This book has been a wonderful journey for me. What started out as a fanfiction, morphed into a debut novel, and it would not have been possible without the help of a few good women. I first have to give a big thank-you to my publishers, Linda and Jessica Hill of Bella Books, who saw potential and took a chance on me.
Thank you to my editor, Alissa McGowan, whose steady guidance made my first editing process a breeze.
Where would I be without my three beta readers? Ana Wootten, who was and still is my biggest cheerleader. Any time I had doubts about my ability, she would offer words of encouragement, then tell me she was going to go back and read it again. I think she read the manuscript more than I did. Lisa Magnum, who was more than a beta, she was my wingman. She purchased the Chicago Manual of Style for both of us, and when we each received our copy, she said, “It’s a big book.” And I said, “I ain’t reading that.” Patsy R., my friend of twenty years, who read the first version of this manuscript and told me it was great, even though it was an overly wordy, head hopping mess.
A big shout-out to all the friends I met online these past few years. E, my adopted pseudo-daughter, who showed me that an Internet connection can turn into a wonderful friendship. Regina, who bet me three years ago that I could turn this story into a published novel. Guess what? I had to pay up. Aliza M., who insisted I was good enough to get published and helped get me started. All the crazies I affectionately dubbed my Misfit Toys, who commented on my fan fictions and blew up my first Facebook post with a thousand gifs. Thanks to you I had days and days of notifications on my phone. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention The Purple Chicken Cook-Off, which remains one of the highlights of the last few years. Thank you, Misfits. I am honored to call you friends.
Lastly, my partner and wife of twenty years, whose patience and support enabled me to see this through. She spent countless hours reading chapters, with me hanging over her shoulder, yelling, “Why aren’t you laughing?” Thank you, T. I love you.
One last shout-out, to our beautiful dog Everette, who was the inspiration for Yogi. Our Evi Bear crossed the rainbow bridge last year, but he’ll live on in this story. And that’s pretty damn cool.