The Truth About That Summer

authors note

Dear readers,

For someone who spends a lot of time writing, I simply cannot find the words to thank you guys enough. I never thought it would take so long to finish this book and I never anticipated such long breaks between chapters. But you guys have stuck with me and for that I'm so, so, so grateful. Truly. The comments you all have left, telling me how this story or how Dylan's healing affected you or resonated with you... they almost make me cry every time. Whether my stories/characters make you laugh or cry - I'm here for it all (as evil as it sounds.)

This book was definitely a labor of love. Dylan's story and her love for her brother felt so important to finish, but at times, writing the story itself was very heavy. Certain moments made me cry to write and rewrite and edit and re-edit.

Ultimately though, the bond Dylan shares with her brother, and her journey from such a dark and lonely place to a place of healing and hope, felt too important to give up on. I hope you enjoyed moving through Dylan's grief with her and watching her transform from someone who had no idea how to move forward in a world without her brother, to someone ready to take a breath and live her life, even with sad, difficult moments sprinkled in. I'm so proud of her. Of anyone who pulls themselves out of a dark place like that.

And Luke. I know how much we all hated Luke. Or wanted to hate him but couldn't. Obviously that was done intentionally, but hopefully we all now know that he has a heart of gold. A true friend, through and through. I hope that even when they became more intimidate, it was obvious how close Dylan and Luke's bond was in terms of friendship. They grew up together, and I like to think that wherever life takes them, they'll be at each others sides. He definitely didn't deserve Dylan's hate or the gossip around town and maybe some people don't quite understand how he could forgive Dylan for all the hurtful things she'd said to him, when nothing was ever truly his fault. I think part of it was his own guilty conscience. The other was his care for Dylan and Casey. His heart is just so, so big when it comes to those Anderson siblings.

Dylan's parents are another thing all together. I know how easy it is to feel exactly as Dylan does, that her parents didn't care about her or were wrong for what they did. Dylan is justified and what they did maybe was wrong in some ways. But through Dylan's conversation with her dad, I hoped to show everyone how much Casey's death affected everyone in the family. There's no "right" way to grieve. Their whole world was rocked and they tried to pick up the pieces in the only way they knew how. Her parents were just humans, trying to deal with an unbearable loss, in whatever way they could. That's not to say that Dylan deserved it, but hopefully it makes it more understandable.

Well, dear readers. Here we are. I definitely need a slight That Summer break. This story was heavy and had some dark moments. But I am not completely ready to close the door on my That Summer characters. I have some ideas floating around: maybe a look into the future to see where Dylan and Luke and Finn are some years ahead. But I'm also considering a novella focusing on THAT SUMMER - the one of Casey's accident, the one that changed everything. It would be a multiple POV storyline. Let me know if any of this is something you'd be interested in and I'll do what I can to make it happen. No promises because things can always change, but we'll see. If you have any suggestions, questions about the story or characters, or any last comments, please feel free to leave a comment here - I read every single one.

And one more time, because I feel so fortunate to have gotten to write and share this story with you all, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!❤️