Gratitude Is...

TOUCH (Unveiled Publishing) Wins Silver and Community Voice Award in Human & Civil Rights for The 5th Annual Anthem Awards

This past month has been surreal in the best way. TOUCH received both a Silver Award and the Community Voice Award in the Human & Civil Rights category at the 5th Annual Anthem Awards. It’s an honor I didn’t anticipate, especially for a book that tackles a subject most people struggle to even acknowledge. Almost all of the feedback I receive about TOUCH comes privately. Readers will tell me how deeply the story affected them, how it opened their eyes, how they’ve never seen this topic addressed before. But very few feel comfortable speaking about—or sharing—it publicly.

And I understand why. Male sex trafficking is one of those issues people hesitate to say aloud. It’s uncomfortable, heartbreaking, and wrapped in decades of silence. It’s far easier to look away than to look directly at it.

But over these past weeks, something noticeable happened. People engaged openly. They shared the posts. They cast their votes. They stood behind a story they knew would make some people uncomfortable. That kind of collective courage is what these awards represent for me—not the trophies, but a moment when people refuse to look away.

Gratitude looks different for boys like Shawn who grow up unseen. Thanksgiving, in particular, can be complicated for those who survived what most people still struggle to believe happens at all. During a week that asks us to consider what gratitude looks like—especially when it’s been hard-won—this seemed like the right moment to let Shawn speak for himself. Click the button below for a heartfelt thank you from him—raw, honest, and in his own words.

Hear from Shawn