Lives Collide (Collide #1)

by Kristina Beck

  I hear James’s car in the driveway. I walk up to Tina and say, “James is home. Can you please get everyone in place for the big surprise and sit Felicia in the grass in front of the table with her presents? Yell when everyone is ready.”

  “No problem. I’m so excited!” She picks up Felicia and tickles her.

  We don’t want to bring her gifts out until everyone is in place and she’s sitting in the grass. It isn’t easy to hold off bringing them out.

  I run to the driveway, where no one can see me. I laugh out loud when I find James trying to control the gifts.

  “Need some help, handsome?”

  “Please!” He struggles. “What made us think I could pick them up by myself? That was a disaster.” He half laughs. “The car is a mess inside.”

  Tina calls from the garden. “Lisa and James, we’re ready when you are. You can bring them out.”

  I put one in my arm as it squirms. “Everyone is waiting. Let’s go.”

  I can’t help but giggle. We walk around the corner straight toward Felicia. I hear our guests laughing and saying how cute they are. We approach Felicia carefully so we don’t scare her or them. She instantly starts waving her arms and squealing. Two blond Labrador puppies with pink bows around their necks tumble around her. Sniffing, licking, but hopefully not peeing on her. One pushes Felicia over in its excitement.

  James has said the moment his heart opened up to me was when he saw me playing with those puppies in the park. We both thought these would be a perfect gift for her. She won’t have brothers and sisters to play with, but she will at least have her dogs by her side.

  Acknowledgments

  First, I would like to thank my husband, Christoph, for encouraging me to write my first novel. I’ve always had the idea for this book, but his persistence is what’s driven me to where I am today. To my children, Sarah, Anna, and Lucas—you have been great cheerleaders throughout this entire experience. I couldn’t have done this without your support. I love you.

  To my editor, Dori Harrell, at Breakout Editing. You were supportive and easy to work with from the start. Your guidance and eye for detail were invaluable and consistent. Thank you for your patience with my nonstop questions. Your praise was provided at the perfect times. To my proofreader, Rachel Overton, at Wordscapes. Your last-minute recommendations and changes helped push my book to a better level. Thank you so much.

  Thank you to Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations LLC for my book cover. I gave you a description of what I envisioned, and you made it come true. You were easy to work with and responded to all my little detail changes. You are brilliant at what you do. It was a great learning experience for my first book.

  To my sisters, Deanna and Betsy, my friends, Silke, Liz, Susanne, Ingrid, Annette and Katharine in the Network of English-Speaking Women, my friends in New Jersey, and Miriam—when I finally told you I had written a book, your enthusiasm, support, and encouragement were unlimited. When I had doubts, you were always there to pump me with confidence. Thank you!

  Thank you to those who have taken the time to read this book. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. My goal is to make at least one person smile or even drop a tear or two while reading this. Today, there is so much tragedy, hate, and negativity surrounding us. I hope this book helps my readers block out that negativity even for just a few minutes a day. There’s nothing like getting lost in a good book.

  If you are curious about what whets Tina’s appetite, please follow me on my Facebook page or website for updates on the second book in the Collide series, Dreams Collide.

  www.facebook.com/krissybeck73

  www.kristinabeck.com

  About the Author

  A Jersey girl herself, Kristina was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, for thirty years. She later moved to Germany and has lived there for over twelve years with her German husband and three children. She lives in the farthest southwest tip of Germany, surrounded by beautiful vineyards and a perfect view of the Black Forest. She is an avid reader of different genres, but romance always takes precedence. Her hobbies include writing, reading, fitness, wine tasting, and forever trying to improve her German-language skills.