Unexpected Riches (Bellingwood Book 13) (29 page)

This year is going to be fun. I hinted at it in "Home for the Holidays," but Bellingwood is celebrating its sesquicentennial. The four books in 2016 will offer a glance at the deeper history of the community. Iowa's history is fascinating. I fall in love with the state every time I do any research.

Writing is a solitary business and I’ve discovered just how much solitude I need in order to write. Even the smallest distractions throw me off. That my family and friends still love me even though I hide so much means the world to me.

The team that helps me pull this book together is amazing. Rebecca reads each chapter as I write them – with horrible flaws, mistakes and continuity errors. She tells me how fun the story is, with no judgment. I would quit writing if she weren’t here for me. My beta readers are so important to me. They edit, find continuity problems, point out unnecessary words / phrases / thoughts, catch strange grammar and are such a necessary part of my process. Thank you to: Linda Watson, Alice Stewart, Fran Neff, Max Muir, Edna Fleming, Linda Baker, Carol Greenwood, and Nancy Quist. Linda Baker also has been capturing the characters that I build and one of these days I will finally find a creative way to share her information with you.

Thank you to Judy Tew for reading the book after I’ve edited and before publication. She caught so many silly little errors I made that annoy a reader to no end. Y’all appreciate her, though you don’t realize it.

Thank you for being part of this community. One of the most fun things about writing these books is getting to know all of you who read them. If you have a chance, find us on Facebook (facebook.com/pollygiller). If Bellingwood is a real place, this is where you’ll find it.