A Girl's Life Online (27 page)

(Reprinted with permission from Michael P. Mayko,
Connecticut Post
. Source: the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.)

Before going, I'd like to recommend a list of Internet sites that can be beneficial in helping to make the Internet a safe place.

1.
www.bess.net

2.
www.gulliver.nb.ca

3.
www.librarysafe.com

4.
www.ourworld.compuserve.com

5.
www.xstoop.com

6.
www.machinasaplens.qc.ca

7.
www.intergo.com/tour/kguard

8.
www.cyberpatrol.com

9.
www.solidoak.com/cysitter.html

I
feel very blessed to have so many influential people in my life. It is their inspiration that has made
A Girl's Life Online
come to life.

I would first like to thank my family—Abby, Carrie, Mom, and Dave—whose love has been the greatest gift. Their support has guided me through a very stressful time in my life, and their faith in me has allowed me to finish this book. Thank you for understanding when the laptops crashed, flying down to Washington, D.C., to let me write, and giving me the freedom and space to complete this. Many thanks also to my grandmother for her love, support, and interest. A special tribute goes to my grandfather, who passed last June, but will always be remembered for performing duties well over and above anyone's expectations and, most important, for sharing with me his great sense of humor, which is so valuable in my life.

My appreciation goes to my many friends who had to put up with me while I was writing. My good friend Tara Tunney deserves some type of reward for having endured my endless jabbering. Tara, thanks for all the great talks and a summer to remember in Washington, D.C. Penn Whaling receives special recognition for actually living in a room with me while I spent endless hours on the phone and late nights at my computer. Thank you, Penn, for your sense of humor, which has kept me laughing every day. Courtney Folgeman, thank you for your understanding nature and sharing your Doritos with me when I needed comfort at stressful times. I would like to thank Kerry Brandon, Mimi Mayer, Kristen George, Lina Schuerch, Lisa Farewell, and Katie Calhoun for graciously listening to me talk about this. I would also like to thank my fellow pages in Washington, D.C.

I owe much gratitude to many fine teachers who helped me along the way: Mrs. Hackett, Dr. Gerardo-Gettens, Mrs. Anna Mase, Mrs. Poltrack, Ms. Gesualdi, Mrs. Lisa Smith, Dr. Marshall, Ms. Barker (especially her hot fudge sauce), and Bishop Anderson. I would most especially like to thank Mr. Carlisle, who showed me what good writing really looks like and helped me to develop my writing voice.

I would also like to thank my attorney, Alan Neigher, who is one of the main reasons
A Girl's Life Online
is here. Thank you for your faith in my story and writing and your support throughout. Thank you to my agent, BJ Robbins, whose dedication has helped make
A Girl's Life Online
a success. Without your help, I would be completely lost in the publishing world.

Thank you to my editor, Laurie Chittenden, whose energy and enthusiasm have made this an exciting project. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with someone who has so much insight and intelligence. Last, but certainly not least, my deep gratitude goes to Michael D'Antonio for making sure that I wrote every single day, but most especially for leading me to places that I didn't think I could reach as a writer at seventeen.