Fragments of Light
Page 68
A special thank-you to those who have inspired me over the twenty years that this story has been brewing around in my head. To Billy Idol for his Cyberpunk album; a world unfolded in my mind every time I listened to that album. All of the songs on that album inspired me in one way or another. And to all of the old Shinder’s crew from 1998–1999: Thank you for being there for me when I had no one else to turn to, and for opening my eyes to the whole underground punk scene. I don’t need to name names; you all know who you are. You made a huge impact on my life.
I would also like to thank my two editors, Amy from Story Centric Editing for developmental editing and Crystal Watanabe from Pikko’s House for copy and line editing. Amy navigated a story that was completely rough and helped me craft it into something special. Crystal completely understood my characters, and I absolutely love how she helped elevate my manuscript to the next level. There were times I sat and laughed at her comments (believe me, they were all good comments) due to her sense of humor. I am thankful to have met both these wonderful women who have strengthened my writing journey. Also, thank you to the two proofreaders from Pikko’s House, Sarah and Cheryl, for finding all the little errors throughout the story. I am forever grateful to you both!
A wonderful thank-you to Mansik Yang (Yam) for doing the illustrations for my cover and character portraits. When Yam replied to my email inquiry for the project, I think I didn’t sleep for a whole week—that’s how excited I was. His level of detail never ceases to amaze me. The first time he sent over a black and white sketch of the novel cover, I cried. It was a special moment to see Yam capture the very essence of my characters. It was like he knew exactly what I was picturing in my head. I am truly blessed and humbled that he was able to contribute to this project.
Thank you to Jenny from Seedlings for laying out a kick ass cover, and to Doug for the awesome maps. You took my silly, nonsensical drawings and made it look freaking sick. You’re the best!
I would also like to thank my alpha readers, Heather, Jessica, and my husband. I can’t tell you how much incredible feedback I got from these three, who helped develop my story into what it is. Heather helped me make Kyle more loveable and had amazing feedback for almost every single character and plot point. Jessica gave me good insight into the story, especially with Derek’s storyline. My husband evaluated the story from a male perspective, telling me what men would and wouldn’t do and helped me understand how to ride a motorcycle.
I also want to thank my beta readers and readers who read snippets of my story to give me specific feedback, especially my multiple prologues (I had eight different ones written!). Air V, Devin, Lauren, Katie, and Kenneth. If I am forgetting anyone, please forgive me! I thank you, too!
Sending a quick shout-out to Brian Alvarez for naming Kyle’s band.
And finally, a big thank-you to A Bunch of Lunatics and 200 Rogues, two writing groups that have given me so much support, and my friend David, who has supported me on my writing journey.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beth Hodgson was born and raised in Minnesota. During her college years, she worked and went to school in downtown Minneapolis, the city that inspired the kingdom of Arcadia in Fragments of Light. She worked as a graphic artist and illustrator for several years, then switched industries to retail management in high fashion.
Currently, she is married and stays at home with her three young children and writes in her spare time. When not writing or hanging out with the family, Beth loves to make costumes, doodle her characters, and play Skyrim and Hearthstone. Her favorite color is violet, but she has a secret love for green.