Blades

Blades AUTHOR'S NOTE

Author's Note

"Here's to.... cold rinks, early mornings, countless hours of practice, landing a jump for the first time, good days, bad days, everything in between, a new injury every day, being in pain and skating your heart out anyway, road trips, plane trips, feeling like you can't breathe at the end of your program, breaking in new skates, year round training, weight lifting, getting yelled at to turn your warm up music down, counting calories, going CrAzY when you're off the ice, new dresses, competitor parties, goodie bags, lunch breaks, final rounds, practice ice, 4 am wake up calls, cheering for your friends, eating out with your friends after a long day at the rink, sleepovers, trophies, medals, skating when you're injured, physical therapy, adrenaline rushes, patience, perseverance, being exhausted, growing up, disappointments, mistakes, let downs, friends who understand what skating means, miracles, love, best friends for life, and most of all - the hardest and best sport ever.. Figure Skating... you only understand it if you've lived it." - Sonja Henie

You're allowed to skip this if you like, but I just wanted to say: welcome to the world inside my head. As I'm writing this, 'Blades' has been in the making for four years – the characters have been to school with me every day, Freddie has been in the back of my mind every time I go to the rink myself, Charlie has looked on as I taught myself guitar. This book is incredibly important to me; it's a true labour of love. Still, there's no denying that I'm an amateur at writing and that I want to make this book the best it can be, so giving me feedback on it or telling me how to improve is greatly appreciated! I won't flip out at you for giving me your opinion, even if for some reason I disagree.

A few other things to say:

1. This is a story about two things: ice dance and people. Perhaps that seems obvious, but my point is that it's not about 'average' teenagers (because I don't believe that anyone in the world is average) and that it's not the kind of book in which there will be some dramatic car crash halfway through in which the love interest dies. I'm aware that it might be slow, sometimes, and then fast at others, because that's how real life is. As a skater myself, I want to tell the story of how rinks actually are, and the amazing people that inhabit them, by being realistic.

2. I'll put my hands up now and admit that I'm a slow updater. Know that I'm never ignoring this story, but I won't publish until I'm happy, and we all know how life has a habit of getting in the way.

3. I have put so much more into this story than just the writing of it, and I want you to be able to access that because I think it might add something. I will do my best to attach pictures and videos to every chapter of songs, dances, people etc. which have inspired me (if you don't know who Virtue and Moir are now, you sure as hell will by the end). My photobucket can be accessed from my profile, and I'll be uploading character sketches. Start by watching the incredible trailer that @canihazzacookie made for me!

4. I'll finish by being a pain and saying that, yes, this is entirely MY story, MY idea – I will not appreciate being accused of copying, or being copied myself. Just don't do it.

5. With all of that said: enjoy! I know that I've enjoyed writing it :D