ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Writing a book is never a solo exercise. Thanks go firstly to my family for their support and help. To Daniel, Heather, Matthew, Tyson, Rod and particularly to Samantha Roberts, proof-reader extraordinaire. Thanks to Rhonda Scoullar for her knowledge and interest in this project. I appreciate you all so much.

Thanks to my publisher, Sarah Fairhall, for her trust and editorial guidance. Thanks to Ali Arnold for her wonderful edits, and for being so easy to work with. And thanks to Heidi McCourt, Maria Matina and the rest of the Penguin publishing team for their hard work. Thanks also to my agent, Clare Forster of Curtis Brown.

Writing can be a lonely business, but not with fabulous writer friends like the Darklings and the Little Lonsdale Group. It means such a lot to have you guys in my corner. Particular thanks go to fellow New Romantics Margareta Osborn, Kate Belle and Kathryn Ledson. Nobody understands the trials and tribulations of writing novels like you do. Thanks also to Sydney Smith for her advice and wild imagination when it comes to exploring plot ideas.

I pay special tribute to the Australian Marine Conservation Society and the Australian Conservation Foundation. These organisations work tirelessly to protect the Great Barrier Reef and its marvellous marine life. The reef is one of the natural wonders of the world, the only living thing visible from space. Let’s not ruin it!