Desert Lilies

In Desert Lilies, Kelvin Elliott has kept a secret for almost forty years. But when his secret arrives at his doorstep, Kelvin confronts an impulsive decision made when he was a teenager. He, again, does what he believes in his heart is the right thing to do, but his courage is also severely tested, and roles are reversed. Kelvin must enlist the aid of his friend, Antonio Vargas, to rescue a granddaughter he never knew he had. Antonio thought he had completely escaped the Juarez cartel that had controlled his life for thirty years. He was living comfortably with his family in Taos, New Mexico as Anthony Salducci, when Kelvin’s request for help draws him back to Juarez to confront the new leader of the cartel, his cousin Porfirio Ruiz. Porfirio had resurrected the practice of sex trafficking to fill his brothel with young desirable American girls. The profits made from these desert lilies far exceeded the costs or the risks. Neither Kelvin or Anthony realized just how pervasive across the Southwest this insidious practice had become, but their perception of the sinister system, that steals young girls from their families, is suddenly altered when Kelvin’s granddaughter is kidnapped. The mettle of the two close friends is challenged when they attempt a daring rescue at the infamous brothel, La Chaba. Not long after Kelvin has returned from Juarez he realizes his granddaughter, Dani, was not chosen at random. She was selected because of him. He has an a new enemy.

Keith Smith was born in Colorado Springs, Co. He is the eldest son of career U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Billy Ray Smith and Joyce Smith. Keith typically moved, along with the rest of his family, which included four siblings, Karen, Kevin, Karyl, and Kim, to different military posts in Colorado, Texas, Germany, and Alaska. After graduating from Andress High School in El Paso, Tx. he received a BS in Education from The University of North Texas and a MA in Mathematics from Texas Woman's University. He taught both High School and College level mathematics courses in Texas, Colorado, and Arizona. He is currently retired and lives with his wife Mary Crafts in Casa Grande, Arizona. His love of reading prompted him to begin writing novels, though many of his friends and family questioned his sanity. Sane or not, the pure joy of attempting to put words to paper have motivated this author, kept his mind active, and stimulated his senses. He has found a renewed appreciation for our beautiful complex world. The practice of sex trafficking across the Southwest is far more pervasive than most people realize. Desirable American teenagers are frequently targeted because the profits from this insidious, evil practice far exceed the costs or the risks. It is the hope of this author that his novels will help draw attention to this sinister system, that steals young women from their families and forces them into sexual slavery. He refers to the innocent girls as desert lilies.