by Ashley Pullo
“I love you,” Adam whispers.
“As much as tacos?” I ask.
“I love tacos . . . I love you, always.”
“Always,” I answer.
My fingers instinctively trace the jagged outline of his scar as we listen to music and talk about all the random things we’re so accustomed to discussing.
“Hey, are you coming to my gig next week?” I let out a small giggle as he kisses my head.
“Are you referring to Parents’ Night at Will’s summer camp?” I blush . . . not out of shame or embarrassment but because I’m proud.
“Of course, I can’t wait to see my name written in bright pink chalk on the camp chalkboard!” I muse.
“Babe, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Acknowledgments
Ahem, I would like to acknowledge that I just wrote a novel . . . major props to myself for fabricating and actually executing the magnificent love story of Chloe and Adam. Now that my humble-bragging is out of the way, allow me to be a bit more serious.
I would like to thank my parents for always being proud of me. I drew a lot of inspiration from their kind hearts and compassion and I promise that the dirty language dispersed throughout the book is by no means a reflection of their parenting skills. I also pray that they actually take the time to read this book before passing it along to their Sunday school class. To my children, thank you for giving me a reason to write and thank you for giving me time to write . . . like the hours in the car outside pre-school and the bi-weekly soccer practices. I’m okay with having people think I live in a van with only a laptop and iced coffee as long as they also think I’m an incredible mom. Thank you a million times over to my Gimlet Girls ~ MJ and JB. The countless words of encouragement, ideas, editorial expertise and artistic direction were the driving force in keeping me grounded and thoroughly entertained. Who would have known that the sweet girls in those GHS IB-English classes would evolve into a writing/editing trio? It is an honor to be your friend and no amount of liquor and candy will ever be able to repay my debt to your unwavering dedication. Now, start working on those t-shirts we discussed! Did you see the cover for this book? Thanks to the artistic genius of my buddy Nick, my quirky idea that started on a napkin became an elegant and classical masterpiece. Thank you to my agent/legal advisor/hockey consultant/rock band mentor/psychotherapist/relentless fact checker, VP. Thank you to Colleen Hoover for your kind words of encouragement and self-publishing know-how. Thank you to Erika for formatting, reformatting and all the computer stuff I will never understand. This computer gal is so brilliant, I’m positive she secretly encoded government messages throughout the novel. Thank you to my first fangirl, Kelsie {#balladbandwagon}. Thank you to all my G-town friends that caught the typos and respectfully alerted me. It’s impossible to have a book titled The Ballad and not bow down to the musicians that offer so much inspiration. More than anything, I wanted the story of Chloe and Adam to sing, like a soundtrack that summons all sorts of feelings. This idea started after a concert . . . maybe it was the right time and the right place, but Brandi Carlile handed me the story of Chloe and Adam on an emotional platter and I just ran with it. And to the countless other musical mentions, thank you for shaping the characters into layered individuals with actual thoughts and opinions. Thank you to the best show in the history of television . . . LOST. Creating interesting characters with tiny details that kept wrapping around and reappearing is something I picked up from my religious study of the passengers of Oceanic 815. To Chloe and Adam, thank you for invading my thoughts and then gracefully exiting in time for summer, but I will see you two lovebirds again in August.
Lastly, to my husband . . . pure love is for always.
About the Author
Hey y’all! I’m Ashley Pullo, a New York transplant with an abundance of Texas charm and a proclivity for all things pop-culture. I like to think that I’m witty, gorgeous and highly intelligent but honestly, I’m not that funny. I’m a suburban mom living the dream with my handsome husband, two perfect children and our moderately cool dog, Roscoe. Life is pretty awesome, and you taking the time to read my novel made it that much sweeter!
If you like me, please follow me on Facebook, twitter or around the grocery store. I love interacting with people and welcome new friendships.
Facebook www.facebook.com/authorashleypullo
Twitter @ashpullo
Email [email protected]
Or find me at any local Starbucks around 3 p.m.
Adam Ford has his own story,
calm and composed of course . . .
The Refrain
{The Bridge Series}
Coming early 2014
