people that helped me along this journey, and I cherish each and every one of them. First, to my husband. Thank you for all of the support you’ve provided while I figured out my story and how I was going to present it to the world. You gave me the time I needed to pursue this dream of mine and I will never forget that.
To my best friend and beta reader, Jess Tudela. You have been my cheerleader, my number one fan, and my confidant through it all. You were there for me every step of the way and I cannot thank you enough for your friendship and support. I literally couldn’t have done this without you. I love you, Bun. To my other beta readers, Taeopae Wetterman and Jacki Miulli, thank you for allowing me to give you homework and for your insight as avid readers and lovers of story. To my fabulous critique partner, Jackie Bridges, who was my only other friend pursuing the same goal as me, thank you for your wonderful critiques and continuing on this journey with me. You have been a beacon of hope and willpower through it all and your emails have brought me to tears on more than one occasion.
To my editor, Becky Wallace, you are a lifesaver. Your expertise and wisdom went beyond anything I could have imagined. I cannot thank you enough for not only dealing with my worst habits, but also giving insight to the story. You helped me polish something into a real book I am proud of. Thank you.
To my design artist, Hampton Lamoureux, you helped my vision become a reality with this beautiful cover. Something that I have envisioned since day one is now in print and I owe that to you. Thank you for taking the time to create this work of art.
To my parents, who raised me to be confident in myself and my abilities, who showed me the world and allowed me to take it with both hands. I owe you my life.
To any and all of my friends and family who have encouraged me along the way and have shown such enthusiasm in getting your hands on my work, thank you for never letting me give up. You made me accountable.
And, finally, thank you to my readers for picking up this book about the sea and supporting me. For allowing me to gush about the glories and mystery of the ocean while weaving it into Cealene’s journey. I hope my words spoke to you and you will continue on this journey with me. Thank you for letting me live my dream and obsess over mermaids in a story.