The Memory Child (24 page)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Women are strong human beings. We carry the weight of the world on our shoulders (or so it feels). There was no way I could have written this story without the help of women who have experienced postpartum depression and psychosis. Daily, as stories were shared with me, I would marvel at the strength, determination, and love these women had. My heart goes out to each and every one of you—thank you, for sharing your stories with me. Women like you are
my heroes.

I couldn’t have written this story of a mother’s love without the support of my own family. Jarrett, you were my inspiration for diving into the story of a couple in love, and my girls, you were my rays of sunshine when the emotional depth of what I was writing got to me. And Judah, thank you for always being there to help me plot out my scenes and for your awesome suggestions on how to make things better. Yes, if I add chocolate to any scene there’s bound to be a little bit of
happiness!

A special thank you to Ken Pelkman and Ron Aitken for letting me pick your brains when it came to IT queries—this girl’s brain is meant for writing, not understanding the complexity of running an IT department or even knowing how to stop the swirling circle of despair on my computer. Thank you for your patience and for answering my multitude of
questions.

Julie Alberts-Magnum, I loved your pickle story! Thank you for sharing it on my author page on Facebook—there’s a section in here just
for you!

I couldn’t have written this story without the amazing team behind me at Lake Union Publishing, specifically Carmen Johnson and Helen Cattaneo. Carmen, your support has made this story into something more than I could have dreamed of. I’m thankful to have an editor
like you!

While I wrote this, I lived through the devastating destruction of the Alberta Flood 2013. I believe I live in the best city in Canada as the residents of Calgary bonded together during this terrible time in a way I’ve never seen. On Twitter, Mookie Wilson (a.k.a.
@mookalicious
) was one of those Calgarians who went above and beyond his regular DJ persona and helped foster the spirit of the west in a way I’ve never seen. Thanks Mookie for letting me use one of your sayings—the context might be a bit different than intended, but nonetheless, it
’s there.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steena Holmes grew up in a small town in Canada and holds a bachelor’s degree in Theology. She is the author of
Finding Emma
and
Emma’s Secret
. She has received the Indie Excellence Award and is a
USA Today
bestselling author. She lives in Calgary with her husband and three daughters and loves to wake up to the Rocky Mountains eac
h morning.