Acknowledgments
Ah, fun. We’re at this part. This part that I both dread and look forward to. There are so many people that I am dying to express gratitude for, but I always feel inadequate about how I say it. And I’ll probably forget someone and feel like crap on a stick about it. Maybe this will be the book I get everyone in.
Enough stalling. On with it.
To Tom who frees me in more ways than he knows. Thank you for being my husband, my caretaker, my research assistant, my graphic designer, my children’s father, my lover, and my friend.
To my girls who will one day realize what it is Mommy writes and will be proud anyway. (If you’re not, pretend.) Thank you for being patient with my parenting skills and please know that I love you more than there are words in my books.
To my mother who maybe doesn’t even read these. I’m only who I am because of you. Thank you for the freedom you’ve given me to live my life. It’s made for the best life ever.
To Bethany Hagen, my beloved editor, book fairy, and best friend that the Internet has ever given me. And this is where my words feel inadequate. This book was so tough at the end. If not for you, for me. I am unfathomably grateful for your faithfulness. You stayed with me when you had every reason to let this project finish without you. You cannot know how much that has meant to me. I will try to make it up to you with talk of beaches and moors and Fassy and priests and tarot and Mozart and anal and gummies and Scotch.
And, also, I appear to be a crier now. Well, that’s new.
To Rebecca Friedman for being someone I enjoy working with, talking with, scheming with, plotting with, and making deals with. Let’s go to Italy and spend a few weeks, shall we? I bet we’d talk about work the whole time.
To Shanyn Day for putting up with me and doing all the things I hate as well as pretending I’m still a decent person, even though you see me when I’m really not. And for all that job stuff you do—publicity, assisting. That’s good too.
To Kayti McGee for being my work wife. You are strong and wise and witty and creative in ways that blow my mind. You’re there when I need a fresh dose of snark and an ear to hear my judgies. If you put out more, you’d be perfect.
To the best band ever, the NAturals—Gennifer Albin, Sierra Simone, Melanie Harlow, Kayti McGee, and Tamara Mataya. You ladies are my safe place. Thank you for letting me be part of you.
To Eileen Rothschild for giving me enough flexibility to be able to write All. The. Things. And for being cool and giving me contracts and marketing support and all that.
To Kimberly Brower for the audio deal (and for being a reader), and to Flavia Viotti for all the foreign deals you’re going to make for me as well as the ones you already have.
To Lauren Blakely and CD Reiss for your ideas, brainstorming and friendship on the way to world domination. You both poop gold. I’m so lucky to be able to get to sniff some of it.
To Cait Greer for keeping me formatted and within regulation at all the vendors without ever batting an eye. To Kari March for the most beautiful teasers—and such a quick turnaround! To Jenna Tyler for eyes that miss nothing—you make me look flawless.
To Josh Taylor for the unsolicited but very welcome law advice. I’ll try to frustrate you less in book two.
To Letty Caporusso, Roxie Madar, and Melanie Cesa for the early feedback. Your notes were priceless and so very appreciated. To Angela McLain for being the first to read the final version. Did you even know that? Surprise!
To Brandie Zuckerman who named Gwen and I forgot to credit her. It’s been so long now that even you have a new name. Hope your life is going as beautifully as it looks on Facebook.
To the groups I have found myself in—the women who keep me in Order (you know who you are), the women who tell me to FYW (you know who you are), and the women who write at home like me and are wildly entertained by Hiddles and dinoporn (you know who you are). When I say I’ve found myself, I don’t just mean that I ended up with you accidentally I mean that I have found my true self amongst your company. You’re beautiful people and I’m lucky to know you all.
To the amazing industry friends I’ve made along the way (this is where I’ll forget peeps)—Kristen Proby, Emma Hart, Trish Mint, Amy McAvoy, Jesey Newman, Claire Contreras, Kristy Bromberg, M. Pierce, Kyla Linde, Lisa Otto, Pepper Winters, Rachel Brookes, Melody Grace, and so many more that I can’t possibly name them all. It’s thrilling to be able to work in a field with so many people I admire. You make the daily commute from my bed to my desk worth it.
Thank you to the bloggers who support and promote and give their time and Facebook/Twitter feeds to my stories and me.
Thank you to the Free Me Street Team and the Obsessed with the Paige girls and the Hudson! Fixed Trilogy fans. I lurk in your groups way more than you realize. Thank you for the continued love, even when I’m not around.
Thank you to the READERS! Every single one of you who picked up my book when there are so many books to choose from—I am so indebted to each of you for your time and your purchase or borrow and your word-of-mouth. You have transformed my life. I am overwhelmed by you daily. DAILY. Thank you from the absolute bottom of my very filled heart.
And above all, to my God who has given me the ultimate freedom. I am awed by your plans for me and ever grateful. Thank you for seeing my beautiful soul underneath my wounds.