the long way home [ h.s. ]

Acknowledgements

WOW.

Here I am at the end of my very first book, and I have so many emotions pouring out. I can't believe it's over! This has been such an incredible journey and I don't even know where to start in terms of saying everything I want to say.

First and foremost: thank you to everyone who's been reading The Long Way Home and showing such unbelievable support in the past couple of years. Without you, I never would've been able to complete this book. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

It's impossible to describe the feeling I get when reading your comments and seeing how deeply some of you have connected to this particular story. I've received messages from you explaining your own personal experiences with bullying and the loss of loved ones, and let me just say that it's such a humbling thing that you've trusted me with those pieces of your life. I'm honored to have been able to write something that you connected with, and were touched by.

This year I lost a family member that I loved deeply, and for a long time I lacked motivation to do anything. I felt very sad, and alone; but with time, love, and the opportunity to heal, I've realized that this is the exact reason I wrote TLWH.

Life is a series of meetings and partings, and each of those aspects are equally important in shaping who we are. I have many friends who've been bullied. I think everyone experiences it on some level and it's important to me that we fight against it and always look out for one another. We're all beautiful and wonderful and deserving of love and respect-- so let's always seek ways to take care of ourselves, and of others.

On another note, death sucks. It happens all the time, and it's not easy. Writing this story has enabled me to accept the idea of loss, and if there's one thing I'd hope that you took away from it, it's that love is ALWAYS stronger than pain. Even when things are at their darkest, there's a light around the corner.

And the best part is that we all have each other! x

I wish that I could personally thank each one of you, but unfortunately that would take a lifetime. Please know how grateful I am for ALL of you. Thank you for reading, thank you for commenting and messaging, thank you for being so kind and always making my day better. You are all so special and loved, and I hope you never forget that.

Lastly, I have to thank my dearest friend Holly (bowtiesandstars_ ) for all her support and for constantly encouraging me not to give up. She's been with us from the very beginning, and without her this whole book might've not happened at all. I talked with her about the idea and ever since that day she's been on my side, reminding me that I can do whatever I put my mind to and just being an all-around amazing friend. Oh, and she's also an incredible author, too! I would highly recommend checking out her stories. They're AMAZING.

If you want to look at my other stories, they're going to be updated frequently from now on! All I can say is that if you liked The Long Way Home, I have a feeling you'll enjoy the others as well.

And feel free to message me anytime! I love hearing from you!

All my love,
Sophie
xx