I’m worried the list of people I must thank is getting dangerously close to becoming longer than the book itself, but here goes. As always, I couldn’t have done this without my brilliant agent and even better friend, Rowan Lawton (especially on that day you told me to shut up, close my laptop and have a bath) and Liane-Louise at Furniss Lawton. Thalia, I don’t know how you managed to stay so calm throughout this entire process, although I imagine it had something to do with not being at all calm when I wasn’t looking. Thank you for being dead good. There are so many people to thank at HC – Martha, Lucy, Elinor, Kate and, of course, Lynne. Thanks for not punching me in the face. Yet. More uber-thanks to everyone who was lovely to me (or even mean about me behind my back; I don’t mind) at HarperCollins Australia, especially the wonderful Kimberley Allsop – dinosaur lovers of the world unite. And thank you to Leo and all my HarperCollins Canada family. It really means a lot to me that you publish my books and I can pop into your office to steal sweets from Paul Covello when I’m in Toronto.
There aren’t enough words to express how much I love everyone on Twitter and Facebook and the Internet in general, although I ought to be able to do it in 140 characters. Cheers to Amy Portess for lending me her name as well as Claire (wherefore art thou, Margs?), Rachel Campbell, Amanda Harper, Edelle McGinn and Kay Parker for suggesting words when I had run out. I couldn’t not give a book hug to Carly Thompsett and the rest of Team Kelk (you know who you are, you crazies) and Kevin Loh – twinsies fo’ lyfe.
Writing really does induce a special state of madness and it’s thanks to these ladies that I didn’t feel quite so alone in it this time – Ilana Fox, Katy Regan, Pippa Wright, Sarra Manning, Mhairi McFarlane, Kiera Cass, Katie Fforde, Meg Sanders and Lucy Robinson, as well as obligatory token boy writer WillHillAuthor. And when I’m not online, these poor bastards have to deal with me in real life – thank you SO MUCH Della Bolat, Terri White, Beth Ziemacki, Ana Mercedes Cardenas, Georgia Adey, Jackie Dunning, Sarah Donovan, Julie Allen, Rebecca Alimena, Erin Stein, Sam Hutchinson, Sarah Benton and Ryan Child. Mahalo (bitches), Emma Ingram. Hawaii wasn’t ready. I have to thank my family for only asking me when I’m going to stop living my silly life and pop out a baby after I’d finished writing, and big thanks to Beyoncé, Detectives Eliot Stabler and Olivia Benson, Sour Patch Kids, Hendricks Gin, CM Punk and the WWE Universe (but not Vince – you’re a bad man), Camera Obscura, Sam Cooke, Etta James and The National. I know Sam and Etta aren’t around any more but it would be rude not to thank them. They were involved.
And thank you to JM for cracking the metaphorical whip. Now stop gloating.