I jokingly posted on my Facebook page that I might have an acknowledgements section longer than the actual book itself, but honestly I really could write 300 pages thanking all the people who helped make Song Chaser happen. Alas, that would be a very heavy book – therefore this will have to do.
First and foremost, thank YOU, reader. You are the reason I put pen to paper and create. If it weren’t for you and your passion to escape between the pages of a good book, my life as an author wouldn’t exist. And, even more than that, thank you for breaking out of the traditional box and buying Indie. Your support in a world ruled by traditional publishing means more than you could ever know. Come hang out with me on my Facebook page and let’s be BFF’s. We can even braid each other’s hair (fair warning: my hair sucks).
To my hubs, Ryan, I want to say thank you for your unwavering support. I thought you were amazing when I wrote my first novel, but you have completely blown me away with your love and understanding this time around. Thank you for #WingWednesdays, for sharing my posts even though they’re super girly, for raving about me like the proudest man in the entire world, for putting up with my late night writing sessions and cold feet on your legs when I finally jumped into bed, and most of all – for just being you. You make writing romance books beyond easy because you’re my true life fairytale. I love you.
Thank you to every single member of my family. From buying my books and shouting to the rooftops to promote to simply buying me a beer after a long night of editing, you have all been a huge part of this journey and I appreciate it tremendously. I have to give a special thanks to you, Mom, because there will never be a single thing I accomplish in life that I don’t somehow trace back to you. You have shown me how to love, taught me how to be strong, and encouraged me to shoot for nothing less than everything I want. I am so incredibly blessed to have you and I love you most (mostest, toastest, oastest!).
If I’ve learned anything by chasing my dreams, it’s that true friends are hard to come by. Kellee (the real-life Kellee), I will never be able to truly thank you the way I wish I could. You are like the rope tied around my waist and fastened into the mountain as I jump head first into the abyss. Your support has literally saved me multiple times from deleting this book and never letting it see daylight. Thank you for pulling me out of my crazy author thoughts when needed, and even more for transforming from my beta reader into one of my very best friends. You’re amazing and IFLY.
To Sasha and Melissa, thank you for reading and loving my books and even more for being the first to show up with a shot of Jack Daniels when you knew I needed it. You two were always asking about Song Chaser, pimping out Tag Chaser to anyone who would listen, and more than that – supporting my dreams. I could never find friends like you even if I searched a thousand years. X’s and O’s and all that jazz.
To my Circle of Trust, my clop chot botches, my sexual Trenton nuggets of joy – Cassie Graham, Ashlei Davison, Jess Vogel, and Erin Spencer – I love you girls more than a stripper loves money in her G-string. Cassie, you are just beginning this author journey and I am so proud of everything you’ve accomplished so far and so thankful for our friendship. Ash and Jess, you girls brighten every single day and your support of my work literally blows my mind. #TannerTime with you girls is the best time. Erin, you shy, sassy, wonderful girl – thank you for organizing my hectic life and helping me not look like a newb when it came time to promote. I could probably write a three page essay thanking you girls, but luckily we have our own little chat for that – so just be prepared to get blown up with kissy faces and cat memes.
For all my behind-the-scenes peeps, thank you for making Song Chaser happen. Kash, you are the best editor in the world – seriously, I mean that. Not only do you catch my horrific grammar mistakes and plot holes, but you also leave the funniest damn notes that literally make me LOL. I’ll never be able to look at a longneck the same way again. But, more than my editor, you have grown to become one of my best friends over this past year. Thank you not only for supporting my writing, but also for being the Regina George to my Gretchen Weiners. You can’t sit with us! Hope you enjoyed the lead guitarist of Titanium Rush being named after you.
Austyn and ET, thank you for making this cover just as beautiful as the first. Austyn, your photography skills never cease to amaze me. Thank you for working with an Indie author’s budget and creating stunning results. ET, you sexy little cover model you, thanks for beefing up the abs for the photo shoot and for always being interested in my writing endeavors. You may be my Little, but you inspire me more than I could ever inspire you.
Song Chaser would have had a completely different ending and probably would have sucked if it weren’t for my fabulous beta readers. Momma T, Kellee, Trish, Novo, Big, Monique, and (kind of) Little Penguin – thank you for catching my mistakes, making suggestions, being honest when you needed to be and above all, for loving this story as much as I do. I feel like this is our baby and we’re kind of like momma bears protecting our cubs. We picked at this thing until it was damn near perfect and had a lot of laughs along the way. Special thanks goes out to Momma T for being the first person to really celebrate writing “the end” with me and to Trish for changing the direction of the ever-famous Chapter 27. You’re all amazing and I’m lucky to have you on my team! Also, RIP Quinn – way to take one for the team.
And finally, all thanks goes to my God for blessing me with a writer’s heart and a dreamer’s drive. I would be nothing without your love and I am beyond thankful for this amazing life you’ve given me.