by Kris Nacole
To my Street Team—Kris Force: I don’t even know where to start with y’all. You hold such a special place in my heart. You’ve given me so much support and talked me off many ledges when I was ready to give up and say forget it. Writing this story hasn’t been easy, far from it. I’ve had a lot of roadblocks along the way, but you always encouraged me to keep going. Our secret group is so much fun because of you all! It’s a safe place where we can talk and brainstorm together. Thank you for loving me and being such amazing supporters. Also, thank you for never judging me or my decisions. You all ROCK and I love you hard!
To the best friends a girl could ever have, my Dirty Thirty girls: Y’all have been there for me from the beginning. Some of you since we were five years old! You’ll never know how much I value your friendship and how much I love you girls. You’ve been there for me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. You’ve never once judged me, and you’ve always loved me, no matter my faults. I’m so blessed to have amazing, strong, beautiful, and supportive best-friends by my side. Thank you for encouraging me and giving me a nudge, or more like a push, when I needed it the most. Love you ladies! BFFL!
To all the authors who have given me guidance throughout this journey: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to help me instead of giving me the cold shoulder. Your advice has only helped me become a better writer, and I thank you for that. Some of you even welcomed me with open arms into your personal lives and have become like family to me.
Last, but certainly not least, thank you to my amazing family. Mom: Thank you for being such a wonderful and hard-working mom. You’re not only my mom, you’re my best friend. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you so much and I can only hope and pray I’m half the mother to my kids that you are to me. You’re the best mom and nana ever. Thank you for being one of my biggest fans, and for reminding me I am capable of doing anything I put my mind to! Seems like that fifteen year-old girl, with a phonebook in her lap has turned into a pretty amazing (and determined) woman after all. I couldn’t have asked for a better role-model. Hearing you say you’re proud of me means the world. I love you.
To my dad: Thank you Daddy, for being my number one fan and for always telling me how proud you are of me. I’m pretty sure you weren’t bluffing when you said you were going to show up at my book signings with a megaphone wearing a t-shirt with my face plastered all over it. Haha. Thank you for always encouraging me when I’m down, and for being a wonderful father and papaw. I love you so much! I’ll always be your little girl, no matter how old I get, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
To my amazing step-parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and everyone else in my family: Thank you for having my back and loving me through this process. Thank you for never getting upset with me when I didn’t call for days because I had locked myself inside to write like a crazy person. Thank you for just being the best family in the world, and for loving me and supporting me through this journey. Natalie: Thank you for being the first person to get a glimpse into my book and for making me feel like I’m good enough to become a best-selling author one day! I love you! Allen: Thank you for being so supportive and for being the one person who blew up my Facebook page with the most likes in one night after sharing my teasers. Haha. Love you! Thank you for everything you’ve done for me over the years, and for being there for me when I’ve needed you the most.
To the one person I probably drove insane during this entire process, you know who you are: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting up with my craziness and helping me as much as you did. You sacrificed so much of your own time to help make this book the best it could possibly be. I don’t think any words can fully express how much I appreciate you. You’re a true friend, and I’m thankful you’re in my life. Because I don’t know what else to say, thank you…
If this book had a soundtrack: Song List
Celine Dion-Loved Me Back to Life
Celine Dion-Because You Loved Me
Lifehouse-Love of a Lifetime
Heartland-I Loved Her First
R.Kelly-Ignition Remix
Hoobastank-The Reason
Ginuwine-Pony
Ginuwine-World is so Cold
Lil Wayne-How to Love
5 Seconds of Summer-Amnesia
Hinder-Lips of an Angel
Hinder-Better Than Me
Hinder-Without You
Christina Perri-Human
Christina Perri-A Thousand Years
Christina Perri-Jar of Hearts
Josh Turner-I Wouldn’t Be a Man
Josh Turner-Your Man
Passenger-Let Her Go
Journey-Don’t Stop Believin
Starship-Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now
Marcy Playground-Sex and Candy
Boys II Men-I’ll Make Love to You
Until the Ribbon Breaks-One Way or Another
12 Stones-Broken
Blue Foundation-Eyes on Fire
Timbaland-Apologize
Nelly ft. Tim McGraw-Over and Over again
Blake Shelton-Lonely Tonight
Blake Shelton-Who Are You When I’m Not Looking
Brad Paisley-Remind Me ft. Carrie Underwood
Luke Bryan-Do I
Luke Bryan-I Don’t Want this Night to End
Cole Swindell-Hope You Get Lonely Tonight
Sam Hunt-Take your Time
Roxette-Listen to your Heart
Roxette-It Must have been Love
Wilson Phillips-Hold On
Wilson Phillips-Release Me
Sinead O’Connor- Nothing Compares to You
John Legend-All of Me
Usher-You Got it Bad
A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera-Say Something
Enya-Only Time
O-Town-All or Nothing
3 Doors Down-Here without you
3 Doors Down-When I’m Gone
Limp Bizkit-Behind Blue Eyes
REO Speedwagon-Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore
Seether ft. Amy Lee-Broken
Journey-Open Arms
Ronan Keating-When You Say Nothing At All
*N SYNC-This I Promise You
*N SYNC-Bye Bye Bye
Lisa Loeb-Stay (I Missed You)
Staind-It’s Been A While
Bryan Adams-Please Forgive Me
SheDaisy-Come Home Soon
John Michael Montgomery-Letters from Home
Fever Ray-The Wolf
Martika-Toy Soldiers
112-Anywhere
Parmalee-Carolina