On my first research trip to Topsail Island, I stumbled into a realty office to ask directions. When realtor Lottie Koenig heard my name, she told me she loved my books and gave me a hug. That was my introduction to the friendly people who call Topsail Island home. Lottie gave me a tour of the island and hooked me up with another valuable resource, fellow realtor and longtime Topsail Island resident Patsy Jordan. In turn, Patsy introduced me to Anna Scott, one of the few teens on the island. Anna gave me a wealth of information about what life would be like for the teenagers in Before the Storm. Iâm grateful to these three women for their help and enthusiasm.
Thank you to special friends Elizabeth and Dave Samuels and Susan Rouse for generously allowing me to use their Topsail Island homes as I did my research.
I could not have written this story without the help of Ken Bogan, Fire Marshal of the Town of Surf Cityâs fire department. Ken went out of his way to give me an understanding of my firefighting characters, instruct me in arson investigation and much, much more. Ken and his wife, Angie, also introduced me to Sears Landing Grill, where I arrived armed with a list of forty-five questions for them to answer over dinner. They answered them all and would have answered another forty-five had I asked. Thank you, Ken and Angie! Thanks also to these other Surf City firefighters: Tim Fisher, Kevin âButterbeanâ Head and Bill Lindsey.
I found several excellent resources on Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, but none better than Jodee Kulp, an FASD activist, author and mother of a daughter with FASD. The Best That I Can Be, a book Jodee wrote with her daughter, Liz, was a huge help to me in understanding Andy. Jodee not only answered my questions, but read Andyâs first chapter to make sure I was on target with his character.
For helping me understand the legal and juvenile justice system, Iâm indebted to attorneys Barrett Temple and Evonne Hopkins, as well as to Gerry McCoy.
I kept Ray McAllisterâs book, Topsail Island: Mayberry by the Sea, close at hand as I wrote. Itâs an excellent, lovingly written treat for anyone wanting to read further about the Island.
In a raffle sponsored by the North Carolina Writersâ Network, Jabeen Akhtar won the right to have her name mentioned in Before the Storm. I hope sheâs happy I named a coffee shop after her! Although some of the places mentioned in Before the Storm do exist, Jabeenâs Java, Drury Memorial Church and The Sea Tender are, like the characters themselves, figments of my imagination.
Iâm also grateful to the following people for their various contributions: Sheree Alderman, Trina Allen, Brenda Burke-Cremeans, BJ Cothran, Valerie Harris, Christa Hogan, Pam âbless your heartâ Lloyd, Margaret Maron, Lynn Mercer, Marge Petesch, Glenn Pierce, Emilie Richards, Sarah Shaber, Meg Skaggs, David Stallman, MJ Vieweg, Brittany Walls, Brenda Witchger, Ann Woodman and my friends at ASA.
Thanks to the readers of my blog, especially Margo Petrus, for inspiring this bookâs title.
Finally, I often hear that agents and editors are so busy that they canât take the time to help their authors create the best books possible. That certainly is not true in my case. Thank you to my agent, Susan Ginsburg, and my editor, Miranda Stecyk, for their skill, wisdom, commitment and passion. You two are the best!
They took my baby from me when he was only ten hours old.
Jamie named him Andrew after his father, because it seemed fitting. We tried the name out once or twice to see how it felt in our mouths. Andrew. Andy. Then, suddenly, he was gone. Iâd forgotten to count his fingers or note the color of his hair. What sort of mother forgets those things?
I fought to get him back, the way a drowning person fights for air.
A full year passed before I held him in my arms again. Finally, I could breathe, and I knew I would never, ever, let him go.