She Had No Name--a Guest Post from Kay Marshall Strom

The Price of a Slave

Enormous eyes in a bony-thin face, and a baggy green dress that dragged the ground. Because of all the cast-off children at the village school in India, this raggedy girl stood closest to our translator, he gently asked her, “What is your name?”
The girl stared.
“Your name. What is it?” the translator asked again.
The girl whispered, “I have no name.”
A child with no name. A little girl abandoned so young she could not even remember what her parents had called her. She grew up begging at the train platform, snatching up the scraps harried passengers dropped, watching other children picked off by traffickers. Now that she was seven or eight—perhaps even a scrawny nine—the traffickers had come for her. But the girl screamed and kicked and clawed so ferociously that someone called the police. Someone with clout, evidently, because the police came and pulled her away from the traffickers. Somebody in the crowd shouted out a suggestion that instead of putting the child in jail, the police might take her to the village school, which is what they did. They dropped her at the door and hurried on their way.
Human trafficking, especially sex trafficking, is rampant around the world. We think of it as an eastern European problem, or Indian or Nepalese or Thai. It is that. But it’s also a Western problem. The U.S. State Department estimates between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the Untied States each year, although it concedes that the real number surely is far higher. According to the U.S. Justice Department’s head of the new human trafficking unit, there is now at least one case of trafficking in every state.
The little girl with no name was fortune that someone responded to her screaming pleas. What would you do if you heard a child shriek for help? Of course, if she were a trafficking victim in this country, she wouldn’t be likely to scream or kick. She would probably shrink away in terror, or act submissively. You might see wounds—cuts, bruises, burns. Perhaps what would catch your attention would be the constant work: babysitting, cooking, washing dishes, scrubbing floors—never just being a child. Or maybe you couldn’t say exactly what was wrong—only that something about the child’s situation made you profoundly uneasy.
Please, please, if you suspect a person is being trafficked, call 911 and report it. Yes, it is okay. Yes, even it you are mistaken. In fact, eighteen states require citizens to report possible child abuse or neglect of any kind.
In the 1700s, Quakers led the fight against the African slave trade. In 1885, the Salvation Army took up the abolition banner, and since then it has led the fight against a different kind of slavery. More and more, 21st century abolitionists are followers of Christ determined to see slavery of all kinds ended in our day.
Oh yes… Before I left the school in India, I asked if we might give the little girl a name.
She is now called Grace.


Kay Marshall Strom
The Voyage of Promise, book 2 of the Grace in Africa trilogy
www.kaystrom.com
www.graceinafrica.com
www.KayStrom.wordpress.com

"10 Steps to Being a Writer" by Kay Marshall Strom

Today I'm posting a guest blog (below) from my friend and fellow author Kay Marshall Strom. It's some of the best advice for writers that I've seen in a long while. To learn more about Kay and/or to follow her excellent blog, go to http://kaystrom.wordpress.com/.

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I just got back from a trip to Little Rock where I did several taped interviews. It took three flights to get there and two to get home. One flight was delayed two hours and another was canceled, then reinstated at a different gate. That meant lots of time spent talking and commiserating. Lots of chit-chat. Lots of asking, "So, why are you going to Little Rock?" and "What's your job?"

I've always maintained that 3 out of every 4 people who know I'm a writer say, "Oh, I want to write, too!" And half of those add, "Any hints on how I can get started?" On my trip to Little Rock, I decided to gather some scientific basis for my number estimates, so I kept a tally. Here's what I got:

Asked what I did--14
Want to be a writer too--12
Asked for hints for getting started--8.
For all you people on those flights last week, and everyone else with how-can-I-be-a-writer questions, here is my advice:

