I started this book alone, or so I thought. By the time I finished it, I realized how wrong I was. I’m lucky to have many kinds of support and many wonderful people in my life, and many who are not mentioned here are still very much in my thoughts.
The first chapter of this book was workshopped at Viable Paradise XII. Instructors Jim Macdonald, Debra Doyle, John Scalzi, Steven Gould, Laura Mixon, Elizabeth Bear, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, and Teresa Nielsen Hayden all helped me hone my craft, but more important, introduced me to the writing community that still helps me thrive. Classmates I met there have gone from occasional conference meetups to valued colleagues and dear friends. Marko Kloos, Julie Day, Curtis Chen, Katrina Archer, Chang Terhune, and all the rest of you: Dirty Dozen for the win.
The Nachos and Narratives writing group, Nicole Winters, Stephen Geigen-Miller, and Melanie Fishbane, and past members Heather Jackson, Sean Davidson, and Greg Beettam: you are all quality writers and quality people, and I’m honored to share my work with you and share yours in return.
I’ve been part of a number of other writing groups, retreats, and informal clusters in the time it took to finish this book, and I’m also grateful for the input and support of Bill Hopkins, Mike Rooks, Pam Chackeris, Michael J. DeLuca, Scott Andrews, Erica Hildebrand, Al Bogdan, Gemma Files, and Leah Bobet. Jennifer Brinn deserves a special mention for giving me a perfectly timed piece of advice on the ending.
Connor Goldsmith, my agent, is always a delight to work with.
My wonderful editor, Quressa Robinson, was unfailingly insightful and positive. I’m also thankful to copy editor Sara Ensey, interior designer Michelle McMillian, jacket designer Lisa Pompilio, and the rest of the St. Martin’s Press/Thomas Dunne team.
I was immensely grateful to have help with some language: Nora Anderson with the Spanish and Alex Gershon, Leonid Gershon, Sophia Gershon, and Michael Gershon with the Russian. Any mistakes that remain are my own.
My parents kindled my love of Russian folklore by giving me a pair of storybooks illustrated by Ivan Bilibin. I’ll be forever glad that they saw nothing wrong with their small daughter’s interest in flying witches and fiery-eyed skulls. And finally, my most constant supporters: Olinka Nell, the one person in the world who has read everything I’ve written. Bevin Reith, who takes me and my work utterly seriously but is equally serious about making time for workouts, sunsets, and new microbreweries. My mother, Anya Humphrey, who combines high expectations with unconditional love, and is always willing to listen, even when I only want to talk about hockey.