Hold My Breath (33 page)

I
had this heavy idea
, and it lingered. I gave it a name eventually—Will Hollister. I think I have tortured Will more than any character I have ever constructed, and I am inspired by his ability to persevere. More than Will, though, I am inspired by the
real
fighters—the people who are knocked down so far it seems impossible, who face adversity, even when it’s more tragedy, but yet find a way to climb again—to rise above. This book is for them. Whether it feels like a hill or a mountain, your climb is brave. Even if you fall on the way back up.

There are so many people I need to thank for Hold My Breath. My home and heart always comes first. My husband is the reason I write. He is my joy, the thing that pushes me. And I am grateful for him every single day.

I’m rarely in a writing cave. Life is too precious to miss pieces of it, so I try to stay disciplined, never missing the important bits. But it doesn’t mean I don’t multitask. There are many practices, tournaments, batting lessons, school pickups, etc. where I am carrying my laptop, opening it between innings or squeezing in some editing during game breaks. My son never thinks I’m weird, and he’s usually pretty damn proud. That feels good. Love you to the moon, buddy.

Now for the girls. My beta squad: Ashley, Bianca, Jen and Shelley. You are truth, encouragement, honesty, praise, more honesty (LOL) and love all rolled into a group of kick-ass readers that I will hold hostage for as long as you let me. (Actually, probably longer. Stop reading for me and I will hunt you down.) I’m so thankful for the time you give my words. And the people I bring to life are better because of you all.

Tina Scott and BilliJoy Carson, my words end with you. You are the fine finishing. I come to you a Honda and you send me away a Cadillac. Thank you ladies for being the best editors ever!

Ninjas! Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I got so lucky. You all are the best readers, and your support and undying dedication to shouting from the mountaintops fuels me. Bloggers—each and every one of you, no matter the size—I am honored every single time you share something of mine, you review, you post, you suggest, you tag. You are my rock stars!

There are dozens of other names I need to shout out, and I’m sure I’m forgetting someone, but know this—I am beyond grateful for your time. Whether it’s answering my crazy nursing practice questions (Theresa Nelson, you are the best!) or just telling me to keep writing because you’re excited for the book, every word you send to me is meaningful. You all make me believe in miracles and magic.

Let’s do this again, shall we?

G
inger Scott is
an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, In Your Dreams, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, The Hard Count and Hold My Breath.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for…well…ever. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Connect with Ginger online:

• @TheGingerScott
  
• GingerScottAuthor