The Break Free Trilogy (Book 3): Through The Frozen Dawn (21 page)

E
. M. Fitch
is an author who loves zombies, chocolate, and tall trees. When not dreaming up new ways to torture characters, she is usually corralling her four children or thinking of ways to tire them out so they she can get an hour of peace at night. She lives in Connecticut, surrounded by chaos, which she manages (somewhat successfully) with her husband, Marc. She has been published in Pulp Metal Magazine, Under the Bed Magazine, and her novels, The Break Free Trilogy, are available on
amazon.com
.

Y
ou can find more
about her works through her web site:
www.emfitch.com
or chat her up on Twitter @erinmfitch.

F
irstly
, a giant thank you to my loving husband. He doubles as an editor, someone who tells me when my work is crap, and my biggest promoter. The Break Free Trilogy would never have seen the light of day without him pushing me to publish. To the wonderful Marc E. Fitch, I thank you for your support and couldn't think of anyone with whom I'd rather share this crazy existence.

My lovely children know nothing of my work expect that "Mommy is writing about zombies again," and I thank them for their patience with my blank stares and for the quiet evenings they give me after they go to sleep. Caitlin, Adam, Matthew, and James you are what keep me grounded and somehow, with all your wild ways, keep me sane.

To my large and wonderful family, I thank you. My parents, Tom and Rita McCullough, you bought me my first books and let me stay up to all hours reading them. Thank you for all the love you've always shown me. My brothers Paul and Mark and their fabulous wives (who have become two of my best friends) Caitlin and Shelaine, thank you for enduring my zombie rants and always supporting me with kind words, book purchases, zombie 5k runs, zombie pub crawls and whatever other ridiculous thing I dream up. You are all always up for adventure, which will make surviving the coming apocalypse together feel like just another day. To all my aunts, uncles, and cousins who lovingly support me, and the ones who have actually read the books, Meaghan, Aunt Mary, both Aunt Pats, thank you all! Uncle Terry, my amazing uncle, I stole your story about spending the day relaxing on the cruise ship. Your life is nothing short of inspiring. I so appreciate the wonderful stories that you have collected during your lifetime. I love to hear them, and I am so grateful to you for sharing them with me.

Grandma Brock. You will always be my foundation.

Maureen Dorff, my cousin and friend, thank you for your horrific and nauseating first-hand description of what it looks like to put a chest tube in a patient with a collapsed lung. (When I asked her how it sounded, she answered: I'm not really sure, he was screaming too loud for me to hear much of anything.) I hope I captured the screams to your satisfaction.

Thank you to the friends and random acquaintances who have cheered me on from the sides, buying my books and finding time to comment or review them. It is so appreciated! Thank you to everyone who weighed in on the what-is-that-thing-over-gas-pumps-called Facebook discussion. Overall, we went with canopy, though I was seriously tempted by car port...

To the wonderful Mav Skye, her cohort Jason Michel, and Pulp Metal Magazine, I thank you sincerely for publishing my short stories, helping me to grow, and developing a fantastic community in which I can play. Much of my writing would have stalled or stuttered out completely without your support. Thank you!

Racheal Placentino, thank you for your beautifully descriptive, pictures included, retelling of the third degree burn you gave yourself (and treated yourself). You make Emma look like a complete wuss and I'm proud to have a friend who can do that.

Thank you to the reviewers and strangers who have emailed and become my friends from all over the world. Reaching out to people I would have never met before is what continues to inspire my writing. I truly value you all and hope we can remain in touch. Thank you!

To anyone I didn't mentioned specifically and to all the people whose names I've 'borrowed' to complete this novel, please accept my gratitude.

These novels were my first dip into the world of publishing. I'll never regret the decision to put them out there. They have helped to open so many doors, and given me the opportunity to meet and interact with so many amazing people. They have grown with me and pushed me to bigger, hopefully better, and certainly more challenging places. Zombies will always hold a special place in my heart and I thank everyone who read The Break Free Trilogy. You all mean more to me than you know.

With much love,

Erin M. Fitch