I had the best time writing Bali Escape with the Single Dad as not only did I love creating Mia, Aiden, and Ella, I also had the chance to relive my Bali holiday and share my experiences through my new characters’ eyes. Their holiday is exactly my holiday, though I wasn’t lucky enough to meet and fall in love with a gorgeous, loving vet like Mia. So, I’d like to thank everyone who made my holiday so memorable, including my Mount Batur driver, Eka, the Brazilian boys I hiked the volcano with, and the guide who dragged me up the gravelly slope to catch the sunrise.
Thank you to the five Singaporeans who lunched with me at Seawalker, and to the mahouts who cared for the beautiful elephants. Thank you, Pati, Fajar, and Melanie for your trunk hugs and for giving me the best day ever at your cool Ubud jungle home. Thank you to Marco and Triton for your dolphin kisses and stellar tricks, and thank you to the guides for convincing me to jump into a pool with stingrays. You all made my holiday an epic adventure that I will never forget, and I’m glad I could capture you all in Mia and Aiden’s story. But thank you most of all to Lolo, a friend who I did meet in Bali, for keeping me company and sharing some laughs, for helping me navigate the local culture, and for enjoying a fun day at Waterbom with me. Our backwards exit down the waterslide and tumble into the water made it into this book!
When I visited Bali in 2015, I never thought I’d capture the memories in a romance novel years later, so I thank myself for my meticulous journalling and photography, which allowed me to look back and share my experience so vividly. But I also couldn’t have completed this book without the help of my friends. Thank you, Deeanna West, for your insight on life as a vet and for creating Mia’s horses. I truly value our friendship. Thank you to my Townsville support crew and Jill Staunton for your ongoing support. Thank you to Romance Writers of Australia for being the best tribe of writers to lean on for advice and guidance. And thank you to the New Jersey Romance Writers for awarding Bali Escape with the Single Dad first place in the 2021 Put Your Heart in a Book contest!
As always, Mum and Ian, you are always there for me and I can’t thank you enough for your support and encouragement. I love you both so much and am so grateful to have you on this journey with me.
Thank you to everyone at Harlequin Australia and to Suzanne O’Sullivan for publishing Bali! You have made yet another dream of mine come true and I love working with you all. Thank you to my editor Brooke Halliwell for your work on polishing this story, to the design team for the beautiful cover, and everyone else who helped bring this story together.
Last but not least, thank you, dear reader, for reading this book and going on another emotional adventure with me. I hope you enjoyed your exciting holiday in Bali!