Who I Dedicated To Trust a Thief to and Why...

One of the things I love about publishing a book is writing my acknowledgements. I love being able to thank all the amazing people who helped get my book out into the world.

When I think of who I want to dedicate the book to, it's a little bit different for me. I always thank my husband and kids and family in my acknowledgements. I seriously could not do what I do if they weren't on board with me and they are my absolute world.

But for the dedication, I try to think of a person (or people) who really made the book possible. Who either inspired me to write it in the first place or who the book would literally not exist without.

When I chose who I wanted to dedicate To Trust a Thief to, the choice was easy.

See, To Trust a Thief has had a long, LONG road to publication. I first wrote it 5 or 6 years ago (and had started writing it 2 years before that). It was queried and rewritten and queried again (and again, and again...). I got very VERY close a few times, but in the end, the answer was always no.

I just couldn't give up on it though. And I had many dear friends who supported me and helped me with this book. But there were three ladies in particular who were just always, always there. Who wouldn't have let me give up on it even if I wanted to. Three incredible, wonderful friends who read EVERY. SINGLE. VERSION of this book (and there were a LOT of versions). Multiple times. Who brainstormed with me and shredded each page and helped me over and over again to put the pieces back together.

They  never told me I was insane for not letting it go. They never pretended they didn't receive yet another email asking for a crit :) Without them, To Trust a Thief would have been abandoned a long time ago. And I would have always regretted it.

So it is with a very thankful heart that I dedicate To Trust a Thief to my very dear friends Toni Kerr, Kristal Shaff, and Cole Gibsen.

I will always be grateful that you didn't let me give up on this book. That you believed in it as much as I did. To Trust a Thief wouldn't exist without you :) I love you all!