Chris Heimerdinger (born August 26, 1963, Bloomington, Indiana, USA) is an American author and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who has written sixteen novels for young people and adults, most of which center on religious themes familiar to Latter-day Saints.
Heimerdinger's father was a professor in theatre at Indiana University. His parents divorced when he was four years old and his mother remarried. Heimerdinger has one older brother and two younger sisters.
Heimerdinger was active in high school theatre and drama and in competitive speech and oratory, where he excelled in Wyoming High School competitions for three years in the categories of Humor, Oratory, and Drama. He began to write books at the age of 7, and continued through high school. He also began making super-8 films beginning in junior high, and showed these films to the scholarship committee of Brigham Young University in 1981, earning a full scholarship in 'Theatre and Cinematic Arts' after receiving a Sundance Institute 'Most Promising Filmmaker' award for his film Night Meeting.
Heimerdinger read the Book of Mormon at age 18, during his first semester at college, and was converted to the Mormon faith on Oct. 10, 1981.
Heimerdinger is the author of the Tennis Shoes Adventure Series. His first published work was Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites (1989), based on events in the Book of Mormon. Ten books followed in the series, the first of which features children who discover a secret cave capable of transporting its visitors back in time. The following books follow the original characters as they go to college, get married, and have kids. The characters also have to deal with death, parenting troubles and time travel. The first books in the series were intended to be a fictional account of the Book of Mormon, while later ones explore other historical eras, including Ancient Rome, Israel during the Roman destruction in A.D. 73, and the time period of the Tower of Babel. The last three novels in this series include notes at the end of each chapter.
In 2005, Heimerdinger began production of Passage to Zarahemla. Originally written in 1999 as "Summer of the Nephite" it was published as a novel, Passage to Zarahemla in 2003. The film was released to cinemas in October 2007 and, according to BoxOfficeMojo, ranks 46th on the all-time highest gross box office for a Christian film and in the top 100 for Fantasy Live-Action. It was released on DVD in June 2008.
In 2008 Heimerdinger was among the top 10 list of LDS authors as chosen by Mormon Times readers.
Heimerdinger utilizes the title of his Tennis Shoes Adventure Series in helping around the world. In August 2005 Heimerdinger joined with Hearts and Hands for Humanity in American Fork, Utah to helped collect Tennis Shoes for children 5 to 12 years old.
In 2007 Heimerdinger again joined with Hearts and Hands for Humanity to collect shoes. This time it was in honor of a fallen soldier, Nathan Barnes, of American Fork, Utah. The goal this time was to collect and send thousands of shoes to Iraq.
Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites, 1989 (republished 1999), Covenant Communications, ISBN 1577344677
Gadiantons and the Silver Sword, 1990, Covenant Communications, ISBN 1555033903
Tennis Shoes and the Feathered Serpent, part one, 1995, Covenant Communications, ISBN 1577344871
Tennis Shoes and the Feathered Serpent, part two, 1996, Covenant Communications, ISBN 1577344898
The Sacred Quest (formerly Tennis Shoes and the Seven Churches), 1997, Covenant Communications, ISBN 157734491X
The Lost Scrolls, 1998, Covenant Communications, ISBN 1577344189
The Golden Crown, 1999, Covenant Communications, ISBN 1577344987
Warriors of Cumorah, 2001, Covenant Communications, ISBN 1577349229
Tower of Thunder, 2003, Covenant Communications, ISBN 1591561779
Kingdoms and Conquerors, 2005, Covenant Communications, ISBN 1591567408
Sorcerers and Seers, 2010, Covenant Communications,
Other books
Eddie Fantastic, 1992, Covenant Communications, ISBN 1555034039
Daniel and Nephi, 1993, Covenant Communications, ISBN 1555035663
Ben Franklin and the Chamber of Time, 1995, Deseret Book Company, ISBN 0875798780
A Light in the Storm, 2000, Covenant Communications, ISBN 157734684X
Passage to Zarahemla, 2003, Heimerdinger Entertainment and Covenant Communications, ISBN 0970834306
A Return to Christmas, 1996, multiple publishers, ISBN 0804118264
The Absurd Adventures of Elders Kurds and Way, (also Kurds and Way, A Missionary Epic), 1987, Heimerbooks
Music CDs
Whispered Visions...Original Songs From the Motion Picture Passage to Zarahemla
Films
The Wolves (1987): Drama about a grade-school boy's club. Produced, written, and directed by Chris while a student at Brigham Young University. Distributed by Phoenix Films, BFA.
Lehi's Land of First Inheritance (2003): Documentary on Book of Mormon geography produced by Newlight Productions, Written by Chris Heimerdinger and Joseph Allen. Directed by Chris Heimerdinger (Dist. by Newlight Prod. and Sounds of Zion, Inc.) ASIN: B000N3WAFM
Passage to Zarahemla (2007), a feature-length action/adventure/fantasy movie Written and Directed by Heimerdinger. Released to theaters October 15, 2007.