Set aside a writing area. You say you plan to clear away a little spot when you're ready to write? Won't happen! My first writing area was a dedicated end of the kitchen table. Yours doesn't have to be fancy, it just needs to be yours.
Learn your craft. Locate a writing class (university continuing education classes can be great). Find--or start--a writers' critique group. Start saving your $$ for a good writers conference.
Invest in the tools of the trade. For starters, you need: A computer. A printer. Internet service. A basic set of reference books. A bookcase for your library. (Trust me, you'll accumulate a library!)
Read. Great writers are great readers. Read different things: books on writing, magazines, books both fiction and non-fiction. Read critically, paying attention to characters, plots, tension, the use of details.
Put words down on paper. Loosen up your writing joints by spending five minutes writing whatever pops into your head. Don't stop until the five minutes are up. After that, the sky's the limit.
Write every day. It may mean getting up early. It may mean turning off the TV. (Bonus for the entire family!) But make time to write every day. Oh, and carry a notebook with you so you can jot down ideas. The most unforgettable ones have a way of hitting at inopportune times, then slithering away before you can find paper.
Determine what type of writing you want to pursue. Your first clue might be the type of writing you enjoy reading. That old nugget Write about what you know has a lot of truth to it. If you love reading legal drama, but know nothing about the legal system, you've got a huge amount of research to do. Do you love to ponder life? To know your family? Maybe you want to write a journal, or a family history for your next reunion. All writing doesn't have to be published.
Think small. "I'm writing a novel about..." Why does everyone think novel? Or even book? Write fillers. Start a blog. Write an article for your local newspaper. Contribute to on-line magazines. Writing small hones your work, a vital step for most writers.
Write something someone wants to read. If your intention is to be published, avoid the trap of writing only for yourself. Instead, write with the reader in mind. Locate the Writers' Guidelines for the publisher to which you want to submit and follow the directions. Edit your work until it's the best you can do right now, then send it off.
Expect rejections. Rejection letters are part of the writing process. We all get them. Some of us get lots and lots of them. When you open yours, remember that it's only one editor's opinion. Only one publication's consideration. Lots of great books were rejected many times before they hit stardom. On the other hand, look back over your manuscript with an editor's eye. What problems did she see? What will you rewrite before you send it out again?
Best advice: If you want to be a writer, write. Write and write and never give up.

"When I am working on a book or story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cold and you come to your work and warm as you write."

Ernest Hemingway

Kay Marshall Strom's sequel is almost here!

I received the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Kay Marshall Strom's next book in her Grace in Africa series just before leaving for my trip to St. Louis. Naturally I took the book with me on the plane. I thought I'd at least get a chapter or two read before dozing off, which is what I normally do on flights. Not this time! I read the final page just minutes before the plane touched down in St. Louis, and now I can't wait for book three!

The Voyage of Promise releases in October, so if you haven't already read book one of this excellent series--The Call of Zulina--do it now so you'll be ready to jump right in when this second book releases. You can order book one and pre-order book two at Amazon.com (just type in Kay Marshall Strom and start ordering)!

And Kay, get busy, would you? I REALLY want to see what happens to Grace!!!

My "Twins" Have Been Born!

Yep, I'm a "mama" again! The first two novels in my Extreme Devotion fiction series with New Hope Publishers have arrived on my doorstep. Though the official release date isn't until April 5, the books are available on Amazon now, and on CBD and Barnes and Noble for pre-order at reduced prices.

Today I'm going to introduce twin number-one, No Greater Love, set in South Africa. (I'll introduce book two of my twins tomorrow.) Here is what Jerry Jenkins and Kay Marshall Strom have to say about No Greater Love:

"…Kathi Macias has created a sweeping epic about a land alien to too many, but more important is the crucial nature of the story and its monumental implications. You’ll feel as if you were there."--Jerry B. Jenkins, bestselling author of the Left Behind series

"It has been refreshing and encouraging to see Christian fiction mature beyond the easy and grasp hold of life’s tough issues. Now our parameters are being pushed wider still by writers such as Kathi Macias who takes us outside the comfort of our own national borders to the harsh injustices of the world. No Greater Love pulls no punches, as it must not with so terrifying a subject as apartheid and the subsequent racial horrors it breeds. Yet, with a masterful touch, Kathi makes a most difficult subject manageable and helps us to see the story from various conflicting viewpoints. And in the end, No Greater Love leads us to the One who perfectly modeled love."--Kay Marshall Strom
Author/Speaker, 36 books including The Call of Zulina, book 1 of The Grace in Africa trilogy

Deep Calls to Deep...

Few books call so poignantly to that deep place within us as The Call of Zulina by Kay Marshall Strom. Even as the Scriptures tell us that "deep calls to deep," so do the convicting words of this epic tale call to the God-given conscience within us, that part of us that is stamped with the very image of God and that forbids us to love with anything less than our very lives.

