Rad and Sandy, thank you for giving me this third opportunity to tell a story. To all those at Bold Strokes who work hard to get our books into the world, I’m so grateful. I’m looking at you, Ruth, Cindy, Toni, Stacia, and the rest of the proofreaders and behind-the-scenes magicians.
I’m grateful to have Cindy Cresap as my editor. She unequivocally makes every manuscript of mine better. We had some hurdles this time, Cindy, but we made it through! Let’s hope the next journey is a bit smoother. Thank you for all you do for me.
Thanks to my writing group friends for being so supportive and passing along knowledge of the craft to make this a better book.
I’d like to thank KC for suggesting a great name for a main character. I hope your Leighton gets a kick out of it. To my readers who’ve enjoyed my books and have given me inspiration through your kind words, I’m so fortunate and appreciative. You inspire me to make the next book even better.
I’d like to express my gratitude to the group of people—dare I say friends—who are willing to read early drafts. Your eagle-eyes, suggestions, and support mean the world. Special thanks to Win, Anne-Sophie, Casper, and Jayne. Thank you also to the many ARC readers who volunteer their precious time to read my book and write a review.
Many thanks to the early readers of the first version of this story who encouraged me to get it published. You embraced a romance that involved alcoholism and domestic violence and the lingering effects those things have, and I’ll never forget that.
Thank you to Callie and Caleb for answering all my medical questions and making sure the injuries and treatment were accurate.
A posthumous thank you goes to Leonardo da Vinci and Petrarch for the title. Scholars once believed Leonardo wrote, “Cosa bella mortal passa e non darte,” on the sketch of an old woman. They loosely translated Leonard’s mirrored handwriting as, “All things beautiful and mortal pass, but not art.” Years later, they realized he’d instead written a line from one of Petrarch’s sonnets. “Cosa bella mortal passa e non dura.” This changed the meaning. “All beautiful mortal things pass and do not endure.” By then, I’d already titled my manuscript and wanted to keep the title. Sadly, mortal beauty does not last, but I’d like to think that art does, especially in this digital age.
So many wonderful people gave me feedback and helped me tell this story, and I’m thankful. I wanted to write a story about what happens when we fall in love in a less-than-ideal situation. The reality of the characters’ poor decisions and the consequences that resulted needed to be handled in a delicate manner to be believable. We might not be able to help with whom we fall in love, but we have to take responsibility for acting upon those feelings. Your contributions, suggestions, and input were invaluable. I hope readers enjoy Casey and Leighton’s journey.
Lastly, thank you to my loving partner for reading another incarnation of this story for the umpteenth time, for your unwavering support, for always being up for a writing date at a café or brewery, and for your willingness to bounce ideas around. I don’t take for granted how you walk into a room on a random Tuesday and tell me you’re proud of me.