A writer is never a solitary being, even if she does do most of her writing alone in a ripped tank top, mismatched Carhartt socks, and men’s boxers. (cough) I’m so grateful to be surrounded by a host of incredible and smart people.
Endless thanks to my agent Barbara Poelle, who is a ride-or-die, badass MOFO. Thank you for sticking with me, knowing exactly what I needed to write, and giving me the courage to write it. Be my Jack Donaghy forever. And thank you, Brita!!
Anne, thank you for everything—especially for managing to not kill me during edits. Thank you to the entire team at Amulet/Abrams, who have been exceptional at every turn. Alyssa Nassner, for the most gorgeous cover design ever. You made my book! Look like my book! Amanda Lanzone for that amazing illustration (Tourmaline’s nails!). Caitlin Miller, Nicole Russo, Trish McNamara, and everyone else supporting me at Amulet . . . how many ways can I say thank you, because y’all deserve all of them. To their support staff—I may not know your names, but I know you exist and I appreciate all your work.
To Lee, thank you for the computer I needed to finish this book and the straight up truth telling you’ve given me along the way. I owe you so many drinks.
To LC, for Thursdays.
Renee, I thank God you’re my friend, because you’d be a formidable enemy. Without you, there’d be no Virginia. Thank you for all the important things. Thank you for making it cool for me to learn in your wake. Thank you for reading my shit out loud.
To Ricki, for being the Johnny Cash to my Waylon Jennings and for sticking your fingers in the cake with me. (drunkenly tips hat) JJ, for always having the answers, receipts, and a spirit of generosity in sharing all of it. Thank you, Traci, Kerri, Henning, Emily, Nic, & Dhonielle for your texting and emails and reading and commiserating. Thank you, Jeff, for an incredible blurb; and everyone who has/will read and support the shit out of this book.
And listen—thank you, authors who have been incredibly kind to me on this long publishing journey, but it would be weird for me to name because you were just being goddamn decent human beings. Your niceness is so appreciated. I want to be you someday.
Thank you, Laura for being the T to my V. Thanks for letting me steal your Yellow Wallpaper English paper in college. And everything else.
To my family, for your stories past and future. Especially Mom, for teaching me to read, and Dad, for giving me a love for books.
Thank you to the WC Moms.
Dan and Mo Baker, thank you for reading through this and reassuring me I did right.
Holly, thank you for being so supportive and respectful, you are a dream mother-in-law, and I am so grateful for your role in my life.
To M, E & L—I would not be able to do this without you, even as much as you daily prevent me from getting any writing done.
And to J, for bringing me coffee, riding the ever-living fuck out of a Harley, and having a mind that’s like an old curiosity shop where I never know what I’ll find.
Finally, dear reader, it’s you that brings the magic to being an author. It’s because of you that T and V get to come alive. I will never forget that. Thank you.