In the course of writing this tale, I wound up going through two of the biggest events of my life. This past summer, I was about a third of the way into drafting A Court of Frost and Starlight when I got the worst sort of phone call from my mom: my father had suffered a massive heart attack, and it was unlikely that he would survive. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle, and the fact that my dad is alive today to see this book come out fills me with more joy than I can express.
The incredible ICU team at the University of Vermont in Burlington will forever have my deepest gratitude. Not only for saving my father’s life, but also for the unparalleled care and compassion that he (and my entire family) received during the two weeks we spent camped out in the hospital. The ICU nurses will always be my heroes—your tireless hard work, unfailing positivity, and remarkable intelligence are the stuff of legends. You offered my family a ray of hope during the darkest days of our lives, and never once made us feel the tremendous weight of the odds stacked against us. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you do and have done, both for my family and for countless others.
I managed to finish writing A Court of Frost and Starlight after that (thanks to a few healing weeks spent up in beautiful Maine), but it wasn’t until early autumn that the second life-changing thing happened: I found out that I was pregnant. To go from a summer that ranks among the worst days of my life to that sort of joy was such an enormous blessing, and though this tale will release a few weeks before I’m due to give birth, A Court of Frost and Starlight will always hold a special place in my heart because of it.
But I couldn’t have gotten through these long months of working on this project without my husband, Josh. (I couldn’t get through life without Josh.) So, thank you to the greatest husband in any world, for taking such good care of me, both before and during this pregnancy, and making sure that I had everything I needed to stay focused and make this book a reality (some prime examples: endless plates of snacks, tea on demand, finding me the comfiest of pillows to prop my swollen feet on). I love you to the stars and back, and I can’t wait for this next epic chapter in our journey together.
And Annie. My sweet, sassy babypup, Annie. Thank you for the warm cuddles and whiskery kisses, for being such a joy and a comfort on both the brightest and darkest of days. There is no greater or more faithful canine companion than you. I love you forever.
As always, I owe a huge debt to my agent, Tamar Rydzinski. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being in my corner, for keeping me sane, and for your wisdom and guidance. None of this would be possible without you.
To the badass team at the Laura Dail Literary Agency: you guys rock. Thank you for everything. And Cassie Homer: you are the absolute best, and I am so grateful for all that you do.
Bethany Buck: thank you for all your help with this book, and for being such a lovely person. And thank you x infinity to the entire team at Bloomsbury: Cindy Loh, Cristina Gilbert, Kathleen Farrar, Nigel Newton, Rebecca McNally, Sonia Palmisano, Emma Hopkin, Ian Lamb, Emma Bradshaw, Lizzy Mason, Courtney Griffin, Erica Barmash, Emily Ritter, Alona Fryman, Alexis Castellanos, Grace Whooley, Alice Grigg, Elise Burns, Jenny Collins, Beth Eller, Kelly de Groot, Lucy Mackay-Sim, Hali Baumstein, Melissa Kavonic, Diane Aronson, Donna Mark, John Candell, Nicholas Church, Anna Bernard, Kate Sederstrom, and the entire foreign rights team: I’m so thrilled to be published by you.
Charlie Bowater: Your art is such an inspiration to me on so many levels. Thank you for all of your tremendous work, and for the truly stunning border on the cover. It’s such a dream come true to collaborate with you, and I can’t wait to work with you more in the future.
To my family: Thank you for the love and support you gave my dad and me this summer. You flew and drove in from all across the country to be there for us in Vermont, and almost a year later, I still don’t have the words to convey my gratitude or how much I love you all. I am so very blessed to have you in my life.
To my parents: it’s been one hell of a year, but we made it. I’ll never stop being amazed and grateful that I can even say those words. I love you both.
To my marvelous friends (you know who you are): Thank you for being there when I needed you most, for checking on me and my family, and for never failing to bring a smile to my face.
And lastly, to everyone out there who has picked up my books: thank you. You are the greatest group of people that I’ve ever met, and I’m honored to have you as readers. To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered.