“Deadly Commitment”

Book one in a series by Kathy Harris

When Kathy Harris was a girl, she wanted to write mystery books and be in the music business. Today, her dreams have come true. Her most recent novel delves deep into the dark corners of sex trafficking in the heart of Nashville, Tenn., America’s country music hub, and Harris’s home for the past 40 years.

Deadly Commitment is the title of Book One of “The Deadly Secrets” novel series created by Harris, who is a Christian author. “From the minute I wrote the first scene of Deadly Commitment, I had several options, and I was convinced that it had to be about sex trafficking,” Harris said. “Trafficking takes place in literally every county in the United States and in every ZIP code in the state of Tennessee.

“Statistically, in Tennessee and probably everywhere, most trafficked people are under 25. Unfortunately, a lot of them are children,” says Harris. “This is probably a plot breaker, but the girl in this book who is in college, fits that description. But she’s also the upper end of that age range. I could not, I could not write a book about a child who was being trafficked. I want my books to be inspiring, but that kind of trafficking exists.”

Harris’s research led her on a road of discovery where she encountered many people who have dedicated their time to the fight against sex trafficking. “At the same time, I can tell you that Tennessee is in a strong fight against sex trafficking. There’s a lot of organizations here that are working together. I found a lot of people online. For example, I interviewed a woman who had been trafficked, and I was inspired.”

Harris also researched the problem through church organizations. She volunteered at her local church with an organization called The Next Door, which helps women who have been dependent on drugs or alcohol. “A lot of them have been in prison and organizations like The Next Door are their last hope. They inspired me so much and became a good part of the story.”

Harris wants to raise her readers’ awareness of the problem. “I hope that they will realize it exists more than they thought it did. I hope that they will realize that the child down the street may not have a good home. I want them to know that there are things that contribute to the problem right where they live.

“The kids exposed to poverty, homelessness, foster care, a history of childhood sexual abuse, mental illness, and substance abuse are most at risk, but it can also happen in the most expensive communities.

“So, if you’re aware, you can see a child who looks like they could be at risk, even in your own family. Monitor your children’s Internet usage because a lot of kids are trafficked that way. Just be vigilant. I think that’s what I’m trying to do. Besides entertain, I want people to read this and realize it can happen in your family. It could happen in your neighborhood.”

by WARREN L. MAYE