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July 1, 2013

Paranormal for Young Adults Readers -Inspire


By Dusty Crabtree


Being a high school English teacher and youth sponsor at my church, I get to use my passion for teens on a daily basis, investing in their lives, trying to be a good role model and mentor to them, and oftentimes just being their friend. A few years ago, a friend suggested I write a novel like the paranormal YA books about angels we’d been reading, and I discovered a whole new medium where I could funnel not only my passion for teens, but also my creativity: writing fiction! I loved every minute of writing my young adult urban fantasy, Shadow Eyes, and I am thoroughly enjoying writing the sequel as well.

But the best part isn’t the writing. It’s hearing from readers who tell me that they loved my book, that reading it has given them a different perspective about the world around them, or that they cried because of the powerful ending. My goal is to change lives with this book series, whether subtly by influencing the way people see their world, or substantially by giving people hope when they feel there is none. I truly believe reading can change lives like that. I just feel honored to be a part of the whole process.

So where did the idea for Shadow Eyes come from? Obviously, it has a little to do with angels, but, strangely enough, the idea actually first came to me as a screenplay for a Christian horror movie, if there ever was such a genre. The movie would have been about a cast of intertwined characters going about their lives and making mistakes with dark, creepy shadows (demons) hovering around them, whispering to them, and influencing them to do evil things. Only the audience would see the shadows. The characters would be completely oblivious. After my friend’s suggestion, I immediately thought back to that screenplay idea and tweaked it until I had the basic concept of Shadow Eyes – a 17-year-old girl who had this special ability to see the shadows and light figures when nobody else could.
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"I live with my husband, Clayton, in Yukon, Oklahoma, where we often serve our community as foster parents. Apart from the obvious reading and writing, I also enjoy serving on the praise team and drama team at church and watching movies. My favorite movies so far are Inception, Avatar, Miracle, and October Sky, and my favorite books are the Hunger Game trilogy and the Hush Hush series."
View the book trailer at


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