Valerie Clay's Pay It Forward Mission- "From My Heart to Yours" Book Chain
Updated: 3 days ago
From the beginning, I believed Held Hostage had a purpose beyond the page. Yes, it is a fictional thriller. Yes, it is meant to pull readers in and keep them turning pages. But beneath the fiction is something very real: the pain abuse victims carry, the shame they often feel, and the hope they need to hear again and again.
I wrote Held Hostage to convey a crucial message:
You are not alone. You should not feel ashamed. Healing is possible.
The pay it forward idea
My dream is big:
I would like hundreds of my books to be freely accessible at women's abuse centers nationwide. That is the goal.
After speaking to The Lovelady Center here in Birmingham, a simple idea came to me. What if my readers helped the mission fund itself? That is where the pay it forward idea began.
The idea is simple, read then give:
Buy a copy of Held Hostage.
Read it.
Pass it on to someone who understands the mission or donate it to a local women's abuse center. This way you get the pleasure of reading it, and abuse centers can use it in their program to help women recover. It's a win-win!
One book can pass through many hands before it reaches its final destination. Along the way, every reader becomes part of the mission. A b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l mission!
When that copy finally lands in a women’s abuse center, it carries more than a story. It carries the care of every person who touched it and chose to pass it on. My book chain mission is "From my heart to yours." ❤️ One day I would love to have a picture of hundreds of women holding my book up to represent hope.
Why Abuse Centers Matter
An abuse center is the kind of place I always hoped Held Hostage would reach. A place where people are doing the hard work of rebuilding. Abuse has a way of making victims feel trapped long after the immediate danger is gone. Many carry invisible weight:
A sense of failure
Fear of being judged
Shame that was never theirs to carry
Isolation from people who do not understand
A belief that their life cannot be whole again
Sometimes it leads people to become addicted, suicidal, or depressed. They may land in jail or become homeless as a result. That is part of what I wanted to show through Held Hostage. Sometimes a person can be out of the situation physically, yet still feel like a hostage emotionally, spiritually, or mentally.
The heart behind Held Hostage
Held Hostage is fiction, but it carries truth.
I chose to blend true events with fictional thriller elements because I wanted the story to reach people in a way that felt honest, emotional, and unforgettable. A fictional setting allowed me to shape the story with memorable suspense. That matters to me because suspense is what a victim feels each and every day. Sometimes the trauma plays over and over in one's mind.
It gave me a way to speak about painful realities while still creating a story readers could engage with. It allowed me to build characters, tension, and moments of recognition that could open hearts. It gave room for readers to feel compassion for victims, not as distant examples, but as people with fears, choices, confusion, courage, and hope.
More than anything, I wanted victims and survivors to feel seen. Not blamed. Not dismissed. Not reduced to what happened to them. Seen. Loved. And healed.
Why shame has to be challenged
One of the strongest lies abuse tells a victim is, “This is your fault.”
That lie can settle into the heart. It can sound like regret, embarrassment, guilt, or self-blame. It can follow someone into every room, every relationship, and every attempt to start over. But abuse is never the victim’s shame to carry.
For advocates, counselors, faith leaders, and recovery programs, I hope the book becomes one more tool for starting honest conversations. We need to stop blaming ourselves for the choices other people made.
That is why getting this book into the hands of abuse centers matters so much.
Sow it as Seed!
Chain-giving is the idea. The pay it forward mission works best when readers make the next step clear to their friends and family. A book can easily sit on a shelf for years after it is read. There is nothing wrong with keeping meaningful books, but this mission asks for something different. It asks each reader to see the book as a seed.
Here are a few simple ways to help it keep moving:
Write a short note inside the front cover.
Something as simple as, “When you finish this book, please send it forward to someone who needs hope.”
Give it to a trusted friend.
Choose someone who will understand the purpose and continue the chain.
Share it with a book club.
A group discussion can help more people understand the emotional weight victims carry and realize this mission is an amazing opportunity to grow and watch others grow as well.
Offer it to a church ministry or support group.
Many communities have outreach teams that walk with people in crisis.
The point is to keep it moving. If hundreds of readers do the same, until it reaches an abuse center, the reach grows far beyond what I myself could do alone. This isn't just entertainment, this is a calling.
Share the Book
For this to work, people have to know about it. That is why I am asking for help sharing this article and this mission.
Share the post.
Buy the book.
Read the story.
Pay it forward.
Pray over the person who will one day hold that copy in their hands.
Held Hostage was written to support abuse victims on their path to healing and to remind them they are not alone. If this story matters to you, please help it go further. Together, we can place hope where it is needed most.
In Birmingham, it is needed at the Lovelady Center. I'm currently waiting on approval. Please reach out and let them know if you would like to donate a book.
The Lovelady Center: 7916 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35206
Be sure to drop a comment or pic on my author page letting me know you've been a part of this mission!
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