Heather Huffman's Blog, page 35

Book Signing and an Introduction

Some time ago, I promised to post stories of hope that would introduce the charities I work with to fight human trafficking. Somehow the days got away from me and I've been remiss in fulfilling that promise.

What better way to fix that than to not only introduce my first charity, but to also announce a book signing to benefit them!

Saturday, October 29th, Project Liberty will be hosting a walk-a-thon at Granger Meadows Park in DeWitt Township, Michigan.  Registration for the walk-a-thon starts at 9:30, and lunch is served at noon. I'll be there for the entire event, visiting and signing books. Signed copies of Throwaway and Suddenly a Spy will be available for $10 each, with proceeds from the day going to Project Liberty.

My oldest son will participate in the walk-a-thon as a representative of the group he started, 61 Strong.

I hope to see some of you there – come participate in the walk, or drop by to grab an autographed book. (I'll even be giving one away!) If that isn't incentive enough, come out so you can point and laugh at me for cutting my hair off and dying the remnants red… perhaps not my wisest choice ever, but I'm pretending it was exactly what I was going for.

All joking aside, Saundra (the founder of Project Liberty) was kind enough to share the story of the organization's first rescue with us. It's a little longer than my typical blog post, but well worth the read. It gives you a good idea of what the group does and, if you are a parent, will open your eyes to some extremely important truths we are seldom told.

So, without further delay, I will turn the post over to Saundra of Project Liberty.

[image error]The First Rescue

A while ago, God allowed me to take part in rescuing a teenage girl who was only hours from being transported out of America by traffickers. She was only 14 years old when she met a guy online. He'd pretended to be a teenage boy to gain her trust – convincing her to meet in person.

After online chatting, she agreed to meet him at a park. Of course she didn't tell anyone and turned up missing. She was kidnapped-TAKEN to a larger city!

Her mother, not knowing what had happened, contacted local law enforcement. Because of the chat they discovered on the girl's computer, it was noted she "voluntarily" went to the park and therefore listed her as a runaway! No other law enforcement services were provided.

Our task force was called in when mom had nowhere to turn. Services were given at no cost. Distraught and blaming herself, the mother had also gone to the streets of the city to try and find her daughter. One evening I was asked by the private detective on our team to call the mother to distract her from looking for her daughter so the detectives and authorities could do their job without mom "blowing it out of the water."

We were also concerned that, believing her daughter to be gone or dead, she would take her own life. I prayed and prayed for the right words to say, even though I kept getting her voicemail.  I left many messages on her home phone and cell phone…telling her how much God loved her and her daughter, that she was a good mom, this was not her fault, and that I was praying for her and her daughter. At one point, I even left a prayer on her cell phone. 

Her daughter was rescued that night! The traffickers had cut her hair, completely changed her appearance, drugged, beat, raped and forced her into prostitution. She was helpless. She had a birthday while away.

Thanks to the expertise help of our team, now called Project Liberty, she was found. The mother sent word of "Special Thanks" to the woman who made those phone calls that night, because the words God gave me to pray and say meant a lot and helped her and her daughter to survive.

Praise God! She was so grateful to those who assisted rescuing her daughter that night. I would love to meet her some day but, after arrangements were made by our team, immediate medical care was given to her daughter and they were whisked away – taken to an unknown place and given special protection. They did not return home and left with only the clothes on their back. I think of them and pray for them often.  My life has never been the same from that day forward, and the nonprofit name of the ministry of Project Liberty was born under the parent organization of Daughters of Faith Ministries, Inc.

Since that day, I have prayed and wept with mothers and fathers who Project Liberty's task force has assisted in bringing home their child safely. My heart is blessed for those found, but at the same time heavily burdened for so many more victims. Some are runaways some are not! Some are being searched for some are not.

Within 48 hours on the street, 1 out of 3 runaways will be approached by a trafficker and lured or taken into Modern-Day Slavery! Many of the victims are lured through the Internet. If we don't find them we can't help them. We at Project Liberty cooperate with law enforcement to help locate missing young adults and teens from the grasp of perpetrators "grooming" them for the purpose of selling their bodies. This IS going on in the USA! 

