Rock God in Exile (Smidge Book 2)
Page 31
My teenage daughter, with whom I got into taekwondo in the first place, has listened to and encouraged me through the writing process. I’m profoundly lucky to have her and her little brother as my children, and to have a husband who always encourages me in my sport and my writing.
Jamie Stroud, drummer for Six Foot Cherry, talked to me about the role of the bass in a band, which was extremely helpful.
My brother Peter answered medical questions for me.
Heather helped me name Rancho Rosal Inn.
When I got my first tattoo in preparation for writing the tattoo studio scene in chapters 10 & 11, tattoo artist Justin Albrice answered my questions and let me take photos of his equipment setup. Taylor Beadell kindly read the relevant pages to confirm I’d got the mechanics of it right.
The vegan breakfast roll with caramelized onion and apple jam filling that Nell eats before her tattoo was inspired by a recipe from The Vegan Caveman (@vegancaveman on Instagram).
I deeply appreciate the sensitivity reader feedback I got on Johnny’s scenes from Cameron Mackenzie, also known as The Queen of East Van, Isolde N. Barron.
Thank you also to Jennifer at Romance Rehab for the professional beta reader feedback, and especially for the missing scene that I hadn’t realized the book needed until she pointed it out. Emily Bell and Sonja Feichtinger were kind enough to beta read for me as well, and both brought up really important points that I’m glad I was able to address.
Andy and Deseré helped me talk out plot issues when I got stuck.
Jenna gave me a great critique of the opening chapters.
My editor, Tanya Oemig, managed to fit me into her full schedule earlier than I had any right to expect, and did her usual fabulous job of catching my missteps and giving the manuscript a professional polish.
All of this expertise has come together to make the book better than it might otherwise have been. Of course, any errors are my own.
Appreciation is also due to our cover model, Ryler Stevens, who did a fantastic job of being Easy for the camera. And as always, I am in awe of Tiffany’s photography skills.
Finally, thank you to my Sweethearts — my street team and book chat group — who have done so much to support and encourage me during the process of this book. This group has grown a bit over the past couple of years, and I appreciate every one of you.
As I’ve said before, publishing isn’t a solo act. I couldn’t do this without you all.
About Kella
Kella Campbell can usually be found in Vancouver, Canada. She writes mostly romance, because love and relationships are what she finds most interesting about life and in fiction. She likes tea and chocolate and happily-ever-after endings.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Rights & Disclaimers
Dedication
Chapter 1
Sunday night at the Frog and Ball
Chapter 2
work and a new office assistant
Chapter 3
a missing employee and a road trip
Chapter 4
Champagne Cascades and what happened to Jessalyn
Chapter 5
bad weather, shopping, and a hospital visit
Chapter 6
margaritas in the hot tub, and the truth about the past
Chapter 7
return to the office
Chapter 8
an unexpected loss and a night of passion
Chapter 9
Mama Mandy, and the Frog and Ball again
Chapter 10
losing a bet, catching feelings, and a martial arts injury
Chapter 11
tattoos, friendship, and shopping
Chapter 12
an early morning flight
Chapter 13
going to Time Rock and making things right
Chapter 14
reunion, confessing feelings, and a tragedy
Chapter 15
a concert, commitment, and a ceremony
A Note from Kella
Acknowledgments
About Kella