by Amy Harmon
Author website: www.hbmoore.com
Blog: http://mywriterslair.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @HeatherBMoore
Facebook: Fans of H.B. Moore
Acknowledgments
I started this book several years ago, and as I took chapters to my critique group, the story unfolded with their plot and character suggestions. Often I didn’t know what was about to happen next, and when a critique member asked me, I honestly couldn’t say. We had fun brainstorming possibilities, and some of their ideas would show up the next week in a new chapter.
I did know one thing though: Helena Talbot was driving the story, and she wouldn’t rest until the mystery of her death was revealed. It was truly her story from the beginning through the end.
With so many years having passed since the first draft, and having published a dozen other books in the meantime, I had sharpened my writing skills. So it was with a bit of humility that I dove back into this manuscript for revisions, which made me realize how patient my critique group had been with my newbie writing skills.
Many thanks to those in my critique group at the time: Lu Ann Staheli, Jeff Savage, Annette Lyon, Michele Holmes, Lynda Keith, and Stephanni Hicken Myers. Like the ghostly voice of Helena, their voices haunted me as I worked on revisions.
“Heather, where are we?”—Lu Ann
“Why is everyone smiling all the time?”—Jeff
“There needs to be more romantic tension.”—Michele
“I don’t buy this scene.”—Stephanni
“Way too many comma splices.”—Annette
“Smiley faces!”—Lynda
And of course my most favorite quote:
“What do you know about ghosts?”—Mother
As I dusted off the manuscript and plowed back through it over several stages of revisions, I possibly tortured my next round of readers. A thousand thanks goes to Lu Ann Staheli, Jillian Torassa, Mindy Holt, Julianne Clegg, Annette Lyon, and G.G.Vandagriff, who were willing to read through the newer version and offer valuable advice and much-needed editing. Thank you!
Also, a special thank you goes out to my wonderful proofreaders: Kari Pike, Sheri Wallace, Andrea Frisby and Rachel DeVaughn, who answered the call to proof under a tight deadline.