Google Search: Trafficking
Top Result: Taken
This is how The Aviary began.
In the 2008 film, Taken, Liam Neeson stars as Bryan, a concerned father who undertakes the task of tracking down the men responsible for abducting his daughter, Kim before they can traffic her. Before I even saw the film, I read the synopsis. What struck me was the ending when Bryan discovers his daughter in a lower level, foreign party room, dark, with scantily clad girls on display behind glass windows while men press red buttons to bid on them.
After learning of the Red-Light District while visiting Germany, this one scene in Taken sparked the idea for The Aviary or as it was titled back then: Serenity. Looking back, I prefer to call it “the spawn”. I am unashamed to beat myself up for the early versions of this book because I viewed trafficking as Taken and based my book around that warped lens. Various organizations aided my learning journey from Exodus Cry to Trafficking Justice and most importantly…Women At Risk, International.
Still, Taken provided the fodder for this idea of a future world of legalized prostitution. Of girls behind glass in various environments. Of course, Serenity is much like Bryan’s daughter. She is the rarity. She is abducted. Taken.
Serenity’s goal at heart? To raise awareness and educate youth.
Prevention came much later.
In 2015, I won #pitchtopublication’s grand prize, which granted me the services of a professional Simon and Schuster editor. Serenity became The Menagerie. After two editing rounds, several agents requested The Menagerie, and after an agent intern and two more revisions, I eventually wound up with Carlie Webber. More revisions, more learning for two years and The Menagerie became The Aviary and went on submission to publishers. Alas, though dozens praised my writing and platform, they offered nothing but rejections.
Ultimately, my agent and I parted ways.
But God did not give me a rejection. It was around this time that my heart underwent a beautiful transformation of love and inner healing as well as recognizing trauma from old wounds that trace all the way back to childhood. Through this process, God went onto fuel the anti-trafficking flames in my heart and awoke what can be defined no clearer than a Spirit word: MAP. It stands for Mother, Author, Preventionist ― all three intertwined.
Without this experience, The Aviary might still be weeping alone in a computer file. Instead, I renewed my fervor to get this book out there whatever way I could. After what was at least my tenth revision, I submitted to Clean Teen Publishing, who accepted me a few days later!
Over the past few months, I have committed myself to the editing process. I am at peace with the red pen (ask an editor), and thanks to more education and learning, I can be proud of all that I have accomplished. Without those rejections, God could not have led me to redeem The Aviary. Perhaps the most important resource on The Aviary’s road to redemption was Rachel Moran’s Paid For.
And even if it’s not the norm for trafficking, I must credit Taken for planting The Aviary’s seed.
Rejection hurts. Revision is messy. Redemption is always worth it.