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There are so many people to pay homage to for this venture away from my comfort zone in Limbo City. It definitely felt strange, traveling outside of Lana Harvey’s head, but I found Janie to be refreshingly human. A big part of my desire to take on a YA novel had a lot to do with the steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps and Francine Pascal’s FEARLESS and Sweet Valley novels I read in my youth. These two authors created an unshakable foundation, one that I didn’t even realize was forming during the countless hours I spent reading their words after school every day.
I owe so much thanks to my incredible husband, who allowed me to read this novel out loud to him as I typed, offered feedback, and even cried when my characters suffered. I love you oodles, and I can’t wait to coauthor a novel with you.
I had an awesome beta reader group on Facebook for this novel, and for that I am truly grateful, especially to Robin Phillips, who provided invaluable feedback, sought out loose ends, and spotted renegade typos. Thank you for your constant support and encouragement. And a great big thank you to Kristy Estes Petree, who also found a heap of last minute typos.
To George Shelley, whom I respectfully refer to as THE professor, thank you for reading and editing this novel, even though you would have preferred the fourth Lana installment. I promise I’ll bring that one to you next. I sincerely miss being in your class, but I’m glad we’ve been able to stay in touch and that I still get awesome book suggestions from you.
A final thank you to all of my friends and family who have encouraged and supported me through the years, and to the Prombie Apocalypse team and sponsors. I can’t wait to have a spooky good time with you all!