Author Spotlight: MAK Moran
By MAK Moran

Mary Anne K. Moran was born in Windsor, Ontario to an Irish father and Italian mother. Although was born in Canada, she was raised in Detroit, Michigan, from infanthood until her late teens, when as a result of her father’s dependence on kidney dialysis they decided to move back to Ontario.

From an early age, her love of writing and speaking was evident. She was always the first to volunteer to step to the front of the class for speeches, and she anxiously waited for any assignment requiring story-writing or essays. Those who know her will attest to the fact that the gift of the gab flows freely in her when she’s given the opportunity to let it go.

Her experience in the natural health industry spans more than two and a half decades. She has held executive sales, management, and educational positions with such companies as GNC and Beverly Hills Weight Loss Clinics, and served as Canadian Director of Education and Communication for Garden of Life Inc. Her experience in lecturing, teaching, and ministry spans the United States, Canada, and Central America.

Mary Anne now resides in Barrie, Ontario. She is the mother of three grown married daughters, and is perfecting her spoiling techniques on her five perfect grandchildren.

In 2011, Mary Anne suffered the tragic and unexpected loss of her husband Michael after nearly thirty years of marriage.

In 2014, after surfacing from a journey through intense grief and reinventing herself, Mary Anne realized that we are not meant to merely survive life, but to thrive. She began writing again and sought new venues for speaking and influencing the people placed before her. Her warm personality, sense of humour, and practical approach to life, along with her uninhibited, spontaneous displays of love towards even the remotest stranger, makes her a sought-after speaker.

Upcoming Events

• June 30. Radio interview on WMKM 1440 Gospel Radio in Detroit, Michigan.

Current Projects

• Spanish translation of God Lives in Detroit.
• Book Three: How to Kiss Without Using Your Lips.
• Motown Mercy, an initiative to minister and feed the homeless and disenfranchised in Detroit. Motown Mercy is working in conjunction with Second Chance Ministries to not only provide food and church services four times per week, but also provide clothing and resources for seeking employment, medical care, and housing.

Question and Answer

WAP: What impact do you hope the book has on the reader?
MAK: I wanted to take their hand and walk them right to God’s front door. To show them that they aren’t alone, even in the midst of despair and a feeling of separation from Him. To give them the skills to find His address even when He has dropped off their contact list.

WAP: Is it possible to lose hope and still believe in God?
MAK: Yes, it is. Our hope is oftentimes lost in the midst of our humanity, not our spirituality. We live in a broken world that at times can yield circumstances and life events that crush us to the point that we lose our grip on our hope eternal, simply because we are weary. But God understands. He knows there are times when His children take the long road home, but He’s still there—waiting.

WAP: Is it difficult to be transparent when disclosing feelings of loss of faith or separation from God?
MAK: I think for a good part of the Christian population, it is. The drive to look perfect can often result in lost opportunities to tell someone how God has truly moved in your life. I am an extremely transparent person, and that has been the single most influential and successful part of showing God’s love and hope to others. If I have learned anything through the experiences in my life, It’s that I’m “flawsome.” I recognize my flaws, but that will never stop me from being as awesome as I know God thinks I am.

WAP: What do the words “for the one” mean in your book?
MAK: I didn’t want to write this book, because I knew how draining and emotional it would be. However, God challenged me. He had come for me when I needed Him most. So what if He was sending me “for the one” who needed me the most. If I wasn’t ready to show His love to “the one,” I was walking in pride, not purpose. I am already humbled at the number of people who have wanted me to know they were “the one.”

WAP: Does God only speak to, or show Himself in, spiritual settings and places?
MAK: We see examples throughout the Bible of the way God speaks to people in exactly the manner or environment they will hear the loudest. It’s generally not in the “perfect” church setting. God spoke some of the most loving and teachable words to me in the middle of a ghetto in Detroit. His message of love and hope came in the midst of graffiti, abandoned buildings, and a neighbourhood filled with crime. It is now “our special place.” Look for Him in the unexpected, not in the arranged.

WAP: In your book, you use the phrase “When it comes right down to it, we’re all just walking each other home.” What does that refer to?
MAK: I believe we are all called to support and love each other the way Christ has taught us to. Every breath takes us one step closer to going home. God never intended for us to go home alone. It’s our responsibility to put our hand into someone else’s and show them the way. We would never go home with a stranger, but we would jump at the opportunity to head home with the people who truly love us. It’s time to spread the love.

WAP: How would you describe your writing process?
MAK: I can only write after I have heard God speak to me, even in the smallest detail. It is much like a child at a sporting event. If I don’t see my dad in the stands, I don’t feel secure enough to move ahead. That will frequently lend itself to a rather less than structured writing schedule. However, once I start, I don’t like to let Him go until I’m exhausted. I like to be engaged with the reader, as though we’ve just become close friends and I can pour out my thoughts without inhibition. I write the same way I live my life. I am very relational.

WAP: Do you have any advice for new writers?
MAK: I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard “I want to write a book, but I don’t know how to get started.” I used to tell them to just sit down and do it. Now I tell them to pray and begin writing all the things they don’t want to say. That’s usually the key that unlocks all the good stuff. Ask God. He’ll guide you. Writing with the purpose of having a bestseller can totally sabotage the process and the end result. Don’t look for the bestseller message; look for the best purpose message.

About this Contributor:

MAK (Mary Anne) Moran has often been referred to as the “lady who loves everyone.” Her contagious smile and inherited Irish wit make her a more approachable person than most. Mary Anne’s writing and speaking creates an irresistible curiosity about God in those who don’t know Him, and resurrects hope and purpose in those who are weak and weary even though they do know Him. If you’re looking for the fastest road to her heart, it usually has a hot cup of coffee at the end of it.