Acknowledgements

People are wonderful. This page is dedicated to all of the people who inspire my writing and who are important to me. I'll update every time I'm inspired by someone new.

My mother, wonderful guiding force in my life, she is a major reason I continued writing and didn't give up. She's the first person I want to share my stories with and my strong women owe their birth to her. She has helped me since the infancy of my writing, helping me and buying me notebooks to write all of my ideas in.

My sister, quirky and funny, she is a reminder to me about what you can achieve with hard work. I also owe her the minuscule details of my stories, because of her questions and comments. She makes me laugh and she has also patiently read through my work, while forgiving me for snapping at her critiques. 

The staff at IngramElliott provided me with the opportunity to share my story with others. They believed that it is a story worth telling and that has meant the world to me. Their support and patience has really helped me learn and grow.

My first official editor had a difficult time and for that I apologize. It takes some getting used to when you share your work and have someone taking it apart. But, his comments and critiques helped me flesh out my story and make it better. He showed me what was possible and where the story could go if I just thought about it more and didn't believe in limits for my imagination.

The rest of my family has also been a backbone and cheersquad from the sidelines. They've expressed excitement for my work and their attention and praise has helped me to feel more comfortable sharing my writing with others.

My friends have helped me a lot, varying friends over the years, but they have each played their role no matter how small. If I was to go back to the beginning when I first began writing, I would have to thank my friends from elementary school.

Anissa, Jessica, Cassidy, Erin, Meghan, and several others who inspired my beginning stories and helped me foster that love for them at an early age.

In middle school, I need to thank my teachers, Mrs. McQueen in particular, who believed in me and was kind in helping me understand my place at that school, as well as the joy of literature.

In between, middle and high school I need to thank my old neighbors, were it not for that fateful flight to their new home in Texas, I would not have drafted the idea for Island Whispers, and this story may not have been written.

High school had several people, Jin, Jocelyn, Shatha, Ben, Ethan, and again so many people that I met along the way and helped me understand the finer points of friendship and the heart.

I was part of a writer's group at a regional library for almost three years and those young writers helped me feel more confident. They shared their stories and helped me with mine. I can remember many evenings where we would laugh and commiserate over the trials of writing.

Entering college I've definitely met more people and more writers. My first writing class last semester introduced me to a wonderful young writer, and she has been extremely helpful as I continue to write and grow with my writing. Her comments and enthusiasm have helped me to remember how passionate I am about my own writing.

I need to thank Malena, who has been a constant friend and wonderfully weird in her own way. She helps me through the low moments and she's been a listening ear when I needed it.

A full year of participating in the NC State English Club gave me perspective and courage to continue writing. I found a community of writers who all had their own styles, but shared a love of writing so fierce that arguments would break out over the finer points of adding details into their stories. All of the members, especially Andrew, Antonio, Holly, Will, Elizabeth and Joshua, were enthusiastic about reading and giving feedback. I appreciate those evenings we spent in that cave of a room and disappeared for an hour into a world where everything was possible.

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