Fantasy author S. D. Grimm believes that with a little faith, a lot of love, and an untamed imagination, every adventure is possible. She recently concluded her Children of the Blood Moon series with Black Blood (Enclave): When the time came to defeat her nemesis, Jayden failed. Can she reunite the Deliverers before it’s too late—or will she fail the world another time? In this interview, the author takes us through her character’s journey, gives us a glimpse behind-the-scenes of her magical world of Soledon, and reveals the spiritual themes behind the series…
Black Blood is the third book in your Children of the Blood Moon series. Can you walk us through the journey that Jayden has gone through to get here?
Not without a lot of spoilers. 😉 Let’s see, what I can say (spoiler free) is that Jayden starts the story as a girl who’s grown up in the shadow of her siblings and isn’t ready to leave home. But she’s forced to leave—painfully. And through the course of her journey, over the first two books, she has to take a hard look at what “family” is and what “home” means.
As she begins to redefine those two concepts, she begins to include more people into her world of “family” and loved ones. Book three puts all of that in jeopardy. And it’s time for that girl who didn’t want to leave home, because she didn’t think she was ready, to embrace her true strengths.
Tell us about how you created the magical world of Soleden. What are the challenges of creating a fantastical world that’s also grounded in a biblical worldview?
Soloden come from two words “soul” and “Eden.” I put those two words together as a little play on words for me. Just like people here on Earth have roots in what was created in the Garden of Eden, I wanted to remind myself that those same struggles and failings and joys and triumphs that make us human are present in my characters. Just like things aren’t perfect here on Earth, things also aren’t perfect in Soleden.
I never really intended to tell readers that’s why I chose the name, but there it is.
For me creating a fantastical world grounded in a biblical worldview is second nature. It’s my job to create stories, and who I am is grounded in a biblical worldview, so those two things just play naturally into one another.
What spiritual themes or ideas do you explore in this series?
At the heart of this entire series is this verse: 1Cor 13:7-8 “[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
There are four main characters in my series. And some of them struggle with one or more of these three concepts. Either misusing them or just not being strong in them. And each of them has a strength in one of those four areas. But when they work together, they are stronger.
I feel like this illustrates a few themes. First, we as humans are imperfect, so even our love is imperfect. Flawed. And second, God’s love in us is perfect. And when my characters work together, they find that their strengths compensate for other characters’ weaknesses.
What do you hope that readers take away after reading Black Blood?
You are here for a reason. You are you for a reason. Embrace the person God made you to be, because you are worthy of love.
What do you consider the best ways for readers to support their favorite authors?
1. Buy their books!
2. Tell their friends about the books!
3. Write reviews!
4. Send them encouraging notes/fan mail/fan art!
Visit S.D. Grimm’s author page:
https://www.familyfiction.com/authors/s-d-grimm/
Black Blood
Children of the Blood Moon #3
S.D. Grimm
Enclave