About Ashley Warren
On a sunny day in early 2010, I sat in my parked car, late for an appointment, stunned by an NPR story about sexual predators. I had no idea such criminals roamed freely on university campuses.
Since then, I’ve paid close attention to the issue. It never goes away, and by all accounts, the crime is pervasive at every college. As I heard story after story, I began to wonder if I could write a novel about victims whose lives were brought together by a common assailant.
To write a credible story about the journey of victims, I had to do a lot of research. When I listened to the stories of college survivors, they broke my heart. But then I realized that the victims were true heroes. They suffered tremendous pain and stress, they wrestled with guilt and shame, and if they accused their assailants, they often encountered indifference and/or victim blaming. They were heroes, and a hero’s story deserves to be told.
Survivors’ Dawn squares up against a tough subject. Brooke Flanagan, Lauren Le, and Nikki Towers are fictitious characters, but their stories are real. Victims face similar fates every day. And predators like Colin Jordan exist too.
As you read Survivors’ Dawn, you will walk with the survivors—you will experience fear, despair, anger, disgust, purpose, redemption, and finally, hope. You might even decide to get involved.
Thank you for perusing Survivors’ Dawn. Readers make the world a better place!
