I’d like to thank my writing professors from the Saint Mary’s College of California MFA in Creative Writing program: Marilyn Abildskov, for her passion and dedication to her students, and for seeing me as a writer, so for the first time I saw myself as a writer, too; and the late Wesley Gibson, who also saw in my writing ability what I was not yet ready to recognize.
I also want to acknowledge my Book Writing World mentor and teacher, Elizabeth Stark, for her razor-sharp insight and for driving home the practical nuts and bolts of story craft. I’d like to thank my fellow BWW writers, mainly Susan Sasson, Robert Ward, Vijaya Nagarajan, Jody Brettkelly, Mollie McNeil, and Maureen Fan, for setting the writing bar so high; for their support, positive feedback, and companionship in the trenches. I want to acknowledge editors Sydny Miner and Brooke Warner, who helped with the shaping of my original proposal.
Thank you to my children, Emily and Luke, for your confidence in me and willingness to listen and let me bounce ideas off of you, even when you had better things to do.
I want to acknowledge my brothers, who, despite being characters in Crave, have never offered me anything but encouragement and love.
Thank you to my agent, Carole Bidnick, for her “hunch” when she read my initial query letter and for her relentless business sense. Thank you to Michael Flamini, my editor at St. Martin’s Press, for his guidance and his story instinct and for helping to bring Crave to its fullest potential. I’d like to acknowledge Gwen Hawkes, for her willingness and generosity of spirit and patience during the editing process, and all the editors whose eyes have been on this book for their attention to detail. Thank you, as well, to Dori Weintraub, Clare Maurer, Jordan Hanley, and Brant Janeway. I so appreciate St. Martin’s Press for its professionalism and for taking on Crave.
I’d like to also thank Susan Pollock, my father’s literary arm while I was growing up, who served as a role model and a source of loving validation.
Thank you to my friends for encouraging me every step of the way. I appreciate all the championing that has come from so many.
With great love.