I got the idea for Purity while driving down a rural Georgia road. At the time, I thought it’d be a light, fluffy, funny story about a girl losing her virginity. Then came the first draft, and the story that seemed simple became a much more introspective, philosophical tale than I’d anticipated, and required more soul-searching than anything else I’ve written. I couldn’t have possibly made it through without the help of a large handful of supporters. Enormous thanks is owed to:
Sarah Ockler, Lauren Barnholdt, Heidi Kling, and Saundra Mitchell for reading early drafts of Purity and telling me to dig deeper, go farther, and be fearless. Carrie Ryan, Maggie Stiefvater, and the Debs community for lending an ear whenever I got stuck.
Kristen Stanaland and LuAnn Stanaland for inspiring the relationship between Shelby and her mother. R.J. Anderson for candid discussions about religion and spirituality without judgment or agenda. Jim McCarthy for loving this story as much as I did and for talking me off cliffs in moments of blind freak-out panic.
My mom and Grandma Jackson for inspiring the french fries scene (and half of this book); Papa for teaching me how to let go; Grandma and Granddaddy Pearce for making me believe in true and lasting love; my sister for being as weird as I am (and being okay with it).
And, of course, my dad for fixing everything that’s ever been broken, from my refrigerator to my confidence.