My guest blogger today is M.G. de Grey. She is a romance author (Then The Earth Moved, Let Love Find a Way, Then Time Stands Still). Disappeared, published earlier this month, is her first foray into the thriller genre. She uses her extensive knowledge of the countries she has lived in to infuse her novels with a strong sense of place. To learn more, and to get her latest release, Disappeared, visit https://marygeorginadegreyauthor.com/.
[A quick TW: de Grey’s book, Disappeared, as well as the content of this blog post, contain subject matter that may be triggering or painful for some readers to read, including mentions of child exploitation, murder, and human trafficking. Click below if you wish to continue reading this impactful guest blog, as well as learn a real-world way to help those affected.]
I spent two years in Colombia and witnessed at first hand the plight of the street children of Bogotá, and the way in which they were exploited and even killed because they were a nuisance to traders and city government. This stayed with me and I followed up stories over a long period of time, not doing anything about it.
Then a friend’s daughter spent a few months on a university placement in Bolivia, where the same scenario occurred. But Annie was a lot more proactive than I was and she set up a charity to get the children off the streets, feed and clothe them and provide an education. Funding comes from places around the world but mainly from donations in the UK. Just last week I was at a concert in Bristol in which two famous musicians (a pianist and a cellist) gave their services free and money was raised.
I have always been a great reader of thrillers despite the fact that I write mainly romance at the moment, and suddenly I had a great idea for a thriller and a character already formed in the journalist Antonia Brooks. But I felt really guilty about writing it because I thought it might undermine the efforts of what is an excellent charity doing wonderful work.
So I’d like to state here, the story is entirely fictitious BUT it certainly could happen in these countries where corruption is taken for granted.
Lots of research later, I arrived at publication day. I use ARC readers and every comment so far has been very enthusiastic.
You can find Disappeared on Amazon and Goodreads, and if you enjoy it enough to donate, here is the link to the genuine charity: Friends of Alalay (Santa Cruz), a charity that finds, feeds, houses, educates and loves street kids in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Every penny raised goes directly to help the kids – there are no admin costs. Go here to support the work they do, or visit www.alalay.co.uk to learn more.
