I AM SO grateful to so many people, but will start with my editor, Natashya Wilson, who not only asked me to write this book but helped me shape it to the best it could be every step of the way. Thank you so much, Tash, from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to tell this story and your loving care in bringing it to light.
Many thanks to the amazing team at Harlequin, including TS Ferguson, Lauren Smulski, Margaret Marbury, Shara Alexander, Evan Brown, Olivia Gissing, Amy Jones, Ashley McCallan, Rebecca Snoddon, Gigi Lau, Erin Craig, Reka Rubin, Suzanne Mitchell, Ingrid Dolan, Kristin Errico, and especially Siena Koncsol and Bryn Collier. I will never forget our dinner at Everest and the banner as big as McCormick Place at BEA.
Thank you so much to Michelle Tan, Jennifer Abidor, Joey Bartolomeo, Laura Brounstein, Chloe Chase, Jacqueline Deval, Danielle Kam, and everyone at Seventeen for all their enthusiasm and support. I’m so proud to launch your imprint!
During the writing of this book, I suffered a health crisis. I’m here today due to the incredible outpouring of love from my family and friends.
In my family, we never thank each other because the gratitude is lived in. Nevertheless, thank you to Mom, Aina, Chito, Steve, Christina, Nicholas, Joseph, Sebastian and Marie, and all our extended de la Cruz, Johnston, Ong, Gaisano, Torre, Ng and Lim families, especially Tita Odette, Tita Sony and Tito Badong, Tito Eddie and Tita Joji, Trina and Terence, Isabelle and Clark and Tina, Melanie, Mica and Maj.
Thanks especially to my mom, who was there for every scary scan and test, my brother, for the FaceTime pep talks, and my sister, Aina, who, when I jokingly asked her where my “hospital gift” was, replied: “You got to live: there’s your gift.” That’s my family for you, always hitting the nail on the head. They’re very thankful this book is not at all based on our family. (For that story, my novel Fresh Off the Boat was published by Harper in 2005!)
Thank you to my genius agent and dear friends Richard Abate and Rachel Kim at 3Arts.
Thank you to everyone at Spilled Ink, especially Jane Hawley and Colleen Wilson.
Thank you to my siblings from other mothers Rafi and Margie for everything, including the balloon display bigger than my house and the new food program.
Thank you to my loyal NYC gang, for endless laughs and cocktails: Andy Goffe, Jeff Levin, Tristan Ashby, Jeff Chu, Peter Edmonston and Tyler Rollins. Thank you to my fashion sister Karen Robinovitz. Thanks to my CC’93 crew—my college sisters Jennie Harman and Alicia Carmona. So happy to catch up with Thad and Gabby in Atlanta.
Thank you to the fabulous LA-NY-London crew: Tom Dolby, Tina Hay and Lady (Katie) Hawkesbury.
Thank you to my amazing mama and papa pals, who are there to celebrate or sympathize whenever the occasion calls for it; I’m so blessed to be part of our CH community: Heidi and Andy McKenna, Jill Lorie and Steve Stewart, Dawn and Dan Limerick, Tiffany Moon and Cole Hartman, Celeste and Patrick Vos, Jenni and Adam Gerber, Nicole and Chris Jones, Ava and Ron McKay, Betty and Mike Balian, Lisa and Todd Orlando, Carolyn and Bob Holmes, Bronwyn Savasta and Sean Curley, Gloria Jolley and Scott Johnson, Saher and Bassil Hamideh, Carol Koh and Tony Evans, Heidi and Sasha Madzar, Heather and Eman Kiriakou, Tim and Kathleen Von Der Ahe, Jenny and Andy Van Tuyle, Fatima Gonclaves and Auggie Ruiz, Liz Craft and Adam Fierro, Lindsay and Jason Nesmith, Michelle and Scott Bergman, Amanda and Mark Ewing, Bridget and Mike Johnsen, Vicki and Mark Haller, Ange and Dave Reiner, Dana and Charles Boyd, Maria Cina and Blair Harrison, Jen and Larry Kuklin, Jenn and Paul Davidson, Rhoda Lawrence and Marcuis Harris, Molly and Chad Ludwig, and Maggie and Robert Silverberg.
Thank you to the loving community of authors whom I’m proud to call my friends, especially my Yallfamily: Marie Lu and Primo Gallanosa, Tahereh Mafi and Ransom Riggs, Veronica Roth, Kami Garcia, Sandy London, Brendan Reichs, Leigh Bardugo, Jonathan and Lauren Sanchez, Patrick Dolan and Abbey Gardner.
Thank you to my dear author and publishing pals Jen Besser, Rachel Cohn, Ally Carter, Sarah Mlynowski and Eoin Colfer.
Thank you to my Disney Book Group and Disney Channel family for the good looking out. Thank you, Emily (Em!) Meehan, Naketha (“junior varsity”) Mattocks, Seale (Eddie, darling) Ballenger and MaryAnn (MAZ) Zissimoss.
Thank you to my dear angel pal Rachel Boston.
Thank you to American Heart Association CEO Roman Bowser, who made sure I had the best doctors in LA.
I am so lucky to be so loved.
Last but certainly not least, my oldest friend Gabriel Sandoval helped get my green card, and to thank him for his friendship I asked for more help and put him on my Yallwest board. (Heh.) I can probably never thank you enough for saving my application from the “dead” zone, Gabe.
My family is the reason I get up in the morning with a smile on my face. Every book I write has all my love to Mike, Mattie and Mimi, who make it all worthwhile.