by Amber Stokes
He couldn’t hold back the smile that spread across his face. She was back, back to stay—with him. Releasing her, he bent down and picked a stem of forget-me-nots, the light blue petals bringing back peaceful, precious memories.
Staying down on one knee, he held the stem up to her, relishing the golden glow of the sun surrounding her. “I promise you, with God’s help and your permission, I’ll take good care of it.”
She took the flowers and smiled down at him. As he stood, he drew her into his embrace and basked in the truth of being remembered.
Author’s Note
Forget Me Not is the story of my heart. Elizabeth and David’s journey has been with me for years, and while the details have changed multiple times, the basic plot remains.
I recall one family vacation to Nevada, sitting in a hotel room and jotting down a brief summary as it came to me fast and furious. Everything sort of fell into place, complete with a desert setting that had intrigued me, and all tied together with forget-me-not stems. I certainly had a long road ahead of me before Forget Me Not was ready for publication, but the heart of the story beat steady from its birth.
Through my high school years, I worked on the book in fits and starts. (There was even a contemporary version—more along the lines of The Journey of Natty Gann, a movie I love with a hero I adore—but with some encouragement from my dad and a passion for all things American West, the story ended up as a Western, thank goodness!) When it came time to choose a topic for an extended essay I had to write for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, I picked my book’s main setting, Virginia City. That decision led to another trip to the tourist town in the hills above Reno the summer before my senior year of high school, which caused my family and me to fall more in love with the town…which subsequently led to more trips. We still haven’t been able to get enough of the place!
During our visits we stayed first at the Seven Mile Canyon Guest Ranch—the area where I set the fictional Clifton ranch—and then Edith Palmer’s Country Inn. Little tidbits I learned from the owners of those B&Bs and other locals fed my imagination, which is how I ended up including such things as a Cornish character who stole my heart (and who plans to be the hero of Book 3), a Jewish wife for Seth, and yellow roses. As for some fact vs. fiction, note that the Delta and the Bucket of Blood were and are actual establishments in Virginia City, whereas Jacob’s businesses are fictional (although D Street did indeed have a red-light district).
It wasn’t until my second year of college that I finally completed the novel. As soon as I wrote “The End,” I was beyond ready to share it with the world. The only problem? I may have been ready (or at least I thought I was), but my story was not. It took some helpful (yet still encouraging) feedback from author friends for me to realize that Forget Me Not needed to be pruned and trimmed before it could fully bloom. So I put aside my query attempts and moved on to write the sequel, Bleeding Heart.
Two years later, I felt that Bleeding Heart, while certainly not perfect, was ready. I had grown in the interim—met some people, learned of some publishing possibilities, and found myself in a new place where editing a story and making it better wasn’t so daunting of a task. And that’s why the second book in this series was published first.
Every story has a season, and Forget Me Not has its turn to blossom now. As the foundation for the series, providing back story for certain characters and exploring themes very close to my heart, I had to return to it. If you read Bleeding Heart first, I hope that the characters’ histories endeared them more to you and answered some questions their words in the sequel might have raised. If this is your first experience with “The Heart’s Spring” series, I hope you enjoy revisiting some of these characters in Book 2!
If you’d like to learn more about Forget Me Not, please visit www.forgetmenotnovel.blogspot.com. For all the latest news about this book series, be sure to also check out the series blog at www.theheartsspringseries.blogspot.com.
Discussion Questions
1. Have you ever been given a startling revelation regarding your family or a friend’s past? How did you respond? If you were faced with a similar situation again, would you react differently?
2. How did you feel about Jacob and Annabelle? Did your feelings change toward them as the story progressed?
3. Was there ever a point when you wanted Elizabeth to marry Joe instead of David? What do you think caused Elizabeth to choose David in the end?
4. Which setting did you prefer to read about—the Rocky Mountains of Colorado or Virginia City? What did you like about each setting, and how did each leg of the journey present different challenges to the characters?
5. Have you ever felt forgotten by God? What tender mercies have you been shown that remind you that you’re remembered?
Acknowledgements
The process of writing Forget Me Not was a long one, but some wonderful people came along and made the journey exciting, enjoyable, and unforgettable. I was blessed by each person who took the time to listen to me ramble on about the story, to share their advice and knowledge with me, and to show me that this was a dream worth holding onto.
Heartfelt thanks to…
~ My family. You’ve given me the love and means to write my stories, and I can’t thank you enough for all that you do. To my mom—thank you for sharing precious moments and memories with me, for always taking the time to show you care. And to my sister, Emily—thank you for letting me use your middle name and pick your brain about horses. Your talents are inspiring, Ems, so keep on dreaming big!
~ Adrienne Hedlund, Elena Lopez, and Hannah Dawley, three of the dearest friends a girl could ask for. Thank you for all of the writing encouragement, but most importantly, for just being there through it all. Love you!
~ Amanda Stanley. This season came, dear friend! Thank you for believing it would in God’s timing, and for making the latter half of the writing process so much fun. Your friendship is a true blessing.
~ Elizabeth Ludwig. Your feedback on my first draft was invaluable, and I can’t tell you how much you’ve helped me grow as a writer. Thank you for taking me under your wing.
~ Laura Frantz. You have always been so encouraging, from your endorsement on my imaginary press release three years ago, to your endorsement for my real debut. I’m so honored by your thoughtfulness, and I deeply admire your work and joyful attitude.
~ Lena Goldfinch. You showed me that self-publishing is not only a viable route, but also an exciting and rewarding one. You’ve been an amazing example to me, but what’s more, you’ve been an incredibly generous mentor, an absolutely awesome cover designer, and a wonderful friend. I’m so grateful to know you and work with you.
~ Rachelle Rea, my editing buddy and blogging friend! I’m so glad to have you as my proofreader. Your kindness, skill, and profound insight mean more than you know.
~ Once again, to my Virginia City friends: Leisa Findley (Edith Palmer’s Country Inn), Gary and Nancy Teel (TNT Stagelines), Judy Sorensen, Karen Tassone, Desna Young, and Joe Curtis (Mark Twain Bookstore). Here’s the book that started it all, and it includes a little more of the town I’ve come to know and love. Thank you for helping me with my research and making Virginia City’s history come to life for me!
~ My Twitter writing buddies. Rewrites and edits went much faster thanks to you! I greatly appreciate the extra motivation, and I had a blast sharing favorite lines and knowing I wasn’t staring at a computer screen alone.
~ My influencer team. To all those awesome blogging friends who have helped me to spread the word about my books, encouraging me in so many ways and taking the time to write reviews (and so much more)—my sincere gratitude. Your enthusiasm and support mean the world to me!
~ My grandma’s art class. You celebrated my debut with me and my grandma, and you brought joy to us both. Thank you for being there for all of us.
About the Author
Amber Stokes has a Bachelor of Science degree in English and a passio
n for the written word—from blogging to writing poetry, short stories, and novels. After her brief time at college in Oregon, she is now back home among the redwoods of Northern California, living life one day at a time and pursuing her passion via freelance editing and self-publishing.
She loves to meet new reader and writer friends! You can connect with Amber on her blog, Seasons of Humility, as well as on Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads. You can also drop her a line at [email protected].
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review online. Thank you!
More Books in “The Heart’s Spring” Series
“The Heart’s Spring” Book 2—Bleeding Heart
A desperate soiled dove. Three men who come to care for her. One man determined to claim her.
All on a journey that will show them what true love really involves.
Now available in paperback and Kindle e-book formats
“The Heart’s Spring” Book 3—Morning Glory
Myghal’s story continues...
Summer 2014
