by C J M Naylor
I want to thank my numerous beta readers. I’ve lost contact with the first reader, but when I had them read it, they offered me tremendous advice. I won’t name them, because they wished to remain anonymous. In fact, I don’t even think they wanted to be mentioned anonymously. But I have to do that. I owe them tremendous gratitude. So, if you are reading this, you should know who you are. Thank you.
Thank you to Alexander von Ness for designing the cover for this book! It is amazing and felt true to me the first time I saw it!
Thank you to the following for reading this book in advance and giving me your thoughts: Beatrice Defenbaugh, Natalie and Mary Montgomery, Kimberly Wilson, Holli Dawson, Sara Kirkpatrick, Grandpa Jack and Grandma Leona, and my wonderful friend and teaching partner (who is also a published author…seriously, go check her out), Andrea Berthot.
Thank you to my advisers at Wichita State University, Dr. Katie Cramer and Ms. Nancy Sturm. These wonderful ladies took time out of their day to discuss my book with me and offer editing and publishing advice. Furthermore, it was from Dr. Cramer that I learned every writer has a distinct writing style, and all individuals write differently. Without that advice, I may have never had the courage to show this story to the world. For that, I am truly thankful.
Thank you Mom and Dad for not giving up on me and for pulling me along, kicking and screaming, through high school and then college. Not only do I love being a writer, but I love being a teacher. And if you had let me drop out…well, that wouldn’t be any fun at all. Thank you to my older brother, Anthony, who likes to write and record music. The creativity and inspiration you have is something other people feed off. I’m not sure I would have been able to pursue my own creative interests if I hadn’t had your influence.
To my little brother, John, thank you for your wit and for sharing my uncanny sense of humor. You were my first partner in crime, and you always will be, no matter how far apart we are from each other. And thank you for pulling me out of a slump to finish editing this book. You asked me why I wasn’t editing it when I could have been and I honestly couldn’t bullshit my way out of it. So, thank you.
To my grandparents, Jack and Leona, thank you for both taking the time to read this book and to offer historical accuracies to the areas where there were none—I appreciate that!
To my closest friends, Sarah Olsen, Marcha Glenn, and Michala Taylor, thank you for being you. Thank you for laughing and crying with me. Thank you for being in my life and staying with me. Regardless of how far away we are from each other, we still need each other. And I know you will always be there, maybe not always in person, but somewhere in the back of my head…
To all of my other friends – there are too many to name – thank you for pushing me to do what I want to do and laughing with me along the way.
Finally, thank you to my students—past, present, and those to come. You teach me as much as I teach you. You teach me to have faith in the world and to have faith in the future. I love teaching you and I wouldn’t change it for the world. You make my days brighter and for that, I owe you tremendous gratitude. I hope you always remember the motto I teach from day one: write your own story.
About the Author
C.J.M. Naylor grew up in Wichita, Kansas and graduated with a degree in English Education from Wichita State University in 2016. When he is not spending time writing, he can be found enjoying his time with close friends and family. He currently resides in Winfield, Kansas and is an English and Journalism teacher at Arkansas City High School in Arkansas City, Kansas. The Timekeeper’s Daughter is his first novel.