In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John1:1-5)

Shine the Light opens with this verse. It’s a verse full of hope describing Jesus, the Light of the world. We might face difficulties, sorrow, hardship in our lives, but if we belong to God the Father, through His Son, then the darkness cannot overcome us. Jesus has got this and He can carry us through because He’s already overcome and won.

I’ve been asked why I embed faith in my stories. Couldn’t you just write about romance or suspense without faith? Sure I could. But I find the deepest places characters change is in their faith and I feel called to uncover the mystery of where they are with the creator. You see, I think we’re all in a place with our creator. We’re growig closer, moving farther away, or we’re…kinda stuck.

Most of my characters find themselves in bad circumstances created by others or fashioned by their own poor choices and not sure what to do next. Then something happens that forces their hand and they’ve got to choose forward or back. The one thing they cannot do is stay the same. If they did, well, there wouldn’t be much of a story in that, would there?

That’s one reason I love Shannon so much. She’s already moving forward, not letting her past win, loving others and being kind–but then, she gets waylaid by this person from her past. And she just doesn’t know which way to go. Trust God and go forward or run away? And instincts tell her to run.

And I won’t say much more because I don’t want to ruin the story. But I hope you’re intrigued and want to know more. Here are some endorsements of Shine the Light to help you make up your mind!

In Shine the Light, April McGowan digs deeply into the heartache of a family torn apart by mental illness. Her compelling story shines much needed light onto the realities of this trauma and then beautifully shows the messy journey—the miracle—of forgiveness. This is a must-read novel for those wanting more insight into the challenges of homelessness, mental illness, and PTSD. ~ Melanie Dobson, award-winning author of Hidden Among the Stars and Catching the Wind

April McGowan takes on the tough issues of our time. Shine the Light doesn’t fall short. In her usual spectacular fashion April creates a believable and touching story about homelessness and mental illness, and the family and friends who are entangled in the chaos. It is a beautiful, complicated, and encouraging tale of a girl trapped in the midst of her parents’ drug addiction and mental illness and the terrible price paid.
Beautifully told. Exquisite writing draws a reader into the midst of a maelstrom of fear, pain, anger, forgiveness, and beauty, and we believe that life can be extraordinary when light shines into the darkness. ~Bonnie Leon, best-selling author of The Alaskan Skies Series, The Northern Lights Series