I just finished writing my Acknowledgments tonight. It's an experience that I hadn't expected would really be one. But as I wrote it, I bawled. So many people have touched me and uplifted me throughout this journey. I wanted to post my words here because many of the people listed have already read the book and I wanted them to see it. If I left anyone out, I am terribly sorry. Without further ado:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There’s a saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, this book has been my baby for the past eight months, and a village has helped me raise it.
Heather Hildenbrand: When I started out on this writing journey, the only thing I was sure of was that I would come out the other end with a book. I never thought I would find you in the process. I knew I needed someone along the way to help me create a better book and to be a better writer, and when I put out the call for this special person, you answered. You have been more to me than a critique partner. You have been my mentor and my sounding board, but most of all, my friend. This book wouldn't be what it is without you. Thank you for your faith in me, teaching me that it’s okay for my dialogue to sound real, and giving me courage when it was hard for me to find it on my own. You’re the Louise to my Thelma.
Jenn Sommersby: You caught my friendship by being one of the funniest people I have ever met, but you held it with your pure heart and brilliant mind. Our late night chats and worrying spirals mean more to me than I could ever express. I can’t imagine my life now without you in it. Thank you for teaching me how to be a better writer, and a better person. You are truly gifted, and I have been blessed to see how the sculptor molds her words. Your touch is prominent among these pages. Oh, yeah, and we’re going to go GLOBAL!
Annie Duckworth: You’ve been one of my best friends ever since the seventh grade. You were there for me at the beginning of this journey and someone that I could go to when I didn’t have anyone else. Thank you for believing in me enough to hear me ramble on about my dream.
Hannah Allen White: You’re my prison buddy in this crazy place we call life. Although distance stands between us, you have never been far away. Thank you for always being there for me and talking me through the rough patches.
K.C. Neal: Revising this story was most definitely the hardest part of this journey. On days when I was almost too petrified to continue, you were there to urge me forward. You said the things that I needed to hear to beat down those walls that I had built before my dream. Nothing bonds two people more than surviving a tough experience. Thank you for having my back as we crawled through the trenches.
Megan Duncan: You were the second writer I met when I jumped into the writing and publishing pool. And you’re still here. Thank you for your support and encouragement when I felt I was floundering.
Matthew Merrick: You have been the biggest surprise to me of all. You started out as my funniest tweeter and ended up giving my book enough polish that it shined as brightly as it does. Your feedback and the detail in which you gave it, means more to me than I can ever express. You are a genius and the ladies reading this book should thank you for helping me make Mirko that much hotter. Thank you. For everything.
Jessica Estep: You run a tight ship in the blogging world, and I am so blessed to have you. Your input into the blogging and marketing world has given me an edge that I don’t think I can ever repay you for. You are one of the nicest, most clever people that I know. Thank you for helping set up the blog tour and answering every question I could ever think of!
Kelly Frew: Thank you for being the Croatian language specialist that I needed.
I know this is getting long (I did say a village), so I’ll cut to my family. Mom, thank you for always believing in me. I have always felt that my dreams were attainable, because you knew I could reach them. Brandon, thank you for trusting me enough to let me run with my dream. And thank you for all the nights you went to bed lonely because I had other people talking in my head. I love you forever, and God truly shined down on me when he sent you to unclog my sink. Brian, Spring, Serena, and Trent; I am the person I am today because of your love and support. I couldn’t ask for better brothers and sisters, or friends. I love you.
DEDICATION
For Brandon,
It was never a question if soul mates were real,
It was if I would find him.
