How Much I Feel - Marie Force Page 0,106
not!”
“Nah,” I say, laughing, “not really. But I’m glad the deed is done, that ring is on your finger and you’ve agreed to spend forever with me.”
“I can’t wait to spend forever with you.” She looks over at me with love in her gaze. “I heard you went to see Len and Josie yesterday.”
“Of course I did. They deserved to know what I had planned, and I wanted their support. I knew it would matter to you.”
“You got it just right, Jason. Thank you for doing that.”
Her approval means everything to me. “I want to get married soon.”
“How soon?”
“This fall?”
“That’s in, like, three months!”
“Sounds about right.”
“You want to get married in three months.”
“I’d do it tomorrow, but something tells me you won’t go for that.”
“You’re correct about that.”
“So three months?”
“You really can’t wait any longer?”
“I really can’t.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing my parents own a restaurant.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you for reading Carmen and Jason’s story! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I LOVED writing it. I wrote the opening chapters (everything up to the first time they go out for dinner) more than ten years ago and have wanted to do something with the story I started then ever since. South Florida has played an important role in my life, and I’ve always wanted to set a book there. My dad attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute in the 1950s, when it was located in Miami (it’s now a university and has since moved to Daytona Beach). He fell in love with South Florida and would’ve stayed there permanently, except he was the only child of a widowed mother at home in Rhode Island. So luckily for me (and my brother), he moved back home to RI, where he met my mother and went to work as an aviation mechanic, eventually owning his own FAA-certified aviation repair station.
But every chance he got, he returned to South Florida. As a child, I swam in the pool at the Fontainebleau that Carmen recalls from her childhood and spent time in Key Biscayne and Fort Lauderdale, where my parents wintered after they retired. My dad loved it there so much, and so did we. During the writing of this book, I made two trips to Miami and loved every minute of bringing Carmen and Jason’s story to life in a place that has meant so much to me.
I’m thrilled that Alison Dasho and the Montlake team were as excited about this story as I was. After you finish reading, join the How Much I Feel Reader Group at facebook.com/groups/HowMuchIFeelReaderGroup to discuss the book with spoilers allowed. Also make sure you join my newsletter mailing list at marieforce.com and follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/marieforceauthor) and Instagram (@marieforceauthor) to keep in touch.
A huge thank-you to Laura Ortiz, who grew up in Little Havana and helped me with a million details and even sent me a Cuban care package while I was writing the book. Thank you to my longtime reader friend and Miami resident Mona Abramesco, who introduced me to Laura. Mona and Laura also did advance reads for me, which were enormously helpful, and Mona plied me with delicious Cuban food in Miami. Special thanks to Tracey Suppo and Joyce Lamb for early reads and cleanup!
While I was in Miami, I held a luncheon for area readers. This was after I had finished writing the book and was in town to add some additional local details. Attending the luncheon was Carmen Morejon, who came to Miami from Cuba when she was ten years old, accompanied only by her five-year-old brother. I had so many questions about her experience, and Carmen generously shared her story with me and agreed to do an advance read of the book. Meeting such incredible people and hearing their stories is the best part of this amazing job, and it was truly a pleasure to get to know Carmen and other Miami-area readers who contributed to this story. I appreciate your generosity and your willingness to help me with large and small details.
Sincere thanks and appreciation to my sensitivity readers: Gwendolyn Neff, Lizbeth Silva Costa, Carmen Morejon, Dinorah Shoben, Tia Kelly, Miriam Ayala, Emma Melero Juarez, Stephanie Behill, Angelica Maya and Isabel Acevedo. As always, a special thanks to my primary beta readers, Anne Woodall and Kara Conrad. And a shout-out to Angel, my wonderful tour guide in Little Havana. I enjoyed our afternoon together so much!
To the many readers who responded to my queries for insight into hospital politics, I appreciate your input. And to Sarah Hewitt, family nurse practitioner, for helping me to flesh out Jason’s career and research. I’m so thankful for Sarah’s many contributions.
A huge thanks to the fantastic, dynamic team that supports me every day—Julie Cupp, Lisa Cafferty, Holly Sullivan, Nikki Haley, Tia Kelly and Ashley Lopez—and lots of love to the home team—Dan, Emily, Jake, Brandy, Louie and Sam Sullivan.
Finally, to the readers who support my books no matter where my muse leads me, you make me feel lucky and blessed every day of my life.
Much love,
Marie
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2014 Pamela Sardinha
Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and erotic romance. Her series include Gansett Island; Fatal; Treading Water; Butler, Vermont; and Quantum.
Her books have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list thirty times. She is also a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller as well as a Spiegel bestseller in Germany.
Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults; to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can; and to never be on a flight that makes the news.
Join Force’s mailing list on her website at www.marieforce.com for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook at MarieForceAuthor and on Instagram @marieforceauthor. Email Marie at [email protected].