THANKS FOR LISTENING!
I began writing ADDIE BRAVER with only a vague idea where the book was headed and no clue how long it would take me to get there, but I liked Addie and Billy Pearson immediately. Soon they were on my mind all the time. I worried about them, wondered if they would be okay, but mostly felt fortunate to be able to tell their story. Not surprisingly, I bugged and bothered plenty of people along the way. How does this sound? What do you think of that? Am I off track here? It had to be maddening. But I was humored, listened to, and offered all sorts of helpful suggestions. Each person patiently weathered my resistance to their constructive criticism until I grudgingly came around to their points of view. To all those folks: I owe a huge debt. The story wouldn’t be the same without you. I dedicated this book to my two kids, who would both be the first to admit that they had no hand in its creation. But in a larger sense, they were each seated right next to me every time I wrote. After all, though parents rarely admit it, we want our kids to be as proud of us as we are of them. I’m no different. Lastly, thank you, Dear Reader (and Listener). I hope you found the heroic parts of yourself in this small story. Life, like Addie’s world, has many.
