H.M. Ward [Ward - The Arrangement Vol. 26 (The Ferro Family)

There are so many people to thank for encouraging the creation and publication of THE ARRANGEMENT series. I want to be sure to include them all and tell you how this story came to be.

When I first floated the idea on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I was pushing my new baby in a stroller while watching my older kids zoom away on their scooters. As I walked along with my husband, I remember the Texas sun and the wind tugging my curls. Everything from that afternoon, the emotion of it, still bubbles up when I think about it.

You may not know this, but Im shy. My ideas come from a place somewhere between my heart and my mind, with a bit of my soul thrown in for hope. Because if I write a book that doesnt make someone feel hope, whats the point?

Shyness swallowed me whole when I mentioned to my husband that I had a new book idea. I kept it to myself for nearly ninety days. No mention that it was even brewing in my mind.

I wanted to write a story with strong, damaged women who refused to be crushed by life. I wanted to showcase the vastness of the human spirit, the desire to persevere regardless of what hand one is dealt in life. I wanted to showcase a good woman falling down the slippery slope of morality and how that decline led to the redemption of an evil man. I wanted to give people living in a state of sorrow hope.

All that sounds fun and fine. Interesting even. So how did I present this complex idea?

My husband, Mike, (who programed my phone to say Mike, the most awesome hubby ever, whenever I typed his name), was pushing the stroller now and I confessed, I want to write a story about a call girl.

Blank stare. Blink. The corners of his mouth tightened and I imagined the urge to not say something stupid flooded him. I wrung my hands and tried to keep my lower lip from trembling while I waited for his response.

One thing about creative people that most folks dont understand is the need to have fellowship with a person who is willing to set them free. Burn all the bindings. Let their imagination soar. Sometimes Im afraid of myself. That my ideas are too out there. My paintings are too weird. My stories are too strange. Having someone you utterly trust who can cut the ties of conformity (because we all want to fit in on some level), is important for creative people.

My husband and children need a strong anchor to this life. A rock in an unstable world. Its the exact opposite of what I need to be happy and excel.

Mike, the most awesome hubby ever, has always cut the strings. The smart guy also knew from my debut book that there is a fine line when talking about my stories with me. Its an emotional minefield.

I have a file of untold stories, ideas that were fleshed out, but the story was never written for whatever reason. I didnt want this story in that pile.

I could see the path of this tale, but wasnt sure of the subject matter on a social level. Would people hate the heroine? Or would they forgive her transgressions as the book examines what a woman is willing to do to survive? Plus, it was much darker than my previous works.

Mike kindly said he wasnt sure on this one. Making the main character likable would be difficult because it sounded like it would be hard to relate to Avery. My editor at the time, usually encouraged me, but her brow slid up her face and she echoed his concerns.

It was a story I felt deeply, so I wrote the book anyway. When I presented volume one, my husband said it was the best thing Id written to that point. The characters were vivid and alluring.

The reaction of readers was instant. They loved it. They loved Avery and they needed to know more about Sean.

This led to the birth of my only fan-driven series. Social media allowed me to actually ask fans what should happen next. I presented options and they voted. The story took the paths the fans chose. I originally intended this to be a five book series, but when I asked the fans, they said keep going.

No one can get enough of Sean Ferro. So more books were created. Many more than I ever dreamed.

Therefore, I would like to thank every reader who picked up volume 1 of THE ARRANGEMENT.

Thank you to every person who voted on the path of the books and asked for more.

Thank you to the shy readers who silently supported this series through your purchases.

Thank you to the people who begged your library to stock these books so they were easily accessible to everyone.

Thank you to the amazing narrator, Kitty Bang, who brought these stories to life via audiobook. You sound exactly like the Avery in my mind. Its amazing!

Thank you to my editors and proofreaders. Thank you for taking my books at midnight and getting them back to me before dawn. Thank you for your late nights and dedication to the quick production rate this series required. Without you, Id be lost.

Ive saved the big thanks for last.

Thank you Dad for making me realize that I should be proud of what I can do, even when broaching taboo topics. The confidence I learned to have in my work and in my business came from you. The best parts of my business brain and desire to learn more came from you, from watching your hard workcome hell or high waterno matter what came your way.

If I hadnt seen you power through pain and continue to work, I have no idea what I would have done these past years. Writing became a way to put food on the table when I could not stand.

Thank you for working so hard so I could have so much. Thank you for always bringing home the bacon for me and my brothers. Thank you for the unicorns and girly stuff you brought me when I was sick. Thank you for thinking I could achieve the impossible. Thank you for sharing your stories, the good and the bad. You taught me so much. Saying thank you falls short of the gratitude Id like to express. I love you.

Thank you to the woman in my life who taught me faith, resilience, and meeknessmy mother. Thank you Mom for putting up with me and my incessant story writing when I was a teenager, forever writing and dreaming. Thank you for every Girl Scout trip, every sewing lesson, every Sunday School class, and singing on the pew next to me. Thank you for pigtails and ruffles. Thank you for not believing that I didnt like sparkles when I wore solid black for nearly a decade. Its good to have someone who remembers who I am even if I forget. Thank you for being the mother I needed. You had your hands full with me.

Thank you to my children who know Mom can do anything. Thank you for encouraging me to seek out happiness despite what life threw at me. Thank you for our trips, the jets, the long car rides, the crazy stories, and figuring out life alongside me.

Thank you, Belle, for reading my dark books and helping me see the need for balancing dark and light. Youre the person who made that need clear. For that I cant thank you enough. Even in times of darkness there is light, and you reminded me.

Thank you, Michael, for your steadfast silence, your unfailing support, and the look of awe on your face when I say Ive not done much with my life. Thank you for reminding me who I am when I get too overwhelmed to remember. Youre an inspiration to me and always have been. Were so alike in some ways and so different in others. Im blessed, lucky, with tons of good juju to have a young man like you as my son.