Title: Anybody’s Daughter
Author: Pamela Samuels Young
Series: Angela Evans, #2
Published: October, 2013; Goldman House Publishing
Pages: 376
Is Anybody’s Daughter Ever Safe?
Based
on the real-life horrors faced by thousands of girls, award-winning
author Pamela Samuels Young takes readers deep inside the disturbing
world of child sex trafficking in a fast-paced thriller that educates as
much as it entertains.
The
opening chapter of Anybody’s Daughter introduces readers to
thirteen-year-old Brianna Walker. She’s ecstatic because she’s about to
sneak off to meet her first real boyfriend – a boyfriend she met on
Facebook. But Brianna is in for a horrifying surprise because her
boyfriend doesn’t exist. Instead, Brianna unwittingly becomes the
captive of a ring of drug dealers-turned-human traffickers who prey on
lonely girls from dysfunctional homes. But they’ve made a big mistake in
targeting Brianna because she doesn’t meet either of those criteria.
Brianna’s
Uncle Dre, a man with his own criminal past, is determined to find the
niece who is more like a daughter to him. Rather than sit back and rely
on police to bring Brianna home, Dre scours the dark corners of Los
Angeles looking for her. He is stunned to learn that the trafficking of
children isn’t just happening in other countries. It’s occurring at
epidemic levels right in his own backyard.Dre
is not alone in his desperate search. Loretha Johnson knows this world
well. A social worker who previously lived “the life,” Loretha now
dedicates her time to saving as many young girls as she can find. She
turns out to be an invaluable resource for Dre, who ultimately get a
lead on The Shepard, a mastermind in the trafficking world whose every
move is fueled by ego and greed. Dre vows to bring The Shepard’s reign
of terror to an end, even if he had to break the law to do it.While
Brianna makes a futile effort to thwart her captors, Dre is getting
closer and closer to finding her. The woman he loves, attorney Angela
Evans, knows the dangers faced by sexually exploited children because
she represents them in juvenile court. Angela lends her moral support
and, eventually, an important clue to Brianna’s whereabouts.As
he races against the clock, Dre ultimately comes up with a daring plan –
one that puts many lives in danger, including his own. But will he find
Brianna before it’s too late?Kirkus Reveiws called Anybody’s Daughter “A fast-paced, well-written thriller that’s grounded in important social issues.
About the author: When
attorney and author Pamela Samuels Young isn’t practicing law, you can usually
find her penning her next legal thriller. Described by one reviewer as “John
Grisham with a sister’s twist,” Pamela is an award-winning author of six
novels.
Pamela
has always abided by the philosophy that you create the change you want to see.
Fed up with never seeing women or people of color depicted as savvy, hot shot
attorneys in the legal thrillers she read, the Compton native decided to create
her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, Pamela
accomplished her ambitious goal by getting up at four in the morning to write
before work, dedicating her weekends to writing and even spending her vacation
time glued to her laptop for ten or more hours a day. In the process, she
discovered her passion.
Her
debut novel, Every Reasonable Doubt (2006), won the Black Expressions Book
Club’s Fiction Writing Contest, received an honorable mention in the SEAK Legal
Fiction Writing Competition and was a finalist for USA Book News’ Best Books of
2006 awards in the mystery, suspense and thriller category. Her second novel,
In Firm Pursuit (2007), was honored by Romantic Times magazine as a finalist
for Best African-American Novel of 2007. Murder on the Down Low (2008),
Pamela’s third release, was an “Editor’s Pick” by Black Expressions magazine
and a finalist for the 2009 African-American Literary Awards in the fiction
category. The Black Caucus of the American Library Association honored Pamela’s
fourth novel, Buying Time (2009), with its 2010 Fiction Award, calling the book
“a captivating, suspenseful thriller.” Attorney-Client Privilege (2012) was
Pamela’s fifth legal thriller, followed by Anybody’s Daughter (2013), which
examines the shocking world of child sex trafficking.
The
prolific writer has also penned the short stories Easy Money, featured in the
anthology Scoundrels: Tales of Greed, Murder and Financial Crimes (2012) and
Setup, selected for the Sisters in Crime anthology, LAndmarked for Murder
(2006).
A
former journalist, Pamela began her broadcasting career with WXYZ-TV in Detroit
and later worked as a news writer and associate producer for KCBS-TV in Los
Angeles. Burned out by the news business, Pamela took a big and scary step a
few months before her 30th birthday and entered law school—a long-held dream.
Pamela currently moonlights as a mystery writer while working full-time as
Managing Counsel for Labor and Employment Law for a major corporation in
Southern California, specializing in employment law and social media law. Prior
to that, she served as Employment Law Counsel for Raytheon Company and spent
several years as an associate with the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers, LLP,
in Los Angeles.
A
graduate of UC Berkeley’s School of Law, Pamela has a bachelor’s degree in
journalism from USC and a master’s degree in broadcasting from Northwestern
University’s Medill School of Journalism. She formerly served on the Board of
Directors of the Los Angeles chapter of Mystery Writers of America and is a
diehard member of Sisters in Crime-L.A., an organization dedicated to the
advancement of women mystery writers. A graduate of Compton High School, Pamela
lives in the Los Angeles area and attends Hope in Christ Community Church in
Compton.
Pamela
is a frequent speaker on the topics of fiction writing, discrimination law and
pursuing your passion. To read an excerpt of Pamela’s books or to schedule her
for a speaking engagement or book club meeting via speakerphone, Skype,
FaceTime or in person, visit her website at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com or
email her at authorpamelasamuelsyoung@gmail.com.
You can purchase
the book at AMAZON
