April Bradshaw

Why I Started Writing:

My love for creating stories is as long as my memory. I wrote my first “novel” in first grade—a twenty-three page story titled, “Flowery Fluff” about a tiny person who lived inside flower blossoms. My idea of a good plot has evolved since then…

My childhood summers were spent in Oregon on the family property –wooded acreage with no electricity or plumbing. I occupied my days hacking trails through the undergrowth with my brother, whittling with my Kamp King pocket knife, picking wild berries for my mom to make pies, and taking turns with my siblings hauling water in buckets from the spring for the family’s daily use. Those carefree summers packed with imagination and adventure influence my writing to this day.

When I became a mom, story time was a favorite bedtime activity with my children. Each child named one thing they wanted me to weave into a story, and the resulting hodge-podge (ranging from “a bear wearing a tutu” to “a scary man falling out of a tree”) gave rise to some wild tales! My husband was an active-duty soldier during those years and in his frequent absences, I tucked the children into bed at night, then squirreled away at my computer to work on the latest novel brewing in my mind.

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

My favorite book growing up was The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It checked all my childhood boxes for mystery, fantasy and adventure. As an adult, I grew to love inspirational biographies. My children grew up hearing me read many aloud in addition to the delightful works of P.G. Wodehouse.

Books I Have Written:

My earlier novel, Good-bye Vanity, was published by Sweetwater Still. In addition to my current book, Lost, I have several completed manuscripts awaiting publication: Not the Admiral; Conversations with Mrs. Peabody (a children’s picture book); and Murder is Music to My Ears (a series of three cozy mysteries).

What I'm Working On Now:

I am concurrently working on two fiction manuscripts: She Was and Second Thoughts.

My deepest desire is to please God, and every book I write is intended to reflect the brand of faith, hope and love found only in him.