Kim R. Shaffer

My name is Kim Shaffer. If you have ever heard of me, I would be surprised. I began writing and publishing in the 1970s, but my early work was never widely available. After more than ten years of writing very little, I began again in the spring of 1996. What started out as one book, over a period of twelve years, became a series of eleven books. I then began experimenting with different kinds of internet publishing. In the course of that experimentation, I went through all eleven books, taking just the best material from each. This was then formed into a single book, which I entitled Passageways.

When I decided to publish this work as an ebook, the book was edited again, in ways large and small. At that time, I did away with the verse-like format, which I had considered important at one time, but no longer. I then retitled the book, There Is A Light. I am explaining this, in part, so that if you should happen upon references to these other books, and earlier ones, you will not think you are missing something.

I am a Gemologist, by profession. My training and work in gemology has involved the identification, grading, and appraisal of diamonds and colored gems. In some ways, this may seem a curious choice of professions for someone preoccupied with spiritual and philosophical matters. Perhaps so, but diamonds and gems are beautiful creations of nature. They are rocks that are cut and polished to reveal their unique qualities and characteristics.

I have worked in retail jewelry, on and off, but for more than half of the last twenty-five years, since graduating from the GIA, I have made my living as an antique dealer. Antique quilts were my full-time business for a number of years, and they remain an enthusiasm of mine. Vintage movie posters have been my specialty for the last ten years.

My wife Cindy and I live in Kansas. Cindy is an elementary special education teacher. She is a saint, in many ways, and she has been the single most important spiritual influence in my life. My personal experiences and their spiritual dimensions are often the subject of my writing. As you will see, if you have not already read, I am usually the slow learner in these stories. Others are usually the sources of inspiration.