Acknowledgments

Sometimes it feels dishonest to have only my name on a book cover when there are so many individuals who have supported me and contributed to the final product. My heartfelt thanks go first to my agent, Rachel Burkot, at Holloway Literary, who answered all of my frantic e-mails with patience, professionalism, and speed, and even agreed to be my friend on social media. We make a great team. Thanks next to my wonderful editor, Kate Dresser, and to my book family at Simon & Schuster, who took so much care with my words. I must have rescued children from a burning orphanage in a past life for my manuscript to have landed in such capable hands. Thank you for taking a chance on me.

Then there are those who brought encouragement and support during the long, uncertain writing process. To my dearest friends, Megan and Kate: You both know everything about me and still answer when I call, and I think that’s pretty great. To Mom and Jess: Thank you for laughing at my jokes and asking for the next chapter. Mom, I forgive you for telling people I write pornography. To Ryan: None of this would have been possible without you. Thank you for your faith and endless support. I’m the luckiest. And to my children: Thank you for showing me how to find joy in unexpected places.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank my daughter’s kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Kingman, for inspiring the best parts of Lettie as a teacher. You are warm and generous and everything a kindergarten teacher should be. And just to be clear, I have no reason to believe you write erotica.

Finally, thank you to my readers. You’re the reason I do what I do. I hope you will visit me at facebook.com/writernataliecharles or e-mail me at writernataliecharles@gmail.com. And if you enjoyed this book, I hope you will tell a friend.