From the moment we first meet the lovely but naive Grace Winslow to the instant when we see that noble and selfless image of God rise up from deep within her, we find ourselves challenged to that same depth of commitment. This is more than an entertaining story, though it is that. But it is also a call to arms, a challenge to "fight the good fight" without compromise or lukewarm faith. The Call of Zulina is a call to believers everywhere to remember that there is no greater love than to lay down our life for our friends...and if need be, our enemies as well.

You've got to read this book!

Tell us a little about your book: The Call of Zulina is the first book of a three-book saga. Set in West Africa, it centers around Grace Winslow, whose mother is African royalty and her father a British sea captain. Trapped in a marriage arrangement with a pompous, offensive white slave trader, she flees from her home and ends up in the middle of a slave revolt at Zulina slave fortress. There she comes to understand the horrific nature of her family’s involvement in the slave trade. She is forced to choose a side—slave or slaver.

How did you come up with this story? In West Africa, I toured an old slave fortress and was struck dumb by a set of baby-sized manacles bolted to the wall. Right then this book began to germinate in my mind. Then, while I was researching Once Blind: The Life of John Newton—a slaver turned preacher and abolitionist, and author of the hymn Amazing Grace—I virtually “met” a couple who ran a slave business in Africa in the 1700s. I couldn’t help but wonder, “If they had a daughter, who would she be? English or African? Where would her loyalties lie?” That imagined daughter became Grace. The characters of Lingongo and Joseph Winslow, her parents, are modeled after that real-life couple.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Delving into the history. It was astounding and confounding! What did you like the least? The horror of this episode of history. I suppose there is a reason why we gloss over historical hard spots, but of course salving our collective conscience doesn’t make the truth go away.

What message do you hope readers gain from your novel? Two, actually:
First: Having one foot in each of two worlds and not quite belonging in either is a common feeling, especially for Christians who are “in this world but not of this world.” I would like readers to see the power of taking a stand, even though there are consequences for doing so. The consequences of fence-straddling are far greater.
Second: Slavery is a blight on humanity that must be addressed. There is more slavery in the world today by four-fold than there was in the 18th century! Time for 21st century abolitionists to get to work!

What helps you relax despite looming deadlines? We have a great hot tub spa, and I love to relax in it—read or talk to my husband or do nothing at all! I also walk and enjoy the changing of the seasons. And I like to play tennis and bowl and golf via Wii!

Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision. I am a pretty organized writer. Conception is no problem—my idea file is bulging! I gather info, then I make a fairly detailed chapter outline and attach all my research to the appropriate chapter. (This is a time-consuming step, but the better I do this, the easier and more trouble-free the actual writing.) Then I write a first draft: no corrections, no rethinking—just pouring it out. (I love this step!) Then I write a second draft: bringing order to the first, rewriting, switching info to another chapter, etc. (This is the painful step.) Then I do a final draft: polishing, fixing, double checking info. I move away from the project for a week or two and do something completely different and my husband reads it and makes corrections and suggestions. (He’s great!) I consider my husband’s comments, then I go back and reread the entire manuscript out loud one last time.


Tell us what we have to look forward to in the future. What new projects are you working on? I have two more books coming out in this series. One is written (set in London) and I’m just starting book three (set in the new United States of America). I have also been approached about possibly going back to Sudan and writing the story of the displaced Southern Sudanese going home again. But I’ll have to say, after writing four books this year, I need a bit of a breather!

Do you have any parting words of advice? I love the idea of fiction with a purpose.
Before Barbara Scott at Abingdon, no one was willing to take a chance on slave-based fiction. More than one looked at my manuscript and told me, “I love the story, but I’m afraid it will rekindle old feelings and make people feel guilty.” I’ll have to admit, it did my heart good to see great reviews for the book in Publishers Weekly and The Library Journal with no mention whatsoever of rekindling or guilt! I applaud Abingdon for being willing to reach into fresh, untapped areas. Their entire fiction line is great, and I recommend every book on it

My prayer is that when readers finish The Call of Zulina – then when they finish the complete Grace In Africa series—they will long to see slavery wiped from the earth. And that they will be willing to be an active part of accomplishing that.

Kay Marshall Strom
www.kaystrom.com