HANNIBAL – JacQueline Vaughn Roe has retold the classic fairytale about Rapunzel for young people in a set of novels called The Journey Series.
But there’s one difference. As a 2002 graduate from Hannibal-LaGrange University with a bachelor of arts in Christian theatre, Roe strives to weave “Christian faith into the narrative” of her novels “as the characters grapple with their struggles.”
“As my degree (at HLGU) centered around theatre (and specifically how to use theatre as a tool for evangelism and discipleship) it’s no surprise that my love of storytelling has grown beyond script-writing and performance,” Roe said in a Q&A on HLGU’s website. “My theatre training helped develop a love of character-driven stories. HLGU’s Christian studies gave my stories the foundation in the Bible to always bring the reader back to the understanding that God is good and has a greater plan than we can fathom.”
“I am thrilled to be completing the last two books in The Journey Series, a retelling of Rapunzel,” she added. “The series has been a challenge and has taught me how to use stories to bring faith to life for bookworms who like to live their adventures between the pages of a book. I am about to start recording my audiobooks of the series, which will marry what I loved in theatre with what I love about books.”
Roe is not only an author, but she also coaches authors. Her advice to aspiring writers, in brief: “Read, read, READ! … Write and write some more …. Don’t give up. Keep writing, get feedback, revise, edit, and keep writing.”
Read the full Q&A on the HLGU website at https://www.hlg.edu/news-events/our_alumni/jacqueline-vaughn-roe-02/?fbclid=IwAR1zoGGip5xopsC6l27ACLKM-QF6jZGVTFzjgDHFf7jS-j0DAHaYTQbkAO0.
To learn more about Roe and her books, visit https://authorjroe.com/about-jacqueline/.