AGAIN, I SAY IF WE DON'T FIND THEM WE CAN NOT HELP THEM. With the prayers, help and support from many we can find more. THERE IS HOPE!

            -Saundra, Isaiah 61:1

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Hanging off the Wire

Many thanks to the blog Hanging off the Wire for having me as a guest blogger today!

If you have time, stop by to check out three of my more embarrassing moments in life by reading my post, It's All an Act.

 

What's the Difference?

A few readers have asked me what's different from the original versions of my books and the ones being re-released by Booktrope. The short answer is: not much.

When I first released the books as an indie writer, they had been read over by friends who caught a handful of typos. Since my friends were doing me a favor, they only read the books once each, which means things were missed. It happens.

When Booktrope decided to release the books under their imprint, they were assigned an editor who went through the books several times. Here are some of the things changed:

More typos. I can recite grammar rules in my sleep, but when I'm caught up in the moment on a 70,000-word novel or up at 3 a.m. because the words just won't let me go, I make mistakes. I spell "lightning" with an "e" in the middle or I say "site" instead of "sight." I miss those kinds of things when I proofread because I know what it's supposed to say. Someone reading the book once might miss it because they're caught up in the story. The person reading the book for the third time that week is much more likely to catch the error.
Bobble heads and seemingly endless seems. I'd gotten into a few bad habits in my writing that hadn't been pointed out before. In one book, there was so much nodding going on I had bobble heads for characters. In two others, I softened way too many sentences with some form of the word "seem." Those kinds of rough edges have been smoothed out.
What ever happened to…? In a very few instances, the editor pointed out loose ends she didn't feel I'd tied up well enough. One example would be Veronica's ex-husband in Suddenly a Spy – what had gone wrong in their marriage? A paragraph or two has been added to the new version; it gives more meaning to her reaction to Rick's secret.

We were careful not to change the novels too much. Thankfully, I have a publisher who likes the voice I've developed and understands what I'm striving for in my novels. But as one writer friend put it, we "polished the apples" a bit before re-releasing them under the Booktrope imprint.

I am so thankful to have someone help me make the books the best they can be. If you haven't read one of them yet, I am excited for you to read the new versions. I'm proud of the novels Booktrope has helped them to become.

If you've read the indie versions, thank you for overlooking the mistakes. If it weren't for your support, I wouldn't be where I am now. Do you need to buy a new copy? No. I'm not going to discourage it, but it's the same story. I announce the release of the Booktrope editions for the readers who haven't checked out a particular book yet.

That said, anytime you can go in and write a review on Amazon for the novels you've already read, you are doing me a much larger favor than you realize. In today's market, your voice will, to a very large part, determine my success or failure.

And I promise, there are announcements of new books coming very soon!

All I Didn't Know

Sometimes, I wonder if I'm on an FBI watch list for some of the things I Google while I'm researching a book. Surely someone who reads up on handguns, organized crime and the black market is up to no good, right?

I'm often asked how I became involved in the fight to end human trafficking. A few things came together to get me there.  Although Throwaway was the first book released, it was the third written—and that's really where my desire to fight modern day slavery began.

My books usually come to me in a dream. It's often one scene from about midway into the story, but I wake up the next morning knowing I have a new novel to write. A couple of years ago, I dreamt about a prostitute who was in love with a cop. I thought about these star-crossed lovers for a few days before remembering what I'd heard years ago about the plight of foster children in Missouri. At the time, they were turned out on their 18th birthday with nowhere to go and no money in their pocket. Not surprisingly, that didn't go so well for them.

One story in particular had stuck with me, and I knew her tale fit the woman in my dream. I changed some of the details, added in a few more, and Jessie was born. I did Internet research to some extent, but I mostly wrote from my gut. I wasn't worried about capturing the nitty-gritty details of being a prostitute; I wanted to tell the story of the characters in my head and in my heart.

