Peter Prichard is a professional with whom I worked for several years. When I heard he was writing his first book, Dawn of Hope, I was intrigued. At the time, Sisters-in-Script was exclusively offering our grants to women who were publishing their debut manuscript. But when I read an early copy of Dawn of Hope, I was very taken with the power of Dawn’s character and her desire to stop the sexual assault of young girls in high school. It took many discussions with my grant committee who ultimately agreed that we should change our bylaws to include books written by men about important women’s issues. We modified our bylaws and awarded a grant to Peter for his debut manuscript. As you will see from his bio below, he has gone on to write another work of fiction and more recently, a non-fiction book. It is always gratifying to see how receiving a grant award from Sisters-in-Script gives authors a boost of self-confidence and the recognition becomes a launching pad for their literary career.

Dawn Mortenson is like no teenager who had ever moved to the town of Fair Shore. Within 24 hours of moving to town and her arrival at Fair Shore High, she realized that the town condoned the sexual assault of young girls. She alienated most of the population of the town after her confrontation with the All-American football hero found him in the hospital. The ensuing battle landed many friends and foes in jail, the hospital or an early grave. Dawn uses music, the media, a team of young and old allies and a combination of personal courage and mental toughness to change the town’s attitude toward the sexual abuse of young people forever, although at a huge personal cost.