Acknowledgments

I am bursting with gratitude to the universe. And to loads of people.

Thank you, Ruth Linka, for being a dream-maker and holding down the Canada fort for me and for being such an amazing beacon of hard, noble work. Thank you, Pete Kohut, for the gorgeous cover and Emily Shorthouse, Cailey Cavallin, and all of the Brindle & Glass publishing team for your hard work.

Huge thanks to Lynne Van Luven for her expert editing and sculpting guidance! Big thanks to Heather Sangster for the wonderfully attentive copyediting and proofing.

Thank you to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Edmonton Arts Council, Edmonton Artist Trust Fund, and Banff Centre for the Arts Writing Program for their support and encouragement. Jane Bisbee, Vern Thiessen, and Paul Pearson, wonderful helpers for the arts.

Thank you to Duncan Turner and my former colleagues at the BPAA for all the support and wisdom, I miss you guys! Kathy Shute would win hands down the best boss/mentor worldwide award if there were one.

Thank you, Mom and Dad and brother Martin, for the love and all that Watson-ness and for surrounding me with books books books. And big thanks to Dad for the best gift ever, the babysitting fund that buys me time to myself to write. Huge thanks to our own Mary Poppins Blanaid Hennessy!

For all the super love and support, thank you, Irish family–Youghalees and Dubliners alike.

Huge thanks and big love to bff J-girl. Thanks for speaking the same language and being there always.

And thanks to MW for all that early inspiration.

Thank you, beloved Parisians, English pals, E-town buddies for life, BC sisters, and friends all around the world for all the love.

Thank you, Sheffieldians and Rob Watson, for putting me on a cosmic trail to find creative fulfillment and the best husband ever.

Thank you, ES, for your confidence-engendering love and guidance.

Thank you, stepsisters, for being so inspiring in so many ways.

Thank you, Andrew Struthers, for being so damn smart and such a good teacher.

Thank you, U of A English department, especially Kristjana Gunnars and Ted Bishop.

RK, you and your Bath Spa team were better than I could have conjured. CD, you rocked my writing world with your generous and insightful feedback. Bath Spa Spring Chickens, thanks for those helpful and fun-filled jamming sessions.

Thank you, JK, for showing me how to choose the creative path, and for the big bad love too.

Lorne and Vanessa, you are not gone, you are always with me, especially when listening to music, which is most of the time.

Thanks to everyone I have forgotten to mention.

Thank you to all the musicians whose lyrics I quote and to Ben S. for all his encyclopedic help and affection. Also, infinite thanks to all the amazing musicians/directors/writers who feed my soul every day.

Thank you, Aengus, for choosing me and for being who you are, an amazing man, awesome husband, my own personal editor extraordinaire, and love of my life. And thank you, Toto and Felix, you gorgeous little monkeys are my giant joy-makers.