I recently finished writing a book about human trafficking. Concealed Cargo is the third novel in my FBI K9 Thriller Series. It was a difficult book to write. The research on the topic and prevalence of Human Trafficking was heart breaking. The book is going to my Advanced Reader Team tomorrow and will launch on September 17, 2020.
This book picks up where book #2, Body Count, leaves off. Special Agent Clay Jennings runs the Denver FBI K9 Unit. He and his K9 partner have joined up with a special task force to fight against human trafficking in Colorado.
Concealed Cargo
Book Blurb:
When Special Agent Clay Jennings and his K9 partner, Ranger, take to the streets of Denver to fight human trafficking, he is shocked by the inordinate number of stolen innocents who’ve been forced into the sex trade. With each new face, his resolve to help these children escape their personal horror grows stronger.
El Clark, a social worker who dedicates her life to rescuing exploited kids from the streets, works valiantly to locate their families or find them a safe place to live while they recuperate. She understands the plight of these young victims more than anyone knows.
When these two champions of enslaved children team up, they discover a web of deviant corruption that reaches into the upper echelons of US politics and society. Adding to the nightmare, a vicious serial killer focused on murdering female prostitutes threatens to pull Clay and El away from unearthing the man behind the treacherous, Colorado-based, child prostitution ring.
For Clay, working to solve these crimes is like taking one step forward and three back until El shares her story with him. Inspired by her bravery and fortitude, he is re-committed to the fight for justice. Clay and El battle against a mountain of power and money the height of which they’d never conceived, and end up building a powerful bond with one another along the way. El teaches Clay that every life they change matters—that they must do what they can, even when it’s only one child at a time.
Promise of my Writing Style
The books in my FBI K9 Series are about murders, serial killers, and various other crimes. There is always a spark of romance, though that isn’t generally the point of the plot, and I always have a just and happy ending. That was my greatest challenge in writing a book about a horrible and continuous crime—a book about human trafficking.
How does one write a book about something so real and so appalling that is happening all around us and give it a satisfying ending? How can a writer delve into a dark and evil world where innocent children are abused and tortured and do the truth justice while ending the story on a hopeful note?
That’s the point of this blog. My novel does end with justice and hope. However, for many, probably most of the people forced into human trafficking, the story has no happy ending. The victims of trafficking are used up in the most cruel and unhuman ways, only to be discarded when they are no longer useful. The average life-span of a trafficked person is only 7 years. They die of murder, abuse, drug overdose, and neglect.
Modern Day Slavery
Only a few years ago, the majority of trafficking victims (especially in sex trafficking) were female. It was about an 80/20 split. Those numbers have changed dramatically. Now, boys make up 40% of trafficking victims. And the ages of these victims keep getting lower and lower.
If you’re like I was, you are probably aware that human trafficking exists, but you think of it as happening in poor, over-populated countries like India or somewhere in Southeast Asia. The terrible truth is it’s also happening in your own backyard—wherever that may be. Trafficking takes place in tough neighborhoods as well as in the upper-class suburbs. No one is immune to the risk.
Other Books about Human Trafficking
The Slave Across the Street
I recently read a book called The Slave Across the Street by Theresa L. Flores. She vividly describes her years as a sexual slave to a neighborhood gang while she still lived at home with her parents. No one, not her parents, teachers, or friends, suspected the hell the gang forced her into even though it was right under their noses.
Book Blurb:
*** Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller! ***
“While more and more people each day become aware of the dangerous world of human trafficking, most people in the U.S. still believe this is something that happens to foreign women, men, and children–not something that happens to their own.
In this powerful true story, Theresa L. Flores shares how her life as an All-American, blonde-haired 15-year-old teenager who could have been your neighbor was enslaved into the dangerous world of sex trafficking while living in an upper-middle class suburb of Detroit.
Her story peels the cover off of this horrific criminal activity and gives dedicated activists as well as casual bystanders a glimpse into the underbelly of trafficking. And it all happened while living at home without her parents ever knowing about it. Involuntarily involved in a large underground criminal ring, Ms. Flores endured more as a child than most adults will ever face their entire lives.
In this book, Ms. Flores discusses how she healed the wounds of sexual servitude and offers advice to parents and professionals on preventing this from occurring again, educating and presenting significant facts on human trafficking in modern day America.”
The Slave Next Door
There are countless forms of human trafficking. It can mean abduction by a stranger as well as the selling of someone’s own family member. Trafficking can be sexual in nature, or labor oriented. In a book called The Slave Next Door, by Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter, we see many more forms of trafficking:
Book Blurb:
“In this riveting book, authors and authorities on modern slavery Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter expose the disturbing phenomenon of human trafficking and slavery that exists now in the United States. In The Slave Next Door we find that these horrific human rights violations are all around us; people sold into slavery are often hidden in plain sight: the dishwasher in the kitchen of the neighborhood restaurant, the kids on the corner selling cheap trinkets, the man sweeping the floor of the local department store.
In these pages we also meet some unexpected modern-day slave owners, such as a 27-year old middle-class Texas housewife who is currently serving a life sentence for offenses including slavery. Weaving together a wealth of voices—from slaves, slaveholders, and traffickers as well as from experts, counselors, law enforcement officers, rescue and support groups, and community leaders—this book is also a call to action, telling what we, as private citizens and political activists, can do to raise community awareness, hold politicians accountable, and finally bring an end to this horrific and traumatic crime.”
An Insurmountable Problem
The more I researched, the more overwhelmed I became. How could I help? The problem is too big. What can I do?
Well, it is a giant problem and the first thing we must do is become aware and to make others aware as well. Write to your legislators and tell them this issue matters to you. Ask them what they’re doing to prevent it. Then, look to see if there is an organization in your community that is working to help escaped victims recover and regain their lives and freedom. There are tons of wonderful organizations out there. These groups are looking for volunteers and donations. Be sure to check out a few national and international organizations as well:
Global Connection International
There are many, many more. Find one that resonates with you. Let’s work together to protect our children and to fight against the modern day slavery of Human Trafficking.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness month. Thank you for creatively raising awareness, I am also writing a book to help people be able to spot and stop the overpowering of fellow humans.
I have just finished a fictional crime book called, “Preying on the Innocent.” I was wondering if you have any suggestions on a literary agent I could contact for publishing. So far, I haven’t been able to get anyone interested. Thank you.