Letters to Guadalupe

Preface: The Art of Writing a Letter

I first came up with the idea of writing a novel in the form of letters after reading C.S. Lewis' literary work, The Screwtape Letters. I found it quite interesting and entertaining to read in a format like this. I felt a unique connection with the author and the characters. It reminded me of the historic and eyewitness accounts I used to read for history class. I always felt like I had a deeper understanding of what went on through a personal perspective versus a textbook commentary. I believe nonfiction is best told through testimonies, and even some historical fiction too. There's something very human about telling stories that are based upon real life experiences. It's the very core of our conversations that we carry with each other that's as old as time itself.

Today as we begin the third decade of the third millennium, technology is all around us. From computers, to smart phones, to television, and the Internet, we truly are living in the digital age. And as such, our way of communication has changed drastically compared to even 50 years ago. One such method that has changed a lot is letter writing. What once was the only way to communicate with others over long distances has now become more or less a novelty of sorts. Sending a letter in the mail is mostly reserved for holidays and birthdays nowadays. Any other correspondence is done through text message or email. Forever gone are the ways of message runners, carrier pigeons, and the pony express. It's quite amazing how far we've gone in the rate, speed, and accuracy of communication!

There's something to be said though about the genuineness and personality of writing and receiving letters. The time it took to put together your thoughts. The speciality of the letter being addressed to a sole individual or select group of people. It's not like social media today when everything is for everyone, and the only remnants of a letter online is through private messages, and even that can be accessed by the social media outlet.

For these reasons, I decided to write my book in the format of letters. I wanted to make my words as personal as could be. I envisioned myself writing to my spiritual mother up above, while being huddled down below in the trenches battling the real-life struggles on earth. Through my letters, I hope that you can feel and understand my words as if they were your own. Much like reading the letters of soldiers that wrote to their families back home, I hope that my letters detail clearly the true love that our Mother has for us, and the power of her intercession for us.