The second book in the Wings, Shadows and Chains series, Sunset Shadows begins two years after Wings At Dawn ends. International Photojournalist Julian Lopez has been sent to Asia to investigate the trafficking of transgender sex workers from the Philippines and Thailand to Europe. The deeper he digs, the more complex the underground network he gets entangled in. Together with colleagues Noel Rojas and Paolo Melendez, Julian follows Dani and Cecile as they undergo their gender reassignment operations and end up in clutches of high-end international prostitution, prisoners of fate in Europe, with no hope of escape.
Sunset Shadows is a culmination of an extensive and intricate research journey that began in Manila back in 2016 and continued in Bangkok and Berlin. The characters of Dani and Cecile were conceptualized based on the numerous interviews conducted with trans women, including sex workers.
Cover design: Maike Tatiana Herzog
Cover photography: Theresa Herzog
Editor: Teena L. Rose
About the Author
A political scientist by training, development worker by fate, translator by circumstance, writer by passion and photographer by soul, Marie Balustrade has witnessed first-hand the darker side of social conditions that drive people into doing the unimaginable, demanding of them the greatest of courage and resilience. Her novels belong to a niche referred to as literary activism, dealing with controversial social issues that span the globe, and championing child trafficking efforts and LGBTQ rights. The books aim to involve the audience with tears, anger, disgust, and after turning the last page, become more vigilant.
Sunset Shadows will be released in February 2023, followed by a book launch and signing event in Lisbon, Portugal. More details in January 2023.
Wings, Shadows, and Chains 
Leave a Reply