I am fortunate to work with Kim Davis, the Director of Madville Publishing. After reading my manuscript, she emailed me with the heading, I read straight through. I appreciate her collaboration and her instinct to deeply care about the authors she represents. Thank you, Kim Davis.
I express gratitude to my book-loving friends and the members of my critique groups who lent their support in the writing of this novel.
My special thanks go to Kathryn Berck, Kenneth Bennight, and Barbara Lazar. Published authors themselves, they offered unsparing criticism that helped me grow as a writer. I learned so much from them.
Jean Jackson, Susan Chandler, Valory Pierce, Trudy Barnum, Maria Martinez, Janet Alyn, Jane Dreyfus, Jim Murray, the late John Friedland, and Yogendra Thami, I thank you for sharing the journey with me in our common pursuit of better storytelling.
Stewart Smith, Barbara Stover, Janice and Albert Clayton, June McManus, Carolyn and Richard Wiggins, Ann Marie Rehner, Mary McCormick, Felice Seifert, Sharon Rauch, Janina Kuzma, and Kathleen Kraft, my gratitude goes to each of you for reading my manuscript and offering feedback.
Separate thanks go to Sharon Marr who read my first draft with great enthusiasm as if it were her own. She offered ideas to improve the story, a few of which I incorporated in this novel. She read it again at a later stage and sent me a 9-page report with additional suggestions.
I am grateful to Fran Vetters. I turned to her for a second reading when the manuscript was close to being finalized.
I want to thank Reggie Scott Young, a poet, a writer, and an educator, for advising me and encouraging me when I was struggling to elevate my writing.
This novel wouldn’t be what it came to be without the help of my daughter, Suanne Chang-Ponce. Throughout the process of completing this novel, she offered thoroughly honest, fearless criticism, and creative ideas. Thank you, Suanne.
My sister in Korea, Chang Soon-Jee, helped me with her memories of wartime experiences. Also, with unwavering support for my determination to write are my son, Dennis J. Bilbe, Jr. and my husband, Bernard Rauch.
I am very fortunate to have received support from each of you who took part in bringing Sonju to fruition.