Show Me A Sign ~ Terrific book by Susan Miura

A realistically written Young Adult Novel ~

SHOW ME A SIGN

By SUSAN MIURA

So many influences melded to formulate Show Me a Sign, that I hardly know where to begin. I’ve been surrounded by teens for many years, starting with my nieces and nephews, then my own children who are five years apart. I love their energy, their humor, even their drama. And I really enjoy teen novels. Perhaps this speaks to my level of maturity? Centering my stories on a crime is a comfortable fit for me as well. I’ve been married to a cop for 27 years, so it’s great to have his insight on my crime scenes. And yet another influencer--my passion for the issue of human trafficking and those caught in its grip. Show Me a Sign is not about human trafficking, but when Haylie is kidnapped, she worries that she will fall victim to this horrific crime.

Half my royalties will be donated to an organization helping to rescue and rehabilitate young people who’ve been trafficked.

My original thought behind writing Show Me a Sign was to create an action-packed, Christian novel for boys, since most of the YA Christian fiction is for girls. (In the end, Show Me a Sign was written almost half-and-half from Nathan and Haylie’s points of view, so it’s truly a book for either gender.) I wanted something that would grab and keep their attention, without the crude language and sex common in many YA books. Additionally, I wanted to honor God by weaving in a Christian message, but knew it had to be light or teens wouldn’t read it.

My inspiration for Haylie emerged from an elementary school near my house. It is attended by hearing kids as well as many of the deaf children in our town, and all of the students learn to sign. In my book, Beethoven High school is modeled after the school in my neighborhood.

Additionally, I wanted my characters to reflect our nation’s (and my family’s) melting pot, so my male main character, Nathan, is Peruvian. His best friend hails from England, and another character is Japanese. The other main character, Haylie, is deaf, which is reflected in the play-on-words title.

Our world is comprised of people with all kinds of strengths and weaknesses, abilities and disabilities. God created us all, loves us all, and blesses each of us with unique gifts, emotions, and passions. I hope this is represented in my book.

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Seventeen-year-old Nathan Boliva is under investigation by the FBI for a kidnapping he didn’t commit.

Deaf and beautiful Haylie Summers agreed to go out with him, then disappeared before their first date.

When the Feds discover a text was sent from Nathan’s cell phone, asking Haylie to meet him behind her garage, Nathan becomes a prime suspect.

Tied and blindfolded, Haylie struggles to grasp Nathan’s role in her captivity. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would kidnap her. Then again, if he didn’t, who is holding her hostage, and why?

Desperate to solve the crime and rescue Haylie, Nathan and his best friend, Alec, set out at midnight to gather intel…and end up with far more than they bargained for.

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Thank you, Susan, for sharing this book with us. May God bless you as you continue to share your ministry in reaching today's youth as well as giving to a work that keeps our children safe from predators.

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