Tangled Vines (36 page)

W
riting can be a lonely process, but because of a group of people who have accepted me for my meager contributions to their community, I am never alone in these endeavors. So a huge xie xie goes out to the international adoption community for always being my sounding board when I hit a wall. Using the platform of social networking, you’ve helped me name characters and towns, and you even gave me ideas of where to take the plot of
Tangled Vines
. But more than that, you’ve shared your own stories with me and allowed me to be a small part of your lives, and for that I am grateful.

To Gina Barlean, Karen McQuestion, and Kate Danley, I’m so glad to have found other successful (and superfun) authors to be my critique partners. This book is so much stronger because of your input, and in gratitude I hope you sell a million of your own amazing stories! To Charlotte Herscher, my developmental editor—as we continue to work together I’ve come to depend on you to help me grow as a writer, and you never let me down. Thank you to Terry and others on my Amazon team who continue to support my efforts and take my titles to a bigger audience. To my husband, Ben, thank you for filling my life with laughter. Lou Hsu, thank you again for your insight into the Chinese culture and for being my official fact checker. Most important, to my readers: I
f you didn’t read my books, I would still write, but it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

ECLIPSE PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO (GAINESVILLE, GA)

KAY BRATT
is a child advocate and author. She lived in China for more than four years, and because of her experiences working with orphans, she strives to be the voice for children who cannot speak for themselves. If you would like to read more about what started her career as an author, and also meet the children she knew and loved in China, read her poignant memoir,
Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage.
Her works of fiction include
A Thread Unbroken
as well as
The Scavenger’s Daughters
the first book in the Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters series. Kay resides with her husband, daughter, dog, and cat in a cozy cottage overlooking Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.