Writing this book was one of the best and most difficult things I’ve ever done, and it would’ve been impossible to do without my incredible support system.
The first person I need to thank is my editor, Holly West. Cemetery Boys started as my option book and began with a very simple concept: What would happen if you accidentally summoned a ghost and you couldn’t get rid of them? When I was pitching ideas to Holly, Cemetery Boys was nothing more than a few sentences, a vague idea with a trans protagonist. Growing up, I never saw my own gender identity reflected in any books, and I thought it would be impossible to sell, but Yadriel’s story was the one Holly was most excited about, which blew my mind. Without her, this story would’ve never been written. Holly understands me and my writing; working with her is like having a second, much more organized brain.
I am so incredibly thankful to have had her support and the support of the ENTIRE Swoon Squad. I owe a huge thanks to the Swoon Reads team and my fellow Swoon Squad authors. Publishing can be a scary and sometimes alienating place, but they have been my second family through and through. The incredible care package they sent me when I mustered up the courage to announce I was getting top surgery is a kindness I will never forget.
I owe Emily Settle a special thank-you. She was the one who suggested I should take my two favorite names—Yadriel and Julian—and use them for my book (#Yadrian!). A huge thanks to my publicist, Kelsey Marrujo, for wrangling me, answering my billions of questions, and making my dreams come true. I want to thank every person at Macmillan who touched Cemetery Boys and helped make it even better. I owe so many thanks to Gabe Cole Novoa and Ray Stoeve for their thoughtful feedback and guidance. My amazing friend, Francisco Echavarria, is a saint who patiently dealt with my “you up?” texts to discuss the nuances of Spanish in order to find the perfect words (especially for Julian).
My amazing agent, Jennifer March Soloway, was another essential part of this book becoming a reality. I reached out to her as a fellow Mills College alum for advice before she was even officially my agent. When I was telling her about the idea I had for Cemetery Boys, she stopped me and said, “Aiden, you know you could write about your own culture, right?” That idea BLEW MY MIND. If I thought people would never take on a book with a transgender protagonist, it didn’t even cross my mind that I could make it a Latinx fantasy. Without Jennifer, Cemetery Boys would be incredibly different and not nearly as special and dear to me as it is now. Whenever I’ve gotten stressed out or overwhelmed, Jennifer has been an anchor. “You’re worried, but you’re well” has become my new mantra.
The ones who really had the worst end of the deal were my poor friends who had to hold me together when I was falling apart WITHOUT EVEN GETTING PAID FOR IT! Anda Stelle and Tanya Lisle helped me sort through my dumpster fire of an outline, and then Anda read my very first draft and acted as a cheerleader as I drafted, chapter by chapter. My dear Maxamaris Hoppe and Rey Noble provided emotional support and forced me to be kind with myself when I got caught in self-hate spirals. Without these folks taking care of me, I would’ve never made it through in one piece.
A HUGE thanks to Adriana M. Martínez Figueroa for naming my brilliant bruja Paola, and Angela Wells for naming my precious Rio.
To my incredibly talented cover artist, Mars Lauderbaugh, I owe my entire life! They took my boys and brought them to life so beautifully, it’s like they pulled them right from my heart. Yadriel’s likeness is especially precious to me. I am incredibly lucky and thankful for all the work, love, and care that Mars has put into my characters. No one else could’ve brought them to life so perfectly.
I want to thank my family for their love and unwavering support. My mom (De Anna), sister (Christine Sanchez) and brother-in-law (Chris Sanchez) helped me come up with the original plot for Cemetery Boys while we drank mezcal and ate tacos as I lay on the floor, jotting notes into my cell phone.
In the process of writing this book, I lost an incredibly dear and important person to me. My cousin, Alan Claveran, was a giving, kind, and hilarious man. Without him, the world isn’t quite as bright. A part of me will always mourn losing him, but I will always treasure his stupid jokes, his relentless teasing, and his sweet laugh. See you on the other side, brother.