The Purest Hook (Second Circle Tattoos) (28 page)

As always, writing the acknowledgments reminds me how lucky I am to have people so willing to help me write the stories that I do.

Huge thanks as always to my lovely editor, Lizzie Poteet, at St. Martin’s Press. I hope readers agree with your feelings about Pixie and Dred’s story. Thank you for continuing to challenge me to write the very best book I possibly can, and for your continued faith that when I do that, readers will want to read it. Oh, and remember that time we were double RITA finalists.

My very dear Beth Phelan—thank you for being the most awesome agent with mad agenty skills. I love your audacity and tenacity. Thank you for taking my call from the wilds of wherever you were and taking a chance on me.

To my wonderful team at St. Martin’s Press . . . Amy, Marissa, Jordan, and all the other folks who help with everything from editing to covers. I’m truly grateful for your relentless efforts.

I have the best critique partner in the world. Violetta Rand is all kinds of awesome. Thank you, my lovely. Here’s hoping all your predictions come true!

An author can be a solitary occupation at times, and I am very fortunate to have a wonderful group of writers that I call friends. Sidney Halston—I love you and your stories. And a huge thank-you goes out to the wonderful De Wolfe ladies and our fearless leader, Kathryn Le Veque—you ladies offer great counsel and laughter in equal measure.

I need to thank Brett and Heather Dawson for helping me understand what life in a group home can be like. The world needs people like you who actively care for young people who find themselves alone for whatever reason. Thank you for helping me understand their stories, and thank you for helping them every day.

Thank you to medical practitioners Denise Clarke (Neonatal Nurse Practitioner) and Joanne Unsworth (midwife) for their guidance on the topic of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. I don’t want to provide spoilers in the acknowledgments, but I am grateful to you for helping me shape this story.

Thanks to Dawn Vickers and Pat Egan Fordyce for doing early reads and making sure I was on the right track.

Tanya Baikie—I owe you one massive Canadian vote of thanks for all the amazing teasers and videos you have made. You have such crazy talent.

To my fearless street team . . . Scarlett’s Stars. We may be small but we are mighty! Thanks to all of you, especially Tanya, Julie, Pat, Dawn, and Cole and Stacey (aka Laverne and Shirley), for your constant support.

As always, my girlfriends Amanda, Michelle, and Gina deserve a shout-out for keeping me sane. But especially so with this book because Amanda and Michelle convinced me (perhaps after a third bottle of wine) to combine
their
names to create Amanda Veitch’s name. I told you it wasn’t going to be pretty, ladies.

Dear Lollipop and Finner . . . I love you, and yes, I am going to write your name in every book, and yes, I am going to tell you just how much I love you over and over . . . even when you think you are too cool for it.

To my husband, Tim, and his masculine ways. He is a total inspiration. (And that is the first and last time I agree to let you write your own acknowledgment!) And no, I will not put #throbbing at the end! Or cowbell analogies.

This book touches on themes of abuse. There are many great organizations, like the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (R.A.I.N.N.), that offer support for those affected by this. If you are in need of advice, please find one of them. Or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline 1.800.656.HOPE (4673).

I wanted to say a special thank-you to recording artist Bishop (Damon O’Hara) who wrote the song that Dred writes for Pixie. As a singer, songwriter, and student of the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (B.I.M.M.), I didn’t meet Bishop in a concert hall, which would be way cooler than the real story. I met him in a fish shop of all places. Yes, a place where you can procure raw fish. Yeah, we think it’s funny, too.

The song has been recorded with the help of some fabulous musicians and singers who are fellow B.I.M.M. students including William “Billy” Bell, Sarah Featherston, Danny Heath, and Nicola Tuffy. I got the chance to go spend the afternoon with these talented individuals during rehearsals and I was blown away by them. So thank you, each and every one of you. You left a permanent imprint on a very important song, making it richer by your presence.

Thank you to Louis Lawson and Aimee Fordham, the engineers who made it sound so good.

And finally thank you to B.I.M.M. for providing the space for rehearsals and for creating such an incredible environment for musicians to collaborate. Without this kind of access, this song would never have come into being.

Links to the finished song can be found on my website:
www.scarlettcole.com
.

Born in England, SCARLETT COLE traveled the world for business and pleasure, living in the United States before settling in Canada where she met her own personal hero. Now a proud Canadian and British citizen, home is wherever her husband and two children are. When she isn’t writing, Scarlett can be found working out to offset a legendary candy habit, searching for the perfect pair of shoes, and promising her family that she will get around to cooking dinner in a minute. Visit her at
scarlettcole.com
or on Twitter
@ItsScarlettCole
. You can sign up for email updates
here
.

THE STRONGEST STEEL

THE FRACTURED HEART

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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

THE PUREST HOOK.
Copyright © 2016 by Scarlett Cole.

All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.stmartins.com

Cover art of tattooed man © FXQuadro/Shutterstock

Author photo © Lemon Fresh Designs Photography

eISBN
9781466886698
(ebook)

First eBook Edition: May 2016

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