A large part of this decade has been devoted to that story revolving around the boy who didn’t know he was an elf. One of my favorite questions from the various book events I’ve attended has been, “How does he not know he’s an elf, he has pointy ears, doesn’t he?” While I’ve never managed an adequate response on the spot, my reply would have to be, “How do anyone not know certain things to be true about themself ?” For me, it has always been a mixture of bending to cultural norms and trying as hard as I can to want something else.
Indeed, this decade has brought many new beginnings. After moving past seminary, I eventually landed back in DC for grad school in architecture, inadvertently ending the decade where it started. I know what you’re thinking, but you wanted to be a writer. You are absolutely right! But, I also wanted to be an architect, and truly that desire preceded the writer in me. With the closing of this decade, not only have I concluded my graduate education, but I’ve also embarked on that unsought stage of life called “your thirties.” As close friends and family will say, despite all the hurdles and unanticipated turns, my twenties were good to me, the 2010’s were truly a gift. And like most good gifts, I never expected any of it or any of the wonderful people who’ve come into my life. I can only imagine what this new decade will have in store, not just for me, but for us all.
With the new year, not only will I begin working at an architecture firm, here in DC, but I’ll also be wrapping up the third book in The Jewel of Life series, Fading Lights. I first started writing this book while I was in and out of seminary in 2015, and it truly was a gift that brought much healing. I won’t give any spoilers here, but it picks up after the events in Myrium, and the world view of a simple villager is stretched and pulled beyond what he imagined possible—the world is much larger than what he thought he knew in this ever-expanding story. I’m excited to announce, that Fading Lights will have a Summer 2020 release date. And lastly and most importantly, thank you to everyone who has been kind enough to leave a book review. Very few people pick up a book without looking at the reviews first! And as a special treat, not only have I included a few renderings from my graduate thesis, but as of Tuesday (2 January 2020) my second book, Hidden Within, will be available at a discounted price of 99¢ on Amazon Kindle for a week.
Sincerely,
Ryan D Gebhart
