Persuaded (34 page)

“Surprise,”
he breathes in my ear, but I am still dumbfounded at the sight before me, of
the way the steam rises up from the warm water and kisses the cold rain.

He has
brought me to Hinemoa’s pool—where the forbidden lovers Hinemoa and 
Tutanekai met in secret. Where they beat the odds stacked against them.

Where
their story ended.

Where
ours begins.

SPECIAL
THANKS!

They
say it takes a village to raise a child, and I think this holds true for
writing a book as well. To all my villagers, I say thank you infinity:

My
husband and kiddos for loving me even when my eyes are glazed over and/or
twitching, even when I’m in the room without really being there. An extra
shout-out to my hubby for setting me straight on sailing terminology and all
things sports/testosterone.

Melissa
Lemon for your precious friendship and for teaching me that a plot needs more
than a beginning, middle, and end.

Lisa
Rector for your feedback and for helping me see that I had my back cover blurb
right in the text of my manuscript.

Jeannie
Mineer for helping me make Hanna more likeable (hopefully) and for that little
red book that started it all! Your thoughtfulness has always astounded me.

Beth
Bentley for your patience in teaching me the difference between “like” and “as
if,” for cleansing my writing of those pesky adverbs, and for finally getting
the correct usage of a semicolon into my head. You are the bomb-diggity of
editors!

The
rest of my beta readers and writing group, for keeping me from dithering in
descriptions all day: Lisa Swinton, Laurie Lewis, Dionne Butler, Liz Gurney,
Liz Reynolds, and Jo Schneider. Thanks for getting me out of my own head!

Cindy
Canizales, for your creativity and vision with the cover.

To the
Fort Detrick outdoor pool: without you this book would probably have come out
in December instead of August.

To all
the readers out there, who sacrifice their valuable time away from reality to
give my story a chance. And to that small percentage of readers who take the
time to write a review, who are constructive with criticism rather than
crippling, who realize that authors are people too!

Lastly,
a few of the songs that inspired the emotion and some of the scenes in
Persuaded:

Sweater
Weather—The Neighborhood

Breakeven—Colbie
Caillat

Love
Don’t Die—The Fray

Someone
Like You—Adele

Know
You Better—Taylor Swift

Fall
For You—Secondhand Serenade

All of
You—John Legend

Hanging
by a Moment—Lifehouse

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR

         
Misty Dawn Pulsipher was born and raised in Utah. She attended Snow College
where she developed a love for writing. Misty served as a full-time missionary
for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Washington, D.C.
area. She and her husband now reside in Maryland with their three children, two
dogs, and the colony of squirrels that lives in their back yard. When she’s not
writing or procrastinating an edit, Misty is reading, baking, sewing, playing
the piano, or bribing her family to play Monopoly with her. Visit her Facebook
page or author blog: mistydawnpulsipher.blogspot.com.