James J. Stewart was born in Long Beach, California. At California State University at Long Beach he completed both a music degree and secondary teaching credential. He then decided to go into full-time Christian service. In 1999 he began work on this book as a short story. In order to add dialogue, it was transformed into a screenplay before being turned into a novel. Those who read it thought it needed a sequel, and after two more versions is now available as Life Before Conception. That became the first of four books of Gaardian Tales. All four novels are now available in one volume as The