About the Book Shine the Light

Shannon is out to save the world one caring act at a time. She’s stood by her best friend, Amber, through their whole lives especially when Amber lost her sight. She has an active outreach ministry to the homeless and disenfranchised. And she’s even let down her guard long enough to let a boyfriend, Justin, into her life.

Her life has settled into a pleasing routine of teaching, freelance photography work, quiet dinners with Justin, and taking Amber on treks to find new subjects for her visionary paintings. But when a man from her past shows up, her secure world crumbles into triggered PTSD episodes that threaten everything she relies on. Will she be able to overcome these old memories, or will her past crush any hopes she had for a future?

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My Thoughts:

Books come and go, but some mental health issues will always be around.  It’s how we address them and take them on that will define us as both humans and as a society.  PTSD is a very real and prevalent mental health issue of our world today.  It really came into the spotlight after WWI and has not gone away.

It’s one that is also close to our family as one of our daughters suffers from this due to early childhood trauma before she arrived in our home.  I suspect one of our sons does as well.  It can be heartbreaking to watch and even more heartbreaking that you cannot just fix it for them.

When I saw that this was a major topic in this book I knew I had to give it a go.  I enjoyed reading this book and the fact that it brings mental health to the forefront of the literature of the day.  The first book in this series takes on adoption and someone losing their sight so I’m going to have to read that one as well.  We’ve adopted so that’s another hot topic for me!

This is a well-written book that is going to pull you in.  You’re going to be hooked on the characters and want to know what happens next.  It’s not high drama or high mystery or suspense.  It’s just a very good read.  

Sidenote, anyone who loves cats has to be a good person right?  And the author loves cats so this has to be a good book right?  At least that’s my thinking.  I’m an avid cat lover as well.  We have four inside and way too many outside cats to count.  

I think a big takeaway from this book is going to be trust and allowing people into your circle.  This is something I have a hard time with.  I struggle with depression and anxiety particularly postpartum which is a time we definitely need to let others in.  And that brings me to another soapbox of mine.  Postpartum PTSD.  Yes, that is a thing and yes it does need more exposure.  After having worked in a Labor and Delivery unit and having lots of friends with birth stories it’s a thing dear to my heart.   I think this book would be helpful for people who do suffer from PTSD no matter what the source. 

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations. 

About the Author of Shine the Light

April McGowan loves to read and write inspirational fiction. She and her husband, two children, and her ‘mews’ (three cats!), live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. April is a member of Oregon Christian Writers, the Christian Author’s Network, and American Christian Fiction Writers. When she’s not writing, homeschooling her son, or playing board games, you might find her at her drum kit, imagining she’s on a world tour. Hey, it could happen.

More from April

Writing About Tough Subjects—with Hope

I began writing over twenty years ago. And technically I wrote long before that as well. But those pieces were ‘just for fun.’ However, as I look back on my short stories, blog posts, and now my published work, there’s a definite theme: overcoming. Overcoming childhood abuse, overcoming an abusive marriage, overcoming loss—physical and emotional. And those overcoming stories were not about overcoming through our own strength, which is so often flawed and lacking, but by relying on the One who can heal us from every wrong, every hurt, and every loss.

After my first novel, Jasmine, I asked my readers what they’d like me to focus on in my next books—what subjects were overlooked in fiction today? The overwhelming consensus was adoption, loss, and mental illness.

As a contemporary fiction author, I stay current on social issues, so that wasn’t a huge jump for me. My readers saw a gap, and I did, too.

Not that it’s wrong to simply read for entertainment—shoot, I do! But I’ve always loved gripping stories with people I could identify with who were overcoming obstacles I’d faced or watched a loved one face—stories that offer real hope in the face of tragedy.

So began my journey. In book one of this series, Hold the Light, I wrote about sight loss and adoption. I wrote about best friends who were solidly there for each other in the face of great hardship and pain. And in book two, Shine the Light, I’m doing the same—with a twist.

There’s a lack of representation and writing concerning mental illness and how it affects the sufferer and those around them. There is a stigma that is significantly changing, but it’s something we’re still hesitant to discuss. Myself and many I know are deeply touched by this issue, and I think we’re long past due letting those that suffer from mental illness and their families know that they are not alone. Or if they are, that they don’t have to be.

Book two, Shine the Light, is about Shannon’s life. Her love for the downtrodden, the lost, and the injured. Her passion for the underdog. How she became the stalwart friend she is to Amber in Hold the Light, the obstacles she’s overcome, and those she has to continue to grapple through with God’s help.

As with all of my books, I’ve vetted this story with people who have faced these situations and am very careful to respect their stories as well as staying true to my characters. I hope you’ll dive in and find Shannon to be a deep and real and identifiable character. Next, I hope you’ll discover in her a friend.

But I know you’ll grow to love her as I do.

The giveaway:

Many of my books are set in Portland, Oregon, and as a celebration of that, I’m offering a giveaway celebrating two of my favorite things about the city: Powell’s books and super good coffee!

Also cats…but I can’t give one of those away in a contest! Well…I could try, but I’d probably fall in love with it and never send it to you…so for now, books and coffee!

Blog Stops for Shine the Light

Quiet Quilter, May 4

The Power of Words, May 4

Godly Book Reviews, May 5

Simple Harvest Reads, May 6 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

Through the Fire Blogs, May 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 8

Real World Bible Study, May 9

Retrospective Spines, May 9

For Him and My Family, May 10

Mary Hake, May 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 11

janicesbookreviews, May 11

Pause for Tales, May 12

A Reader’s Brain, May 12

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 13

The Christian Fiction Girl, May 14

Carpe Diem, May 15

Inklings and notions, May 15

Inspired by Fiction, May 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 17

Texas Book-aholic, May 17

Giveaway for Shine the Light

To celebrate her tour, April is giving away a grand prize of a $20 Powell’s gift card, Powell’s coffee mug, and Stumptown coffee!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/e21c/shine-the-light-celebration-tour-giveaway