Taming Crow (Hells Saints Motorcycle Club) (27 page)

Thanks to all of you who fell in love with the Hells Saints family as much as I did. I so appreciate you spending your hard- earned money and hard- won leisure time getting to know Prosper and his crew. Every time I struggled with a story line or had a bump in the editing road your warm emails of encouragement, praise and humor got me through. I cannot imagine taking this journey without you!

Thanks to my husband, Pasquale, for truly being the kind of man that every woman dreams of. His wisdom, generosity, humor and unbelievable humanity sustains and strengthens me. He is the best part of all the Hells Saints brothers. Without his guiding influence, they would simply be characters on a page.

Thanks to my son Jake for his insight, competence and sound advice. And for allowing me to stretch his patience way past his comfort zone. We call him the
Professor
for a reason. He is the smartest guy I know.  

Thanks to my daughter, Leah, who allowed me to share two of her childhood stories.

Yes, the bumper car incident did happen almost exactly as I describe it to my daughter when she was just about Jett’s age. Not our best carnival memory!  On a brighter note, the candy kiss incident also happened when my daughter offered her schoolmate a “kiss” on the bus.
No Jeffery…not that kind of kiss …this kind of kiss!    
Needless to say I crafted the spunky, blue- eyed, blonde- haired Rosie after Leah!

Thanks to my very talented daughter-in-law, graphic artist, Dawne Brundige who tirelessly worked on the Taming Crow cover with me. She asked all the right questions and listened carefully to the all the answers.  I love the simple, understated beauty of the image and I think it is just beautifully done. Dawne is a treasured addition to our family in many, many ways.

Thanks to Krista Stroever who continues to challenge me to stretch my writer’s wings. It amazes me how with a single well-placed word she can nail an idea that I have taken three pages to write.

And last but never least…my girls. You know who you are…the shared desserts at Rileys, the hour- plus long phone conversations, the Miss Quamicut beach crew, Live on the Lake, bonfires, friends and family night, and all the other things that keep me sane.

And of course to my best pal of all Donna J…who is the kind of friend who sends me the same birthday card two years in a row just because it was so funny the first time around.

Best. Friend. Ever.

Paula Marinaro was born and raised on the North Shore of Boston. She currently lives with her husband in a cozy little house on a lake in Western Massachusetts.

She holds an associate’s degree in criminal justice, a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and a master’s degree in education. When she is not writing, she is teaching writing to a delightful group of elementary students!

Paula considers herself to be a lifelong learner and enjoys international travel. She is extremely proud to be the mother of two children, Jake and Leah.