I owe so much to my agent, Rena Rossner. We met as university students at Johns Hopkins; I was a senior juggling a new baby and premed studies, she was a freshman majoring in poetry and nonfiction writing. Twenty years later, thousands of miles from my hometown, we found each other again, with the help of a college buddy. Thank you, Morry, for introducing me to the greatest agent and an amazing friend. Without you, Rena, I wouldn’t be holding this novel in my hands.
I want to thank my editor, Annette Pollert-Morgan, for her dedication to April’s story. Your insight and enthusiasm made the revision process enjoyable and exciting. Thank you to the publishing team at Sourcebooks Fire, especially Elizabeth Boyer and Sabrina Baskey, and Nicole Komasinski for the beautiful cover design.
My three daughters are a constant inspiration and joy. Aviva, thank you for the tireless advice on all things musical, and especially for composing and editing April’s lyrics. Miriam, thank you for being my first faithful beta reader and expert consultant on all things teen. Talia, thank you for inspiring the character of Katie. By now you are much older, but Katie’s fairy magic and innocent wisdom will always remind me of you.
Thank you to my husband, Eric, for urging me to write, and for waiting patiently while I messed around in my imaginary world. Thank you to my mother and father who encouraged me to daydream and to my sisters who smiled when I communicated with my fictional friends. (For the best “spacey Leah” imitation, please see my sister Tammy.)
And thanks to my readers for the kind support and the lovely emails asking when my next novel is coming out.