No Longer Our Sea (Book 1)

Acknowledgments

I don't even know what to say. At first, I never thought I'd actually finish this book. But turns out, after a year, one six month hiatus, tons of new characters, renaming, and writing, I finally did it. I completed my first book.

I'd like to thank my parents for never losing faith in me, no matter what I do. I'd like to thank them for giving me the materials and space I needed to achieve my goals and for encouraging me as I go through them. I'd like to thank my dear cousins, Nsimba and Nzuzi, for being so good to me, teaching me so much, and for being the sisters I never had. I'd like to thank my close friends for sitting there with me, listening to me ramble about my book and it's characters for hours on end (even sometimes helping me figure out the plot) and for sampling it even though most of them didn't want to. My ELA teachers, who told me to keep on writing, no matter what comes my way. As well as to everyone who told me to keep this huge imagination of my mine alive.

A big shout-out to The Little Mermaid, since the movie itself, is what made me fall in love with mermaids and the ocean. I probably would have never written this if that movie didn't start the life-long obsession I have with mermaids. Thank you to my dog, Potato, for the late-night snuggles and laying by my feet while I wrote the next chapter. And finally, a huge thank you to one friend in particular for telling me the original idea to this story had the potential to be something great. Who, even when I told her I didn't think so, she kept asking me for more chapters until I eventually came up with the story I have today. Thank you, Valerie, for being my first ever real fan, and for pushing me out of my hiatus and inspiring me to continue.

Thank you.