Dear Readers,

Please forgive my absence. 2020 has been quite a year so far and as I reflected on my own experiences, distraction set in. With that said, I know that writing, adding my voice, even in a fictional setting, matters. As an African-American woman living in Utah, in the United States of America, I have information to add to discussion on race and inequality in the world. Yes, the lives of African-Americans matter. That’s not a way to devalue other lives, it’s just a reminder that the lives of minorities have not always mattered, and even now certain lives don’t receive the care and consideration they deserve.

With that said, many voices are ignored. For example, I listen to a lot of podcasts about missing persons. There are a few podcasters out there that make sure they cover the broad spectrum of missing persons, but there is a need for more coverage of missing persons of color. For example, three weeks ago I heard about Terrance Woods Jr for the first time. He went missing in Orogrande, Idaho October 5, 2018. He is from Maryland and doesn’t have ties in this part of the country. I live in Utah and whenever there is an Amber Alert or missing person case in Idaho, I hear about it. This time, however, I never saw an article on about Terrance Woods Jr. He is reported to have run off into the woods. The sheriff in the area thinks he got a ride out of the area. As a black man, he would stand out in Idaho, if he caught a ride to another location, someone would have noticed him. But if no one knows he’s missing, no one is going to report seeing him. So, in an effort to make sure that we remember as many missing persons as possible, I want to do

Here are two things to look for in July 2020:

Forgotten Lives-a podcast covering missing persons of color. I started this project in 2018 but stopped because I felt like I wasn’t a good podcaster. I’ve come to the conclusion that I will not get better if I don’t keep doing it, so the podcast will return next month. Episodes will resume in July 2020.

Fracture: Book 3 In The Sylvia Wilcox Series

This time around, Sylvia and Martin take on the case of a woman who disappears on during a routine trip to the grocery store. I will post the prologue in the next few days but for now-just in case you have forgotten-here’s the cover again. Stay tuned!