So instead of getting all historical on you today, I would like to say thank you to those who made this moment happen. This means that instead of giving my prepared acceptance speech at RWA, I will put it on this blog—with some slight modifications.
Thank you to my family. They have been a great source of support to me, always. My mother and father always believed in me. My guys, DH and DS who don’t always know what I’m up to, but generously give me the space and time to do it. For my sister, who slipped in some promo on the plane ride home to the poor dude sitting next to her and my brother-in-law El, who has done the same on Facebook. Thank you to my brother-in-law, Kenny who thought I should have published this first (I think he wanted to know what would happen to Amanda) and my sister-in-law who wanted “the whole book” (which will take some time). Thank you to my grandmother, Uncle Johnnie and Aunt Jean, the large Holt clan—especially Lynnie.
Thank you to Julie Hilton Steele, Vanessa Riley, the Masterminds, who told me to indie publish and I listened, Barb Andrews and the History Lovers, all of my Savvy NaNao partners, The Lucky 13s, the Dreamweavers, the kind and lovely folks at Romance Slam Jam, anyone who has signed on to the Home to Milford College Facebook page, my author page, read this blog or followed me on twitter. A big thank you to Spelman College, and my students who have long inspired me to take this particular journey.
The people of the past deserve to have their stories to be told and when JShan designed his covers, for me, it is as if he’s brought them alive to help me tell their stories. Thank you.
It’s a whole new world. A whole new day for me. I’m delighted that you’ve chosen to take the journey with me. Thank you for doing so.