Next month is Mother’s Day. This book in the series is dedicated to my mom, Rosie Walton, who is my anchor. She was a single mom who gave me a passion for reading at a young age. She filled my room with Choose Your Own Adventure books and read them with me. She also subscribed to the Sesame Street Book Club and, every month, the morning my new book arrived felt like Christmas morning. We had a bookshelf filled with my worldly travels that I took from age four on.
One year, our local fair in Lancaster, Ohio had lots of cute giveaways for the tween girl that I was, but I wanted the set of Encyclopedia Britannica that was sitting among the other prizes. I signed up, and by gosh, I WON! We bought a special bookshelf for them, and, at seven years old, I used to play a game of closing my eyes and randomly picking a book then doing the same to pick an article in the encyclopedia. I’d voraciously read the article, take notes, and then write a summary of the article in my room, pretending I was writing for a magazine. And that is where my writing career really began. That seven-year-old who turned to the world of books, reading, and stories to escape my world for but a time.
Thank you, Mom. You are my foundation. All of who I am comes from the foundation you laid for me, and I’ll never be able to tell you in words how much I admire and love you!
Another mama to me is my mom-in-law, Dottie Rath, who passed away a while ago. Dottie took me into her family with open arms. She had the ability to make me smile every time I saw her beautiful face. She was the coolest ninety-something year old I’ve ever met in my life. I miss her daily but see her beautiful spirit in the amazing son she created.
Obviously, I can’t write a dedication without mentioning the hubby and kitties—my entire heart, soul, and spirit! My besties—Rebecca, Rachel, Mary Ann, Leigh, and Kim.
Love to all the readers and to Missy Smith—girl, read the last section at the end of the book—more on you there!
I hope you all enjoy this book and have a fantastic upcoming Mom’s Day!