WAUSA – April Lorenz has authored adventures as a way to honor her late grandson.
The 52-year-old Wausa woman recently wrote and self-published a series of three children’s books – known collectively as “Aven’s Adventures” – as a memorial to Aven Firth, who passed away on Nov. 13, 2017.
Aven was the 14-month-old son of Donald and Tanya Firth of Wausa. The couple are April’s son and daughter-in-law.
“The books are about our grandson Aven and his adventures in far-off places and close to home,” said April, who is married to Joe “Shadow” Lorenz, Aven’s “Pa Paw.” “All three books are fiction, written with the character Aven having aspects of our grandson’s personality. They are seek-and-find activity books as well.”
The first book in the series is called “Aven’s Adventures” and was published on Nov. 29, 2023. The second book is titled “Trekking with Mom” and was published nearly a month later on Dec. 24 last year. The third and final book is named “Adventures with Pa Paw and Grams” and was published on Feb. 18 this year.
“My hope is that these books excite the imagination in children, get them playing outside with their parents and/or other family members,” April said.
She noted that in writing these books, it has – in a way – given her grandson a way for a part of who he was to live on forever.
“He has already become a part of other children’s childhoods, something had he lived, he would have gotten to do,” April said. “Children are excited to help Aven find things in the books and can’t wait for their parents or grandparents to read the books to them. This is the feedback I have gotten from parents and grandparents that have purchased them.”
She has written other books, but she noted she has not self-published any other ones as of yet. “I do consider myself a writer,” April said. “I do plan to publish more books in the future, as I do enjoy writing. No future dates are set for book releases.” The self-described “stay-at-home wife” – an Oklahoma native who has lived in Nebraska for about 20 years overall – noted people may purchase her books by going online to Amazon.com. The books are located in the “Children’s Books” category, where people can just type in the title of the book they want to find. April also has a Facebook page titled “Author April Lorenz.”
“I priced the books each under $10 because I wanted them to be affordable for anyone,” April said. “Writing these books has been a very emotional labor of love.
“Aven was only 14 months old when he passed, but he was such a happy little guy,” she said. “He made those around him smile and he just had something about him that lit up the room. This is my way of honoring who he was.”
