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Secret of Shadow and Light is now available!
Hi guys! Sorry to take most of January off—and I missed you—but I really needed to buckle down on my workload. There were several books to complete and several rounds of edits, revisions, and a lot of "Who put that there? Did I do that?"
Now things are coming together and there is so much to share. But let's begin with Sheena Meyer.
This was a hard project to complete. I've lost so many friends over the past six months. Even today as I wrote this post, I found out about someone passing. It's had to get things done when your heart is broken. But every time I was at my lowest, a parent would email letting me know what I do matters. And each time, I would respond with, "You made my day." I meant every word. Your emails, DMs, and photos kept me going, people. :)
Okay, enough with the mushiness. You know I'll cry at the drop of a hat.
We're on book six. Can you believe it? The secrets run deep in the city of Muskegon, Michigan (where I was born) as well as in the Meyer and Tobias families. The story behind the Secret of Shadow and Light is quite a mystery. A prophecy was foretold during the time the first gleamers arrived in Muskegon. But there was also a warning. It is up to Sheena to figure out the prophecy in order to determine her fate.
The theme of the whole Sheena Meyer series is hope in the face of adversity, and you find Sheena has grown as the series progresses—as a person and as a gleamer. Little by little, more light is being shed on what it means to be a gleamer.
Here's the big question: Does Sheena have to die?
If you read book five of the series, City of Gleamers, then you understand why that's the question at hand. I've received lots of answers from my readers. I love that they've put so much thought into the story.
But does she have to die?
Yes, Sheena is going to die...
But not in my story. LOL. Or there wouldn't be further books.
Secret of Shadow and Light answers many questions but also presents some that I take into the coming seventh and final book of the series (May Your Vision Be True) before Sheena goes into high school in the new young adult series available fall 2022.
Questions emailed or Dm'd:
Reader: Can Sheena and Cameron become boyfriend and girlfriend?
LB: Have you not met Sheena's father? No dating until she's older.
Reader: Does Sheena have to kill Nana like Logan killed Luke?
LB: Wait. What? That's a horrible thought. LOL. Who are you?
Reader: Can Logan stay in the series?
LB: Great question. Logan intrigues my readers. I think it's a great idea.
I had the most fun author visit with a youth group in London, England. One question asked was:
How do you come up with the names of your main characters?
LB: My protagonist names must have the correct meaning. Sheena means "God is gracious." Meyer has several meanings, including "one who shines."
A major setting in book six is an actual place in Muskegon, but I changed the name...
The former hospital and land were once thought to be haunted.
From Secret of Shadow and Light:
Muskegon’s old Northbay Hospital might be torn down, but that didn’t stop it from being the creepiest place in the state, maybe even the country.
Sheena read from the newspaper, “Years ago, the hospital was used for mental patients. Once it shut down, the hospital sat empty for years. Its eerie silhouette against the night sky.”
Jasmine leaned over the island, her hair hanging, covering the newspaper. “It says here that the basement was the scariest place, and there were lots of rumors of creepy things going on down there.”
“Well, now we know why. It’s where the Murk lives,” said Parker.
You won't understand this aesthetics board until you read Secret of Shadow and light. I can just hear all the "Oh, that's what that photo meant."
