The term ‘Acknowledgements’ seems to signify a nod of the head whereas, in this case, what I’d like to do is give every person a big thank you hug.
The writing of The Flower Girls has been a marathon rather than a sprint, and the main person passing me the water and jelly babies has been my amazing agent, Ariella Feiner. At the last few miles, when I’d lost all hope that the book would ever make it, she convinced me to have faith that the time was right and that the perfect publisher was out there.
Which is just what Raven Books have been. The enthusiasm, joie de vivre, and general awesomeness of everyone I’ve dealt with there has meant the editing process has been less a grind than actually (amazingly) fun. Thank you so much to Alison Hennessey for believing in the book, and me, and for welcoming me so fully into the Raven family. Also thanks to Marigold Atkey for being so superbly efficient and delightful with it. And to Ros Ellis, Rachel Wilkie, Lilidh Kendrick, Lisa Finch, Sarah Knight and Fabia Ma for being the comprehensive dream team. Thanks also to Molly Jamieson and Georgie Le Grice at United Agents and Eleanor Jackson at Dunow, Carlson and Lerner for their suggestions and help with everything over the last year.
Special thanks to Renee Jarvis who has been a writing stalwart and true champion of the book since its first imaginings. Her ideas and notes and support have kept me going and helped me cross more than one gaping plot ravine.
Thanks to the people who gave me brilliant advice on prisons and police procedure. Not least, Elizabeth Watts, Lisa Kinchin and Karen Veitch.
To my writing friends from The Singapore Writers’ Group and from around the world who are always full of ideas, suggestions and general positivity. Thanks to Lisa Beazley, Jo Furniss, Grace Coleman, Elin Daniels, Heidi Perks, Dawn Goodwin, Moyette Gibbons, Alex Clare, Julietta Henderson and Catherine Bennetto. And to Alex, George, Antonia, Susie and Cate for all the coffees, chats and the odd glass of wine.
To Laura Bell for the amazing photographs.
To Fran Rittman and Lynda Woolf for keeping me sane.
To Mum and Dad for always listening and for the reading of hundreds of drafts… We may be far away, but it never feels like it really. I love you both very much.
Finally, to Tom, Connie and India for making me laugh, suggesting awesome book titles, for spurring me on and for being the best family I could possibly have.