Good morning, good afternoon or good night if that suits you. My name is Terdell Johnson also known as Ivan Sugarwood author of the Judges Chronicles rebirth of Shavron. Before I get started with a brief commentary on the book, I just want to say that you, as the parent, if chose to purchase this story for your children they will be receiving a unique book---a treasure if you will, that not only will engage them but teach them about faith and values. It might even teach you something too, but let’s not digress let me get on with the commentary.
The judges chronicles: Rebirth of Shavron is in its second edition. Due to my novice experience as a writer I found the need to touch up on my writing skills and to add a some illustrations to enhance the book. This has been a project five years in the making. Believe it or not my first notion was to make this a videogame; for my background was deep in art and computer graphics, but gradually over time my desire changed, which I will describe later in the commentary.
Using animals as my main characters is an appeal to children, but I believe it doesn’t take away the seriousness of the tale. Walt Disney used animals as characters---you know Donald duck, mickey mouse, goof, and so on and many other writers use animals today to tell all types of stories. Sometimes I get strange looks whenever I mention the animals in the story. It funny to see, but I know that its been done before.
That brings me to the main characters. The first is of course God, now since I didn’t mention this before, this book has God as the center of the story, which means that God shows up many times to help, guide, teach, and even fight for the characters in the story. I was told by one reviewer that God’s power was too much for her---a compliment I hold dear to my heart because it shows that this book is a treasure indeed. You or your child will meet Him from the very beginning. The second character is Gideon. He’s a white haired rabbit, short in stature but big on his faith in God. He has been chosen by God as the judge of battle.
Now judges are leaders in this story, very similar to the Bible, and it is Gideon’s job of go to war whenever a country threats Shavron. In the story Gideon’s faith is challenged and you’ll find out if he stays true to God or not. The next character is Samson the wolf, judge of commerce or trade if that’s a better term for you. He’s a black wolf with pride as his vice and doesn’t listen very well when others are trying to help him. Samson’s pride leads him to loose almost everything, but will God show mercy after Samson’s willful choice of disobedience?
Finally there is Deborah, the cheetah, judge of instruction. She reminds the Shavronites of God’s works, power, and love. She is being harassed to turn away from God by making a decision that is not right in God’s eyes. After meeting with Gideon she travels with him to prevent an impending decision that could destroy Shavron.
Villains are also part of this tale and you’ll meet them. I save the surprise---its worth it!
I’ve been mentioning the word “Shavron” spelled S H A V R O N, what is Shavron.? Shavron is the land that God has established in this story---sorta like Israel in the Bible. God wants to make this land a gem to the entire world, but Shavron begins to seeks its own way, by trusting in themselves rather than God. This were you’ll begin the story.
Finally, I wanted to mention why the reason the story ended up as a book instead of a videogame. I believe that God Himself dealt with me through the guidance of the Holy Spirit to write this story. It took prayer, time, hard work, but God will give the increase. I hope that you will consider the Judges Chronicles: Rebirth of Shavron for your child or yourself. So with that I cordially invite all of you to embark on the adventure. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ivan Sugarwood.