Random Acts of Unkindness (37 page)

Thank you to everyone who has had editorial input into this novel. Many of my writing friends have helped me to get this far with it, I want to name you all but the list would be enormous. I want to thank all the members and former members of WriteWords for cheering me on and my various writing groups for allowing me a forum. I’m also grateful to those in the publishing industry who believed in this novel – I may have gone the ‘scenic route’, but I got there in the end.

Thanks to Anstey Spraggan for her constant encouragement and to listening almost daily to my Bessy and Jan dilemmas. Thanks to Clodagh Murphy, Michele Brouder, Paula Daly, Fionualla Kearney, Keris Stainton, Sarah Painter, Belinda Whitehead, Zoe Lea, Claire Allan, Luisa Plaja and Trina Rea for their encouragement and for reading my work.

Thanks also to Lindsey Bowes for her constant support. To Bridget Davison, Deb Kevens, Amanda Saint, Louise Cole, Phil Murphy, Kathy Calderwood, Neil Tonepohl, Elinor Davies, Jill Playfair, Beth McCann, Lisa Roberts and anyone else who helped with the Kindle Scout campaign, thank you. If I’ve missed anyone, thank you too, I’ve met some incredibly generous people on this journey.

I’m grateful to Kindle Press for the opportunity they have given me in the Kindle Scout process, it was an exciting and sometimes difficult thirty days but I’m glad I did it. Mark Laxton created a brilliant cover design and everyone who read an excerpt of this book and nominated it – this victory is shared by you all.

Big love to my children Michelle, Victoria and Toby, who are so precious to me and have been patient when I’ve launched into book talk and spread the word about my writing, and to my grandchildren Evan, Leah, Phi and Lincoln who I love very much. My parents raised me in the area the book is set in and I’m grateful to my mother for her reminiscence of the Moors Murders. Also, my brothers Stuart and Gary for believing in me and helping me to finally be who I really am. I wish my grandparents were here to read this book as they would have recognised Bessy’s world.

Finally, I’m eternally grateful to Eric Bourdiec for his patience and love and cups of tea and for encouraging me to never give up.