I have a deep fear that I’ll thank the many, many people who have helped make this book possible and end up forgetting someone. My hubby assures me this won’t happen. But we both know I’m the girl who constantly forgets to charge her cell phone and can never remember anyone’s name. So … if you contributed to Defiance and I somehow forget you in this list of thanks, I humbly beg your pardon and promise you cookies and lemon bars to make up for it.
First, I have to thank God for giving me the ability to tell stories and for being the foundation beneath my feet.
And because dedicating the book to him isn’t enough, I also want to thank my husband. Clint, thank you for letting me disappear for hours to write while you changed diapers, handled dinner, and made it possible for me to meet my deadlines. This book wouldn’t have happened without your commitment to supporting my dreams. I love you.
Thanks also to Zach, Jordan, and Tyler for watching the baby so I could write, eagerly asking me about my story, and proudly announcing to everyone that your mom was going to publish a book. I’m also grateful to you, Johanna. Finally bringing you home from China gave me so much incentive to write the book I thought might be too big for me. You are amazing kids, and I’m so blessed to be your mom.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for feeding my love of reading and for raising me to believe I could do anything I set my mind to.
I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to my awesome agent, Holly Root, for always believing in me and for being fiercely in my corner. You are a rock star in my world.
This book wouldn’t be what it is today without the help of my incredible team of critique partners and beta readers. Not only did all of you help shape this book in different ways, you are all treasured friends. M. G. Buehrlen, thank you for reading, rereading, and rereading again. And for the conversation that helped me realize I needed to include Logan’s POV. How many hours did we spend on the phone discussing this book? I’m grateful for them all! Myra McEntire, awkward kissing scenes FTW! Asking myself What would Myra do? is now my new go-to for all fictional romantic situations. Thanks also for being so excited for me every step of the way. K. B. Wagers, you’ve been by my side almost from the beginning. Thanks for being my weapons and sparring expert, my cheerleader, and my friend. Heather Palmquist, you are not only a fabulous beta reader, you are an even more fabulous sister. I’m so glad you were part of this journey with me. Sara McClung, you rock as a beta reader. Thanks for being so excited about this book. Shannon Messenger, thanks for reading scenes even while you were neck-deep in drafting, and for being unflinchingly honest. Jodi Meadows, thanks for helping me figure out what to call the Switch. And for being a huge fan of the almost-kissing scenes. Beth Revis, thanks for encouraging me as I neared my first deadline. Even though you did almost kill me with Nutella.
Tricia Bentley, even though you didn’t read Defiance as I was writing it, you were my first ever reader (many moons ago) and while you keep assuring me I don’t need to apologize for the mess of a novel you read, I really am grateful you were interested enough to keep asking me for more. You helped motivate me to finish writing my first book. Thank you.
A heartfelt thanks to the entire team at Balzer + Bray for embracing Defiance and making me feel so welcome. Kristin Daly Rens, I knew from our first conversation that you were the perfect editor for me. The llama simply confirmed my hunch. Your painstaking attention to detail and your unabashed enthusiasm for Rachel and Logan challenged me to push myself to do more than I thought I could do. Thank you. Sara Sargent, you are definitely a Ninja of many things! I appreciate you keeping me on track and making my interactions with B+B so much fun.
Thank you to Alison Klapthor and Alison Donalty for my gorgeous cover. You truly captured Rachel’s fierce spirit along with all the key elements of the book. I nearly licked my monitor the first time I saw the cover. Thank you also to Emilie Polster and Stefanie Hoffman for your fabulous marketing efforts, and to Caroline Sun and Olivia deLeon for being my publicity gurus. I appreciate all of you.
Thanks to my amazing Pixie sisters. You’ve been my cheerleaders, my readers, my source of insight, and my friends since that wonderful summer in San Francisco in 2008. I can’t imagine my publishing journey without you by my side.
While I was writing Defiance, I went on a writer’s retreat with many members of the Music City Romance Writers’ chapter. I wrote eleven thousand words that weekend, and just outside my bedroom I had the soundtrack of twenty-two women singing some pretty awesome karaoke. Whip it, MCRW! (And thank you for being a constant encouragement.)
A huge thanks to the talented Tashina Falene for designing the jewelry pieces from the book and for being so excited about the story. I also want to give a shout out to two book bloggers who have either read chapters for me or inspired me while I was drafting: Catie S. and Julie Daly. You make me want to write amazing stories. Thank you.
Finally, thank you to all of my blog readers, my Twitter followers, and my Facebook friends who got excited about this book and told a friend about it. From book bloggers to fellow writers to enthusiastic readers, you amaze me. I still have to pinch myself when I realize there are people outside of my immediate friends and family who love this book. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.