Dedication

Dedicated to Todd and Deniene Enders, my parents, for introducing me to Billy Joel.

Preface by the Author (written from an adult point of view)

Dear Reader,



All my life I've listened to the music of the past. As a child Elvis was hero, the Beatles were gods. The only "modern" music I indulged in was the incidental music from Disney's Cinderella, and I now know that, too, dates back to the fifties.



As a teenager I suddenly became aware of what I was missing in the musical realm. I distinctly remember scenes in my childhood home dealing with this issue as all teenaged girls do: hands on hips, brow furrowed, mouth pursed in a pout. "Mom, Daddy, think about it! I won't be able to torture my children with the music of my time, because all I'll know is the music from your century!" My parents just laughed.



It was during this time in my life that I first heard Billy Joel's music. I distinctly remember hearing Piano Man for the first time and tearing up because of the great truth in that sad song. It was song and other Billy Joel hits that served as my "rebellious" music, and it is on Piano Man that this novel is based. I hope the strains of Billy Joel's great talent shows through this work.



Jade Arwen Enders