Mini-Bio: Author Terry Craig is an artist-turned-writer out of a passion to share the gospel in a way that contrasts it against other world philosophies, and allows the reader to weigh the value of each from a non-threatening perspective. When she speaks to would-be fiction writers, she extols what she calls the "power of story-telling." Terry met Jesus Christ in 1977. As she has walked with Him, the themes of her life have become the themes of her stories: God's timing is not necessarily ours, He can turn all things to the benefit of those who love Him, and His love and never fails.
Extended-Bio and SWORDSMAN back story: Terry Craig is a multi-talented artist who seems to excel at whatever she tackles. It started with ceramic painting as a pastime--which led to owning a shop by the docks in the U.S. Virgin Islands where the cruise ships came in. This was followed by requests for custom-designed wall mosaics. Then, she moved on to water colors--with even some of her first paintings selling well through a small art gallery and a local artist's co-op. But her greatest developed talent has proven to be: people watching.
An astute observer and natural born mimic with a great sense of humor, Terry has always been able to hone in on the distinctive characteristics that make people unique. Add to this a keen mind intrigued by things mechanical, a family fascinated by words and a love for science fiction--and you have a formula for a great futuristic novelist.
Terry's had the benefit of extensive travel since her parents moved a great deal and put a premium on nice vacations. Marrying Bill Craig (her childhood sweetheart) in 1970 did little to change those dynamics. In the process of raising two sons, they have lived on both coasts, in the Caribbean, and visited most of the fifty states including Alaska. A mission trip to Russia not only gave her a deep love for its people, but an understanding of the effects of invasive surveillance and powerful police presence on a populace.
When Terry gave her life to Christ in 1977, she had an almost immediate desire to share the gospel with others. But the spiritually oriented in her crowd just put Jesus in the same category with all their other "christs," prophets, and gurus. "Jesus? . . . Yeah, great, glad he's worked out for you. . . . Did I tell you that I slept better last night with that crystal under my bed?" Frustrated, she began seeking the Lord for ways to share His distinctively good news--creatively. Almost as soon as she asked, she began getting ideas for a book that would contrast Christ against a backdrop of other world philosophies (or recognizable facsimiles) in full fruition. It wasn't a pretty picture. The knack would be in making it palatable.
After finishing the manuscript of Swordsman, its pathway to publication was a roller coaster of highs and lows. At the time, "Christian fiction" was virtually a non-existent genre. But upon its first mailing, the Editor and Chief of a major publishing house took Swordsman to publications committee. It failed that last hurdle and was returned to her with the first of many mimeographed rejection slips.
Ideas began to come for two books that would precede Swordsman. But who in their right mind would bother to outline two additional books for a trilogy when little had ever come of the first book? Despite logic to the contrary, Terry faithfully scribbled down ideas as they percolated to the surface. Eventually, she mapped out storylines for two novels and some of the details leading up to the final scenario set forth in Swordsman. Not long after, a copy of Swordsman made its way into Creation House. They liked Terry's writing and decided to purchase the manuscript for GATEKEEPER. The political thriller (which became book one of the Fellowship of the Mystery trilogy) climbed to Amazon's top one hundred in its genre and stayed there for over two years.
As Sojourner (book two) went to print, it was apparent that Swordsman (now book three) was not finished. Certain characters whose lives had been developed in the first two books (but weren't in the original Swordsman) had become such an integral part of the story--and had such a vital role yet to play--that bringing them forward into Swordsman was imperative. Though the core story would remain unchanged, the added threads of these character's lives would provide several layers of dimension and greatly enhance the novel.
The reason for the delay is now apparent: Swordsman was a good novel with a great message. Now, it is a novel that matches its message. It needed nearly thirty years of refining--more accurately, the author needed thirty years of seasoning in order to write the depth and breadth of the complete story from a storehouse of experience. Terry now says, "The themes of my life have become the themes of my stories: God's timing is not necessarily our timing . . . He can turn all things to the benefit of those who love Him, and His love never fails."
Sources: Wild Flower Press, Inc. and Author Terry Craig
Writer: Jo Ann Halvorson
Swordsman (Wild Flower Press, Inc., 2005) ISBN-13: 978-0-9618852-3-6 ISBN-10: 0-9618852-3-8
Suggested Retail: $15.99 Available at a bookstore near you, online at wildflowerpress.biz, or amazon.com.
For additional information, requests for author interviews, or speaking engagements contact: Jo Ann Halvorson via e-mail: mediarelations@wildflowerpress.biz
