Research is an important part of all my books—I learned the hard way after making a few embarrassing mistakes in my early novels. Now what I can’t learn in books, I ask experts—people with hands-on experience. As always, I may take a few liberties with the facts for the story, and sometimes, I still get things wrong. Any mistakes are mine and mine alone.
For this book, I wanted to be as authentic as possible about what the homeless experience on a daily basis and what my character Violet would face trying to get her mother out of the cycle of addiction. I read dozens of articles about homelessness, harm reduction, rehab, addiction, government funding for homeless programs, and more. In the process, I put together a list of people I wanted to interview. Kevin Dahlgren was the first to answer back.
Kevin is a national homelessness expert with more than two decades’ experience working daily with the homeless. He answered every question I had, provided me with statistics and articles to follow up, and made himself available by phone while I was editing. He explained how the grant process works and what he, as a social worker, is allowed to do and not do. He even read the first chapter and prevented me from embarrassing myself when I made a major mistake. I wish I could put everything I learned from Kevin into this book, but that would be a book in itself.
Sometimes, research changes a writer. The last time what I learned changed me deep down was when I was researching human trafficking for my 2009 book Fatal Secrets. Until now. What I learned about the homeless industrial complex and the plight of people on the streets—and those profiting off them—has forever altered the way I view this crisis. Thank God for people like Kevin who are walking the walk, and I’m glad I can call him a friend.
Others also helped with some of the details. Katy Grimes, a Sacramento-based reporter, wrote an article exposing a nonprofit as being a pass-through account for homeless grant money, enriching the CEO and treasurer at the expense of the people they are supposed to help. Katy greatly helped me understand how the money flows.
Jonathan Choe, a Seattle-based reporter, helped me understand how harm reduction works on a daily basis.
Every time I write acknowledgments, I have to shout out to Crime Scene Writers, an amazing group of experts who answer simple and complex questions for writers. For my questions about the military and homeless veterans, thanks to Will “Skate” Parks and Justin Landry for reaching out to me. And when I needed help with the legal process and grand juries, Michael Giannecchini answered the call. I hope I didn’t mess up too badly.
Jeff Greene is a longtime friend—more than three decades. He’s worked in county government for years and was hugely helpful in explaining how graft and corruption might work, county approval processes, and the layers of bureaucracy at the local level.
As my longtime readers know, I have many friends in law enforcement to tap for information. Now I have family! My daughter Katie Miiller, now a four-year veteran of the force, is my go-to person for details. We have spent hours talking about what cops face on the streets because of drug addiction and the rapid increase in fentanyl use. Be careful out there.
As always, the team at MIRA is fabulous: my editors, April Osborn and Dina Davis, who help make my book as strong as possible. My publicists, Justine Sha and Sophie James, who do a terrific job. The art department—the covers for the Quinn & Costa series are just amazing. And of course, everyone else from the publisher to the marketing team to the copy editors to the sales force. A lot of people are needed to bring a book from me to you: thank you to all of them.
My agent Dan Conaway is, as always, my partner and guide in this business. He helps keep me sane and focused. Dan’s assistant Chaim Lipskar keeps Dan sane and focused. Ha. Seriously, I have an amazing team at Writers House and I am grateful for everyone there.
Last but never least, my family. Every day I feel blessed that my mom is with me. She was the first person who told me to write if I wanted to write, and she reads all my books. My husband, who has finally—after thirty years—accepted (realized?) that I will never be as neat and tidy as he is. Thank you for still making me laugh.