Another wave of tears was about to crash over her and so, not wanting to dampen the mood, Maggie wandered away from the group to look at the garden. It was planted exclusively in shades of green and white, which complemented the slate grey of the hard landscaping, but a flash of red and iridescent blue caught her eye. It was a peacock butterfly fluttering from flower to flower, a tiny buzz of vibrant colour against the pale background. Maggie had never believed in anything even vaguely supernatural, but maybe she could make an exception, just this once.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The trigger for this book was a conversation that I overheard. People really should be careful when they chat – you never know who might be listening! However, I hope that the book that emerged from that initial spark of interest would no longer be recognisable by the original storyteller.
When I began writing in January 2020 the world was still looking relatively normal. By the time the manuscript went to my editor, we had been locked in our homes due to the coronavirus pandemic for several months and life had become very different. Whilst I managed to visit York in the early part of the year, all other research had to be done from my desk using the power of the internet and my imagination, so please forgive any geographical errors that I might have made.
As ever, there are people to thank. My editor at Amazon Publishing, Victoria Pepe, is always wonderfully supportive of me and my ideas and this book has been no exception. Thank you, Victoria for always being in my corner. Thanks also to Sammia Hamer and Hannah Bond who worked with me on this one too. It was a pleasure. In addition, I owe a big thank you to Celine Kelly who never fails to improve my books through her skilful and good-humoured guidance. The wonderful team at Amazon Publishing is huge and I’m always reluctant to list names in case I miss anyone out by accident. Suffice to say they are all never less than positive and cheerful and it is a joy to work with them all.
Finally, to my family. The family unit, in all its many guises, is at the root of my books and I am blessed that my own is so very supportive of everything I try to do. Thank you to you all.