Born in Flint, Mich., Sonya Vaughn grew up in Wyoming and New Mexico. In “Words Falling Like Water,” a first novel published by Inkwell Productions July 3, 2012, she draws on her family’s life experiences. Like Vaughn’s family, the family of her protagonist, Lily, worked for the automotive industry for generations and is now caught up in its demise. Lily must cope with seeing her husband descending into despair, her automobile company preparing to file bankruptcy, and the country plunging into an economic recession not seen since the days of the Great Depression. When all around her people have lost jobs, homes and hope, Lily searches for the faith to endure and to forgive.
In her Amazon review, Patricia L. Brooks, president and founder of the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers, had this to say:
Vaughn gives us vivid characters and a thorough insight into the sadness of the auto industry prior to the bankruptcy and bailout of recent years where so many were devastated. She fills in the blanks for the rest of the story. There are poignant moments when family and friends help pull the narrative along. Despite the overall issues that almost devour Lily, there are solutions and blessings.
In “Words Falling Like Water” we find the author's escape from Michigan to tell her real life story and family history in a fictional way even if she can never really escape the truth. This is a work of huge magnitude for anyone who has a connection to loss in their personal or private life. It is also critical to all of us who grew up in Michigan and have family or friends in there who have survived the auto industry of yesterday, only to see it coming back in a strong way today. We want the story of our beloved Michigan to be told. Vaughn has done that for us.
Vaughn is an English instructor at Estrella Mountain Community College and has also taught in Texas and Michigan. In addition, she is an experienced project manager and management consultant. She holds a master’s degree in English from Abilene Christian University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan-Flint. She currently lives in Peoria, Ariz., with her husband, two children and her dog, and is a member of the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers.
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