The Ever Increasing List of Thank You's
- Terri 1 (my friend and not the book character), for being the first to read my first
book and for dubbing me (along with input from her husband, Byram),
ReJessica.
- Terri 1, for pointing out that if I intend for
the audience for this book to be all the unappreciated sports moms in this
world as well as all the women reading books in their book clubs, I better
show a better appreciation for them myself (in the book).
- Mary (my friend), for saying, "Just let her write what she wants to
write."
- Mary (my friend), for being my confidant when it came to the Rachel
character in the second book.
- Mary (my friend), for being such a great character and being so damn
eloquent that I had to include a character based on her in the second book.
- Jean, my friend and fellow author, who said she blushed when she read
the chapter on the porn video in the first book (which led me to tone it
down ... but I saved the old version).
- Jean, who said that even the demonized
husband must have some redeeming qualities. Otherwise, why would
Jessica stay?
- Jean, who made the first book more cohesive by pointing out that it
appeared to have been written by a schizophrenic -- an angry wife, a
frustrated developer and ... FINALLY ... a playful writer.
- Jean, who didn't buy into the painting. Which made me fortify it
even more etc, etc.
- Noreen, my beloved next door neighbor, who was the first to read through
the entire series and then entice one of her fellow colleagues to do the
same. God bless you.
- Betsy, my friend, for saying, "I don't like baseball, I don't like golf, and I
don't give a whit about home improvement. But, I said I'd read it and
I did and here is what I thought."
- Betsy, for not saying what she thought but rather telling me that it was
implausible that Jessica and Will never kissed, which led to some major
changes that stepped the book up to the next level and led to my favorite
quote, "God help me or God forgive me, I'm not sure which one."
- Margaret, my mom, who blew through these books, told me how proud she
was, and then gave her only comment (see below
- Noreen, for saying, "Rico and Jessica were like rabbits in the third
book." (e.g., too much graphic sex in the third book). Mom, for
saying, "We've all experimented with sex, dear. It's just that we
didn't talk so explicitly about it." (e.g., too much graphic sex in
the third book). And, finally, Mary, after hearing the other comments
about the graphic sex in the third book, saying, "I kinda liked it."
Sorry Mary ... I Disneyed the sex. However, as per your advice, I kept
the originals.
- Lisa, my friend and neighbor, who read each book twice and caught more
typos than I care to acknowledge. My favorite -- when Will yells,
"Four," when he hits a bad golf shot. I intended to write "Fore,"
as I am a golfer but obviously didn't. Meanwhile, Lisa, who doesn't even play golf,
caught the typo. Thank you, Lisa.
- Lisa, for being the first one to admit that she cried at the end of the
first book.
- Margaret, my husband's colleague and friend, for catching the most
embarrassing of all typos ... EVER. The second book has no sex ... but
there is an erotic dream. And, Jessica wakes in the middle of her
dream "in a complete panic and in the throes of an ORGANISM." God help
us all that we NEVER wake up in the throes of an organism ... yet, one can't
help but wonder what an organism would feel like.
- Stan (my friend and not the book character), aka Coach Manly, who kept wondering whether the
baseball in the first book was a metaphor. Stan ... you are TOO deep.
It was simply baseball ... but read the second book in the series and then
we'll talk.
- Terri 2 (my friend and also not the book character) STILL WAITING FOR FEEDBACK
- Judi (my friend who inspired the Terri character in the book) for helping me temper
the third edition of the first book, particularly in suggesting that Jessica
could do with a little softness. Jessica, stop showing your sac.
- Judi, who admitted that she shed a few tears at the end of the first
book but completely lost in when she read the ending of the second book.