With every book I forget just how much work (and snacks, crying, punching a pillow, research, and procrastination) goes into creating one. From a nugget of an idea, a headline, or a character whispering in my head – a story is born.
Writing is a solitary beast most of the time, but there is a whole camp of people who are involved in the process, and that’s before it gets to you lovely readers, bloggers and reviewers!
Massive shout out to my readers, book lovers, my fellow writers/bloggers in the book community, including to name but a few:
Mary Jayne Baker, Lucy Keeling, Vikkie Wakeham, All at Squadpod, Rachel Burton, Lynda Stacey, Victoria Cooke, Kate Beeden, Rachael Stewart, and many more. I love you all! Thanks for keeping me sane and being as nutty as I am.
To Wakefield Libraries and the folks at Stanley Library, who big me up all the time and are amazing supporters of community, caring and fiction in general.
Huge thanks to Belinda Toor and Abigail Fenton and the team at HQ for their support, encouragement and patience. I wrote this book suffering from bereavement, covid, and then long covid, and whilst I despaired it would never be completed, and my brain was in fact mush, they never wavered or lost faith. It’s been a journey, ladies. Thank you.
Huge gratitude to my lovely friends and family for supporting me, putting up with my clacking away on the keyboard, forgetting dinnertime, and muttering to myself as I committed Hannah’s story to the page.
Thanks to my two teens, J and N, for draining our bank account daily, allowing me to wash your daily wardrobe changes (Lady Gaga changes her outfit less than you two!) and mud-filled kits.
Thanks for making me drive you everywhere you want to go at the drop of a hat, while picking up enough mates to fill a football field. All while groaning at my music choices and telling me to park MILES away from anyone you know. Your dad is a die-hard Ed Sheeran fan, just be grateful I introduced you to good music too. (No offence, Ed. I actually love you as well.)
Thanks for being so full in heart that we always get told how amazing you are. We have always known this, but it’s good to hear anyway.
Thank you for always making me laugh, showing me that the world is not all doom and gloom, and for rolling your eyes when I try to be cool on TikTok. Don’t worry, I will NEVER stop being embarrassing, but your mates think I’m cool, so there. Once I perfect the dancing, it will only get worse.
And finally, to my husband, Peter. Thank you for being you. You are my best friend and I love you completely. You are always the hero in my storybook and the sparkle in my eye. I weave you into every book boyfriend, immortalised forever for everyone to love, but I get to keep you.