About how much time a day do you spend on the internet? If I’m not careful, I can easily spend hours surfing the web until I end up feeling grumpy about just how much time I’ve wasted. But I’ve also made some amazing friends online and use the internet to stay connected to people I care about.
Some of the most wonderful people I’ve met online are fellow writers. I often get together with authors on Twitter to write together and keep each other motivated. There are fellow Harlequin authors like Anna Adams, who has written for Superromance and Heartwarming, and Danica Winters, who writes for Intrigue. There’s L. E. Wilson, who writes paranormal books and whom I finally got to meet in person while I was on vacation last year, and fledgling author Rachel Berros, who’s still awaiting her first sale. We even have authors join us from overseas, like Anne Marie Stamnestro in Oslo. I am very thankful for the encouragement and friendship they bring to my day.
Writing about Celeste and Jonathan really made me think about how I use technology, especially when it gets in the way of spending time with those I love. I hope you enjoyed this story and are able to find balance in your own life, whether you’re reading this in a paper book or an electronic reader. Thank you again to all the amazing readers who’ve gotten in touch through email and written letters. I really enjoy hearing from you!
You can find me on Twitter, @MaggieKBlack, or at www.maggiekblack.com.
Thank you all for sharing this journey with me,
Maggie
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
—Ecclesiastes 3:11
With thanks to my wonderful agent, Melissa Jeglinski, for her enthusiasm and support, and to my editor, Emily Rodmell, for entrusting me with this story and always pushing me to become a better author. Thanks also to Debby Giusti and Dana R. Lynn, who are writing the next two books in this series. I can’t wait to read them.
Finally, thank you to the friend who recently told me off for ignoring who I was with and texting at the dinner table. You were right. Thanks for helping me think about my relationships and how I use my phone in a new way.
Contents
Time was running out for Celeste Alexander. Her sneakered feet tapped on the floor beneath the desk. Her fingers flew over the keyboard so quickly it seemed more like a rapid dance than typing, knowing each keystroke could be her last before US Marshal Jonathan Mast arrived to escort her to her new life in the witness protection program. The early-morning sky lay dark over wintery Pennsylvania farmland outside the safe house window. She knew she should sleep. After all, she had no idea how long the journey ahead would be until she finally reached
