Dear Readers,

I’m delighted to inform readers and friends, that I have completed another book 'The Emerald Buddha.'
A mystery/thriller: based in Queensland, Australia and flows into the trouble spots of Southeast Asia.
Circumstances beyond her control are driving Michelle Maxwell into a world of intrigue and dangerous liaisons, deep within the political morass of Southeast Asia. This powerful story weaves a hypnotic spell, and draws you through Michelle’s terror, until the final clue unfolds. Michelle’s life is about to explode with sinister reality, and only Nicholas’s strength can save her.
This manuscript is under consideration with an International Publishing House in Australia, and hopefully will accepted, and published next year.
I have been based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for almost seven months, and look forward to returning to Sydney, Australia in October 2002. The locals describe the high temperatures in Tashkent, as desert weather. We have suffered over the last few weeks, with temperatures soaring into the mid-forties c.
During this period in Tashkent, I’ve been involved with a project undertaken by the team from Uzbek Television. We visited the district of Kaskkadarya, which is one of the drought-ridden areas of Uzbekistan. No rain for more than three years had turned this once fertile land into a dust bowl.
The local people welcomed us into their homes, and we studied first hand, the effects of arranged marriages, and local customs. The girls are as young as fourteen years of age, and become a servant to the groom’s family. Local custom dictates that these women are forbidden to speak for forty days to any person, other than their husbands. The husband, if the wife is barren, or he tires of her can terminate the marriage, after one year. The husband can select several wives; this practice is very common in the provinces. The secondary wives fear the death of the husband, because they lack the fiscal support of the extended family, for themselves and their children. Life is a constant struggle and the mortality rate for children under five years is extremely high. Many young women still die in childbirth; there is no medical aid in these provinces.
It has become necessary for the men to flee to the larger cities to find work, for their families to survive. The women and children struggle in dire poverty. Local women have returned to the ancient crafts, to support their large families. The women embroider wonderful designs on velvet cloth, and clothes emblazoned with either silver or gold thread. These slippers, headdresses, and wedding clothes are sold in the city markets, but the local women receive very little payment for their labor.
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The formal press releases for Angels of Saigon and The Baby Merchants are below. I’m delighted to inform readers that the sales of both books are increasing, and the response from interested readers is encouraging.
These Books are available from www.bookworm.au.com www.pdbookstore.com www.amazon.com www.barnesnolbe.com and may be viewed on www.authorden.com

FORMAL PRESS RELEASE:

Novel Exposes Lingering Aftermath of War in Vietnam -Thi Kim fights for Survival

Salt Lake City, Utah, July 31, 2002 — Angels of Saigon, a moving and informative novel, evolved from stories the author, Leonie J. Campbell, collected from Vietnamese women as she lived and traveled throughout Vietnam. “The courage that these women showed me in exposing their lives moved me to write their story,” shared the author.

The effect of war on the lives of thousands of women and children in Vietnam in the sixties was devastating. Many young women took up arms, often giving their lives to protect their families and communities from the scourge of the enemy. Their lives as peaceful women and mothers were changed forever. They suffered the indignity of capture, the cruel tortures, the brutal rapes, and the loss of their children and families.

Having overcome loss of family, imprisonment in a brothel, and dangerous liaisons with corrupt officials, the heroine of Angels of Saigon, Hung Van Thi Kim, courageously declares, “Life is precious and children deserve a future, safe from war and hunger!” Thi Kim’s dream to help the homeless children of Saigon urges her on. Her life story is rich with intrigue, danger, many wonderful friendships, and finally true love.

Leonie J. Campbell, Angels of Saigon, $22.00, ISBN #1-930586-69-8
Advance books available at discount with quick delivery online at http://www.pdbookstore.com

Ineke Ravenna, wife of Riccardo Ravenna, the late EU Ambassador to Vietnam, commented, “I found Angels of Saigon truthfully portrayed the suffering of women and children in post-war Vietnam. During my time there I saw for myself the devastating effect of Agent Orange, which caused deformities and cancer in children. I recommend this novel.”

American Book Classics is an imprint of American Book Publishing, a traditional publishing company with over 85 titles to date in print.

Contact Information: Terri Hayes at bookpr@american-book.com or 801 463-3890.
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FORMAL PRESS RELEASE:

The Baby Merchants: New Novel Reveals the truth about Baby Sales and Forced Prostitution

Salt Lake City, Utah, Date — Each year, thousands of Vietnamese girls are sold into slave labor, only to become “Srey Kouc,” prostitutes. They have no choice. The money received from such transactions will keep their families alive for one more season. The Baby Merchants by Leonie Campbell tells their story.

Drawn from the author’s experience of living among the Vietnamese, The Baby Merchants provides a poignant insight into the social structure of Vietnam. Though a compelling novel, the book also explores the very real and devastating trials faced by the people of Vietnam, particularly women and children.

Campbell brings these disturbing facts into vivid focus, guiding her readers into the Vietnamese plight and offering hope through the caring concern of a select group of individuals. This realistic novel may shock some readers with its accounts of injustice and the ineptness of the political system to improve the conditions of Vietnam's people.

Leonie J. Campbell, The Baby Merchants, $22.00, ISBN #1-930586-33-7

Advance books available at discount with quick delivery online at http://www.pdbookstore.com.

“This novel opens your eyes to a world of corruption that we are unaware of in Western society. The adoption racket, selling babies to foreigners, is heartbreaking. A learning experience beautifully portrayed by the author,” proclaims Monica Holt.

American Book Classics is an imprint of American Book Publishing, a traditional publishing company with over 85 titles to date in print.

Contact Information: Terri Hayes at bookpr@american-book.com or 801 463-3890.


Sincerely,
Leonie Campbell (author)
www.bookworm.au.com