I enjoy a good challenge, and that’s the truth. Making a career as a writer is not the easiest thing, and while I like the thrill of the hunt, I’m incredibly grateful when it results in an opportunity to share my work. I hope these opportunities keep coming, but I approach each book as its own moment in time. So much of my debut year as an author felt unreal, so to be more grounded now makes the whole process of this second book even more meaningful.
As ever, I’m indebted to my dad, John Stage, who is always up for brainstorming and beta reading. It’s been exciting and gratifying to bring my whole family along on this journey as we gain new experiences in the world of publishing.
I get to bring this book to readers because of Emily Giglierano, and I can’t thank her enough for her insightful perspective and passion for this story. Thank you so much to the whole Mulholland Books team: Josh Kendall, Reagan Arthur, Pamela Brown, Alyssa Persons, Laura Mamelok, Pamela Marshall, and Ben Allen. Thank you to copyeditor Tracy Roe for catching all those little things my brain-sieve can’t handle. And a special shout-out to Gregg Kulick, who designed an absolutely brilliant jacket that planted itself in my head and never let go.
This book has had a somewhat odd journey and I’m grateful for my writer friends who have provided camaraderie and support along the way, including Mitey de Aguiar, Rea Frey, Jennifer Hillier, Caroline Kepnes, Paul Tremblay, Wendy Walker, and my Women Do Everything Better Salon (Jenny Belardi, Brooke Dorsch, and Jennifer Green). My beta readers are an ever important part of my crew and I appreciate their honest feedback on earlier drafts: Paula D’Alessandris, Jennifer G., Scott Keiner, and Christie LeBlanc. Thank you to Sarah Bedingfield for all of her efforts. And thank you, also, to Stephen Barbara and Claire Friedman.
Last, but certainly not least: I feel blessed to have so many enthusiastic readers—including booksellers, librarians, bookstagrammers, and bookbloggers—whose passion for reading slightly odd stories matches my passion for writing them.