Then There Was You (48 page)

To my parents who have always been there for me: Thank you for your love, support, and encouragement throughout my life. Whether it was at the bowling alley, the Soap Box Derby hills, the recital stage, or watching from the stands while I cheered, you have always encouraged me to reach for the stars. Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to attend college and get my degrees. Thank you for supporting me when I made the decision to stay home with my children. Thank you for being the best parents a girl could ask for, and the best grandparents to your grandchildren! No matter what, you have always been there for us. I love you both so much!

Thank you to the ones in my life who inspired my characters for this story. I truly believe you were each placed in my life for a reason, and I’ll always be grateful for that. You have all touched my life in one way or another. I have been thoroughly blessed with love, friendship, and guidance through the years. While some of you might never cross my path again, the influence you had in my life will forever remain in my heart.

Thank you to “my girls” who lift me up when I need encouragement and keep me grounded when my head is in the clouds. You girls are the truest of true friends. I’m so thankful for each and every one of you!

Thank you to my amazing author friends, Kimi and Lynetta. You were my go-to girls when I was feeling discouraged. You lifted me up and gave me a SKITA when I needed it! You spent hours on the phone with me and spent loads of time brainstorming and reading passages when I needed you to give me feedback. I’m so fortunate to call you my friends!

To one kick-ass content editor, Megan Hand, you are simply amazing. I can’t thank you enough for whipping me into shape. You pushed me and challenged me to make this book so much better! Thank you!

Thank you to my beta readers: Amy, Ashley, Becca, Debi, Danielle, Elle, Lisa, Mel, Mo, T, Toski, and Valerie. I couldn’t have done it without you girls!!! You kept me motivated! I look forward to working with you in the future!

Thank you to my Chixx. You’ve all been there from the start. I love you all! Thank you for your infinite support and love. You know who you are!

Thank you to Charlie McIver and Damon Hamby for providing such wonderful song lyrics for Chris to sing to Salem! You guys have some real talent, and I’m glad I just happened upon your YouTube channels!

http://www.youtube.com/user/RestinginRaindrops

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyUUBXzAXCWndxOszXIwYeg

Thank you to my amazing editor, Kathleen Lilley, who spent hours combing through my manuscript for every misplaced comma and grammatical error. Maybe, just maybe, I might have added a few things after you did my final edit. So if there are any mistakes, they’re not your fault. After all, I’m a tweakaholic who just can’t stop!

Thank you to my cover models, Sara Hilton and Damon Hamby. You guys did a phenomenal job in the freezing temperature that day! Thank you for stepping in at the last minute.

Thank you to my photographers, Dawn and Summer of Positively Posh Photography. You girls rock, and I had a blast! The cover is gorgeous!

Thank you to my cover designer, Allie B of B Design. You took time to really listen to my ideas and worked hard to create my vision. The cover is beautiful!

Thank you, Angela McLaurin of Fictional Formats, for making the interior of
Then There Was You
so incredibly stunning! You have a gift for creating beautiful masterpieces. I’m so thankful for your friendship, also!

Thank you to blogger Cris Hadarly of The Book Avenue Review for hosting my cover reveal and blog tour! Thank you for taking a chance on me and helping me get my cover and book to so many other bloggers. I appreciate all your hard work more than you know!

Thank you to all the bloggers who have helped me get the word out there about my books. I’m so thankful for everything you all have done and continue to do for indie authors! We appreciate you!

Last, but certainly not least, thank you so much to my children, whom I adore with every fiber of my being (most of the time). They had to put up with a lot of pizza and takeout, which I don’t think they minded much. They were very patient with me when I holed myself up in my bedroom writing with that ‘Mama’s got crazy eyes’ look. They didn’t tear the house up… too much. And, while sometimes they drive me BSC, I still love them more than life!!! (Psssst… if any of my kids ask, BSC stands for Banana Split Crazy) ;)

Melanie Dawn is a thinker, a dreamer, and a hopeless romantic. When her head isn’t in the clouds, she spends her time as a jack of all trades to her family. Melanie resides in the hills of North Carolina with her husband, her three children, and her cat. She enjoys lazy summer afternoons cruising around the lake on the pontoon boat with her family.

Melanie graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology and earned her MA in School Counseling from Appalachian State University. She spent the first six years after graduate school as a middle school counselor. Those were years she deems as some of the best years of her life. That is, until she had children of her own. The last seven years have been spent as a stay-at-home mom. She has learned some tough life lessons, like what the inner absorbent pellets of a diaper look like scattered in the washing machine. She has also learned the strength of the willpower of a two year old lacking a nap. Through it all, Melanie has learned how to roll with the punches and appreciate the time she has been able to spend at home with her children.

Now that her last baby has entered Kindergarten, she has started a new chapter in her life—becoming an author.

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