All of the Lights
Page 43
I'm waiting for you there.
Love, Jillian
The sky opens and the clouds descend on this day, the same day that represents so much happiness to his children and their loved ones. Rain soaks his shoulders, saturates his hair, his face, his soul, but doesn't make him clean. Doesn't make him whole. Doesn't wash away his sins.
And so, he sits there in the rain and waits for an absolution that will never come. And he waits. And he waits.
Finally, the letter drifts to the ground and the rain catches it, tearing it away from the broken, ruined man on the bench.
About the Author
K. Ryan lives in the Green Bay area with her crazy-supportive boyfriend and the best decision of her adult life, a not-so-stray cat named Oliver. When not writing, she's either binge-watching something on Netflix, running, reading, or cheering on the Packers.
Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@authorkryan) and Facebook or visit her website for updates and news.
Also by K. Ryan
The Carry Your Heart Duo
Carry Your Heart (Book #1)
Carry You Home (Book #2)
Contemporary Romance (Standalone)
Finding Emma
Acknowledgements
First of all, I've said it before and I'll say it again, a book is really only as good as its cover, so I owe a huge thank you to Christa at Paper and Sage. Thank you so much for being willing to show me option after option when I just couldn't decide. Your patience and your professionalism really made all the difference in getting this cover perfect and it really is.
To Mia at Indie Sage—thank you once again for all your hard work and your dedication. My book doesn't mean anything if it doesn't get into the hands of the readers and you're a huge reason why that happens at all. I can't wait to plan the promos for my next book with you, and then my next, and my next...
To Morgan and Cathy, my awesome betas—your time and your thoughtful feedback has been invaluable to me. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read through my early and very, very rough drafts. Morgan, you are ever the optimistic and your cheery mood and even cheerier feedback always put me in a good mood. Cathy, I'm so glad we reconnected! It's been literal years and to come back into each other's lives this way—even if it's just through our computers—has been so much fun. I miss you! We need to get together face to face one of these days.
To Pavi—I know this was your first time giving this beta thing a shot, but seriously, you did an amazing job. Your feedback was tactful, to the point, but constructive and helpful. I know I didn't listen to all your suggestions, but I thought good and hard about every single one and they all played a part in the edits I made. You told me everything I needed to hear—the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I honestly don't think Jack and Rae's relationship would have evolved the way it did without your careful and considerate suggestions. It's my hope, too, that one day we'll figure out how to meet! Seriously, can you be my beta forever?
To my parents—thank you for supporting me through each and every single one of my books. Mom, you read everything I write and you read it with a critical eye, checking for mistakes and plot holes like you would for any other author who isn't your daughter. Dad, you're the reason there are less sex scenes in this one, if you know what I mean ;) Thank you both for your unwavering support. I couldn't have done it without you.
To Michael—thank you for managing our messy apartment, late nights, lots of fast food, and your girlfriend living in another world pretty much 24/7. Your patience, your support, your willingness to pick up my slack, and let's be honest here, your love, are the reasons I'm able to continue on this crazy journey. Thank you so much.
To all the bloggers who've taken a chance on my books—thank you so much for your willingness and your time to both read and promote my books. There's no way I would've reached as many readers as I have over this last year without all of you wonderful ladies in my corner. Thank you, especially, to For the Love of Fictional Words and the Graduated Bookworm for always managing to feature my books somehow on your feeds and keeping my words alive.
And to my readers—thank you for reading and if you choose to, thank you so much for your review. You have no idea how much that means to an indie author. My work, literally, wouldn't be here without you.
Playlist for All of the Lights
"Blank Space" by Ryan Adams
"I'm Shipping Up To Boston" by Dropkick Murphys
"Building A Mystery" by Sarah McLachlan
"I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys
"Hotline Bling" by Drake
"Everything Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police/Sleeping At Last
"Somewhere" by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
"Heavy In Your Arms" by Florence + the Machine
"Oil and Water" by Incubus
"Walk Like A Man" The Four Seasons
"The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Flogging Molly
"Alejandro" by Lady Gaga
"Magic" by Coldplay
"Water Under The Bridge" by Adele
"All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2
"Romeo and Juliet" by The Killers
"Beautiful War" by Kings of Leon
"Time Is Running Out" by Muse
"Born To Die" by Lana Del Rey
"As Long As You Love Me" by Sleeping At Last
"Breath of Life" by Florence + the Machine
"Piece by Piece" by Kelly Clarkson
"Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" by Coldplay
"Love Story" by The Vitamin String Quartet