While The Rosewood Hunt is a story about many things, at its heart, it’s about the friendship that blooms during an unexpected journey. This book feels so fitting as my debut. Publishing is a windy process that feels like a scavenger hunt in itself at times. I’m fortunate to have so many incredible people to thank for being on this adventure with me.
To my superstar agent: Amy Bishop, I’m so grateful you took a chance on me and my fiery little pizza book. How far we’ve come since! Thank you for always cheering on my rambunctious teens and wild ideas. And for gently reeling in my chaotic action movie tendencies, ha!
This book wouldn’t be what it is without the thoughtful and brilliant vision of my editor at HarperTeen, Tara Weikum, thank you for seeing right to the heart of this story and helping it become the best version it has ever been (with a much lighter ending!). And thank you Sarah Homer for your kindness and enthusiasm and all your big-brained feedback. I love this team!
It takes a crew of many talents to make this whole published-book thing a reality, so thank you to everyone at DG&B and HarperCollins that has played a part! I’m so appreciative of my design team, led by Jessie Gang and Catherine Lee, who found the perfect artistic direction in line with everything I wanted. Thank you to Holly Ovenden, my cover artist, for giving this book the perfect mysterious façade. I’d snag it off a shelf any day based off looks alone, and no, I don’t think I’m biased!
To every author who blurbed and reviewer who took the time to read this book, I am so grateful beyond words and incredibly inspired by you. Thank you for diving into Rosetown!
This story wouldn’t exist without the incredible friends who support me every step of the way. Thank you Rachel Moore for your alpha pal magic, our hours-long brainstorm seshes, and for meeting every scrap of a story I send your way with excitement. I’m a better writer, person, and now breakfast cook, thanks to you, momo. To Skyla Arndt, one of my very first writer friends, thank you for throwing me into the writing group that changed my life and for always whipping up countless cool graphics and aesthetics for everyone. I’m so glad we all get to be on this road to debuting together.
To my beautiful, funny, chaotic HexQuills (aka built-in street team): Phoebe, who I can always count on for a spontaneous TCP spiral and a good meme; Kat, for sharing my love of action-packed adventures with prickly girls; Olivia, for answering all my publishing questions and always convincing me to hop a train to NYC; Kara, my fellow Aquarius, for supporting and uplifting me in more ways than one. To my early readers: Kalla, Maria, Lindsey, Kahlan, Abby, Alex M, Wajudah, Brit, and Sam—endless thank-yous for your encouragement and love for these characters. And to Marina, Holly, Darcy, Juliet, Livy, Cassie, Morgan, Crystal, and Shay, for every vote of confidence and enthusiasm you gave this book and me. I can’t wait to gaze longingly at all your beautiful books on my shelves.
Finding incredible critique partners who turn into lifelong friends is a rarity, and I’m lucky to have gotten the best with you, Kaylynn. And to my very first writer friend, Helena. You helped me navigate so much of this industry in the early days. I think I’d still be trying to figure out what a query is if it wasn’t for you.
Having a lovely agent is amazing in itself, but the fact that I also got a wonderful agent sib in Rachel Kellis feels like the world’s best bonus. And thank you to Elora, for enjoying devious plots and glamorous girls as much as I do.
I’m so fortunate to have people in my life who have celebrated this with me from day one, including Laura, Molly, Sam, Ali, Erica, Julia, my lovely friends, and the online writing community (thanks for welcoming me, #BookTok!). And to Leah Stacy, for being the first person to ever read something I wrote and tell me, “Hey, have you ever thought about pursuing publishing?” We’ve come quite a long way since that Modern Love piece, haven’t we?
Thank you to my extended family for your excitement and support. I’m grateful to have you all in my corner, and I’m forever in yours. And to my Nani, who I miss dearly. Thank you for the necklace, and I hope you don’t mind that I passed your love of sewing onto my girl Lily.
So much of who I am is shaped by my family. Lauren and Sheila, my amazing sisters-in-law, thank you for cheering me on every step of the way. To my favorite little humans, Gracie and Mikey: you’re magic and I will forever be your biggest fan.
Thanks to my big brothers for always supporting everything I’ve ever set out to do. Jeff, my go-to for all my bookish medically inclined questions. Anything that’s accurate is thanks to you and your big brain. Danny, thanks for hiding cookies and your Nintendo DS all over the house and sending me on scavenger hunts to find them when I was little. You sparked something great.
I dedicated this book to my parents because on my loneliest days, they have always been there for me. Mom and Dad, thank you for always backing my every phase and ludicrous dream. I love you both so much, my forever best friends.
To the person who’s been by my side since the start of this journey. Josh, I think a lot about those late nights sophomore year when we’d sit in my room chatting for hours. You saved me from so much loneliness back then. Of all the stories that I hold close, ours is still my favorite.
And lastly, but never least—thank you, reader, for picking up this book. I hope you found it as a good companion for wherever you are in your life right now. Please know that you are never as alone as you feel. I appreciate you more than words can say, and I’m always rooting for you.