The first book in this new Sled Dogs spinoff series is now available for pre-order. Be sure to pick up your copy today at www.MelStorm.com/MemoryRanch
Afterword
Peer pressure doesn’t disappear just because we graduate, get married, get jobs… become grown-ups.
In fact, it intensifies.
How often do you feel yourself being pushed toward your limit—and then past it as well?
Sofia’s story shows just that slippery slope of adulthood. One wrong step and we’re in danger of falling down, down, down.
The fear is constantly there. Of doing the right thing. Of being good enough. Of being looked upon favorably.
Especially for women.
Mommy-shaming, body-shaming, everything-shaming… It’s an unfortunate reality that follows us through life, all the way to the grave.
But you don’t have to fall, just because you stumble. The easiest way to regain your footing? Reach out.
Reach toward a friend.
Toward God.
Toward somebody who loves you without any expectations.
We’re stronger together. Weaker together, too. That’s why it’s so important to surround yourself with goodness. Not just as a kid saying “no” to drugs, or holding onto your virginity pledge, or refusing to cheat on the big test.
It’s even more important that we retain our true selves into adulthood.
Let those around you lift you up rather than push you down.
Look in the mirror and be proud of who you see staring back at you.
That woman should be a beloved friend, not a stranger, and definitely not an enemy.
It’s never too late to correct your course, to have that all important “come to Jesus” moment, to better yourself, forgive, change.
Because a part of us never really grows up. We all have that scared, wounded child inside, hoping she is good enough, that others will like her.
Well, in case you needed someone to say it, you are good enough. Just as you are. Be the person you already are. Never give that up.
I hope Sofia’s story showed how sometimes our best intentions can get away from us, but that there is always a way back, too.
Never stop being you. Never stop striving for what you love, and never stop believing in the very real power you have to make a positive difference in this world.
Acknowledgments
Everyone in our life serves a purpose, even if we don’t see it at the time. This book is to all those who hurt me and ultimately helped shape the strong woman I’ve become.
To the kids who wouldn’t play with me because I was weird and different. To the books who were my friends instead, especially the characters within the Babysitter’s Club, Sweet Valley Twins, and Little House on the Prairie. To the boyfriends who dumped me, the ex-husband who shattered my self-esteem, the bio dad who didn’t think I was worth sticking around for.
But also, to those who saw value in me, who lifted me up when others pushed me down. To my mom, who risked a lot in the early days to keep me safe. To the father who fell in love with first my mom, then me, adopting us both and making us a family. To my siblings, who are weird and obviously not as cool as I am but who, despite the rivalry, still love me as I love them.
To the friends who have come and gone, but especially to those who have stayed. To Mallory, Megan, Jasmine, Angi, Ines, and Becky, who are crucial as both friends and supporters of my writing.
To Mr. Storm, who taught me what it meant to love—and perhaps more importantly how to be loved, even when we don’t feel we deserve it.
To my four-year-old daughter, who tells me, “You can do it, if you just try your best” apropos to nothing. Who makes me smile, laugh, and know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am blessed.
To my six dogs, because I am just a touch crazy, but that’s okay because I get lots and lots of puppy cuddles. And I guess to the cat, too.
To my readers. None of this is possible without you!
Everyone who has passed through my life has shaped the person—and the author—I’ve become, and this book is theirs. It’s yours. It’s ours together.
Thank you.
Also by Melissa Storm
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The Sled Dog Series
Get ready to fall in love with a special pack of working and retired sled dogs, each of whom change their new owners' lives for the better.
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Let There Be Love
Let There Be Light
Let There Be Life
Season of Mercy
Season of Majesty
Season of Mirth
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The First Street Church Romances
Sweet and wholesome small town love stories with the community church at their center make for the perfect feel-good reads!
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Love’s Prayer
Love’s Promise
Love’s Prophet
Love’s Vow
Love’s Trial
Love’s Treasure
Love’s Testament
Love’s Gift
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The Church Dogs of Charleston
A very special litter of Chihuahua puppies born on Christmas day is adopted by the local church and immediately set to work as tiny therapy dogs.
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Little Loves
Mini Miracles
Dainty Darlings
Tiny Treasures
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The Memory Ranch Romances
This new Sled Dogs-spinoff series harnesses the restorative power of both horses and love at Elizabeth Jane's therapeutic memory ranch.
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Memories of Home
Memories of Heaven
Memories of Healing
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The Alaska Sunrise Romances
These quick, light-hearted romances will put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. It's time to indulge in a sweet Alaskan get-away!
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Must Love Music
Must Love Military
Must Love Mistletoe
Must Love Mutts
Must Love Mommy
Must Love Moo
Must Love Mustangs
Must Love Miracles
Must Love Mermaids
Must Love Movie Star
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The Finding Mr. Happily Ever After Series
One bride, four possible grooms, unlimited potential for disaster to strike. Is the man waiting at the end of the aisle the one that’s meant to be Jazz’s forever love?
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Nathan
Chase
Xavier
Edwin
The Finale
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The True Love Eternal Series
Everyone deserves to find love that lasts. If you love romance, check out these Alaska Sunrise series spinoffs set in the 1950s and 1980s.
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The 1950’s Collection
The 1980’s Collection - coming soon!
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Stand-Alone Novels and Novellas
Whether climbing ladders in the corporate world or taking care of things at home, every woman has a story to tell.
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Angels in Our Lives
A Mother’s Love
A Colorful Life
About the Author
Melissa Storm is a mother first, and everything else second. Writing is her way of showing her daughter just how beautiful life can be, when you pay attention to the everyday wonders that sur
round us. So, of course, Melissa's USA Today bestselling fiction is highly personal and often based on true stories.
Melissa loves books so much, she married fellow author Falcon Storm. Between the two of them, there are always plenty of imaginative, awe-inspiring stories to share. Melissa and Falcon also run a number of book-related businesses together, including LitRing, Novel Publicity, Your Author Engine, and the Author Site. When she's not reading, writing, or child-rearing, Melissa spends time relaxing at home in the company of her five dogs and a rescue cat named Schrödinger. She never misses an episode of The Bachelor, because priorities.
GET IN TOUCH!
www.MelStorm.com
[email protected]
Season of Mercy: The Sled Dog Series, Book 4 Page 15
