Crushed (27 page)

After that, I worked on
Crushed
in between my other writing projects, revising, editing, and getting beta reader feedback. I drafted and redrafted. I had long conversations with my writing friends where, like an insane woman, I would discuss my characters’ love lives as if they were real people. I stewed and simmered and dreamed of the day when Fletch would be a real boy, ready for the world. 

I think at some point, my entire Write Night crew - Rachel Allen, Kathy Brady, Erin Brambilla, Lindsey Culli, Summayah Dawd, Laurie Devore, Deborah Driza, Sarah Enni, Rachael Kirkendall, Stephanie Kuehn, Cory Jackson, Vahini Naidoo, Veronica Roth, Kara Taylor, Jennifer Walkup, Kaitlin Ward, Brent Watson, and Margo West - read parts of
Crushed
, or as we called it - Fletch (the actual title was
Life Like Fo
g, but that was nixed as being too literary sounding by these same very smart people). With their help and guidance,
Crushed
became the book you (hopefully) just finished reading and enjoyed.

I especially need to thank is my husband, David, for forcing me to not give up. One night, while lounging around our sweltering Paris apartment, he asked if he could read the book I’d been obsessing over for two years. I gave it to him reluctantly - why bother reading something that would never be published? To my surprise, he poured over it, and when he was done, he grabbed my hand and insisted I figure out a way to send Fletch out into the world. I shrugged and put the book away again.

Until one day, when, as I sat at my computer struggling to write a book I felt less-than-passionate about, David said, “You’re going to publish
Crushed
. And you’re going to do it now.” He opened my document and proceeded to do the first round of copy-edits. Something in me changed, and instead of feeling worried and scared about writing something no one wanted, I felt excited. Publishing
Crushed
suddenly became real. 

While not as long of a journey from idea to page to publication as some books,
Crushed
is the book I’ve worked on longer than any other. It’s been a long road, and one I’m so happy I took. 

~ dawn

Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

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Author Notes