Author: April McGowan
Located in: Newberg, OR
Submitted: January 28, 2015
Tell us a little about yourself. April McGowan loves to write healing fiction. She and her husband, two children, and her mews, Spookers, live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Her novel Jasmine was a finalist for the 2014 Carol Award for debut novel. April is a member of Oregon Christian Writers and American Christian Fiction Writers. When she's not writing, reading down her book list, homeschooling her two children, or playing board games, you might find her at her drum kit, imagining she's on a world tour. Hey, it could happen.
What was your motivation behind this project? I love writing Healing Fiction, books that dont just entertain, but connect on a deeper level with the brokenness we all live with and dont often talk about.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? I hope people with gain an insight and empathy towards survivors of abuse and neglect. I also hope that though sharing Jasmine's story, others that might be hurting will be drawn back to God--that they know no matter what they've gone through, the Lord loves them and He's never left them nor forsaken them.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? I gained a greater insight into what it is like to be a runaway on the streets in a big city today. Runaway children are often approached by those in the sex trafficking industry within 24 hours of ending up on the street. It's a frightening statistic. Doubly so because the child who has run away believes they are heading somewhere safer than they left. It's not usually the case.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? Authors who influence my writing include Francine Rivers, Roseamunde Pilcher, L.M Montgomery and Anne Tyler.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: All my novels are filled with hope, restoration and healing through the Lord.
