Author Post: Kay Bratt

Author Kay Bratt is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and she was kind enough to stop by Books Etc. with a guest post. While I have not read her novel Chasing China (yet) I wanted to participate in this tour include a post from her on here because I wanted the rest of you to find out a little bit more about her because she's doing some pretty amazing work.

Here's a brief bio:

Kay Bratt is a child advocate and author, residing near the base of Wacau Mountain, in the rolling hills of Georgia with her husband, daughter, dog, and cat. In addition to coordinating small projects for the children of China, Kay is an active volunteer for An Orphans Wish (AOW). Kay lived in China for over four years and because of her experiences working with orphans, she strives to be the voice for children who cannot speak for themselves. Kay kicked off her career as an author with her best selling memoir titled Silent Tears; A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage. Since that time she has been writing material to entertain readers while raising awareness of world issues. Kay is the author of The Bridge, Mei Li and The Wise Laoshi, and an upcoming novel titled A Thread Unbroken.

Now, for the guest post. Enjoy!

Opening Eyes Around Me

It’s no secret that I am enthralled with the Chinese people and their country after spending almost five years living there and working in an orphanage. Going on a decade now, I have been a staunch advocate for children—especially those who are orphans.

The premise for my novel Chasing China came to me after I read an article on a popular Chinese web site and then later the New York Times about the latest child-trafficking scandal to rock the world of international adoption. Rumors were rampant for years but finally proof was found that government officials seized children and later allowed them to be adopted by families located overseas. Like many around the world, my heart went out to the birth families of the children involved, as well as to the unknowing adoptive parents who thought they were bringing home an abandoned child who needed a family. Though I believe the actual numbers of cases where this has happened is quite small in relation to inner country trafficking, I also think even one child is one too many to be snatched unfairly from their families.

In writing Chasing China, my first goal was to raise awareness about a travesty happening on the other side of the world—to open eyes around me. However, as an author I wanted to do it while also engaging the reader in a captivating story of just one Chinese adoptee who by all counts is as American as anyone around her, but inside struggles to figure out who she really is. I really hope that Mia will pull on the heartstrings of readers and they will follow her along in her journey to find the truth.

And, in case you're interested, here's a little bit about Chasing China. Don't forget to check out the CLP Blog Tour page to see what other bloggers have to say about this novel.

Chasing China Blurb:Mia is beautiful, talented and has the world at her fingertips. But what makes her different than the average college student who juggles a heavy workload and a rat of a boyfriend? Many years ago she was born to an unknown family in China but soon discarded to fend for herself in a busy train station. Fate stepped in when Mia was taken to the local orphanage and adopted at the age of four by her American family. Life has been good for her, or at least as much as she has allowed it to be while pushing her deep feelings of abandonment to the back of her mind. Finally she has decided that in order to move forward, she must confront her past. Mia takes a journey to the mysterious land of her birth and embarks on a mission to find answers. As she follows the invisible red thread back through her motherland, she is enamored by the history and culture of her heritage--strengthening her resolve to get to the truth, even as Chinese officials struggle to keep it buried. With her unwavering spirit of determination, Mia battles the forces stacked against her and faces mystery, danger, a dash of romance, and finally a conclusion that will change her life.