To my beta readers, who offered their constructive honesty, their bibliophile enthusiasm and their listening ear. Tijuana, Shelley, Terilyn, Sarah, Serena, Yamara, Margie, Azailia – thank you!!! I loved sharing Banner and Jared’s journey with you from the “needs work” beginning to the “much better” end. And Joanna, for enduring all the re-reads, the vmails, the persistent questions, the same question asked in five different ways. For being the fine-tooth comb through every strand of each book I write. You’re my #SafetyNet! I love you (said with a British accent! LOL).
I have a lot of author friends, and I’m grateful for all the support they provide. There are a few I have to highlight. Leigh Shen, my #ButtinskyBae, for drawing hard lines on what was acceptable for my cover and throwing herself with me on Letitia’s mercy whenever we had yet another tweak, change or “could we try…” To Emma Scott…gosh where to even start. For being one of the most inspiring and talented women I’ve ever met who somehow miraculously is my friend. Thank you for SHINING so brightly in my life. Even when things are dark, you manage to shine. I’m not sure you realize how rare that is. People have a hard time with pain, but it’s a language once you speak, you recognize. I don’t really know what all that means, (hahaha!), but I think I’m trying to say thank you for leaving me room to ache and I hope I always leave you room to do the same. There’s a Vegas curb with our names on it, baby. I love you! And to Dylan Allen…sigh. I shouldn’t even try this. I shouldn’t even try to convey what you mean to me on a daily basis. How you encourage me with the purity of your heart. It’s so hard sometimes for people to actually want success for others, but you do it. You want it for others sometimes as badly as you want it for yourself, and that, lady, is spectacular. That kind heart and amazing spirit draw people to you, and they stay because you are what they thought you were. To all the bloggers, authors, friends and everyone who has ever raised a voice or a hand on my behalf, thank you! You’re appreciated, if not enumerated here!
Thank you to my PA Melissa! Girl, you know I’m a handful and I always have another idea and another thing I need. You never complain, and I appreciate your heart as much as I do your hands. You’re a great part of my team. Thank you for everything. <3
And to all the girls out there like Banner and like ME, the double-digit girls in a single-digit world - GET IT!!! Chase it! Take it! Shine! Stand proud and do what Banner did. Build yourself from the inside out. Don’t let anyone convince you that you aren’t beautiful. Not for a girl your size. Not if you were a few pounds lighter.
Beautiful.
End. Of.
And it’s often hard to know where to start, but I always know where to end. With my boys! To the best husband a girl could ask for. My #LifetimeLovah who inspired “I’d play you at the five” in LONG SHOT and “I want to make you laugh like that every day,” in BLOCK SHOT. Because you do. Even when things are dark and hard, you’ll pull a laugh out of your hat of magic tricks. I could write Jared, who loved Banner at any size, because that is how you have loved ME! You’ve always seen me, pounds up or pounds down. You’ve shown me what unconditional love looks like. And to the most fantastic special son, you are my greatest responsibility, highest privilege and best inspiration. Both of you lend me to a world you cannot see and the words in my head you can’t hear every time I write a book. Thank you for still believing me when I say “I’ll make it up to you,” and loving me even if I don’t.