As was the case with The Dolls, I couldn’t have written this novel without the generosity and hard work of my literary agent, Holly Root; my partner in crime, Nick Harris; and my editors, Sara Sargent and Viana Siniscalchi. You guys rock!
Thanks also to Wendy Toliver, my longtime writing buddy. Not only did you give me great notes—again!—but you put on the world’s best writing retreat, during which I wrote a huge chunk of this book. I honestly don’t know if I could have finished if not for that lovely, inspiring time spent in the Toliver lodge. So thanks to my Swan Valley writing friends: Jay Asher, Allison van Diepen, Emily Wing Smith, Aprilynne Pike, Linda Gerber, and of course Wendy. Your books are all amazing, by the way! Can’t wait to see you all again!
Jerry Gandolfo from the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum was very helpful to me in my initial research stages, but it’s important to underscore here that zandara and andaba are not voodoo. I used a handful of similar elements to build Eveny’s world, but voodoo itself is a complex, fascinating set of religious and spiritual beliefs and customs. Zandara and andaba don’t incorporate religion in the same way that voodoo does, and they’ve evolved much differently over time.
Thanks also to the great folks at Waxman Leavell Literary Agency, The Story Foundation, and Balzer + Bray, especially Julianna Wojcik (with your awesome drawings that always cheer me up!), Alessandra Balzer, Donna Bray, Caroline Sun, Veronica Ambrose, Bethany Reis, and Nellie Kurtzman. And of course a warm thanks to Farley Chase, Kate McLennan, Heather Baror-Shapiro, Elisabetta Migliavada (and her wonderful team at Garzanti), and the great folks at Usborne, including Becky Walker, Amy Dobson, Hannah Reardon, Anne Finnis, and Stephanie King.
Finally, thanks as always to my wonderful family, especially my husband, Jas. Love you!