And that’s okay—
Anywhere he is
is where
I want
to be.
The End
My younger sister, Holly, died in a car accident almost two decades ago. I’ll never forget that phone call from my mom in the middle of the night, Holly’s heartbroken husband, her two young sons in the hospital hooked to machines, tears that seemed endless, and the incredible peace that comes when you put your grief in the hands of a higher power.
When Holly’s long, gorgeous hair and mad driving skills crept into Leesie’s character, I knew there was a devastating accident in Leesie’s future. For very personal reasons, I could not let go of this story no matter what publishers or agents wanted.
In my debut novel,
Taken by Storm,
Michael faces incredible loss, but he finds Leesie.
Unbroken Connection
is Leesie’s story. By the end, she is broken and battered—physically and spiritually. I promise I won’t leave her that way.
I would like to invite you—my family, friends and beautiful readers to join with me on a new creative journey. You waited so patiently for
Unbroken Connection
. In the coming months (Fall 2010), as I write the final volume of Michael and Leesie’s saga,
Cayman Summer
, I want you there with me each step of the way. I will be posting
Cayman Summer
poem by poem, chat by chat, dive log by dive log and invite your comments and critique. The final book will be released early in 2011. Watch
www.angela-morrison.com
for news.
All my gratitude and love,
Angela
Rob, my brilliant boy, for designing a cover far beyond my expectations and handling scary stuff like HTML and InDesign.
Andy—the video genius in my household—who turned Rob’s cover into an unforgettable trailer.
Rachel for helping me update my rusty BYU-lore.
Will for not complaining too much when I was twenty minutes late over and over again.
Allen, whose hard work and love makes my writing life possible, for taking me to Phuket, looking after me when I got bent, and driving all the way up to Koa Lak so I could look, listen, and video.
Joelle for Aristotle.
Kathi Baron (
Shattered
) for reading, critiquing and believing.
Jennifer Wolf (
Tigerseye
) for crying at 2 AM.
Underwater videographer Nick Hope’s “Reef Life of the Andaman” at
www.bubblevision.com
,
http://myanmar.greatestdivesites.com
, and
www.moby-dick-adventures.com
for bringing Thailand, Similan and Myanmar diving to life for me.
The late photographer, Nicolas Reynard, for the remarkable work he did for National Geographic to give us a glimpse of the Moken, Sea Gypsies of Myanmar. (See
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/04/sea-gypsies/ivanoff-text
)
And all my devoted readers and loyal bloggers—especially Bidisha at Dreamcatcher’s Lair who launched “Support for Unbroken Connection” on FaceBook and Michelle at Windowpane Memories who created the “Don’t Break the Connection” icon to share around the blogosphere—for rallying around me and buoying me up when Michael and Leesie’s continuing story lay stranded on the rocky shores of rejection. You helped me see that “no” isn’t the end of the journey. It’s just an opportunity to ford a new stream and explore fresh landscapes. You believed in me and my story and that gave me the courage to stand up for myself as an artist and follow the inspiration God blessed me with. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Unbroken Connection
would not be a reality without each and every one of you.
Angela Morrison is the author of
Taken by Storm
(Penguin/Razorbill 2009) and
Sing me to Sleep
(Penguin/Razorbill 2010). She graduated from Brigham Young University and holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She grew up in Eastern Washington on the wheat farm where
Taken By
Storm
is set. After over a decade abroad in Canada, Switzerland and Singapore, she and her family are happily settled in Mesa, Arizona. Angela enjoys speaking to writers and readers of all ages about her craft. She has four children—mostly grown up—and the most remarkable grandson in the universe. Find out more at
www.angela-morrison.com
.