Ravished (The Teplo Trilogy #1) (40 page)

She
loved
him.

"Oh, Christ," he groaned, his entire body shuddering like a breeze had gone through him.

RHAPSODY: Book Two of the Teplo Trilogy will be available in the fall of 2015.

Acknowledgements

Ravished
and the rest of the
Teplo
Trilogy would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of so many people who encouraged me to tell this story... and were there to reel me back in when I pushed a little too far
.
Professor Lewis, thanks for being a voice of reason when I needed one.

Melanie Moreland, Marita Stout, Les Sharpe, Michelle Knoll, Andrea Cope, and Amy Lovell... thank you girls for all of your hard work with this story over the years. Your faith in me, your guidance, and your friendship have meant more to me than I can possibly tell you. Leah Coots, Bridget LaMonica, Leanne Creamer, Lisa Michel, and Jennie Ashby, thanks for letting me rope you into reading this in the wee hours when I was on the verge of a panic attack. I love you all! L.J. Anderson, thank you for doing such a phenomenal job on the cover. I could not love it more. Courtney Schulist, thank you for being another set of eyes and for doing such a great job.

SS, you've listened patiently to me obsessing about this trilogy and the research for years, and never once complained. I don't know how you've put up with me through all of it, because I drove myself crazy, but I am so grateful for you. You fed me when I forgot to eat, made me take a step back when I was pulling my hair out, and centered and calmed me in ways no one else has ever been able to do. My life wouldn't be the same without you. Thank you for being my dance partner, my mentor, my lover, and my best friend.

Jayme Stephens, Belinda Combs, thank you for letting me tell a little part of Cassie's story here.

So many of you loved this story when it was a fic, and wrote me thousands of reviews and tweets and emails to tell me.... I will be forever grateful for your love and support. I hope you're not too mad at me for the changes this story has undergone. You pleaded with me to publish it, and I hope I did this first part justice for you.

Finally, I'd like to say a big thank you to my fellow erotic romance authors and readers. You guys take so much shit from so many different people. I'm damn proud of you for refusing to let that stop you. Erotica is beautiful, it's necessary, and you guys prove again and again just why so many people love this genre. Be proud of yourselves, loves, for daring to step outside the box. You're bloody brilliant, and I love you for it.

About the Author

Ayden lives in the heart of Arkansas with her childhood sweetheart and husband of eleven years, and their five furry minions. When not writing, she spends her time hiking, reading, volunteering, causing mischief, and building a Spork army. Ayden graduated
summa cum laude
with her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology in 2009 before going on to complete her graduate degree in CJ and Law. She currently puts her education to use in the social services and CJ field. Ayden also writes New and Young Adult fiction under the penname A.K. Morgen. You can learn more about her and her writing at
http://aydenmorgen.com
or by following her on Twitter
@AKMorgen
.