The Widow’s Keeper has been by far the hardest book I have ever written. As difficult as it was, I could not have done it without the help of so many.
First and foremost, I am thankful to God and HIS many blessings.
To my amazing husband and kids: Never underestimate the power of family, and thank you for being the strong force within me. (And yes, those were awful Star Wars references.) But seriously, I love you and thank God every day for gifting you to me. I could not do what I love if it wasn’t for you.
To my fans: The Second Wife was turned down over sixty times by agents and publishers before I finally decided to publish it myself. I was told it was too dark. Too hard to sell. Thank you for seeing the beauty in the darkness that is Ally and Dave’s story. Thank you for loving them as much as I did. I am humbled daily by your encouragement, your messages, and comments on social media, and your love for the stories and characters that fill my brain. It still shocks me that you buy my books, write reviews, and tell your friends about my stories. Thank you! You are the reason I continue to write.
To my fabulous pundits: One of the best parts about being a writer is meeting people with crazy cool jobs and having an excuse to ask them about what they do. There were so many components to this story where I had to do just that, and it was fascinating. To Craig S. Swafford LCDR SEAL, USN (Ret.) for teaching me about guns/weapons, surveillance, and on how a soldier might think. To Holly Fox, former Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and former Hidalgo County Assistant Criminal District Attorney, for educating me on proper surveillance and protocol, and what is realistic and what’s not. To Bindhu Oommen for letting me text you with different medical scenarios and not being freaked out by my how do you kill people questions.
To Nicole Ulery, my ever-patient author’s assistant: Thank you for pushing me and reminding me on a regular basis just how much time had passed since I published The Second Wife. Your frequent reminders made me glue my butt to the chair and write this story. You have taken a heavy weight off my shoulders, and by doing so, I am able to focus on what I love most—writing. Thank you for all that you do and for being you.
To my editors: Tera Cuskaden Norris and Chris Hall. You have been a part of The Second Wife journey since Book 1. What would I do without you two? Thank you for calling me on the parts of the story that made no sense, on pushing me to go deeper, on challenging me. By doing so, you have made me a better storyteller and writer. Also thank you for being patient with my comma abuse. I am not even going to lie and tell you I will get better.
To my beta readers: For your critical eye and your honesty: Renee R, April Stone, Kristen Sanchez, and Jennifer Daniels. You were the first to lay eyes on this story and it wasn’t pretty. Thank you for pointing out the plot holes and making it more authentic.
To Kish’s Collective: I swear you folks are awesome. Thank you for being the monkeys in my circus. I am humbled every day by your words and encouragement. Thank you for believing in me. Love you guys!!