Lovely (41 page)
Authors: Beth Michele
“Are you kidding me? They’re cheering me on.”
I kiss Cara, long and deep, passionately and reverently, and even though we’re standing in a place where people’s lives have ended, for the first time, I feel like mine has just begun.
To the joys of my life, my husband and two children, for your patience while I was writing this book. This story consumed me and I know for a brief period took me away from the people I love most in the world. Thank you for putting up with me! I’m also grateful to have a husband who is not only supportive and loving, but who is also a writer. It’s fabulous to be able to vent and talk things through with someone who understands. I love you RL and you have my heart.
To Nikki Groom for your friendship, your unconditional support, your wisdom, and your honesty. We are kindred spirits. Distance truly cannot separate hearts, especially crazy ones. I love you N!
To my pal Devon Herrera (bonbon) for just being plain amazing in every sense of the word. Thank you for your friendship, for lifting me up with your spirit, and for being “real.” You’re my soul sister and I love you!
To Monica James for your friendship, your effervescence, your sense of humor, and your brilliance. Your support knows no bounds and you always know just the right thing to say! Someday you will get a serious tackle hug! I love you M!
To L.M. Augustine for your friendship, for making me laugh, and allowing me to have a good “muppetflail” when I need one. Love you L.M.!
To Natalie Catalano and Mary Tatar for being two of the coolest gals around. You have my utmost gratitude and friendship. I’ve discovered rare treasures in the both of you. I thank you for your love of reading that has led you to be so passionate about my stories, and for your commitment and support, always with a smile. It means the world to me. I love you both!
To Chris Carmilia for being such a great lady! Thank you for your unwavering support, your absolute love of books, and your generous heart. I love you Chris!
To Cheryl McIntyre, Livia Andrade Jamerlan, Cristina Arpin, Christine McGrae, Andromeda Jewls, Erika Kneeland Gutermuth, Tracey Murphy, Farah Ebrahim, and Caroline Hattrich. Thank you for always putting a smile on my face! Your enthusiasm and support is contagious and I feel very blessed to know all of you. Love you!
To Emily Tippetts for designing a beautiful, eye-catching cover that takes my breath away, and for being so incredibly patient! Love you Emily!
To all of the wonderful authors that I am privileged to be in the company of, and to share this journey with, thank you for your support along this road which is sometimes gravelly, yet always worth the trip.
To all of the amazing bloggers out there. I know what you do is not easy, but yet you do it with such passion, and I am so appreciative of your support. I thank you for all of the sharing, the promoting, the reviewing, and for the genuine love of books that inspires you. Thank you to Natalie Catalano from Love Between The Sheets and Mary Tatar from Mary Elizabeth’s Crazy Book Obsession for organizing a fabulous blog tour, and to all of the special bloggers out there: Book Nerds Anonymous, Forever Me Romance, Keepin’ It Real Book Blog, Nevaeh’s New Adult Book Blog, She Reads New Adult, Three Chicks and Their Books, Book Addict Mumma, Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads, The Book Enthusiast, Wild Wordy Women, Twinsie Talk Book Reviews, xscape from reality with a book, Chapter Break, A Dirty Book Affair, Bookaholics Blog, FTLOBbyJBlog, Jeni’s Bookshelf, Reviews, Swag, & More!, Life with Lesley, Mean Girls Luv Books, Obsession is a Book, Sex and the Books, Toot’s Book Reviews, Perusing Princesses, AKA The Book Harlots Review, Crystal’s Many Reviews, Sarah’s Book Blog, Maria’s Book Blog, Just Booked, HEA Book Shelf, K & T Book Reviews, Cristina’s Sinfully Sweet Addiction, Rainy Day Reads, One More Chapter, StayBlu Reads, Tabby’s Tantalizing Reviews, The Book Hangover, TheSecretBookBrat, B’s Beauty & Books, Book Fanatic, Book Freak, Fiction’s Our Addiction, Love Drug Book Blog, Made For You Book Reviews, mustreadbooksordie, Nose Stuck in a Book, Ramblings From This Chick, Scandalous Book Blog, There’s This Book, Two Brains of Book Reviewers, Seeking Book Boyfriends, Becca the Bibliophile, Chris’ Book Blog Emporium, Cocktails and Books, Holly’s Hot Reads, hooked on books, Mommy’s a Book Whore, Novel Seduction, Sparkling Pink Bookshelf, Sugar and Spice Book Reviews, The Book Whore-der’s Delights, Have Book Will Read, Three Girls and a Book Obsession, For the Love of Books, Book Addicts not So Anonymous, BOOK fri-ENDS, Bookish and Bushytailed, Brittany and Bianca Blab Books, Crazy Chaotic Book Babes, It Started with a Book Blog, Morning After a Good Book, The book obsessed momma, The Suburban Eclectic, A Novel Affair, Amber’s Reading Room, Bare Naked Words, Confessions From Romaholics, Curling Up With A Good Book, i love lady porn, Kindle Crack Book Reviews, Love, Laughter, Friendship, Naughty and Nice Book Blog, Promiscuous Book Blog, Romance Addict Book Blog, Andrea Heltsley Books, Book Lovers Paradise, Bookoholic Anom, Bridger Bitches Book Blog, Can’t Read Just One, Just Me and My Love for Books, Mommy’s Late Night Book-Up, The Reading Vixens, Thoughts and Reviews, Sticky Reads, Tiffany Talks Books, Ms. ME28Blog, and to all of the other bloggers and those of you who have taken the time to read my novel, share, as well as promote, I am beyond grateful.
To my editor, Erin Roth, for continuing to help me become a better writer, and for inspiring that moment of pause that makes all the difference in the world.
To Angela McLaurin at Fictional Formats for not only once again taking my novel and making it look spectacular, but for always doing it with a smile and the utmost patience. You are amazing, Angela!
This story and the characters inside of it grabbed hold of me and didn’t let go. To all of you who are taking the time to read my novel, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. My hope is that after you’ve read it, maybe you’re left with something that makes your world a little brighter.
I am a wife, a mom, an author, and a lover of all things chocolate, well, anything sweet really. While stuffing chocolate in my face, I enjoy reading young adult and new adult novels furiously, and spending time with my husband and two adorable children who keep me on my peppermint pink painted toes. Those same children who inspire me to tell silly stories that cause hysterical giggles to tumble from their bellies.
I love to laugh and love to have a good cry, especially after reading a novel that stretches my soul, one that makes me feel, and lingers in the corner of my heart.
I’m a hopeless romantic and a happily ever after fanatic, and I love to write about LOVE.
I began writing when I was in middle school, penning anything from short stories, to poetry, and then later moved on to write children’s books. I have now endeavored into New Adult and Contemporary Romance novels and am loving every minute of it.
I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to reach out to me:
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http://www.twitter.com/bethmichele8
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