by Jadie Jones
“No. I never wanted her to have to know about any of this. I had to give her a chance at a normal life.” A new, haunting voice answers Jayce from the cover of the woods and stops me in my tracks.
That can’t possibly be who it sounds like.
As she steps out of the trees, there’s no denying it. Her features are the same. I could still trace them with my eyes closed. But she’s not the same. Not at all. Her eyes are clear and bright. The lines of grief are gone, her pale skin as smooth as marble.
Jayce drops to the wet ground in a deep bow.
It takes everything I have left to summon the courage to speak that single word.
“Mom?”
Acknowledgements
Writing sometimes feels like an island, but it takes an army to get here. I am truly grateful and humbled by everyone who touched this story in some way.
First, to my husband, without whom this book would never have been possible, and to my daughter, who makes me want to push myself a little harder every day. To my parents, who instilled the values of hard work and a love of books from an early age. And to my grandparents, who have always believed that any dream is within reach.
To those who have been champions of this dream of mine—Carrie, who first made me believe I might be able to pull this off. Stephanie, who has rallied me up every hill and made me confident enough to aim for the stars. My fantastic team and fellow coaches for your support and flexibility, and the IEA organization at large for your tremendous response. Elizabeth, Jenny and Jen, who read this story a year and a hundred drafts ago, and still understood exactly what I was trying to do. And my soul sisters—Lori, Ashley, Linda, Katherine, Rachael, and Hettie.
To the incredible team at WiDō Publishing. Summer—I don’t know how to thank you for everything you did for my story and for my craft. I owe you a lifetime of gratitude. You are amazing. Allie—thank you for loving Tanzy’s story as much as I do, and for sending me the acceptance email that made this dream come true. Karen—your encouragement and guidance have been immeasurably helpful during this process. I am lucky to have a managing editor who is so dedicated to the satisfaction of her writers. Steven Novak, who designed one of the best covers I've ever seen—I'm so lucky to call it mine. And to each of you at WiDō who worked on Moonlit—summary gurus, copy editors, marketing personel, and more—I am so thankful for each and every one of you, and feel so blessed to count myself among a group of such talented people.
To the fantastic online network of writers that have offered me support and advice at every turn. Even though I have never had the honor of meeting you face to face, you all jump to help each time I ask. I am astounded by the support that I have found among this international family of writers.
And last, but certainly not least, thank you to every person who reads this book. I wrote this for you. As a child, my grandfather would sit me in his lap and weave tales about the Cherokee nation, and a girl who belonged with horses. His words painted a whole new world, and my mind would take flight. I hope that this story has done the same for you.
About the Author
Georgia native Jadie Jones first began working for a horse farm at twelve years old, her love of horses matched only by her love of books. She went on to acquire a B.A. in equine business management and worked for competitive horse farms along the east coast. The need to write followed wherever she went.
She currently coaches a hunt seat equitation team that competes in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, and lives with her family in the foothills of north Georgia. When she’s not working on the next installment of the Moonlit series, she’s either in the saddle or exploring the great outdoors with her daughter. Moonlit is her first book.