Author: Julie Cantrell
Submitted: May 02, 2017
Tell us a little about yourself. Hi, I'm Julie. Thanks for taking a look at The Feathered Bone, my third novel and one that brings you to my hometown region of Walker, Louisiana.
What was your motivation behind this project? I always knew I would write about Louisiana at some point. After publishing Into the Free (set in my current state of Mississippi) and When Mountains Move (set in my previous state of Colorado), it was time to bring readers into the beautiful and mystical world of my childhood home--Walker, Louisiana.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? I had no idea I would write about a topic as dark as human trafficking. In fact, I fought against it for nearly two years. But like my first two novels, I finally gave into the creative forces that were nudging me to explore this issue. I hope I've managed to tackle this tough topic in a way that is not voyeuristic and that helps all people develop a greater empathy for those being sold within the sex trade.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? Researching this novel brought me into a world I had never really known existed, especially within my own communities. Having met with people ages 4 to 46 who have been involved in the underbelly of human trafficking has taught me a lot about the predatorial practices pimps employ to lure young, vulnerable victims. While researching, I learned a lot about the reasons people become prey for the predators of the world, and I learned the interesting (and dangerous) parallels between domestic violence and trafficking. It's all about power and control, and it's all about hurting someone who is innocent. The tool they use most frequently? "Love." We do anything for those we love and for those we believe love us. Sadly, these predators do not love their "girls" or their wives, but most victims only know to associate love with abuse.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? I gravitate toward strong female voices who don't shy away from truth. Elizabeth Gilbert, Cheryl Strayed, Toni Morrison, Ellen Gilchrist, Jesmyn Ward, Louise Erdrich, etc.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: Thank you for giving my stories a chance. I do sometimes bring you to tough places, but I try to do so with the lens of faith and to bring you through it with a redemptive and healing ending that delivers hope to all. I do this to help those who know such trauma heal from reading the story, and to help those who don't know such suffering to develop more empathy and understanding for those who do.
