by Ruthi Kight
I nodded, his words ringing true. It wasn’t who we were. If things in our lives had been different, maybe we could have made it work. But they weren’t. And we couldn’t. There was no point in making ourselves miserable just so we could say that we tried.
“I hope you find what you’re looking for out there.” His words ripped through my heart, leaving a scar as wide as the Grand Canyon.
“I hope so too.”
“Goodbye, Delia.”
“Goodbye, Liam.”
We drifted off to sleep, one final night together. When he woke up, I would be gone. No other way to do it but like a Band-Aid. The sting would eventually lessen with each passing day, and one day, somewhere down the road, we could remember the happy times. The memories that weren’t tainted and doomed from the beginning.
One day…we would both be free.
Note from the Author
I’d like to thank each and every one of you for picking up a copy of my newest book. I’m sure, at this point, that you’ve got your pitchforks ready ‘cause of that ending, right? Before you do, I’d like to tell you why I chose to end it this way.
I realize that reading is an escape for most of you, as it is for me. Personally, I love a warm and squishy happy ending. The butterflies that swarm our bellies as we think about everything that led up to that point. The love that the two amazing characters found after so many trials and tribulations.
Well, Delia wasn’t having that crap. For one, she’s not the warm and fuzzy type, which I think is the understatement of the year. Plus, I wanted to keep the book as true to the characters as possible. Delia is rough around the edges, dealing with a ton of personal things throughout the story.
If they had fallen and love and ended up together forever…would you have believed that? I wouldn’t have. ‘Cause that’s not what we were leading to. With her finally finding closure for what happened to her parents, she was free. That kind of freedom is what she craved, what she needed. And I had to stay true to Delia and what she would do.
So, after all of that is said and done, I want to apologize if you are disappointed in the ending. But I ask this of you: make your own ending for Delia and Liam. Maybe they found love outside of Sunny Shores? Maybe they were both able to finally live the lives that they have always wanted? Where do you see them going?
As for me, I’d like to think that Delia is happy…wherever she may be.
Again, thank you for reading! It’s a true blessing to be able to do what I love and to share my stories with all of you!
Best wishes and happy reading!
Special Thanks
To my family, for putting up with my late nights of writing and my insane moments of talking to myself. Your support, guidance, and unwavering belief in me is what keeps me going each, and every day. (Olivia, my baby…you are NEVER allowed to read this book!)
To MaryAnn, the best editor a girl can have. Your eyes bled for this book and I can’t thank you enough. You pushed and pushed, making sure that we could release on Momma’s birthday. For that, I am forever grateful.
To Katy, thank you for making me give the dirty a chance! You are my true BSM and I seriously couldn’t have made it through this without you! November can’t get here fast enough!
To Tonya, the best PA in the world! You will never know just how much your help means to me. You are more than just a PA. You are a FRIEND that I’m so honored to have in my life. Thank you for putting up with my terrible memory and lack of organization!
To Erin, for making the stuffing of this book look a LOT better than I could ever do! You are a rock star!
To my beta readers: Samantha Truesdale, Kellee Fabre, Amanda Engelkes, Nikki Archer, Melissa Berbrich, Heather Andrews, and Tiarra Fort~~ You ladies are INCREDIBLE! Without your wise words, keen eyes, and genius, Burn Out would probably be a hot mess! YOU need a giant squish hug!!!
A *special* thank you goes out to Jessica Johnson! For giving me so many amazingly sweet fangirl moments! You TRULY know how to make a gal feel special!
To my friends, who have kept me sane while I stayed up too late and drank too much caffeine: Christy Foster, Laura Hidalgo, Amy McClung (her awesomeness!), Stacey Rourke, Nikki Archer, Amanda Engelkes, Tara Brown, Cheree Crump, Lauren Sloan, Kristen Iversen, Jenny Marie, Mayra Arellano, Katherine Polillo, Christy Sloat, Melissa Simmons, Lana Kephart, and soooo many others! The Indie community is filled to the brim with so many amazing individuals! I could fill an entire book just listing them all! You ALL hold a special place in my heart that NO ONE else can fill! I love you all!
To the readers: YOU are the TRUE rock stars to me! You have stuck by me, held my hand through the cliff hangers and unanswered questions, never doubting that I would make you happy in the end. Thank you! Without all of you, I would be swimming in a sea of words with no one to read them. You make this career worthwhile!
About the Author
Ruthi Kight currently lives in her hometown of Columbia, SC, with her fiancé and five year old daughter. She has an unhealthy addiction to books, music, and chocolate, but not necessarily in that order. When her dream of being a rock star didn't work out, she focused on her other passion: writing. She is the author of Knotted Roots, a YA Coming of Age story, Hidden Falls: A Knotted Roots novella, and Burn Out.
(I love to hear from the readers, so if you feel like dropping me a line, don’t be shy! I might chat your ear off!)
Stalker Links:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorRuthiKight
Blog: http://ruthikay.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://Twitter.com/RuthiKay
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6952120.Ruthi_Kight
Email: [email protected]