Acknowledgments

Kia isn’t the only one who’s better because of her team. It takes an entire team to bring a story to life, and I’m so grateful to have all of you on mine:

To my husband Jim, my first reader, who has believed in me and supported me in every way possible. Thank you for showing me that writing, like running, isn’t always a sprint, it’s a marathon. I love you and wouldn’t want to share this marathon with anyone else but you.

To my daughter, Danielle, who reminds me all the time that dreams do come true if you wish hard enough and believe in them. Thank you for inspiring me to wish and believe, even when this dream seemed impossible. And to my son, Adam, who has read every word of every revised version of this book. This story is as much a part of you as it is of me. Thank you for encouraging me to keep writing it, even when we weren’t sure anyone would ever get to read it!

To my parents, Patricia and Robert Boothby, who gave me a childhood I’ll always cherish. Thank you for teaching me that family is the greatest team there is, and that when you have love and hope you have it all. To my mother and father-in-law, Anne and Hank Yeager, who’ve treated me like their own daughter since day one. Thank you for believing I could do this and for making me believe it too.

To my sisters and brother: Terri, Brian, and Amy, who let me write all the scripts in our family and neighborhood plays. Thank you for indulging me way back then, and for your friendship now. To all my family and friends—my cheerleaders. Thank you for never questioning my dream of becoming an author, for listening to my tales of rejections and close calls, and for cheering when I finally got to tell you that I did it!

To my treasured critique partners: Melyssa Mercado, Beth Hautala, Joe Burns, and Glenn McCarty, who helped to make this story sparkle. Thank you for giving so much of yourselves to me and to this book. You’re all gems. To the friends I made in my early critique groups: Erin, Tracy, Dan, Vicki, LuAnn, Deb, and Glenn. I’m a better writer because of all of you.

To my writing group, The Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators group: Thank you for being a wealth of knowledge and support through the years. I’m honored to be a part of such a fantastic group.

To my agent, Rebecca Angus of Golden Wheat Literary, for seeing potential in this story and in me. Thank you for your friendship and endless work on my behalf. My book wouldn’t be what it is now or have this opportunity if it weren’t for you.

To Dayna Anderson, my publisher, and Jenny Miller, my editor, and the entire Amberjack Publishing team: You’ve spun my words into gold, and brought the story of THE CRIMSON FIVE to life. It’s even shinier than I ever imagined! Thank you for being amazing to work with and for making my dream come true.

And finally, to the original Crimson Five kids: Kara, Adam, Meg, Jake & Julia—my Odyssey of the Mind dream team. Your creativity, teamwork, and antics inspired me in ways I can’t express. I had no choice but to write this story! Thank you for the privilege of being your coach and for giving me an experience I’ll never forget. PS. I hope you like the book!