The Secret Keeper

MJ Sloane is a survivor, mother, and advocate who spent twenty-nine years as a secret keeper before finding the courage to become a truth teller.

Raised in what appeared to be the perfect Christian family, MJ discovered in 2001 that her adoptive father—a respected church leader and pillar of the community—was a predator who had been systematically abusing children for decades. Her memoir, The Secret Keeper, chronicles the devastating aftermath of this revelation and her journey from victim to survivor to warrior.

A former worship leader and theater director, MJ has worked in education, insurance, and the arts. She holds a degree from a university she’d rather not name and has spent years in therapy she’s grateful to acknowledge. She is the mother of five remarkable adults who taught her that healing is possible, even when it’s messy.

MJ lives in the Midwest with her partner Carter and their blended family of eight children. When she’s not writing or walking off her feelings, she can be found reading true crime novels, perfecting her cookie recipes, or having inappropriately deep conversations with anyone who will listen.

She believes every survivor deserves to know they are not alone, that some bridges are meant to be burned, and that families can be built on truth instead of lies.