Spiral (39 page)

W
riting is a journey. I know what you’re thinking behind that eye roll:
“That’s what my kooky sixth grade English teacher told me.”
But it’s completely accurate. It’s a journey you take alone at first, and along the way you find companions in the form of dear friends and family who are unwittingly roped in as readers and editors. These companions are brave enough to take the journey with you. My journey would not have been complete without those few in my life who took the time to listen, read, respond, and care about the process. To my Createspace team and those ladies with whom I entrusted my heart and soul, I thank you. Melissa, you’ve always been my biggest cheerleader and laughed at all my dumb jokes, even when we were just two dorky freshmen at the U. Julie, I can always count on you for honesty, love, and friendship. Andrea, thanks for showing me the “mom side” of things. Preety, you are officially my editor-in-chief forever. Congratulations…?

I would like to thank my students, too, who gave me endless laughs, fodder, and support this year. For five years they performed in my silly plays and asked to hear my stories and taught me what makes a great writer. I’m so glad that, if I was able to teach you anything, I taught you that you were my friends. (That one is just for you, Alex V.!)

Your sixth grade English teacher probably also told you to write about what you know, something in which you are an expert. I should thank my family, now, because without them I would not have the insight into what families do best together: fight, laugh, and cry. Anyone who has ever sat around a table at a mandatory holiday dinner knows exactly what I mean. I should thank my mother, in particular, for always bringing the family around the table for meals, big and small. As I was growing up, she was the ultimate Holly Homemaker, despite what my sister and I like to joke about now, and no one can set a holiday table or decorate a room quite like her. I thank God every day for my family and the laughs we’ve shared together.

I especially have to thank the person who started this journey with me long ago: my father. He spent years gathering my silly, four-page, notebookpaper tales about horses and dogs and more horses. He filed stories and poems together and saved them in this little wicker trunk that to this day still holds my earliest scribblings. He never once doubted my dream, making it his own and spending every dollar he had to give me opportunities to grow as a writer. He gave me the confidence to believe I would one day publish my work to the world. Thank you, Daddy. I just wish you were still here to see our dream come true.

Most importantly, I have to thank my husband, who I don’t deserve. At all. Not one bit. But he’s still here for some reason, so maybe he actually likes me, even though I really couldn’t tell you why. I can tell you one thing for certain, though: he’s my everything.

To my readers: Thank you for reading. Please connect with me if you have questions at
[email protected]
, or check out our website,
spiralseries.com
, or ‘Like’ the Spiral Facebook page for updates on the sequel and to share your thoughts on the story. All any writer wants is to share these fictional people and places and situations that happen inside his or her head with someone who will listen. Remember to always be young. Have fun. Go after your dreams and find what makes you happy.

Also, stop being so hard on your English teachers. You might end up putting their advice to good use one day.