Heart of the Spirit Man

Michael Seymour's fantastical journey through the dream world continues when a mysterious figure reaches across the veil between planes and steals his heart-literally! ln a race against time, Michael gives chase to this mad god across the ever-twisting realm of Shook in a desperate bid to reclaim his stolen organ before it stops beating for good. As the elaborate game of cat and mouse unfolds across blazing deserts and frigid mountain peaks, Michael must face the possibility that this may be his last adventure ... unless destiny has something else in mind.

George Mendoza was born in New York City in 1955. At the age of 15, he was diagnosed with a rare, incurable, degenerative eye disease, fundus flavimaculatus. Effects of the disease caused him to lose his central vision, keeping only a gray foggy fringe on the periphery. In the center of his view, he sees what he calls "kaleidoscope eyes"-intense and changing visual images of fiery suns, brightly burning eyes; and colorful pinwheels. These spectacles almost never leave him, not even when he lays down in darkness to go to sleep. A man of vision and courage, George went onto become a world-class runner and Paralympic contender. In 1980, he broke the world record for blind athletes, running the mile in 4 minutes and 28seconds. In the early 1990's, he began to paint fulltime. Ironically, Mendoza's paintings spring from the loss of his eyesight and a very special vision that took its place. He had grown increasingly frustrated by his dancing colors, which would not leave him alone. He spoke to a priest at the Holy Cross Retreat House in New Mexico. "Paint them," the priest said. "Make designs, pictures from them." George Mendoza remembers physical sight, and so his works derive from visual memories intertwined with dreams, visions, and emotional experiences, meaning Mendoza paints both figuratively and abstractly. His work then transcends the physical world, exploring the spiritual, the mystical, the playful, and sometimes the darker nuances of the human spirit. Mendoza works full time as a writer and an artist. Currently, his exhibition "Colors of the Wind" is a national Smithsonian affiliates traveling art exhibit. He lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and is founder and president of the Wise Tree Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit corporation for the promotion for the arts. He is a motivational speaker and is currently developing a play based on his children's book Colors of the Wind, a biography of his life written by J.L.Powers and illustrated using Mendoza's artwork. Learn more at www.georgemendoza.com.

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