I can hardly believe I’m here. I did it! I published a second book. For some reason, it was more intense than the first one. Writing a book, let alone self-publishing, takes grit, determination, and gives you a lot of self-doubt (haha, I’m just kidding… or am I?). But seriously, if I didn’t have some of the greatest people supporting me, doing this whole book thing would be a whole lot harder.
First and foremost, I must thank my loving and adoring hubby. He has held my hand and encouraged me every step of the way, even when I’ve doubted myself. Not only does he believe in me and my books, but he lets me bounce any crazy idea I have off of him and assists me with fine-tuning details when I’m stuck. I truly am the luckiest to have such an amazing partner. Thank you, hun, for everything you do for me and our family. I love you with my entire soul.
Now, to my little dude. Oh, boy. Where do I start? You are the joy of my life, the reason I was brave enough to pursue my dreams, and you truly are the bestest little dude in the universe. You have no idea the happiness it brings me to see your eyes light up when I talk to you about the superpowers and characters in my books. Thank you for inspiring me and your daddy to always be the best we can be.
There’s one person who has been a constant throughout my entire life, and has always supported me in any way she can, even through our ups and downs. To my mom, thank you for being one of my biggest cheerleaders and always believing in me no matter what I am pursuing. Every time you tell me you’ve recommended my books it brings such a smile to my face, and it means a lot to know I always have you in my corner.
Next, to my wonderful and talented critique partner, SJ Pratt. I never imagined I’d be lucky enough to find not only someone I can chat about writing with for hours, but also someone who has easily become one of my best friends. The hours (days/months) you have spent reading my work, providing me feedback, and cheering me on have helped craft this story into what it is today. Thank you so much, my dear friend. I look forward to pursuing our author dreams even more in the future!
To all my wonderful beta readers: Tina Capricorn, John North, and Stephanie B. Whitfield. I’m so lucky to have such amazing author friends who are willing to take time out of their busy schedules to read over my work. All of your feedback was amazing and helped me polish this story into something that can shine bright!
Of course, I have to say thank you to the members of my previous writing group: Brian, Johnny, and Jim. You all trudged through the rough versions of more than half this book, and gave me great pointers on where I needed to cut back. (Darn my overwriting tendencies.) For that, I’ll always be grateful.
To Brian (my editor), Rebekah (my cover designer), and Tenaya MKD (my proofreader), thank you all for your hard work and dedication in assisting me to achieve my dream of making this story its best possible final version. I’m so lucky to have such a talented team behind me.
Last, but not least, thank YOU—my readers. I hope The Guardians’ Secret was everything you hoped it would be plus more. Without you, there would be no reason to continue this story (other than my crazy curiosity about what’s going to happen next in the lives of Ember and Aiden). Thank you very much for taking the time to read my book(s), and for your support. You are all incredible. ♡