Acknowledgments

The readers who took the time to review my original proposal package for this book paid me the compliment of giving me honest feedback, telling me not only what they liked, but also what they didn’t like. Such feedback is invaluable. Nothing is worse than having smoke blown up one’s delicate areas. It’s very drying.

To each and everyone one of the people I name below, I love having you in my corner. I hope I can be in yours.

First, I’ll begin where the story did and offer a special thanks to the always fabulous Holly Bryant-Simpson. When she saw on Instagram I was in Atlanta for a mini-break, she suggested we get together. Over coffee, she mentioned an upcoming Entangled Scorched novella about to be released and told me to read it. I preordered it and read it when it landed on my Kindle. Inspiration blossomed. Soon I had three stories in my head. Patience and Giles’s story is one of those dreams come true. Holly, I hope you love your new adventure.

Erica A. Howard patiently and kindly pointed out fiddly problems with writing, character, and plot like a pro who’d been editing for years and years. Thank you for your years of friendship. I look forward to many, many more!

Marta Miller Bliese, Queen of GMC, big on the C, for the line “…Princess Sunflower of Bulgaria who is allergic to oil paints or something?” when you were offering suggestions to strengthen the story. Thank you for your humor and patience. Thank you all the more for fighting against greed and corruption in order to make the world a better place. We need more people like you. Maryland misses you and so do I.

Becky C., who was enormously helpful in pointing out places that needed more emotion, places that turned her off, places where I needed to proceed with caution, and places that needed more motivation. She also gave me the idea to send Giles and Patience to France, which I loved. She was gentle and kind, forthright and honest.

Laurel Wanrow, a writer with a wild imagination that won’t quit, was working up to release day when she beta read my proposal package. Being an independent author, she is a one-woman publishing and marketing house. That means she does minimally five jobs in addition to the work of writing her books. Yet she made time to offer me feedback and encouragement. Thank you!

I can’t recall now whether Carrie Lomax read the proposal package, too (faulty memory, I apologize!), but I know I owe her thanks for lunches, texts, and constant support. Last, but not least, for the dick joke list. I asked, you delivered.

Katrina Sizemore, thank you for reading!

E. Elizabeth Watson—a very, very different writer from me who offered feedback from a different perspective, which can be tricky, but I always appreciate.

And though Nancy C. Weeks did not read my proposal package, she unfailingly offers support and encouragement whenever she can. Nancy brings light into the world with her soul and a capacity for love most can only aspire to. Thank you for lunches, support, writer talk, and friendly company. Everyone who is lucky enough to count you as a part of their lives is very lucky indeed.

Thank you to the team at Entangled, from the cover designers to the copy editor.

And most especially, an enormous thank-you to Tera Cuskaden for getting the book off the ground and a second enormous thank-you to Erin Molta for seeing it safely launched. Each of these talented editors helped shape the story in powerful ways, bringing my vision to life through repeated rounds of detailed, thoughtful, and highly intelligent edits. Thank you for bringing beautiful books full of hope and love into the world. Thank you again for your thoughtful guidance and unfailing support. I owe you more than I can ever repay. You’ll have my gratitude forever. I hope I make you proud.