Laura J. Salgado

The inspiration for the Pirate Girls: In Service to the King series came from, believe it or not, a birthday party. My daughter requested a pirate theme for her 8th birthday, inspired by Disney’s popular series Pirates of Caribbean movies. Now, pirates are known for pillaging, murder, and all sorts of other unredeemable acts. I could not have little, innocent girls emulate this type of behavior, so I composed a short story that I used to introduce the games we would be playing. This story told of pirate girls sailing off to distant lands to share the good news about Christ dying for their sins. The pirate girls worked hard each day to maintain their ship and celebrate the Sabbath, ideas that eventually made their way into the actual book series. Several of the parents at the party chimed, “You should write a book.” The idea of writing a book never left me. In fact, the Lord kept inspiring me with ideas. Some nights, I would wake up and have the dialogue of characters running through my head. I prayed extensively about this, many times asking the Lord to either confirm or take the task away from me. He always seemed to simply show me the next step to take. After completing the first draft of “The Pirate Girls”, I attended a Writer’s Conference led by Jerry Jenkins (author of the Left Behind series). There, I learned that my first draft needed much more work before it could be published. After six years of rewrites, beta reader book clubs, and confiding in the Word, Mission: Green Islandwas published in 2014.

I hope that by reading the Pirate Girls: In Service to the King series, readers will learn that serving the King of kings is an adventure. Going on a “Mission” for the King can be filled with joy, awe, wonder, danger, and growth. I also hope that the series makes readers so intrigued with the passages of Scripture that they will turn to their Bibles for more inspiration and knowledge. Each of the three books has a theme which I hope the readers will take to heart: Each of the three books has a theme which I hope the readers will take to heart: Mission: Green Island – Learning to stand in the power of the King Mission: Achor Valley – Learning to stand in fear of the King Book 3 (Coming Soon) – Learning to stand in the healing of the King

My favorite part of the writing process is the Lord’s inspiration. I usually have an overall idea of the plot line in my head when I sit down to write, but am not sure how to get the characters from point A to point B. As I sit at my computer, characters and ideas will come into my head. This is how Steve in Mission: Green Island and Shyaka in Mission: Achor Valley sprang to life. Another aspect that I enjoy is researching places or action scenes, such as the scene in Mission: Green Island where the characters boogie board. I also love to hide Biblical clues in the books, such as the significance the 27 steps leading up to the King’s castle. Any idea what that means? (Hint: check out the New Testament!)

My short-term goal is to complete the third novel in the series. Then, more books may follow as the Lord inspires. The books can be read as novels or even used as a Bible study. Mission: Green Island has a companion workbook that can be used to dive deeper into the Biblical inspiration of the Pirate Girls series. The workbook contains “Personal Questions for Reflection” to help the reader apply the Biblical truths to their lives. I would hope that the series achieves wide coverage in both Christian schools, public libraries, and international distribution channels. The Pirate Girls series is unique because it adds Christian elements to the typical young-adult adventure novel. Not only will young readers be entertained by the twists and turns of the Pirate Girls’ adventure, but they will also learn more about the King who loves them more than they can imagine. My hope is that through wider distribution, more young readers can come to know the power, protection, and healing of the King.

In Mission: Green Island, the Pirate Girls’ mission is to “help the King recover what the enemy has stolen.” The mission statement of the entire series is the same. The enemy has robbed the world of the joy and love of being in relationship with the King of kings. We have been convinced that church is boring, the Bible archaic, and that true adventure can only be found in novels that exclude any mention of God. The Pirate Girls: In Service to the King series proves that true adventure is found in helping the King recover what the enemy has stolen.