Publisher's Synopsis
For readers of The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchinson, Pretty Little Girls by Jennifer Ruff, Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult and Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate.
A family camping trip gone horribly wrong... Jasmine awakes in a brothel, locked up in the "Trouble Room." She must have done something really, really bad. Her plight is helped by the drugs her owners provide and by becoming "Bay", a second personality. Can Jasmine ever become herself again? Cienna is unable to fight the two men who sell her to a friendly man named Mike. After promising to return her, he ties her up in his barn instead. Eventually, she finds herself admiring her handsome captor as he keeps her safe. But Mike has a secret deep in his house. And when Cienna discovers it, she realizes that Mike is not friendly at all-he's a monster. With more than just her life at stake, Cienna decides to escape. Will she make it out before Mike turns on her? This suspenseful, domestic thriller satisfies a hankering for a good mystery, full of twists and turns. WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING..."Julie tackles a difficult subject. Hard but necessary to face. She draws you in fully to the lives of two different victims, crosscut stories, but also manages to show you where angels show up. She gives hope in the midst of the trials, and the encouragement to press through." - Cheryl McKay (Screenwriter The Ultimate Gift and Co-Author, Never the Bride) "In Innocent Lives, Julie Bonn Blank has artfully captured the heartbreaking story of child-human trafficking. These precious children endure more than we can imagine, and their hearts and lives are shattered...sometimes forever. I recommend this book to anyone who cares that such atrocities are being visited upon our youngest and most vulnerable. I implore everyone to get involved any way possible!" - Kathi Macias, award-winning author of more than 50 books, including Deliver Me from Evil "Bravo! A powerful book on the heartbreaking issue of trafficking. I highly recommend this to everyone, especially those who have a heart for the wounded. Truly an excellent read." - Carla Ashton, Counselor, Co-Founder and Director of Soul Restoration Ministries "This is a riveting story, which opens eyes to the abuse that is so prevalent in our countries today. Expertly and discreetly told, Bonn Blank pulls the reader into the harsh lives of these girls while portraying a message of hope and faith."
-Julie B Cosgrove, author of the award-winning Hush in the Storm, Legitimate Lies and Freed to Forgive trilogy "I thought it would be a little difficult because I review it as a father, a would-be writer and a Christian that is sensitive to some of the sexual passages...I believe you have struck a healthy balance between reality, sensitivity, and modesty in your description of some of the necessary scenes. You have done a marvelous job of showing the psychological conditioning by abductors towards their abductee. The step-by-step conditioning displayed in the abductor's behavior and actions, without ever having to explain it to the reader their action, is fantastic. I love the way you introduce and display your characters. In the case of the girls, you make the reader identify and care for them, to the point of tears. It is a deeply moving book.
The climatic events are well placed and catch the reader off guard, which I really liked. You anticipate something coming but the timing is so perfect that it catches you and makes you shake your head and say 'why didn't I catch that?'
Also loved the ending after the ending." -Richard B.
