I've always loved storytelling, from since I was a child. I was fascinated by what made the stories I loved work, what made them engage and resonate with me? I was then lucky enough to work in storytelling professionally for over 25 years as a TV producer and learnt a huge amount about planning serial stories featuring long-term character arcs, development and story integrity. I took that experience from TV production to writing novels and learnt a whole new skill. I'm still learning.

The second in the Galileo thriller series is another crime mystery set on Mars fifty years from now. Set 14 months after the first book some characters have moved on, some less so. The first book was about corruption; how the rich and powerful can, with enough money and influence, seemingly get away with murder. This second thriller is about extremism - how people can take words meant for peace and unity and weaponise them for their own ends. It's also about the search for life beyond Earth - which is always a fun thing to explore. Available from 31st August 2026.

Because it's not wrong! Seeriously though, there is a long list of answers to this question and they can be found at https://dmmcgowan.blogspot.com/2026/08/why-write.html

All my stories contain some history. For example, the history included in "The Great Liqauor War" is identified at https://dmmcgowan.blogspot.com/2026/05/from-authors-note-for-great-liquor-war.html In the novel "Partners"

I love to write because it lets me express my love for writing. I love to create characters that have a meaningful impact on the story.

Eh. Not always. But I try my best to get people to love my work. I can’t force them to like anything, right?

My educational journey has always been driven by a belief in lifelong learning. Every stage of my studies has contributed to the way I think, counsel, lead, and ultimately write. I completed my Grade 12 (Senior Certificate), which laid the foundation for my academic and professional development. Early in my career, I pursued a Computer Operations course through Technikon SA and QwaQwa Computer College. That training gave me practical technical skills and taught me the importance of structure, precision, and disciplined problem-solving, qualities that continue to influence my approach to both writing and research. As my calling became clearer, I shifted my focus toward ministry and counseling. I completed Christian Counseling and Theology in Ministry through Faith Bible College, where I received formal training in biblical counseling, theology, pastoral ministry, and Christian leadership. Those studies deepened my understanding of human nature, relationships, emotional healing, and spiritual growth, all of which have become central themes throughout my books. Learning has never been a destination for me; it's a lifelong pursuit. I am currently studying toward a Bachelor's Degree at Faith Bible College, continuing to expand my knowledge in theology, biblical studies, ministry, and leadership. When readers ask what shapes my writing, I tell them it's the combination of education and experience. My background in technology taught me to think systematically. My studies in counseling and theology taught me to understand people beyond their behavior. Combined with my work in ministry, counseling, organizational consulting, and everyday life within my community, these experiences enable me to write stories and non-fiction that are both emotionally authentic and practically relevant. I want every book I write to leave readers not only entertained but also challenged, encouraged, and equipped to build stronger lives, healthier relationships, and communities founded on truth, accountability, and hope.

Above all, I hope my readers leave each book with a renewed sense of hope and responsibility. Whether I'm writing a psychological thriller, a relationship guide, or a Christian living book, my goal is never simply to entertain. I want readers to examine their own lives, relationships, and decisions with honesty. Many of my books explore difficult subjects because life itself is often difficult. But I believe every challenge also presents an opportunity for growth. I want readers to understand that while we cannot always control what happens to us, we can choose how we respond. Accountability, integrity, forgiveness, wisdom, and faith are recurring themes because I believe they are essential to lasting transformation. If someone closes one of my books feeling encouraged to have a difficult conversation, restore a relationship, make a wiser decision, deepen their faith, or simply become a better person, then I believe my work has fulfilled its purpose. That, more than sales or recognition, is the legacy I hope to leave behind.

My journey as a writer began in an unexpected way. During my second year at Bible college, I was preparing a written response for one of my assignments. As I studied, I found myself making small notes that went beyond the assignment itself. Around the same time, I started writing down observations about relationships under the title "Issues That Kill a Marriage." As I developed the manuscript, I suddenly realized I had skipped an even more important step. I was writing about the problems that destroy marriages before I had written about how to build a strong marriage in the first place. That realization led me to pause the project and go back to write a foundational book for engaged and aspiring couples titled "A Guide for Young Couples Preparing for Marriage: Building a Strong Foundation for a Lasting Relationship." Only after completing that book did I return to finish "Issues That Kill a Marriage." It was important to me that readers first understand how to establish a healthy, God-centered relationship before learning how to recognize and overcome the challenges that can threaten a marriage. That experience taught me an important lesson as an author: sometimes the order in which we write is just as important as what we write. What began as a few personal notes quickly grew into something much bigger. I realized that writing gave me a way to organize my thoughts, explore real-life challenges, and offer practical and biblical insights that could help others. Those early notes became the foundation of my first published manuscripts. As a Christian counselor and ministry student, I have always believed that words have the power to educate, encourage, heal, and inspire. Writing became an extension of my calling, not simply to tell stories, but to address real struggles, challenge perspectives, and point readers toward hope and transformation. Looking back, I never imagined that a simple Bible college assignment and a few handwritten notes would mark the beginning of my journey as an author. Today, every book I write traces its roots back to that moment when I discovered that even the smallest ideas, when nurtured with purpose, can grow into something that impacts lives.

