Helena Fairfax

Exciting news today – the sun’s out!  It’s a watery sun, but who cares?  We’re inside with the heating on, and we have a cup of tea and a slice of Genoa cake.  Today I’m welcoming April Erwin, author of the brilliantly named Dysfunction Junction.

It’s a good job I’m typing my interview questions, rather than writing them out in longhand, because April holds a qualification in Graphological Science (the study of handwriting).  I shudder to think what could be made out of my scrawl!  No sense, anyway :)

Please help me welcome April, who’s had no problem with my neatly typed questions!

Where do you live, April?   Independence, MO, the very center of the US. I was born here and I love my hometown. That’s a big part of why it is the setting for Dysfunction Junction.

Where is your favourite place in the world?  Other than home? LOL, that’s a hard question! :) I’ve not travelled as much as I’d like, so if I’m to choose among the places I’ve visited it would be a toss-up between Estes Park, Colorado and Memphis, Tennessee. The Rocky Mountains are breath-taking and awe inspiring, but Memphis has to be the friendliest town ever and they have a great music scene on Beale Street. The place I most want to visit though is Scotland. My family heritage traces back to Drum Castle in Aberdeen. I think it would be amazing to see it in person.

I’d love to visit Memphis!  I’ve also heard how friendly people are there.

Being a writer is a great job.  What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?  I spent one day working at the mall as a survey taker. I hated it. It was shortly after I graduated high school. I can be rather shy around people I don’t know, so stepping up to strangers like that… well, that just didn’t go well. I did one survey the whole shift and it was with a family friend who bumped into me and was extremely kind to help me out. I will say, I tend to be much more compassionate toward those people when I see them now. I may not always do the survey, but I’m much kinder when I decline to participate.

Oh, it’s a terrible job :(  I feel so sorry for the people doing it.

What book do you wish you’d written?  Oh, there are so many! One of my favorites that I have read over a dozen times is Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright. It’s an older novel written in 1907 and set in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri. It was done as an outdoor play for 54 years in Branson, MO and we saw it often as a family. I loved the book so much; I often wished I could someday create something that would capture people’s hearts and attention for that long.

Intriguing choice!

What’s your favourite song?  I don’t know if I could name just one. I’m passionate about music and write songs as well. Kianna’s songs are all songs of mine, some of which have been recorded. I have a broad taste in music too.  I love country, rock, gospel, blues, Celtic, and even classical. At the moment, I would say that the song I’d listen to the most is “Now Comes the Night” by Rob Thomas.

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them?  The first person to come to mind would be Albert Einstein. I don’t know that I could say anything; I’d probably be completely tongue-tied. I find him very inspiring though; his intelligence, sense of humour, creativity and personal beliefs all inspire me. I’d like to at least thank him for his contributions. If I could make my tongue work then I’d sit him down for a cup of chai and just pick his brain on all the random things that cross our minds.

My favourite quote is, “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.” – Albert Einstein

I’d love to talk to Einstein.  I wonder what answers he’d give to these interview questions…!

What’s your happiest childhood memory?  Family vacations when we would all pile in the car and drive three and a half hours south to visit Branson, Missouri. The Ozark Mountains are beautiful and so peaceful. Our grandparents lived nearby as well. We’d watch ‘Shepherd of the Hills’ performed live in an outdoor amphitheatre, enjoy country music and gospel shows and visit the theme park just to name a few things. A big part of the fun was the car ride itself when we 5 kids and Mom and Dad would all sing songs together to kill time. Everything from oldies to hymns and camp songs – it’s still the best part of a road trip.

That sounds like an idyllic holiday.

If you had to marry a fictional character, from film, television, or books, who would it be?  So hard to choose! I fall in ‘love’ with a well written character all the time. Caleb Landis from Cheryl Wyatt’s The Nurse’s Secret Suitor was probably one of my most recent. If you look at the big names there’s always Edward from Twilight or Peeta from Hunger Games.

One that I come back to most often though, is Clark Kent from Smallville. Too obvious? Who doesn’t want a Superman? Smallville’s writers did a great job digging deeper into his character and showing his sensitive side and how he became the man of steel morals and justice in addition to being able to stop a speeding bullet.

What’s the most important lesson life has taught you? To trust God in all things. No matter what the situation, how big or small; just keep your faith in Jesus and He will work things out. Worry gets you nowhere. After many years of seeing God carry me and my family through many trials, I have no doubts He’s in charge. Let God be God.

And finally, please tell us about your latest book, where we can find it, and where we can find your blog/website!

I’m so excited to share my latest book with everyone. Dysfunction Junction released December 6, 2013 with MuseitUp Publishing as an e-book and is available in all formats.

Kianna Ravencamp is twenty-six and never been kissed. That’s about to change…

Finding true love these days feels impossible, only dysfunction surrounds her. Her sister’s married to an abusive husband and marriages she’s admired for years are falling apart. Maybe relationships like her parent’s don’t exist anymore. She dreams of true love and a family, but she’s never even been kissed.

For her birthday, her best friend gives her a journal and dares her to follow her dream of songwriting and vocal lessons quickly follow. Kianna’s finally dared to dream big… if the three men in her life don’t get in her way.

Nick Steele, her new vocal partner is flirtatious and charming. Derek Simpson, the new vocal coach is asking her out for coffee. Even Jason Payne, a childhood friend is acting odd. For the first time in her life, she will have to navigate dating and flirtation. Will her inexperience be her downfall? How will these relationships affect her songwriting career? Letting go and trusting God is the only answer that brings the path to real love and success.

You can purchase Dysfunction Junction at Museit Up Publishing  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/55-our-authors/authors-e/173-april-erwin

It’s also available at all major booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Please stop by and visit me at any of my sites:

Links:

Personal Websites – http://aprilerwin.com/ and http://theerwins.com/

Facebook Author page – http://www.facebook.com/aprilerwinauthor

Blog – http://projectinga.blogspot.com/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/aprilerwin

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/AprilErwin

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Thanks so much for coming today, April, and for bringing the sunshine with you!  You’ve been a lovely guest.

If you have any questions for April, or any comments at all, please let us know.  We’d love to hear from you!