Since Ro and Val are the main characters in the Nailed It series, this book as well as the entire series is dedicated to mothers and daughters.
Though my own mother, Evelyn Berges, is no longer here on earth with me, her spirit and her support of my writing dreams continue to energize and motivate me. I was in sixth grade when my work first appeared in print in our local newspaper, the Burlington Hawkeye. Only later did I suspect she might have had something to do with seeing that my short story about an imaginary trip to France was seen by others, since she worked there at the time. In later years, I was able to give her copies of my first two books before she passed. As I look back, I realize how important it was to me, then and now, that I was able to show her I achieved my dream.
I have also been blessed with a beautiful, intelligent daughter, Leslie. She writes like me but primarily technical articles about information technology. She has also been known to wield a hammer, drill, drywall trowel and paint brush, like Val, on various home improvement projects of her own. Though Val isn’t based on my daughter, I’ve used my daughter’s independent spirit in developing Val’s persona. When Leslie hasn’t been devoted to raising children, gaining her Master’s Degree and her IT jobs, she has pursued various hobbies like quilting, knitting, weaving, baking bread and gaming. In future books, one or more of those avocations may slip into Val’s repertoire. Thank you, darling daughter, for providing me with a tiny bit of backstory for Val.