First, a huge thank you to the good people of Alloy Entertainment: The hilarious Josh Bank, a.k.a. Sheila Beers, who has been known to spontaneously channel many of the characters in this series. Sara Shandler, for her sharp editorial insights and, most importantly, for believing. To the fiercely smart Joelle Hobeika, for her enthusiasm, good humor, and reassurance. And to Lanie Davis, for making the connection that started it all.
I’m indebted to Farrin Jacobs and Zareen Jaffery at HarperCollins for their editorial notes and their enthusiasm for this series. A big hug and thank you to Kate Lee for making my life five thousand times easier.
I’m incredibly fortunate to have such supportive friends, who listened to me and encouraged me every step of this process. Many of them appear in these pages in different incarnations, and this book simply would not have been possible without them. Last but not least, thank you to my brother, Kevin, and my parents Tom and Elaine, three people who make those words—thank you—seem like a cheap imitation of all the gratitude I feel for them. I love you.