I think that “thank you” is one of the most used and least appreciated terms thrown around today. It’s second nature to respond “thank you” out of habit, without actually taking the time to consider what it is that the other person gave up or sacrificed in order for that gratitude to be essential. So with that said, please know that the thanks I am giving are being given with the utmost appreciation, gratitude and acknowledgment.

Thank you to my Mom, for sticking with me through all my “writer’s moments”, for pushing me to finish G&G and for all her unbiased editing of it. For her love and support, for getting after me with a stick (albeit figuratively), and for always believing in me.

 Thank you to Joyce Foy, my biggest writing inspiration and mentor, for encouraging me to publish, for editing the pages, for sitting me down and spending countless hours of her time giving me advice to help polish me as a writer. Without you, there would be no book and I definitely would not be getting this published. For everything, Ms. Joyce, thank you for everything.

Thank you to Marvin and Theresa O’Dell, for the hours upon hours y’all spent on the phone with me, giving me your thoughts, and correcting my spelling, punctuation and grammar. Thank you, Marvie, for calling me out on the terrain descriptions…I loved every minute of it.

 Thank you to my dad, for sitting down at the couch with me and reading over my shoulder. For giving me a few of my favorite lines in the book. For cooking dinner while I sat at the countertop, pencil between my teeth and laptop under my fingers, and bringing me a dish of ice cream. Thank you, Daddy, for giving me the inspiration to create my character Wolf.

Thank you to Jim Jones, for not only encouraging me to have this little novel published, but also for giving us his words of wisdom regarding how to get it done. I am very thankful the time you gave so generously of in order to help little ol’ novice me!

 Thank you, Ella and Hailey, DJ and Hope, for being some of the best friends I could ask for.  These girls have a little bit of all of us intertwined.  Love y’all.

Thank you to You, my reader. For allowing me the opportunity to draw you into the world of the frontier–alive and well–and for willingly taking the journey with me through the joy and tribulations of these girls in their world filled with gunsmoke.

Finally, last but definitely in no way least of all, thank you to the Lord, for giving me passion and imagination. For instilling in me a great fondness of the West and the history it holds. For giving me the opportunity to share my story with you all and for blessing me incredibly with the family and friends I have. Thank you, dear Father God.