Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Today begins the Stolen virtual tour

Velda Brotherton's post appeared. Nothing appeared on either blog she said she was using until now. Therefore, I'll began myself.

Stolen by Vivian Gilbert Zabel
ISBN: 978-0-9825886-4-2
Published by 4RV Publishing LLC, Edmond, Oklahoma

Stolen deals with how a person faces adversity: either by giving up or rebuilding her life. However, sometimes the trauma is too great, and she doesn't know if she can endure. Torri faces obstacles from her husband's infidelities and bigamy to the death of her best friend and picks up the pieces of her life, glues them together with help from her faith and family, and continues living. However, when her ex-husband steals her children, she doesn't know if she can manage to exist.

At the back of the novel, I give "More Information about Stolen Children," which includes information about abducted children:

My first experience with children taken by a parent occurred when my daughter was in junior high. A friend’s ex-husband took their two children and disappeared. The mother and her parents hired private investigators who specialized in fi nding missing children.

They did find the father and children in Canada. The father set up a
different identity before abducting the boys. The investigators and the mother waited outside the school until the boys left the building. They then “kidnapped” the boys and returned to the States.

I never thought that I or my family would experience anything
close to that, but we did.

My research shows estimates of over 200,000 children are abducted by a family member yearly. Many cases are not reported because of various reasons, including the fear of harm for child or remaining parent, feeling that reporting wouldn’t help, or the choice to handle the situation without involving law enforcement.

The U.S. Department of Justice bulletin from October 2002,“Children Abducted by Family Members: National Estimates and Characteristics,” gives the following definitions concerning family abduction:
• Taking: Child was taken by a family member in violation of a
custody order or decree or other legitimate custodial right.
• Keeping: Child was not returned or given over by a family member
in violation of a custody order or decree or other legitimate custodial
right.
• Concealment: Family member attempted to conceal the taking or
whereabouts of the child with the intent to prevent return, contact, or
visitation.
• Flight: Family member transported or had the intent to transport the
child from the State for the purpose of making recovery more difficult.
• Intent to deprive indefinitely: Family member indicated an intent
to prevent contact with the child on an indefi nite basis or to affect
custodial privileges indefinitely.
• Child: Person under 18 years of age. For a child 15 or older, there
needed to be evidence that the family member used some kind of force
or threat to take or to detain the child, unless the child was mentally
disabled.
• Family member: A biological, adoptive, or foster family member;
someone acting on behalf of such a family member; or the romantic
partner of a family member.

According to the bulletin, and the survey taken in 1999, family abduction is type of crime and child welfare problem with limited statistical information is available. However, the survey showed forty-four percent of family abducted children were younger than age six. Younger children appear more vulnerable.

One statistic which surprised me in a way is fifty-three percent of children taken by a family member were abducted by their biological father, and only twenty-five percent by their biological mother.

Only six percent of abducted children in the survey had not yet returned by the time of the survey interview. Of course there is no information about unreported kidnappings.

Children who are taken by a father or mother, when the kidnapping parent wants to keep the child from the other parent or family members, are imperiled. They are often told the other parent and family members do not love or want them or harm them or will harm them. The result is psychological harm to the stolen children, as well as in some cases physical and sexual abuse.

Arlene Kardis states, “Of the children reported missing, 350,000 are taken by family members in violations of custody agreements.”

In sixteen percent, the child experiences severe mental harm. Eight percent suffer physical harm, while seven percent are sexually abused. Four percent of stolen children are never found.

Abducting parents often take children to another state or another country, making discovery and recovery more difficult.

***

In two weeks, the novel will be available through bookstores, Amazon, B&N online, and everywhere else books can be found.

The novel is available now through the 4RV Publishing bookstore. From now until Christmas a 10% discount will be deducted at checkout.

Stolen website – http://Stolen.yolasite.com - includes contest for signed ARCs, the first chapter of the novel, and another excerpt.

Contests: The host with the most comments from different visitors will receive a hard copy ARC. Two of the people who send me by email a possible ending to the novel will win an ARC. Also, anyone not hosting a blog stop but who promotes the novel will have a chance to win an ARC. (ARC means Advance Reader Copy). Winners of hard copy ARCs must have a U.S. address. Anyone outside the U.S. who wins will receive a PDF ARC.


Please read tomorrow's post in the blog tour: The Old Silly's Free Spirit Blog

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Vivian, thanks for sharing about the book. It breaks my heart when I hear of children being stolen away from their family.

Tomorrow (12/2), I will do a blog post about your blog tour stops, and I will post about it on Twitter and Facebook.

Vivian Zabel said...

All right, you'll be in the running for an ARC, Susanne.

Karen Cioffi said...

The information on abducted children is frightening. It's a parent's and family's worse nightmare.

Nancy Famolari said...

Frightening statistics on abducted children. I hope this book alerts parents to what can happen and how damaging it is for the children.

Vivian Zabel said...

My grandchildren are back in our lives, but they are nearly 19 and 20. They will carry scars, too.

Beth Reinke said...

These facts about abduction are astounding and scary. I'm so glad that your grandchildren were found and your family is complete again.

Connie Arnold said...

It's terrible that so many children are abducted, including your grandchildren. It must be very traumatic for the children and all involved.

Laurie Boris said...

Oh, it's heart-wrenching to think of all those abducted children. Thank you, Vivian, for the information and for your book. Yes, I'm very glad your family is together again.

Vivian Zabel said...

One thing about this novel, if any authors feel it's taking forever for their books to come out, I can tell them it took over ten years for mine to appear in print. *laugh*

Janet Ann Collins said...

I hope thousands of people read the book because everyone in our society needs to know about the problem.

Vivian Zabel said...

Maybe people who hear about Stolen by word of mouth will order copies.

Vivian Zabel said...

Thank you for stopping by. After the tour is finished, I'll announce the ARC winners.

Margaret Fieland said...

This is such a difficult subject. I find it particularly heartbreaking when one parent abducts a child and keeps that child from the other parent.

I'll be hosting Vivian on my blog on December 10th.

VS Grenier said...

Hi Viv, wanted to pop on over and learn more about your new book. I love your contest for the blog hosts. What a great way to say, "Thanks for hosting me."

Your book looks really interesting. I'll have to put it on my list to read.

Kim said...

Thanks so much for the statistics and personal story.

Vivian Zabel said...

I'm so glad you all stopped by.

Lenny Lee said...

hi miss vivian! i got here from miss susannes blog. yikes! that stealing kids is pretty scary for sure. i didnt ever think so much kids could get that happening to them. im thinking you book is gonna be too old for me but i could tell more older people about it.
...smiles from lenny

Vivian Zabel said...

Thanks, Lenny. I'd appreciate your telling people about my book.

You might look on the 4RV Publishing website for some books that wouldn't be too old for you. http://4rvpublishingllc.com/Store-Books.html