Dear Reader,
Thank you for continuing the adventure with Sydney and Blue, for reading the 18th book in this series, and for making it all the way to my Author’s Note. I appreciate the fuck out of you.
I am writing this in the summer of 2024 in the Catskill Mountains, and the election is coming at me like a freight train.
Fiction helps ease my nervous system and reminds me that I am okay, safe, at least in this moment, curled up with a book. Sydney’s specific, bloodthirsty vengeance allows me to satisfy my rage so that when I send letters to my representatives, they don’t just say: What in the actual fuck?
So thank you for your continued support. Without my readers, I’m just a crazy lady waking up at 5 a.m. to write revenge fantasies, and that’s…not a great look. 😂
I also want to thank my dear friend, Mette. She has read everything I’ve ever written and always gives the best advice about fiction and real life. We’ve been friends for decades and the Sydney Rye Mysteries would not be the same without her.
The same can be said for my business manager, Jamie Davis, who has worked with me since 2017. Over the years we’ve grown together professionally and personally. I feel lucky to have her as a confidant and friend. Jamie is the keeper of the Sydney Rye series bible and final reader on all my books to catch any remaining typos and inconsistencies. No manuscript is perfect, but if Jamie Davis has gone through it, you can be assured it’s as good as humanly possible.
My father, Donald, also edits my books. He tightens my prose and fact-checks every detail. He helps the series stay believable even as it spirals into madness. My books would not be the same without his help. And I’m so grateful to have him as my Dad.
My Dad would not be the man he is without my mother, Gay, pushing him into things. Which he readily admits. Every good thing that’s happened in his family life was my mother’s idea. And she never took any shit. She showed me what it is to be a homemaker and a badass.
I’m so lucky to have a community that supports and loves me. To have a wonderful husband and two children—who we are pretty sure are the cutest, smartest, funniest, best kids in the whole world. I understand everyone thinks that about their own offspring, but in our case, I’m pretty sure we’re right. 😂
I have two amazing brothers with partners I’m lucky to call family. My husband’s family has also become my own; his parents, sister, and their wife, all mean the world to me.
Friendships and family are at the root of the Sydney Rye books, and that’s because they are at the root of my life. The reason Sydney is different from other vigilante characters is because she is not a loner—no matter how many times she tries to be. Much of Sydney’s power comes from her diverse community.
I don’t plan my books, so I’m on this ride with you. And I have no idea how she is getting out of that hotel suite. But I do know that Blue won’t die. And James will always be safe. There will be no third act kidnappings or other cliché forced separations. Because I hate that shit in books and even though I don’t plan my novels, I do love them, and I’d never love a book with that in it. This is fiction author logic so you’re just going to have to nod along. 😂
No matter what the future holds for Sydney and Blue, for the United States, and the world at large, I will always be grateful for my family, friends, and readers.
And on that note, I’ll leave you with a request to post a review of this book. It really does help readers find my work. Word of mouth is the best marketing and I appreciate everyone who reviews, shares my posts, and tells their friends, family, and co-workers about the awesomeness that is Sydney and Blue.
Thank you,
Emily Kimelman
Catskill Mountains
June 2024