This book, and indeed this whole trilogy, would not have been possible without Nerea Aragones. I have known Nerea for a very long time. She lived with me during my junior year of high school as an exchange student from Spain. Those first few months were quite an adjustment for both of us, but by the end of the year it really did feel as though we were siblings. I am grateful that we have remained friends in the decades since, that we know each other’s children, and that we can still share important aspects of our lives. I am even grateful that she can still convince me to do things like eat a pizza topped with whole roasted crickets.
I also want to thank both my editors. Brit Hvide helped me with those awkward early drafts, courageously soldiering on despite the fact that she was pregnant during a pandemic. She hung in there nearly until her due date before finally handing over the reins to Angeline Rodriguez, who stepped smoothly into the middle of a trilogy as though she had always been there. It’s rare to get insight from two different editors, and I believe this book benefited greatly from the range of perspective.
As always, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my agent, