Acknowledgments

Since the publication of Lies that Bind, the spy who inspired the disinformation elements in this series, Lawrence Martin-Bittman, has passed away. Department D wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for him. I often refer to Larry as The Most Interesting Man in the World—a communist spy turned journalism professor turned watercolor artist. He serves as inspiration not only for the espionage plot in these books, but for a life lived to the fullest. Thank you, Larry, for replying to an email from a BU alum you’d never met, for inviting me into your home and answering every question, and for reading Proof of Lies and offering notes. My gratitude to you stretches far beyond an acknowledgments page.

To Taylor Martindale Kean—we did it! You were one of the first people to ever read Proof of Lies and you agreed to represent it, and me, many years later despite its long history. Thank you for making my dream for this series come true and for fighting for me every step of the way. I’m so glad you interned for Jeyoyne Adams, and I’m so glad you were the agent to sell this series. It was meant to be.

Thank you to everyone at Entangled, especially my editor, Alycia Tornetta.

All the travel in my novels is based on my real-life experience. So thank you to the random Polish men dressed as clowns and apes who tried to open our car door on Wet Monday. Thank you to the Grand Panorama Bed & Breakfast in Wisniowa, Poland for suggesting, via Facebook, that my husband and I visit your crazy Easter Monday celebration. Seeing the Easter Markets in Krakow, Poland; Dresden, Germany; and Prague, Czech Republic was an amazing experience and I’m so glad I got to represent it in my novels.

Thanks to Ric and Leticia Ochman, Rachel Loeper, Riley Londres, Eric Smith, Ben Reynolds, Jenee Chizick, Marissa Nicole Rodriguez, and Head House Books for helping to spread the word about this series. Thank you to Chris Klock for taking all my author photos and for bringing me into Penn. I love meeting writers and students, and I am grateful to all of the teachers, librarians, and organizations who have invited me to speak. Special thanks to everyone who has contributed to my book research lately, particularly: Lizmary Ortiz, Melinda Lopez, Stephanie Olivieri, Leah Popowich, Liza Herzog, Tara Shirazi, Mara Delgado, Brian Ferdman, Kathy Handley, Christina McGovern and Kara Kennedy, Sheri Klock, Maureen and Kelly Fleagle, and Meg and Bob Salladino. Thanks to my Ridley Girls, college friends (and roommates!), neighbors, and new mommy friends for showing up to all my events and making me feel a lot less nervous. There’s no better way to end a book launch than cheesesteaks at 2am!

I have fantastic in-laws who not only give me time to write, but also do some serious copyediting. Thank you to Paula and Larry Wallach for catching all those typos and for watching our kids while Jordan and I traveled around Europe. And thank you to all the Wallachs for your support over the years.

I am who I am because of my Rodriguez Family. Thank you to my brother, Lou Rodriguez, for always looking for a way to help anyone who asks. Your generosity is inspiring. Teaching for CTY at Johns Hopkins has made me a better writer and person, so thanks to my sister Natalie Rodriguez Jansorn for opening the door to that world. A special thanks to my parents. As any writer knows, it often takes years of rejection before you ever see your book on a shelf. That couldn’t be truer for this series, and I appreciate my parents for always being my cheerleaders and telling me again and again that Anastasia deserves to be read.

To my husband, Jordan, there is no one else I’d want to travel this world with—literally. Reading these books is like a travel journal for us, and I love seeing you on the pages. Thank you for making my writing dream possible. One day Juliet and Lincoln will read these books and know how awesome we are.