After so many years of blood, sweat, and tears, my first published novel, The Summer Before Forever, is being released today!

In these past weeks and months leading up to this day, I have been OVERWHELMED by the amount of support and kindness from not only my friends and family, but from complete strangers who have reached out to me via my Facebook Author Page and Twitter. I cannot begin to express how unbelievably awesome and lifted up it makes me feel to receive these kind notes of celebration. (Moriah Chavis, you are my new favorite person!)

I thanked a handful of people in the acknowledgements of my book, but I am SO thankful, that I want to share those thanks here again and add some more to the list. (It was like pulling a tooth trying to whittle down the first list to a reasonable page count.)

I am so lucky to have gotten Heather Howland and Kari Olson as my editors extraordinaire on this book. Without their wonderful advice and gentle shoves, this book wouldn’t be close to what it turned out to be. Thanks and appreciation don’t begin to cover it!

Melissa Montovani is a seriously hard worker, and has graciously answered every one of my billion questions through this process. I appreciate her beyond measure!

Samantha Harris was essential in my research of dyscalculia, and Ella Cain kept me from making a few embarrassing mistakes since it’s been a few *ahem* years since I’ve been a teen.

My special friend and fantastic author Jessica Calla has held my hand through this whole process, showing me the way to releasing a first book, and I’m actually not sure what I would do without her.

My “writing husband” Greg Howard has encouraged me, literally on a daily basis for six years now. Golden.

Tom Amirante, Victoria Austin, Courtney Beisner, Rhonda Celsor, Jan Cook, Melanie Dukes, Wendy Egli, Jenny Fuller, Cathy Gibson, Ray Gibson, Jeanne Hardt, Gina Kelley, Andy Norris, Lori Odom, Rae Ann Parker, Laura Santini, Tricia Swaney, Regina Turner, Tamara Waters, Charissa Weaks, Amy Willis, and Maria Wolfgang all played parts in encouraging me very early on in my writing path to publication, and I will never forget their kind words and support.

So many sweet friends have helped me celebrate this book, but ones who have been over the top awesome are Kali & Trey Cain, Melanie Dukes, Kristen & David Kovach, Holly Mathis, and Mike Haynes.

My critique partners over the years helped me get to the point that I was ready to submit and get a yes! Those helpful people include Lindsey Anderson, Jessica Calla, Ellen Hairr, Greg Howard, Anna Landry, Laura Trentham, and the precious Jackie Ivey who I was lucky enough to get as a contest judge years ago and basically showed me how to write.

And finally, I am the luckiest wife on the planet to have the love and support that I do from my wonderful husband, Jody Chambers. He encourages me in everything I do, and he makes sure I have the time to do it. I really couldn’t ask for more from him.

I know I’m forgetting people, so I’ll apologize for that now. But I could not let today pass without a big out shout out. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are all appreciated beyond measure!

Available Now! Read the first chapter here!

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