If you'd like to see what life is really like for young ladies trapped in prostitution, there is an excellent documentary out there called Very Young Girls. I highly recommend it; your eyes will be opened to a reality most are unaware of.

What little research I did for Throwaway broke my heart. I knew I had to do something; I just wasn't sure what.

Then I dreamt about a beautiful bride whose wedding was crashed by a vixen from her husband's past, and Suddenly a Spy was born. I woke up the next morning and knew instinctively that human trafficking would be central to the storyline. For this one, I did a lot of research. While I wouldn't call the book non-fiction, many of the stories of slaves were real, with the names changed.

Many, many of the accounts I found were not included because they were too graphic to tell and retain any hope of keeping the book at all "fun." Some facts were changed intentionally for the purpose of storytelling. Just as with Throwaway, the purpose of the book wasn't to write a documentary, but to tell an entertaining story that still let people know this very evil thing is happening, often right under our noses.

When I was doing my research, human trafficking was considered the third largest crime industry in the world. In 2007, human traffickers made more than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined. While the vast majority of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, there are countless tales of children being sold into slave labor in the manufacturing and fishing industries. The clothes on your back could very well be made by a slave who was forced to work 16+ hours a day in deplorable conditions. (A good way to be sure this isn't the case is by shopping fair trade. To learn more about fair trade, visit the World Fair Trade Organization or Fair Trade USA.)

Recently, I came across a story that said human trafficking has surpassed drugs to take the top spot: it is now the most profitable crime industry in the globe. Whatever its ranking, the more stories I heard, the more I knew with every fiber of my being that I was given the words in my head so I could become a voice for the voiceless. I knew that this fight was my own.

And though the problem is vast, there is light in the darkness. Next week, I will post several victories from various organizations. Each is an organization I support in some fashion – whether through partnerships to raise awareness or through donating my own private funds.

Together, we can make a difference in this battle.

To learn more about human trafficking, I recommend checking out some of the websites below. These aren't organizations I'm affiliated with, but they are wonderful sources of information:

Polaris Project: http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/overview

Not For Sale Campaign: http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/about/slavery/

Demi & Ashton Foundation: http://demiandashton.org/get-informed

 

Who's on First?

If you've read all four of my books, then you might have noticed that characters from one quite frequently show up in another. While not a series in the truest sense of the word, their stories do intertwine.

Several of my readers have asked for something that shows which characters show up in which novels, just to be sure they haven't missed a connection. To the best of my ability, I've put together a "character map" that shows the characters of importance from each novel.

Before you check it out, there are a few things I should point out:

I can, at times, be a scatter-brain. I could have completely forgotten a major character. In fact, I'd be surprised if I hadn't. If you notice someone missing, post it in the comments and I'll try to update the document.
In most cases, I have grouped characters in pairs. I say most cases – sometimes characters are grouped together because I was out of space, so don't read to much into it when Devon McAlister and Jeff Talbot are paired together.
Books listed as "tbd" are in various stages of completion. I can't say when or if they'll be published; they're just next in line in my head.
There are characters from some of the novels listed who will get their own novel, it'll just be later down the line. So don't be disappointed if a character you'd hoped to see doesn't show up. I can think of at least five characters off the top of my head who  are introduced in existing or upcoming novels but aren't listed yet because their novel isn't far enough along. (And again, the space issue…)
On the character map, you'll notice I have one book listed as "in-between the novels." It's a romantic comedy (most likely a novella) that will be offered up for charity. I'm collaborating with my new favorite author, Sylvain Reynard. His debut novel, Gabriel's Inferno, is racing up the charts right now. When you read it, you'll see why. Pairing a swoon-worthy male lead written by Sylvain with one of my tenacious female leads should be amusing. I'll post more about that as the time gets closer, but in short: there will be sparks and shenanigans a-plenty.

