On Monday January 5th, Maxine Marsolini and Jeannie St. John Taylor interviewed me for their radio program, The River. If you missed the live broadcast you can listen to it below. We chatted about MACY, healing fiction, marriage, forgiveness, challenges and hope. I had a wonderful time. Thanks to Maxine and Jeannie for being such wonderful hosts!
So, first things first. Thanks so much to everyone who emailed, private messaged and posted on my blog about their MUST SEE ideas (that thing or person you needed to see before you lost your sight). I have a huge list of ideas to sift through–everything from family member’s faces to amazing locales. I might use yours in my next novel! I’ll have all of your ideas and your names listed in the back of the book–maybe your ideas will inspire someone else to think about a part of their life they’ve been putting off or missing. Wouldn’t that be something?
And now, that randomly drawn winner of the contest is STEPHANIE SPATH. I’ll be contacting you via email soon! WOOT!!! Congratulations!!! (The waterfall photo is in her honor!).
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n other news: I’m being interviewed by the amazing Maxine Marsolini and Jeannie St. John Taylor on their blogtalkradio show, “The River.” Join me Monday, January 5th at 11AM (click HERE for the link to the live broadcast). I hope you’ll join us. There’s a fun question and answer time you can take part in. Here’s the blurb:
April McGowan loves to write healing fiction. Her novel, Jasmine, was a debut finalist for the 2014 Carol Award. Today Maxine and Jeannie will be talking with April about her latest book, Macy. Macy longed for independence her whole life. Later, after being abandoned in a diner, and pregnant, she realized marrying to escape might not have been the best plan. The choices Macy wrestles with are things many of us wrestle with, too. Fiction touches real life.
I hope you can join us! If you’re otherwise engaged, be sure to check back and I’ll have the link in my next blog post.
Last week I was honored to give the talk at my church’s women’s luncheon entitled Who We Are In Christ. I had many people tell me they were sorry they couldn’t come, and others ask if I could send them a copy. I thought about posting the text of my speech here on my blog, but speeches don’t read the same as they sound. As a result, I got to thinking about doing a recording for my blog. My sweet husband helped me record it and below is the result. You can listen online through my blog (just hit play) or you can download it. It’s just about twelve minutes long.
Now, this was primarily written to women, but my husband feels that it translates well to men, too. However, I didn’t change it to that end. So, if you are male, please don’t think I forgot about you:) You just weren’t the FIRST intended audience.
If you’ve ever been disappointed in life, if you’ve ever had to let go of a dream or the vision you had of yourself, then take a few minutes out of your day to listen.
After you listen, leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks!
If you’d like to save this to your computer, right click on the link below and select ‘Save As…”
Biblical texts mentioned in my talk:
Colossians 2: 9-12
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
John 15:5-8
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.