Fade to Black (21 page)

THE END

Author’s
Note:

When
I was writing this book, I thought about the characters. My best friend’s
daughter, Lilia, came to mind. I changed her name to Lily and created the character.
I knew Lily was going to have a best friend who was going to be female, but
that was all I knew. From the very first scene when I had the two of them
together, Dory popped into my mind, and I knew it had to be her. You see, it
wasn’t just my best friend’s daughter, and another good friend of mine Dory,
the three of us were friends, and Dory loved Lilia. I know if Dory was still
around, or would be around when Lilia was an adult, she’d be there for her just
like Dory was there for Lily in the story. That was the type of person Dory
was, she thought of others first.

I
remember the first time I met
Dory,
I was working for
a non-profit in accounting. We were looking for a Chief Financial Officer, and
since I was heading up the accounting department at the time, I was in on the
interviews. Dory and I had an instant connection. I was immediately at ease
around her, and loved to give her a hard time, which she also returned. She was
hired and our friendship started. We worked closely together for over two years.
I left the company to try something else and ended up meeting my husband,
falling in love, eloping, and getting pregnant, all within eight months of
meeting him. In fact, my husband and I eloped two days after Lilia was born.

Dory
really did have one of the biggest hearts of anyone I ever knew. She was a huge
animal lover; I can’t even begin to tell you how many pets she rescued. And we
aren’t talking the run of the mill cats and dogs. Oh no, Dory had an opossum, a
mean one, which we had to take with us on a business trip. She had lizards and
had live bugs shipped to the office for them to eat, and the hissing
cockroaches were the best. You never knew what would be in her office at any
given time, and you certainly didn’t want to open any boxes without knowing
exactly what was in them. She volunteered at different no kill animal shelters
all the time, and if they weren’t up to her standards, look out. To her it was
all about making sure the animals were treated and handled correctly.

Before
there were babies, marriages, and new relationships, we used to get together
all the time, go out to lunch, dinner, and just hang out down on 4
^th
Avenue, going through the shops and spending time together. As in everything in
life, between all of our lives we didn’t have time to go out as much.

It
was a Saturday in November, my son’s third birthday party. Of course Lilia was
invited and it gave her mom and me a chance to catch up. We talked about Dory
and she said she almost called her and dragged her along to the party, but she
didn’t. That Monday I received a call on my cell at work from my friend. Dory
had died Sunday night, alone, her heart had given out. She was only forty-five.
The wind was taken out of my sails and I immediately started beating myself up
for not reaching out to her more, not making the time to spend with her. I
hated myself for that, everything that was going on in my personal life at the
time, which was a lot, was no excuse. I should have made the time for her. I
should have forced her to spend time with us when she’d back out of the few
times we actually did get together. I should have called more.

I
didn’t know it when I started this project, but it’s helped me. It helped me
work through so much. It made me really remember her. Not the fact she always
pops into my head and I feel sad she’s no longer here, but I remember her and
continue on. I was able to relive some things only the two of us did. For
example, I always would adjust her shirt when her tattoos were showing, and
she’d always scowl at me.
Every single time.
That’s a
fun memory. I listened to a couple of songs all the time while writing her
scenes. One of them is ‘Gold Digger’ by Kanye West. Dory loved that song, and
sang it all the time around the office, and I cannot hear it without thinking
of her. The other is ‘Mexican Moon’ by Concrete Blonde. I have no idea if Dory
ever heard the song, and if she did if she liked it or hated it, but for
whatever reason, whenever I hear it I think of her, and it’s only been since
she died. I listened to that song all the time before she died, it was only
after she died it had more meaning.

It
gave me one last chance to say good-bye to her. And like Lily, I finally came
to the realization she is gone, but she’ll always be in my heart, and I’ll
always have my memory of her. And one day, if I’m lucky, I’ll see my angel (and
so many other people’s, especially Lilia’s) again in Heaven.

10%
of all profits from the sale of Fade to Black will go to the
Humane Society in DoryAnn name.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I
want to start with thanking Heidi Ryan; she is one of my beta readers and one
of my Stars. I call her the Queen of Pimping; she is constantly posting in my
group to have my other Stars post about my books, she is one of my biggest
supporters. Heidi is also the one who won a contest to name a character. She
did a totally awesome job with Hayden; it was perfect, and as soon as I read it
I knew it fit. What was so amazing, she had no idea about the character except
for the fact she was bat-shit crazy. Thank you, Heidi, for everything you do!

To
the rest of my Stars thank you so much. I love our conversations and the fun we
share. I couldn’t do this without you all. I love you and thank you so much for
everything. It amazes me that you go out of your way to let people know about
me and my books. I cannot wait until we finally get to meet!

To
the ladies who go above and beyond and help keep me organized and help with the
things I need. Heather, Nikki and Dana, I know I can ask anything of you, and
you will do whatever it takes to get it done.

My
beta readers, Heather, Jennifer, Dana, Ellen, and Heidi thank you so much for
taking my very rough mess and seeing the good in it and pointing out where I
needed more. Thank you for enjoying my words so much. And if I made you wonder
about my sanity, well, that just made things a little better for me.

Kim
at Book Covers by Kim, I love you, lady. Thank you for taking my basic idea and
make it a masterpiece (I’ll probably say the same thing for every cover because
you’re that good lady! (And I am!))

CJ
Pinard
, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for
saving me. When I meet you, because I believe some day we will meet, I’m going
to give you a big old long awkward hug. You’ve been warned.

