“She was good as gold, baby,” he said, stepping over to the bed and crawling under the covers beside Abby’s mother, who often boasted of her ability to sleep through anything.
Abby turned off the lamp and felt her way back around the room to the bathroom. She slipped out of her dress and washed off her makeup. It took a while to pull the pins from the elaborate up-do the stylist had given her, and when she was done, her hair was still mostly frozen in place with hairspray. As she looked into the mirror and slowly worked a brush through the tangle, Abby started writing her New Year’s resolution in her head. She hadn’t thought of any earlier. In fact, she hadn’t planned to make any. Maybe she was getting too sentimental, but the holidays had left her feeling so uplifted, and now, with the New Year officially underway, she wanted to hold on to that soaring happiness as long as possible. And so she made her resolution: To count her blessings every day on her daughter’s fingers and toes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you, first and foremost, to everyone who read Watch Me Disappear and who encouraged me to stick with self-publishing. Going it alone is scary—perhaps more so the second time than the first, because now I know what I’m getting myself into! Reader feedback and support gave me the strength to put book number two into the world.
I’d also like to offer special thanks to the early readers of this book, especially my parents, always my first readers and biggest cheerleaders. Mom, you are my ideal reader, and Dad, you are one heck of a proofreader. Thanks also to Stephanie Monahan who gave me invaluable feedback as I worked to complete this manuscript.
I am so grateful for the support of my husband, who patiently got me through my first experience with self-publishing and who has never doubted that I should keep at it.
I owe much to all the kind Facebook friends who helped me troubleshoot early drafts of the cover design. Perhaps the greatest thing about self-publishing: Crowdsourcing ideas and skills! I hope the design I settled on shows how seriously I took your suggestions. Keep them coming!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diane Vanaskie Mulligan is a high school English teacher from Central Massachusetts. She published her first novel, Watch Me Disappear, in 2012. She holds a BA in American Studies from Mount Holyoke College and a Master’s degree in teaching from Simmons College. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she’s the managing editor of The Worcester Review and the director of The Betty Curtis Worcester County Young Writers’ Conference. You can also find her occasionally strumming her guitar and singing at various bars in central Massachusetts, where she lives with her husband.
CONNECT WITH DIANE:
Website: www.dvmulligan.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DianeVMulligan
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/dmvanask
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mulligan_writes
ALSO BY DIANE V. MULLIGAN:
WATCH ME DISAPPEAR
A COMING OF AGE STORY FOR THE FACEBOOK ERA
IndieReader Approved
Kindle Book Review 2013 Best Indie Book Award
Finalist for YA Literature
“Lizzie was a very nuanced and nicely written character. I liked her foibles and insecurities, as well as the fact that she was aware of those parts of her personality. Despite having low expectations, she can't stop herself from having slightly higher hopes. Her internal reactions to the people around her are amusing and insightful. I think Lizzie is a character that will resonate with a lot of readers, both young and old.” –ABNA Expert Reviewer
“WATCH ME DISAPPEAR is an awesome read, both for YA readers and adults.” –Amazon Reader Review
“I found myself quickly absorbed into the life of the main character, Lizzie, and the trials and tribulations of being 17-years-old and trying to adjust to a new life after having moved to Massachusetts the summer before her senior year of high school.”
–Goodreads.com Reader Review
Visit Diane’s website or Amazon.com for more information.
www.dvmulligan.com
The Latecomers Fan Club Page 22