Before I sat down to write this story, there were a couple of things that I wanted to explore. First, I wanted to showcase George’s homeland, the Navajo Nation Reservation in Northeastern Arizona. I wanted to explore his upbringing, his belief system as it was taught to him by his beloved grandfather. I wanted to showcase the culture, the land, and the plight of the Navajo. From the reviews and feedback I’ve received, it seems I accomplished that.
Second, I wanted to look at betrayal through several lenses. Yes, there is the good vs bad conflict, but I wanted to drill down and look at it from a personal view. Quickly, it became apparent that Betrayed was Brian’s story on several levels.
Brian is the newest of the adoptees. He struggles with that throughout the book and into the story I am currently finishing up, Blaze In, Blaze Out. Before the three boys left for their trip, Brian was asked to do something. At first, he thought nothing of it. It was something that does come naturally to him anyway, so in his mind, it was no big deal. But as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that what he agreed to do was no small task. It becomes life or death.
Like other kids, he struggles with his feelings and his sexuality. He doesn’t understand why or what, and his adopted parents don’t either. Fortunately, his brothers do to an extent, and accept Brian for who he is, or at the least, who he thinks he is. More so, perhaps, than Brian himself does.
All of this is wrapped tightly in a thriller mystery. George is in search of one of his best friends from his previous life. He has vanished. His motive is to get to Arizona and help his girlfriend, the missing boy’s sister, find her brother. Brian and Brett see this trip as an opportunity to do some hunting. George’s, Brett’s, and Brian’s parents agree to let them go because that is George’s homeland, and they didn’t see the harm in helping to locate the missing boy. Brian and Brett have hunted before, so a hunting trip was not out of the question. Still, as any parent would, they sought two family friends, both cops, to travel along, not only to help George find his missing friend, but also to watch over Brian and Brett.
All of this seemingly harmless. Seemingly.
Things unravel quickly. The boys, Brian and Brett, in particular, have no clue how deadly the situation has become. George, off with Rebecca, the missing boy’s sister, only sees a glimpse of what is to come before he is pulled in and it is too late.
Below is the promo I’ve been using, along with the Book Trailer for Betrayed, and the book link for Amazon, both paperback and Kindle.
Integrity is protecting someone who betrayed you. Courage is keeping a promise, even though it might mean death. A late-night phone call, a missing kid, a murdered family, and no one is willing to talk. Betrayed, A Literary Titan Silver Book Award Winner!
Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/2EKHudx
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE8jHbHqSC8&feature=youtu.be
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