MOTHER AND DAUGHTER FIGHT CHILD ABUSE THROUGH NEW VIGILANTE THRILLERS

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER FIGHT CHILD ABUSE THROUGH NEW VIGILANTE THRILLERS

Books make readers re-evaluate what can be done to save world’s young victims

Marie Crist and her mother Pamela Wright have teamed up to help prevent child abuse and human trafficking, and to further the controversial debate over whether there is ever cause for someone to take the law into their own hands – showcasing perhaps how uncomfortably satisfying such a notion can be.

Both debut authors, Crist and Wright have released separate novels this summer introducing readers to fictional secret groups dedicated to protecting the innocent. Readers find themselves rooting on these passionate citizens who hunt down and kill sick and twisted child molesters before they are able to strike again.

“If there are such groups in real life, I’m not aware of them. But I am very aware of the public sentiment that is growing stronger with every lost loved one,” Wright said. “That sentiment is, the public is sick and tired of a failed system that continually favors the rights of pedophiles over the rights of victims.”

Crist’s Citizen Out and Wright’s Justifiable: Oregon, the first in two separate book series, capture the emotions of anyone who has felt helpless in the wake of tragic violence or who works in law enforcement and understands the frustrations officers can feel when investigations are hampered by bureaucratic hurdles. The duo hits the streets this summer and fall for events across the country to raise awareness, educate and inspire citizens to take action against child brutality.

“Every time I turn on the television, I see another child has been taken, molested or murdered. I’m infuriated,” Crist said. “Now, I can’t go around and enact vigilante justice on these people. The only thing that will end it is for the stories to be told, to educate parents on how to protect their children and avoid those that wish them harm.”

8 tips from the mother-daughter team on keeping your children safe:

1.     Know where your child is … always.

2.     Stay in contact with their friends’ parents, as well as your children’s teachers and coaches.

3.     Be a parent first, friend second.

4.     Make time each day to have conversations with your child and listen to what they have to say. Don’t be afraid to check things out to make sure everyone is on track.

5.     Know your neighborhood. If you see something or someone unusual, check it out or phone it in to the police.

6.     Change your routine frequently. Pedophiles will watch and wait for the few minutes your child is usually alone. They know parents are busy and routines are how families keep it all together.

7.     Subscribe to a website that alerts you when a predator moves into your area.

8.     Be vigilant in speaking with your children about safety and take them to any workshops put on in your communities.

Crist lives in Pleasant View, Tennessee, and her mother in nearby Glasgow, Kentucky. The emotional attachment to this issue for both comes from their family making a home for many foster children who shared stories of neglect and abuse in former residences. A student of criminology, Crist integrates her knowledge of the criminal mind into scenes that evoke a sense of terror and to demonstrate how such a person is tracked and captured using a combination of technology and simple human instinct. Wright brings a professional background in writing to her work, having written for local newspapers and through her studies in creative writing.

The mother and daughter are at work on their second novels, Crist’s Citizen Ally and Wright’s Justifiable: Mexico, which will include crossover characters. Visit them online at mariecrist.com and www.pamelawrightbooks.com.