Gloria,
thank you. And I owe you a lot more than just a box of tissues.

And
to these ladies, who mean so much to me, and have helped me one way or another
throughout this journey: Amanda, Andrea, Ana, Anne, Antoinette, Carey, Carrie,
Chelle, Christine,
Crissy
, Dana, Elena, E.K., Ellen,
Gloria, Heather, Heidi, Jennifer B, Jennifer D, Jennifer J., Julie, Kiki,
Louise, Megan, Melanie, Michele, Mindy, Miranda, Nikki, S., Sarah, Shana, Shay,
Summer, Suzanne,
Suzee
, Tabitha, Tiffani, Trina, and
Yaya.

My
WARS ladies and AS101, you all seriously rock. Thank you for putting up with my
epic dorkiness.

Speaking
of epic dorkiness, Christine from The Hype PR, you lady get the brunt of it.
Thank you so much for putting up with me.

I
cannot thank my husband enough. He believes in me, he puts up with me, and he
picks up the slack while I’m typing away late into the night.

To
everyone who knew DoryAnn, who knew the joy she brought into so many people’s
lives and all of the animals she cared for and saved. We all share a common
bond of loving her and missing her like crazy.

And
I know I have forgotten someone, or some people. Just know after I send this
out, I will then remember and bang my head on the wall a few times… at least.

OTHER WORKS BY M.
STRATTON

Fade to Black
(Romantic Thriller)

The Storm Series
(Romantic Thrillers)

After the Storm – Book one
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G5WYCD8

Alexia “Lexi” Hanson moved across the country to rebuild her life after the
attack that almost destroyed her. She enjoys the simple things in her beach
cottage. Life is finally complete.
Noah Matthews is Rock & Roll’s hottest star and on top of the world. After
years without a break, he finds the solitude he craves at his beach house.
Enjoying his early morning coffee, Noah is surprised to see his neighbor sneak
into his garden and crawl around.
They never saw that fateful morning coming. Someone was watching them. Someone
who thought Lexi belonged to him and would stop at nothing to have her.
Lives are changed forever when they meet amongst the blooms in his garden. Even
when things seem darkest, there is always light After the Storm.
Eye of the Storm – Book Two
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IJF4E2I

Evie
Taylor loves her life in Boston, running her bookstore and café, but an
accident has made it so she needs to return home to take care of her
grandmother. With extra time on her hands, she decides to start looking for the
monster that haunts her best friend’s nightmares. A chain of events starts no
one could see coming.
When the last person she ever expects shows up and rings her grandmother’s
doorbell, she finds herself in the middle of danger. Bound together in a common
mission, they’ll search the world looking for answers. But can they find them
in time, or will they end up paying the ultimate price?
As the storm rages around them, they find each other and the calm in the Eye of
the Storm.
Caught in the Storm - Book Three
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KY4DH6G

What happens when the hunter becomes the hunted?
Kat Snyder has spent years chasing after the man who attacked her and left her
for dead. It is her one obsession and she won’t let anyone stand in her way. Now
that they are getting closer to finding him, she begins to doubt herself and
her need for revenge.
Jackson “Jack” Taylor lost the only woman he truly loved. Now that he’s found
her again, he’s not letting go and will do everything in his power to make her
see they can have a life together. Together they search for the monster
who
has hurt so many women.
The closer they get, the closer they become, until they are both
Caught
in the Storm.

PARANORMAL NOVELLAS

Constant Echo
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O2C4PSA

Reagan
Beckett left her hometown and finished her senior year while staying with her
Aunt. She built her life in a city far away from her memories, never having
contact with anyone who knew her back then. No one would recognize her now. She
transformed herself and tried to get as far away from the captain of the
cheerleading squad as she could.
She was successful until the letter arrived and everything changed. Now ten
years later she’s on her way back to face her demons. The closer she gets the
more she feels herself slipping back to that scared young girl who fled in the
early morning light, and she doesn’t like it. Her stomach clenched knowing what
she was headed back into. Scared of having to go back to the house where her
best friend was murdered in front of her.
Sometimes the past isn’t ready to let go.

The Moon Series (Stand-alone Paranormal
Novellas)

Dreaming in Moonlight
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LM2HG8Y

This
is a paranormal stand-alone novella in The Moon Series
Ghosts are real. They are all around us.
Most of the time
they are satisfied to watch us go by and not interact.
When a couple was
cursed to spend three hundred years in death searching for the one living
couple who could release their bounds, they search for centuries to find a love
that will make time stand still. If they fail, they will be sent to Hell to
live out the rest of eternity.
Demons are real. They are all around us. Their one goal is to make our lives a
living hell. They will stop at nothing to destroy our minds and bodies. With
the curse rapidly approaching its end, the deepest, darkest demon is summoned
to make sure they don’t succeed.
Kate O’Malley fell in love with the old two story farmhouse in Maine at first
sight. She had to live there. Spending all of her savings, she was able to buy
it and moved right in. The very first night, strange things happened. Her
dreams weren’t her own. Looking for answers, she calls on a friend who puts her
in contact with a ghost hunter, Sawyer Hamilton. Neither knows what is in their
future, neither knows if they are going to survive it.
Dreaming in Moonlight; when your sleep is filled with passion and your
nightmares are real.

COMING
SOON FROM M.
STRATTON
(Titles
and descriptions subject to change)

Waking in Moonlight