In June of this year, I was contacted by true-crime author, Jamie Collins, who sent me a press release about a new book she was publishing, I am Abigail. The press release was extensive, but for an explanation about the book, here is just a portion of the release that I received: Written in the first person from Abby's perspective, I AM ABIGAIL is the result of an intense creative collaboration, a memoir striking for its unflinching honesty and emotional intimacy. Abby tells her story, starting with her earliest memories at age eight, when she was Abigail Rodriguez and living with her single mother, older (by two years) sister, and younger (by one year) brother in a house filled with people laughing, dancing, kissing, drinking, and smoking all day and night. As a girl, Abby had no idea that her home was a crack house. She remembers her mom urging her to stand up on the coffee table in their living room and dance for the men. And she remembers the day in May of 1988 when a caseworker from Child Protective Services (CPS) knocked on the door of their home and took Abby and her siblings away. After a brief stay in a shelter, Abby learns that she and her sister and brother will be flying on an airplane to Hawaii. That's where her Uncle Chevo lives, and he and his wife, Laura, have agreed to assume care of his half-sister's three children. Sad about leaving Texas and her mom forever but also excited about living on an island, Abby begins to wonder, Is there a big yard to play in? Will I have my own room? On their last night sleeping at the shelter, Abby keeps tossing and turning in her bed. Suddenly, she has a memory of the last time she saw her uncle. She was five or six, and her whole family was having fun together, swimming in a pool at a hotel in El Paso. After her mom left to walk her brother and sister back to their hotel room, Abby and her uncle remained in the water, alone together. Uncle Chevo looked directly at Abby and said, "One day, I am going to marry you." Even then, Abby felt confused and unsettled. She had no inkling of the evil that would soon be making its way to her. By way of publicity for the book, Jamie offered the opportunity for me to record an interview of Abigail and Jamie for my podcast. It sounded like an offer I shouldn't refuse, so…I didn't. This decision would prove to be an opportunity that I am truly grateful for! I cannot recommend for you to listen to this episode enough; it is intriguing, informative, sad...but mostly immensely critical and important to get this information out to you, my listeners. This story is important on many levels: educationally about the dynamics of child familial sexual abuse; the sometimes-lacking response of agencies whose job it is to protect children; and the ease of which society can neglect to see a huge problem for what it is. Listen to this episode. Then buy I am Abigail on Amazon. Then tell everyone you know about this episode. Please rate and subscribe to this podcast. And as always…Start by Believing. Because we all know someone whose life has been affected by rape or sexual assault. A great big thank you to Abigail Alvarado and Jamie Collins for the interview! Here are some important links I hope you will utilize: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Abigail-Childhood-Nightmare-Survivor-ebook/dp/B0CFP88PWP/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=i+am+abigail&qid=1693338849&s=digital-text&sr=1-1 https://www.jamiecollinswrites.com/ https://startbybelieving.org https://markel-consulting.com [email protected]