This book was years in the making. It has changed shape many times along the way, and there were moments when I thought it would never come together. Without the following people it never would have.
First, I thank YOU—my readers—for joining me on this journey and inspiring me every step of the way. Some of you I’ve been fortunate enough to meet face-to-face and others online, through the personal stories you have entrusted me with in late-night emails, messages, and posts. These moments we share are what keep me going—thank you for always reminding me why I must continue writing.
To my agent, Jess Regel: I remember first telling you about the idea for Something Like Gravity over a slice of pizza in 2017, and from that moment on, your support of this book has never wavered. I feel like the luckiest author in the world to have you and the team at Foundry Literary + Media by my side.
Deepest thanks go to my editor, Rūta Rimas. For your belief in Chris and Maia’s story, for loving these characters like I do, and for helping to bring the vision I had of them to life. Your guidance, insight, and support shaped this book into what it is today, and for that I will be forever grateful.
Thanks are also due to Justin Chanda, Nicole Fiorica, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and the entire Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division—so many talented, dedicated people had a hand in making sure this book came safely into the world, and I am grateful to each and every one of you. Mia Nolting, as a longtime fan of yours, I could not have asked for an illustrator whose work I admire more—thank you for bringing Chris and Maia’s world to life through your incredible artwork.
Many thanks to my early readers for bearing with me through the crappy first drafts and helping me to see more clearly the story I was trying to tell. To Samantha Gellar—for reading each and every version of each and every draft, many times over—as well as Holly Summers-Gil and Bryson McCrone, for your careful reading of portions of this book. Robin Constantine and Rebecca Petruck, thank you for your early encouragement and enthusiasm (not to mention the amazing plotting brainstorm session we had on retreat). Dr. Angela Mazaris at the LGBTQ Center at Wake Forest University, I cannot thank you enough—your guidance, feedback, and thoughtful reading of this book made all the difference. Thanks also to Mike Brotherton, Christian Ready, and the Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop at the University of Wyoming, for helping to kindle my inner astronomy geek.
It is often said that writing is a “lonely profession,” but I am lucky to have such amazing author friends who disprove that adage: Amy Reed, Jaye Robin Brown, Brenda Rufener, Robin Roe, Kathleen Glasgow, Julie Buxbaum, Brendan Kiely, the Nebo Retreaters, the Sweet16ers, and so many others. (I could fill a book with each of your names.)
As always, an enormous debt of gratitude is owed to my family and my dear friends.
Finally, last but never least, thank you, Sam—my love, my heart—without you, there would be no Chris and Maia, no Something Like Gravity, no love story to tell.