I wish you could have known the woman behind her stories. This novel gives you a glimpse, but it doesn’t show you the person that she became after this story ends. When I met Helena, she was a tightly-wound ball of grief and guilt, her focus on one thing: telling this story. She wanted to confess her crimes and explain her motivations. For many of you, especially for faithful Helena Ross readers, this book will be a disappointment. There is no happy ending hidden in this epilogue. There is no solution for the sadness that you may be feeling. Most of Helena’s novels were written to entertain. This book was written for an entirely different reason. This book was for her. It was both her punishment and her absolution.
Since her death, I have delivered several messages from Helena, final words that she never had the chance to say.
This message, by far, is her most important. You, the reader, are the most important recipient of all. Thank you for listening to her story. Thank you for supporting her work, even if you don’t support her final decisions.
We are authors, and our lives are not the ones we live, but rather the characters that we create. This character was her truest to date. Whether you love or hate her, I hope that she made you feel. I hope that she touched your heart. I hope that, when closing this book, you will appreciate the life in these pages.
Helena, when you read these words in Heaven, know that you are loved and deeply missed.
Your friend,
Mark Fortune
The End
Helena Ross (1984 - 2017)
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Note from the Author:
The Ghostwriter is my fourteenth book, and it’s been my hardest to date. It’s interesting, the development of this novel. Initially, I started the novel much earlier—before Helena was diagnosed, and the book included her receipt of the terminal diagnosis, and her reaction to it. That really stretched out and weighed down the front of the novel, and on one rainy Tuesday afternoon, I deleted 15,000 words and a month’s worth of work in one reluctant tap of the DELETE key. Poof. Gone.
That wasn’t the only major change I made. While every novel requires a heavy hand of edits, this one had a full-body makeover, four times over. I hope you enjoyed the final product. I hope you felt the love, sweat, and emotions that went into each of these chapters.
I love Helena. She’s one of the most enjoyable minds I’ve ever visited. My heart hurts for her and her struggles. Thank you for picking up this novel, and reading her story. If you enjoyed it, please leave a review online, or recommend it to a friend.
If you enjoyed my writing, you may like my other works, which are mostly romance, though I do have a suspense line (The Deanna Madden series). On the following page is a list of those novels, their genre, and a one-line description of them.
If you’ve ever considered writing your own book, you may want to check out my series of online courses. My How to Write Your First Novel course is a great, step-by-step tutorial of how to write a book, and takes you through the entire process, from idea conception to The End. You can view my courses at AlessandraTorreInk.com.
A giant ‘thank you’ goes out to Maura Kye-Casella, my agent, for her unrelenting support of my novels, and your patience with my unending rollercoaster of events. Also, my appreciation to Susan Barnes, Madison Seidler, and Perla Calas—your thoughts, insights, and suggestions on this novel were so valuable—I don’t know where this story would be without you all! Tricia Crouch—I’d be lost without your friendship, support, and organizational skills. Thank you for all that you do for me, at all hours of the night, and without ever complaining. Most of all, I appreciate my family. To my incredible husband—thank you for being the love of my life and so supportive of this crazy job and all that it entails.
Until the next story…
Alessandra
Looking for your next read? Check out these other Alessandra Torre novels.
The Girl in 6E. (Deanna Madden, #1) A sexy internet superstar hides a dark secret: she’s a reclusive psychopath.
Do Not Disturb. (Deanna Madden, #2) Fresh from prison, an online client’s casual interest quickly turns the corner into obsession.
If You Dare. (Deanna Madden, #3) Love turns deadly in this cat and mouse game where police grow closer to the internet’s biggest star.
Hollywood Dirt. (Contemporary Romance) When Hollywood comes to a small town, sparks fly between its biggest star and a small-town outcast.
Sexier Reads:
Love in Lingerie. When two best friends run a lingerie company, the only thing hotter than their product is their chemistry.
Blindfolded Innocence. (First in a series) A college student catches the eye of Brad DeLuca, a divorce attorney with a sexy reputation that screams trouble.
Black Lies, the New York Times Bestseller. A love triangle with a twist that readers couldn’t stop talking about. You’ll hate this heroine until the moment you love her.
Moonshot, the New York Times Bestseller. Baseball’s hottest player has his eye on only one thing—his team’s 18-year-old ballgirl.
Tight. A small-town girl falls for a sexy stranger on vacation. Lives intersect and secrets are unveiled in this dark romance.
Trophy Wife. When a stripper marries a rich stranger, life as a trophy wife is not anything like she expects.
Love, Chloe. (First featured on Cosmpolitan.com) A fallen socialite works for an heiress, dodges an ex, and juggles single life in the city that never sleeps.
The Ghostwriter Page 26