 

So, with all that said… if you want to see my attempt at explaining who shows up when, here it is: Character Map

Linking Up to Make a Difference

A reader apologized to me once for donating to a World Vision fund besides the one I suggest on my site. The truth is, when I started graffiti parties and the idea of "Leave Your Mark," it was to encourage people to figure out what it was they cared about and do something big or small to make a difference, to leave their mark on this world. It doesn't have to be the cause I'm talking about to be a worthy one.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of bad things going on in the world, so there's a lot to choose from. So much so that sometimes horrific crises become barely a blip on our radar. Right now, there are 12.4 million people affected as the Horn of Africa faces its worst drought in 60 years. More than 35% of all children in the region are facing emergency levels of malnutrition, and some 30,000 children have already lost their lives.

People often ask me why I first chose World Vision as the organization I wanted to raise awareness for with my writing. My answer is two-fold: 1) They use their money wisely – your donation goes where they say it will go and 2) They are big and they're everywhere.

Okay, maybe not literally everywhere, but they have developed long-standing relationships in communities around the world. That means when something goes wrong, they probably already have resources on site. World Vision has assisted communities in the Horn of Africa for 3 decades, so their teams in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia are already responding to the crisis with food, water, blankets and other critical needs for families.

The good news is that sometimes, even the little things can make a difference. Over the next couple of days, World Vision is coordinating a LINK UP campaign to combat the famine in the Horn of Africa. You can read about that campaign here.

Ask yourself: what's the one thing I typically spend $10 on that I could give up this week to help those in crisis in the Horn of Africa? For me, it's probably the sodas I pick up on my way to get my oldest son from school. Two sodas a day for five days—not only will I be doing a good thing for someone else, it's a healthy choice for me. Double win.

Instead of those sodas, I'm going to send in my $10 donation by texting the word "FAMINE" to "20222″ and join World Vision in fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa. Don't text? Donate any amount by clicking here.

What one thing could you give up to help save lives in the Horn of Africa?

 

Light Reading?

I was once told by someone in the book industry that my books would never fly because they were too confusing for the reader – often, horrible things happen or have happened to the heroine, yet you find yourself wanting to smile and laugh with them. I was told readers wouldn't be able to process the conflicting emotions.

That same person told me I could have a great career if I would write the formula she knew would sell. I found myself at a choice. I could take this person's well-meaning advice and write the sure thing or I could write the stories in my heart and trust that somewhere out there was a reader who would get it. I ultimately decided to stick with what my instincts were telling me. Because the truth is, horrible things often happen to us as women—as people—and we still find a way to laugh.

We live in a dark world, so how can I write novels that are at all true if I don't speak to the darkness? But, just as I choose to live my life with joy regardless of circumstance, acknowledging darkness doesn't mean dwelling in it. That's why people who pick my books up hoping for something truly gritty walk away disappointed.

Because, despite the heavy themes that are often woven into my story lines, my books are actually rather light reading. We live in a busy world. I want to provide my readers with an escape without asking them to commit a month of their life to finishing my book. I want you to laugh and cry with me for a little while, but I know you have a life waiting for you, too.

And as for darkness that tinges my characters' lives, I'm of the mindset that yes, bad stuff happens, but as long as I'm breathing, there is hope. So I promise you that as long as my heroine has a breath in her body, she's not giving up and she's going to find her smile. Because a little bit of light can chase away a whole lot of darkness.

Wrong Turns

When I was young, I used to say I didn't make mistakes, I just had learning experiences. Boy, have I had some spectacular learning experiences in my life.

Since my first memories, I wanted nothing more than to be an actress. That might not be what you expected me to say. Don't get me wrong, I've always written voraciously, and I've always loved to read. But there was something about the movie industry that stirred my soul. I love that a good movie can take you someplace else, make you feel something else. I knew in my heart of hearts that someday, somehow, I would be a part of making that happen.

I ignored the naysayers who told me acting was a stupid career choice. I was in the school plays (usually as the villainess, and I loved it). I attended acting workshops. I researched the industry like crazy and counted down the days until I could move to L.A.