The Winter Rose of D'Angelo is a psychological romantasy that explores the tension between love, duty, identity, and redemption. Set against the cold grandeur of the powerful D'Angelo dynasty, the story follows Alessio D'Angelo and Elara, two people brought together by an arranged marriage that begins not as a love story, but as a contract born out of obligation. At its heart, this novel asks a timeless question: Can love heal a soul that has been shaped by generations of pain, power, and silence? As Alessio struggles under the crushing weight of family expectations and a legacy built on control, Elara refuses to let her circumstances define her. Rather than surrendering to the darkness around her, she becomes a catalyst for transformation, challenging long-held beliefs about strength, vulnerability, and what it truly means to be free. Although the novel contains romance, it is far more than a love story. It explores themes of generational trauma, emotional healing, identity, sacrifice, forgiveness, and the masks people wear to survive. Readers will encounter suspense, psychological depth, family conflict, and moments that invite them to reflect on their own lives long after they have turned the final page. The central message is captured beautifully in the book's tagline: "Some loves are not meant to last forever. Some are meant to save the soul." One aspect that makes this book especially meaningful to me is that I co-authored it with my daughter, Nicole Motaung. It was a unique creative journey that allowed us to combine our perspectives and imaginations into a story that examines both the darkness and the hope found within the human heart. My hope is that readers don't simply finish The Winter Rose of D'Angelo feeling entertained. I hope they finish it asking questions about love, identity, healing, and the courage it takes to become the person we were created to be.

I did write an autobiography, "Escape from Reality" after returning from Belgium, where I lived for four years. It was written mainly as a means of putting the whole harrowing experience into perspective, and I did not advertise it. On retiring to Staffordshire in 2016, I began looking into the history of the area and found a brilliant website ThePotteries.org, from which I found out about the Pottery Riots of 1842. Finding out that a local nursing home (built by Job Meigh, a prominent potter, in 1937, for his own villa), had been threatened with burning by the rioters, and also that the nursing home has ghosts, I decided to put the two together to produce "Footsteps in the Past". This actually turned into a trilogy. So, I had found my genre, True Historical Novels, and have written eight books now, all based on true events, which I have thoroughly investigated.

"A Llanrwst Christmas, Not Worth Dying For" is another true story. Caroline Williams was accused of murdering her husband on Christmas Day. Saying that they were the only people in the house, Caroline was sentenced to trial. She was known to defend herself from her husband, William, a drunken, lame brute of a man, with her carving knife, when he was drunk, so that went against her, although she had never attacked him with it. She called her knife, "my protection". Her defending lawyer only put forward the flimsiest of cases, mainly, I believe, because Caroline was an illiterate gypsy, living in a condemned house. So, my book is about prejudice and how the legal system pre-judges guilt. The jury had requested mercy, but the Judge donned his lack cap, and sentenced her to hang. I introduced a Cold Case Team to read the crime reports. They bring to light the inconsistencies in the police investigations and trial, and where the case had truly let Caroline down. What I tried to show was that, with Caroline suffering severly with neuritis in her hands, meaning they were burning or freezing and numb and she could just about slice a loaf of bread, there was no way she could have plunged her carving knife so deeply into her husband's neck. However, if Caroline didn't murder her husband, who did? As it happens, there was outrage at the sentence and Caroline's sentence was eventually repealed to life imprisonment, but she should never have been imprisoned as I believe someone else murdered William. You will have to read the book to find out more.

I was inspired by my family's story across three generations. My debut novel, The House Filler, is based on my grandmother's life. The true stories she and my family lived through were so extraordinary—filled with drama, resilience, and unforgettable moments—that I felt compelled to tell them. I began writing this three-book family saga in 2006. It took me twenty years to complete the trilogy, with The House Filler becoming the first published novel.

The House Filler is told through the experiences of Golden Phoenix, a widow with bound feet who faces war, poverty, and political turmoil as she fights for survival, freedom, and happiness. After the untimely death of her husband, Golden Phoenix is determined to keep her family together. However, poverty forces her to make the heart-wrenching decision to give her teenage twins to the Red Army. During the upheaval of the Japanese invasion of her hometown, she is separated from her two young girls, and her remaining son leaves to fight with the Nationalist army. Golden Phoenix, along with her adopted son, remains to endure the horrors and the hardship of war. When the Civil War ends with the Communists in power in 1949, one of her twins, a member of the Communist Party, is wrongly accused of being a traitor and is sentenced to death. Golden Phoenix and her family must find a way to save her son’s life.

Doing family research brought to light several family stories--especially those of women--who experienced trauma and hardships. I wanted to honor them and bring peace as well to myself as I felt impacted by these ancestral traumas. My ghosts, therefore, are bases on real people and real stories.

My latest book, A Haunting at Hawthorn and other ghostly tales, completes the trilogy of the Gallagher Girls mystery series. Deirdre, Nuala and Moira, three Irish sisters, help troubled spirits find peace and closure, allowing them to move on in the afterlife.

I started when I was in elementary school. My parents taught me a love of reading and I found I liked to write, so I wrote a lot of really random stuff just because.

My latest novel is called Second Chances. It starts off in 2020, as 47 year old Nathan wishes he could change things starting at around 13. His parents also get a chance to do the same because his mom and dad never dealt with mom's mental illness, which affected their kids. They discover they're in 1987 and go about changing things, whether for the better or for the worse, we find out.

I always knew I’d be a writer when I was a little girl. I just didn’t know exactly what I’d be writing about! I started collecting inspiring quotes and ideas for my books when I was only 6 years old. I kept them in a little box, which grew into dozens of filing cabinets full of content. My husband said I would be buried in a filing cabinet. Thank goodness we can now scan documents into our computer! I've always loved clever wordplay, foreign languages, and different ways of communicating. Would you believe I actually liked diagramming sentences in my middle school English class? My kids think I'm such a nerd. They’re right. When I was a little girl, I won a contest in my 2nd grade class for reading more books than any other kid in the class, more than triple!

I write nonfiction, although I'm absolutely impressed with fiction writers who can create complete worlds and characters that come to life on paper! My nonfiction books are all about YOU and how to make your life even better! Many are self-help, but I also have religious topics.