Gavin cradled the back of her head and slanted his mouth over hers as he spoke. “Simply amazing. This girl named Molly—you might know her—but yeah, she stormed into my life and hasn’t stopped rocking my world ever since.”
And in the year following the season that’d changed Emily and Gavin Blake’s lives forever, fate finally played fair. It stopped its wicked games and decided to let up… just a lil’ bit. From beautiful do-overs on a long stretch of highway in Mexico, to many layers of life peeled away, filled with bottle caps and another car seat in the back of a minivan, time had tick-tocked its way to where it belonged.
Fate… such a funny little thing.
Joe, Joseph, Matthew, and Ava. I love you all. Mom’s back. I promise. I missed you more than you’ll ever know. Thank you for dealing with not having me around. Nothing can ever bring back the time we lost, this I know, but I swear from here on out, the little memories we build together will last us when I slip back off into another world.
Wow. Where to begin? That’s the proverbial question. This ride—writing Pulse—was insanely different than that of when I wrote Collide. Both in glorious and wicked ways. Both amazing and scary. Both… very opposite. I published Collide thinking I’d sell a few copies, gain a few readers, and get my work out there to some people who might enjoy the story well enough. Boy, was I wrong. Overnight, I was thrust into a spotlight I could’ve never prepared myself for. No matter how many times I might’ve dreamt for what I’ve experienced, nothing, and I mean nothing, could’ve have readied me for the road I walked. Wait. I take that back. I didn’t walk anything. The road I ungracefully stumbled, tripped, skidded down, and fell face first onto. I learned quite a few things. Most of which were very hard to swallow—razors down my throat hard to swallow—but nonetheless, I’ve been more than blessed.
The red, velvet curtain is sliding open right about now. Please take a bow when I call your name, and most of all, thank you for not casting judgment, changing on me, or ridiculing my every move while you tripped with me down this road.
Cary Bruce, Brooke Hunter, Angie McKeon, Lisa Maurer, Stephanie Johnson, and Teri Bland. Almost the original BCBW’s with Angie being a great addition. Thank you for always keeping it real. The brutal honesty kept me where I needed to be while writing. I don’t need to say much to you ladies, as we speak regularly for the most part, and you know how much I severely adore you all. So, I’m giving you each a few words you’ll understand. Cary: You got your monkey. Happy? Brooke: Readers will now know it was YOUR idea to kill Gavin. I may have written the devastating words, but you thought it up. Pure. Genius. Lisa: The world is my people. I will never forget that ride! Angie: My evil teaser queen! Stephanie: Diaper. Ha! Great catch and yuck at the same time! Teri: Asystole and Craniotomies!!!!! I could thank you each to the moon and back, and it’d never be enough.
Melinda Atkinson-Medina- Thank you for catching me, friend. There will never be a time in my life I couldn’t count on you.
Lisa Kates- We split a bit during this, but we’re not broken.
Ashley Hartigan Tkachyk, Joanne Arcarese Schwehm, Becca Manuel, Laura Babcock Dunaway, Kim Rinaldi, and Jennifer Pikul Gass. My second round of betas. Thank you all for accepting the split second notice before Pulse went into editing. Your willingness to jump right into it amazed me.
Tina Reber- Thank you for the much needed chat sessions. You’ve anchored me in so many ways and every piece of advice you’ve ever given is tucked in my head.
To my cover artist Regina Wamba from Mai I Design and Photography- You’re simply amazing. Many indie authors in this industry said you were wonderful to work with, and they weren’t kidding. Every book I write will have your stamp on it.
To my formatter Angela McLaurin from Fictional Formats- Again, thank you. Your wonderful design and little surprises for me in Pulse were astounding. I look forward to many years of working together.
To my editor Cassie Cox- Thank you for kicking my ass. No, really. I am being serious. Thank you. You scared me at first, but you cut my ‘shit’ where needed.
To the sick, twisted, amazeballs women in TFC- Madeline Sheehan, Emmy Montes, Claribel Contreras, Syreeta Jennings, Trevlyn Tuitt, Karina Halle, and Cindy Brown. You ladies have seen me on my worst and best days. You witnessed many times when I wanted to throw in the towel, but your words pushed me forward. Either way, you listened. You gave me an ear to rant to, a shoulder to cry on, and a stage to express my fears. Our fears. I got nothing but love for each of you.
To my blog tour: True Story Book Blog, Angie’s Dreamy Reads, ‘Ssh Mom’s Reading, Fiction and Fashion, Vilma’s Book Blog, Book Boyfriend Reviews, Flirty and Dirty, Books Babes and Cheap Cabernet, Sinfully Sexy, The Little Black Book Blog, Whirlwind Books, Swoon Worthy Books, Three Chicks and Their Books, Bridger Book Bitches, Romantic Book Affairs, Becca the Bibliophile, The Rock Stars of Romance, Mommy’s Reads and Treats, The Boyfriend Bookmark, First Class Books, Book Crush, I Love Indie Books, Sugar and Spice, Ménage a Book Blog, Up all Night Book Blog, Morning After a Good Book, Kindlehooked, TheSubClubBooks, Smitten, A Book Whore’s Obsessions, The Book List Reviews, and Smut Book Club. Thank you all for participating. Your blogs, among every other blog out there, whether people realize it or not, are the veins of our reading community. The blood pumping books out to readers. I said it in my acknowledgements in Collide, and I’ll say it again. Each blog amazes me. Simply… amazes me. No matter how chaotic blogger’s lives get, they still put time aside to reach out to their readers and promote books from authors they love. Authors they believe in. Authors they’ve never heard of. Some of you take a chances on unknown authors, and that says a ton. Your reviews, be them bad or good to writers, are passionate. It takes a lot to put your review out there the world, and I admire you ladies for doing so each and every day. In the grand scheme of things, blogs are overlooked. Just know most authors realize how much time and dedication goes into running one. I thank you, all listed here—and not listed here—for getting the word out about Collide and Pulse.
Last, and so not even close to the least… my readers. Hot damn, you loved my characters! What??? Let me say that again… what? Shocked doesn’t even begin to skim the surface here. Not. One. Bit. I’ve mentioned a ton of wonderful ladies above, and let me just say, on days I wanted to pull out of this ride and promptly get a refund, slip off the rollercoaster and go home, not only did they stop me, but so did you. Thousands upon thousands of emails kept me writing. Thousands upon thousands of comments on my author wall, posts, and online delivered to me what I needed the most: the drive to push on. The courage to move forward on this glorious, scary, humbling, and blessed ride that was set forth in my life. Thank you for loving my characters as much as I do. Thank you for believing in me as a writer. Thank you for telling your mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, nieces, and friends about Collide. Though I left your mouths agape at the end of Collide, thank you cheering for me while I wrote Pulse. Not kidding when I say this, but you all have mentioned fan-girling when you’ve spoken to me, well, there’s not a time I haven’t fan-girled over you. No joke. I hope I’ve done well by you all. I hope I continue to do well. Just know, I’ll always try.
Turn the page for a sneak preview of Fear of Falling