Mended (Connections, #3)(91)
This section is by far the most difficult to write because it is so very important to acknowledge all of those who have never wavered in their support not only of me, but also of the Connections Series.
First and foremost, I have to thank my family.
I would like to thank my beta readers—without your suggestions this book would not be what it is today.
In addition, a very special thank-you to:
Kimberly Brower of Book Reader Chronicles. She not only beta-read Mended, she did so much more. She felt the heart and soul of Ivy and Xander as deeply as I did. Thank you so very much. You’ve become a lifelong friend.
Mary Tarter of Mary Elizabeth’s Crazy Book Obsessions for your overwhelming support from day one. Thank you for all your help and for your friendship—both of which I truly value.
Jody O Fraleigh for friending me, for supporting me, and for helping me with whatever I need. Your SWAG is truly beautiful and represents a piece of each book.
To Amy Tannenbaum of the Jane Rotrosen Agency, who not only believed in Connected enough to sign me, but dedicates the time to help me each and every day! You are such an amazing person and I couldn’t be more grateful to have you as my literary agent. And thank you to the team at Jane Rotrosen Agency for all you do as well.
To Penguin. When I began this journey with Connected, I never imagined I would land a publishing deal, and now three books in, I couldn’t love my life more. So thank you, Kerry Donovan, for not only taking my words and making them so much better, but for believing in the romance itself. And thank you to the team at New American Library for so eagerly and enthusiastically helping to get Book Three of the Connections series published.
To all of the bloggers who have become my friends—you’re all so amazing! I cannot possibly put into words the amount of gratitude I have for each and every one of you!
And finally, my love and gratitude to my family: to my husband of twenty years, who became Mr. Mom while continuing to go to work every day; to my children, who not only took on roles that I for many years had always done—laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning—but always asked how the book was coming and actually beamed to their friends when telling them their mom wrote a book.
Without the help of those mentioned above, plus all of the support from my readers who have contacted me daily since Connected’s release, the writing of Mended wouldn’t have been possible—a giant thank-you to all of you.
Photo by Studio One to One Photography
Kim Karr lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She’s always had a love for books and recently decided to embrace one of her biggest passions—writing.
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Don’t miss the next digital release
in Kim Karr’s Connections series!
BLURRED will be available from InterMix
everywhere e-books are sold in August 2014.
The people in Australia say they have sand in their souls. I believe it. Thirty thousand miles of paradise and I’ve made sure to circle all of it. Now I’m back to the city that I first landed in six months ago, any surfer’s wet dream—Bondi Beach. I lie in bed, staring out the open window just listening to the sound of the ocean. It’s early, but there’s enough light to reveal a hint of what the waves promise today. It’s my last day in the Bondi Bubble and I don’t want to leave, but I have to. The trial for the drug cartel is about to begin and I’ve been called to testify.
The time passed here in the blink of an eye. What I’ll remember most is that I was able to forget . . . forget about my life back home for the first time since I supposedly died as Ben Covington so long ago. I feel stronger, more focused, and more determined to make this transition in my life—to finally move on. I’m ready. Being here has helped me put things in focus and I can finally accept that Dahl is happy with someone else.
Stacks of Surfers End magazines lie on my nightstand. I reach around them to grab my laptop and punch a few keys to bring up my bank account. I officially have less than I paid for my first board in it. Fuck me—where did all my money go? My brilliant plan of living off the rent didn’t work out so well. I shut the lid and lean back, thinking about what I’ll do for money when I get home. An hour passes before I decide to get up. When I do, I glance out to the majestic shoreline I’ve enjoyed so much and see families already frolicking on the beach and lifeguards in their signature red-and-yellow swim caps monitoring them for safety. It’s a slow and easy way of life here—one I could very easily get used to.
My clothes are neatly piled on top of the dresser, ready to be placed in my bag. My journal is packed, the one I haven’t been able to write in. I survey the room for what’s left—not that there’s much. All I’ll have to do before I leave for the airport is grab my duffel, my briefcase, and my board. But I have time, so I quickly shower and head to the Bucket List for breakfast. The diner spills out onto the beach with its wide patio. It’s one of my favorite views of the Pacific. I could sit here for hours, staring at the coastline, the glistening sand, and the stone cliffs. The place itself looks like a pirate ship with its faux-fisherman-style decor, complete with lobster pot lampshades on every table and a namesake mural that looks like a map lining the walls—the only difference being the purpose of the mural is to record your bucket list items, not to navigate the sea.