I don’t have the words to express how wonderful I feel and how thankful I am for all the blessings God has given me, enabling me to utilize my gift of the written word to reach out to others. It’s still an amazing journey, and to the readers who’ve expressed so eloquently how much they’ve enjoyed my work, I thank you.
My family remains the springboard from which I fly, as they continue to support me in my endeavors, forever giving me encouragement as I continue to pursue this dream of mine. To my Dad, Calvin Goward, Sr.; my sisters, Jennifer and Gloria; my brother, Mark, thank you for taking every step of the journey with me. Your enthusiastic praise and support has meant the world. To my daughter, Teliza-We thank God for bringing your hubby, Will, home from war to a changed United States with its new black President, Barack Obama, and First Family in the White House. God is awesome. Kiss my granddaughter, Samayya. And last, but certainly not least, to my son, JR, who graces the cover of this novel, your unwavering support of my writing and all I do is so much appreciated. You said you wanted to be on one of my book covers, and I’ve delivered. I hope we sell as many books as you predict we will. LOL
To my sisters-in-law, Celeste, Gwen, and Dolly, especially my mother-in-law, Lavada, and my niece, Candace, thank you for sharing the love and singing my praises from California; Raleigh, North Carolina; to the family reunion in Columbia, South Carolina. We sold some books at the family reunion, but it was fun because I shared it with you.
Whether out to sea in the Mediterranean or onboard ship, my niece, Carla, has always been an inspiration and a great supporter of my work. Thank you, sweetie, for sharing my work with the Navy.
This journey wouldn’t be what it is without the special people who I’ve been blessed to meet along the way, those who’ve made my dreams possible, those who’ve given me a path accessible to readers, and those who just reached out and gave me love. To Maxine Thompson, my agent, I couldn’t have done what I’ve accomplished without you. Our marriage was meant to be, and I love you. To the helm of Strebor Books, Zane, you made my dream possible. You never cease to amaze me as you move from one level of success to another, while helping others share their written works with the world, to your own work that now boasts a primetime series on CINEMAX, Zane’s Sex Chronicles, based on your own book. Thank you so much. To Charmaine, the other powerhouse at Strebor, thank you for all that you’ve given unselfishly to help me be successful. To Curtis Bunn, founder of the National Book Club Conference, it was an amazing ride being a featured author last year. Although I’ve attended this conference since its inception, 2008 will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you for the opportunity. To Shunda Leigh of Booking Matters, thank you again for giving me the forum to showcase my work.
To Yvonne Head, Mary Farmer, Marsha Jenkins-Sanders, Lissa Woodson, and Emily Dickens, each of you have been an integral part of my journey. Yvonne-thank you for the warm bed and good eats each time I came to or passed through Columbia; Mary-thank you for your unwavering support and your good word that helped me to land that spot at NBCC; Marsha-thanks, roomie, for all of your hard work putting the Between the Sheets Tour together; Lissa-thank you for a first-class ride at the Cavalcade each year and because of you, I LOVE CHICAGO; and Emily-thank you for being one of my strongest supporters and believing in me enough to invite me to speak at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Women’s Networking event.
The book clubs continue to be my strongest allies on the journey. I’d like to thank all the book clubs for their continued support, especially the Sistahs Book Club-Val, Bridget, Donna, Tara, Bianca, Bianco, Jean, Latricia, and Melody; The Angelou Book Club-Debra, Alice, Sheila, Ernestine, Janine, Star, Jessi, Latoya, Elma, Myra, Norma, Robin, and Patricia; Let’s Talk Book Club-Carolyn, Desdy, Daisy, Lyndelia, Charlene, Mavis, Sharon, DeSandra, Barbara, and Paula; Sisters Unlimited-Patricia, Priscilla, Dail, Freddie, Mary, Gwen, and Tina; and the Imani Book Club-Angela, Mary, Pam x2, Denetrice, Teaner, Bernadette, Stephanie, and Charlotte. I must give a special shoutout to Motown Review who always show up and show out in full force in support of me-Jeanette (thanks for the spiritual experience), Sherri (for the great drink you fixed when you hit Fayetteville), Francine (smile), Yvonne (where is my gold blouse?), Roberta (thanks for my bag), Valerie (have your flat iron ready the next time I hit Detroit), and Yvette. While I didn’t meet with them this year, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Sister Circle for their support-Mary, Pamela, Jo, Rhonda, Alberta, Derian, and Lenora.
Thank you Simon & Schuster/Atria for another wonderful year. And to all the readers who have read my work and enjoyed it, thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me come into your homes, your vehicles, on your stress-free vacations to entertain you, wow you, and give you an exciting read. God bless.