I claim to be a perennial. Gina Pell is the architect of the concept. She can be found on Twitter @GinaPell or http://thewhatlist.com. Perennials are ever-blooming, relevant people of all ages who know what’s happening in the world, stay current with technology, and have friends of all ages. The fact that I have published a book in my seventh decade has proven to me that life offers us new and exciting opportunities at any age. By maintaining friends of all ages, I gain multiple sources in this world of ours. It is impossible for me to stay current with technology unless I seek out others who do.
I am grateful for family and friends who have encouraged me and confirmed my belief that I needed to tell this story. Maureen Mahon challenged me to write it. Michelle Cameron guided me to find my voice. I have finished my debut novel with her gentle and encouraging mentoring and editing. Elaine Belz and Agnes Golding believed I could do it. Mally Becker, Laura Romain, Niv Miyasato, Connie Fowler, Mary Rahill, Margo Key, Karla Diaz, and Suzanne Moyers, from my Writers Circle writing groups, listened week after week, year after year, and offered insights and advice.
Thanks to my beta readers—Gary Clarke, Evelyn Counts, Judy Pickney, and Roz Miller Choice—who generously gave their time to read early drafts and then provided me with detailed comments, and especially to Susan Follett, whose strong, no-nonsense advice kept me improving the manuscript.
Thanks to Amy Hill Hearth, who guided me to improve the manuscript and encouraged me with specific references to the strong scenes and pinpointed some that needed attention. Her generous support on this journey helped me to believe that this story has value.
Annie Tucker, you are an exceptional editor. You pushed me to improve the manuscript one more time. Your attention to detail is incredible. Katie Caruana polished the manuscript with her proofreading.
Thank you to Brooke Warner, Lauren Wise, Julie Metz, and everyone else at She Writes Press for your innovative vision. Thank you to the whole She Writes community, especially the New York–area group; I am so pleased to be included in this amazing group of women authors.
Thanks to my family: my sister, Celeste, who is my go-to tech support; and my daughters, Elisa, Carla, and Laura, who read my final manuscript on their laptops and gave me the younger generation’s perspective. Thanks to my sons-in-law, Brian, Mike, and Philip, who cheered me on, and to my granddaughters, Mia, Emelia, and Courtney, and grandsons, Max, Kellan, and Jake, who are waiting to read the book that their grandmother wrote. I am hopeful that they will live in a future that doesn’t judge people by the color of their skin.
To my husband, Manny, my life partner, the one person who shared the year this story is based on, the one who knows me better than anyone else, you are in my future, my past and my present—I love you forever.