But somewhere between the ages of 14 and 19, I started listening to the people telling me I wasn't good enough or skinny enough to make it in Hollywood. Or maybe, just maybe, I was scared and I let their words deter me from a dream. By 20, I'd even stopped writing.

Somehow, I took a drastically wrong turn. By 30, I found myself married with three children working in a coffin, I mean cubicle. I was living a life I'd sworn since childhood I would avoid like the plague. (In the name of keeping this short and sweet, I'll leave out all of the many, many learning experiences I had in those missing years…)

I had lost who I was along the way, so I got it back the only way I knew how: I began to write again. I wrote books that took people places – that made them feel something. At first, I was terrified to share my words with others, but I did it anyway. With each review (good and bad), I got bolder, freer. I write under my maiden name because she's the girl who believed dreams were possible and worth dreaming. I want to know her again, to see who she could become.

Every time I hear from a reader who compliments the strong female leads in my books, it makes me smile. It's important to me that the women in my novels find their strength and live their lives without fear or regret. I wasted too many years on fear and regret; I see too many friends doing the same.

We all take wrong turns in life, but as long as there is a breath in our bodies and a God in heaven, then it's not too late to find a way back. Our choices might make the path more difficult, but it's still there – if we're willing to take a risk to find it.

I'm finally on the path to accomplishing my dream, on laborious step at a time. But it's worth every bead of sweat.

Do you have a dream deferred? If so, go find it.

Exciting News!

I've started this post a dozen times and everything comes out clunky and awkward. To save us all the pain of reading that, I'll cut to the chase:

I've signed with a publisher!

I had a lot of reasons for going indie with my books a year ago. It's been an amazing  journey and I've learned a lot. (Side note: Thank you to the readers who've followed me as I've tried to figure this whole thing out!)

When I was recently approached by someone encouraging me to give the big six in New York another try, I was tempted. But I worried about losing control over the books, slow publication schedules, and losing the ability to advocate a cause I truly care about through the novels.

Then about a week later, I heard from Booktrope, a newer publisher out of Seattle with a different approach.  Knowing that the publishing industry has to adapt if it will thrive, the founders of Booktrope Publishing are seeking to combine what's working in the publishing industry with what the indie authors are doing well to create a new model.  If you would like to learn more about their model, check out the company website at www.booktropepublishing.com. To read for free go to www.booktrope.com.

For me, it's the best of both worlds. I get to work with a publishing team I respect and have control over my work. The best part – my books will be free to read on their website, and I get to donate a portion of my sales to the causes I believe in, like World Vision and Project Liberty. If you want to buy the books for download (or a paperback copy to hold in your hand), they'll be available through most online retailers.

All four current books will be disappearing from retailers soon as they are re-released under the Booktrope label. That fifth book I've been promising is on its way. It's too soon to put a specific date on it yet, but look for updates on the release of Ring of Fire by the end of 2011!

To all of my readers – I can't thank you enough for your support. It's meant the world to me. I'm really excited about what the future holds!

What's with the Feet?

If you've read all four of my books, you might have noticed a theme on the covers. The idea to have the heroine's feet as the central focus of the photos evolved on its own.When we did the photo shoot for Throwaway, there were two shots in particular I really liked for the cover. I wound up choosing the feet because that picture just seemed right – it told you a bit about Jessie but left enough to the reader's imagination.

With the other three covers, by the time the book was finished, I could picture in my head what shot I wanted to use for the cover. Or at least, I had a vague idea and my amazing photographer helped me turn that vague idea into a reality.After Ties That Bind, I realized I was starting a foot theme, but it works. The feet tell you something about who the character is without putting too much of a picture in the reader's head.

Now it's become an interesting challenge, coming up with a way to say something about the story with her feet. So far, I'm pleased with the shots we've used – and the photo shoots are always a lot of fun. Making the cover is almost as enjoyable as writing the book. I have to admit the one I'm working on now makes me wonder what I've gotten myself in to, but it'll be worth it in the end!