As always, I have been really fortunate to have so many supportive and talented people around me!
I’d like to give a special thank you to Lucy Pearse at Macmillan, who has worked tirelessly with me on editing the book and has given such useful suggestions and advice. Also thanks to Rachel Kellehar, who contributed to early ideas and edit notes before heading off on her maternity leave. Now the book has arrived, and so has her gorgeous new baby son, Rory!
Huge thanks to the whole team at Macmillan Children’s Books, especially to Rachel Vale and the MCB design department, and to illustrator Helen Crawford-White for the wonderful covers that showcase my stories so beautifully. Special thanks to Marta Dziurosz, who kindly acted as my beta reader for this title and gave very useful guidance, and to Nick de Somogyi for his most excellent copy-editing skills.
Thank you to my agent, Clare Wallace, for her ongoing support and guidance in my writing career, and to everyone at Darley Anderson Children’s Agency, especially Mary Darby and Emma Winter for their work in getting my Young Adult stories out to eight foreign territories so far.
Heartfelt thanks to the wonderful librarians and booksellers who support and recommend my books, and to my young readers who are always so full of enthusiasm and amazing questions when I visit them in schools and academies!
Huge thanks as always go to all my family, and especially to my husband Mac for his constant and unswerving support in my writing career.
This book is set in Nottinghamshire, the place I was born and have lived all my life. Local readers should be aware that I sometimes take the liberty of changing street names or geographical details to suit the story!
If you would like more information about or help with any of the issues covered in the book there are many excellent resources that can be accessed by searching online or, alternatively, ask a parent, teacher or librarian for help.
Finally, thank YOU for reading 928 Miles from Home! Please see my website to keep up to speed with my latest writing news.