Acknowledgments

God is amazing! I sensed as I was writing the first book in the Victory Gospel Series that there were minor characters that had stories to tell. As I entered this fictional world, I was led to research and then develop characters with very relatable issues that any of us could face at some point in our lives.

Did you know African Americans are twice as likely to die from a stroke as Caucasians?According to a 2010 special report by the Alzheimer’s Association, older African Americans are probably about two times more likely than older Caucasians to have Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

I knew when I started this novel, the story line would be centered around a missing person’s case. Over the years, when an African American woman goes missing, her plight does not always receive the same attention as that of a Caucasian woman. Did you know that according to FBI figures, nearly 40 percent of all missing persons are people of color? That’s an incredible percentage. The cable network TV One broadcasts a much-needed program about African Americans who have vanished under suspicious circumstances, Finding Our Missing. This is a start.

If you find at any time while you are reading this book that you have more questions about the subject matter, I have included online resources at the end of the book to provide some answers.

Now, there are a few people I want to acknowledge. Thank you to Robin Caldwell for reading through the manuscript. Your friendship, advice, and encouragement are priceless. To Dr. Jeffrey Brown, M.D., thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions about stroke and Alzheimer’s. I can Google all I want, but there’s nothing like talking to a medical professional. Joylynn Ross, thank you for always being available to address my many questions as a newly published author. I’ve learned so much from you and look forward to continuing to work with you.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the people who helped me push the first book in this series, When Rain Falls. I can’t name everyone, but to all my family and friends, book reviewers, bloggers, online radio hosts, book clubs, and readers, thank you for your support of When Rain Falls. It’s truly appreciated.

Thanks, Dad, for helping me spread the word about When Rain Falls locally. Your enthusiasm and support mean the world to me.

Last, but not least, I want to acknowledge my two best friends, my mom and my sister. You two have been the best with helping me get galleys out, finding readers and venues to promote the book, and being traveling companions. You two are my bookends.

Thank you, readers, for taking the time to read the second book in the Victory Gospel Series.