xoxo
If you or someone you know is struggling and are having suicidal thoughts, please know you are not alone and help is available.
Please contact any one of the following organizations.
United States National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
800 273 8255
Available 24 hours in English and Spanish.
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
United Kingdom National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK
0800 689 5652
(In a life-threatening emergency, always dial 999 first) https://www.spbristol.org/NSPHUK
Australia
Lifeline
Call: 13 11 14
https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Ivy Fox Novels
The Society
See No Evil
Hear No Evil
Fear No Evil
Speak No Evil
Do No Evil
The Privileged of Pembroke High Heartless
Soulless
Faithless
Ruthless
Fearless
Restless
Rotten Love Duet
Rotten Girl
Rotten Men
Bad Influence Series
Her Secret
Archangels MC
Room for Three
After Hours Series
The King
Co-Write with C.R. Jane
Breathe Me
Breathe You
Mafia Wars
Binding Rose
Acknowledgments
I wrote The End to Binding Rose as the year 2021 was coming to its end.
And I, for one, was so ready to kick that year to the curb, wave it goodbye and sing it good riddance. “Don’t you ever come back, you hear?”
If you know me, either personally or on social media, you know that I’m the kind of person that prefers to look on the bright side of life and maintain a positive approach to everything.
But 2021 kicked me hard in the ass and made me reevaluate everything in my life.
I can honestly say that the middle to the end of the year, I have never experienced such crippling grief and fear—both as a mother and as an author. Certain events occurred—which I won’t go into detail since it has to do with my own private family life—that shocked me to my core and gave me a wake-up call that I never saw coming.
And because of it, I struggled putting pen to paper for months.
When I finally found some balance and my family obtained the help we so desperately needed, Rosa’s story just came at me like a tidal wave. I could either swim or drown in its waters, but one way or another, I would write her story.
And thank God, I did.
This story was unique and invigorating, breathing new life to me… and it dared me to hope again.
Now that’s a term I had lost sight of.
Hope.
That word may be small, but damn does it deliver a hell of a punch.
Hope is a powerful thing, and if you have that and love, well… there is no mountain that you can’t climb and no battle you can’t fight.
Thankfully, I have warriors standing beside me, that never let me lose focus of what’s truly important.
First, I would like to thank the lovely ladies that worked on this incredible world with me. Mafia Wars might be our brainchild but it is also the thing that brought us altogether so we could form an amazing friendship. To CR Jane, Katie Knight, Rebecca Royce, Loxley Savage, Susanne Valenti, and Caroline Peckham, thank you all for welcoming me with open arms and let me geek out when talking about all things mafia related. I adore you ladies!
A huge, and I mean HUGE hug, goes out to my incredible PA, Courtney Dunham. This book baby could not have been completed without you. Thank you for always checking up on me, my dear friend. I so appreciate you and or friendship.
Another shout out goes to Laura Bakis, Becca Steele and Jennifer Mirabelli, who tried their best to also be my support system, even when I tried not to bother them with all my woes. I’m not the easiest friend to have, since I usually stay in my corner and be silent, or worse—put on a smile and pretend that everything is okay. Thank you for your support and offering me your shoulders to cry on. I could not ask for better friends.
And now to my fearless beta readers.
Tell me honestly, what would I ever do without you?
Nothing.
Richelle Zirkle, Heather Lunt, Emma Brooks and Jesse Adler Wheeler, you all are QUEENS in my book. I have no idea what I did to be so blessed to have you all in my life, but I’m so happy that I do. I love you all.
To all the bloggers and instagrammers who have shared their love for Binding Rose and The Mafia Wars series—thank you all so much. I’m so thankful to have your support.
Another extra special huge hug goes to my readers and my ride-or-die tribe—my Sassy Foxes. You beautiful women make even my darkest of days shine bright. Thank you for the love.
And lastly, to the men in my life.
To my wonderful husband and, especially, to my beautiful son.
I love you more than words.
My life holds no meaning without you in it.
You are my happily ever after.
Never forget that.
With lots of love and gratitude,
Ivy
xoxo.
About the Author
Lover of books, coffee, and chocolate ice cream!
Writer of angsty new adult, contemporary romance, some of them with an unconventional twist, Ivy lives a blessed life, surrounded by her two most important men—her husband and son.
She also doesn't mind living with the fictional characters in her head that can’t seem to shut up and keep her awake at night.
Books and romance are her passion.
A strong believer in happy endings and that love will always prevail in the end.
Both in life and in fiction.