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This book's journey has been interesting. It was first published by Harper Collins in 2015, and it was nice to have the opportunity to work with them and learn. After I gained the rights back, I decided to publish it and set a date for April 7th, 2020. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. After reading the book, you can imagine how worried I became about the publication timing. Would people read/enjoy it in a time like this? Would all my hard work and preparation be in vain? But at that point, it wasn't possible to stop the release as I would lose all the time I'd invested in planning.
As I write this, I worry hard times might be ahead for self-employed people like me and for many others in similar situations. I hope not and try to remain optimistic. Writing full-time is a dream come true for me, and I hope I can continue to do it. I hope all the best for my readers and their families, for the world. I hope that we will all be okay, and in the end, we will triumph. Just like Marci will. I hope the book helped you escape despite any similarities with our times. At least, we can be glad we don't have Eklytors running around, right?
Kidding aside, I want to give thanks to my mother for her support and patience. She is so strong, even when times are rough. To my father, for his stern talks and high standards, always sprinkled with plenty of love. To my husband, my biggest supporter, my forever and forever and forever. To my kids, who give me smiles and heart palpitations and pride and the most unconditional of loves. You guys are the best—a mother couldn’t ask for more.
To Beth Phelan, Natasha Bardon, and Eleanor Ashfield for giving this book a chance in the beginning.
To my friend Bret for all the pep talks, creative conversations, and for always reading my early drafts with patience and a keen eye. To Billie for always asking for more of my stories, for telling me I don’t suck at this, and for believing I could get this far and telling me she wasn’t surprised when I did. To Subu for his attention to detail and willingness to read all the wild things I write. To Katie French and Amy Trueblood for offering a critical eye when needed and for being such great teammates. You ladies are class acts.
To my ARC Team, always so encouraging. And to my readers whose support has been wonderful. You make this author journey incredibly rewarding.
