First and foremost, this book would not have been possible without the undying support of my agent, Whitney Ross.
Whitney is not my first agent, and while we were still in the “getting to know you” period of our relationship, I sent her an email with the subject line “A question and an idea” in which I, a little too enthusiastically, vomited out the idea for what would eventually become The Princess Will Save You. We’d known each other less than a month, and I probably sounded a little overwhelming in that email, truth be told. But rather than run away from my “gender-swapped Princess Bride” thing, she simply replied, “I LOVE that idea,” and we were off to the races. Whitney then proceeded to sell four books in six months, including this one and its sequel, and guide me through the steeplechase that is debut year, all without batting an eye. I am so grateful to have her steady presence, knowledge, and dedication in my corner.
Next, this book wouldn’t be what it is without the thoughtful, loving, and sharp-eyed editing by Melissa Frain. At this point, I’ve had quite a few sets of editorial notes in my life, and Melissa’s were the first to make me laugh out loud so hard that the cats woke up to take a look. She immediately got exactly what I was trying to do with the story, the characters, the world—everything—and supported my vision in every way possible while using humor and enthusiasm as tools to push me to make it all even better. Writers, get yourself an editor whose in-letter and in-manuscript reactions make you nearly spit out your coffee with glee.
Thank you to the other behind-the-scenes geniuses at Tor Teen and Macmillan, including: my copy editor, Barbara Wild, who taught me “daresay” is one word, among other things; Matthew Rusin for guiding the copy and graphics safely through the journey of production; and Lauren Levite for the publicity love. And, to the rest of the Tor Teen/Macmillan team, thank you for your hospitality and love—I appreciate every one of you.
Artist extraordinaire Charlie Bowater, thank you so very much for your gorgeous cover. I am flabbergasted at how you made Amarande and Luca come alive with all the fierceness and love they have for each other while managing to detail the unforgiving nature of the Torrent. You’ve hit upon something special, and I feel incredibly lucky to have had your imagination meet mine.
Thank you to those of you who held my hand and worked alongside me as this book went from idea to reality. Julie Tollefson, Megan Bannen, Rebecca Coffindaffer, Natalie Parker, Tessa Gratton, Amanda Sellet—all of you were there in my texts and at my side as I wrote this book in the spaces between working on two other projects. You were ready with chocolate, wine, and emoji-faced assurance (even at 5 a.m.), and I don’t know what I’d do without you. And to the rest of our robust Kansas/Kansas City writer crew, thank you, too. We are so very lucky.
Many thanks to my running buddies, but most especially Nicole Green, Laurie Euler, and Sharah Davis, who listened to me across the miles as I wrote this. Your ears and wisdom mean everything.
And, to save the best for last: my family. Thank you to my parents, Craig and Mary Warren, who support me no matter what; and to Em, who always makes me laugh. Thank you, Justin, who carries the weight of family obligations when projects become intense and doesn’t complain a lick—and looks good while doing it. And thank you to Nate and Amalia for your patience and pride in Mommy’s work. I love all of you, always.