The Story Behind  "Shadow in the Dark"    The idea for The Chronicles of Xan sprang from one of the Barone’s cross-country road-trips during a change in Tony’s military assignment.  Tony has always loved writing, and long had pondered authoring a Christian fiction novel.  On the drive from Maryland to Colorado, Tony and his wife Alisa spoke at length with their son, A.J.—a precocious, home-schooled eleven-year-old at the time—about ideas for an exciting Christian novel that would keep the interest of today’s youth while also grappling with more mature issues of the moral and religious life.  From that conversation emerged the concept of Shadow in the Dark, including the character of Xan, Harwood Abbey, and the mysterious “shadow” lurking at the abbey.    As Tony settled in to his new assignment, he worked at odd hours of the night and morning to write the story that was unfolding in his mind’s eye.  Along the way, he prayed for inspiration, researched historical aspects of 12th Century England, and sought valuable critiques from his family.  After completing the first draft, Tony worked with Alisa editing the book chapter-by-chapter, making the characters as genuine and consistent as possible.     For the next year, Tony edited and re-edited Shadow in the Dark based on his own honing of the story and the continued inputs of his family.  During this time, he also began developing ideas for sequels to the book, continuing the story of Xan.  With a near-finished product, Tony sought review of the work by other published Christian authors, many of whom graciously reviewed the novel and offered kind words of encouragement and suggested improvements.  To these, Tony owes a large debt of gratitude, especially Leo Madigan, Tony Perona, Sr. Mary Catharine Perry, Martin Kennedy, Fr. Joseph Esper, and Dan Flaherty.   Two and one half years after beginning to write Shadow in the Dark, Capstone Fiction contacted Tony with interest in his novel after seeing a review in The Writer’s Edge manuscript review service.  With their support, Tony and The Chronicles have made the final step from the mind of the author to the printed and published page… and finally to you, the reader.   Tony sincerely hopes you enjoy the series.  He looks forward to your thoughts and inputs as the writing of The Chronicles of Xan continues into the future…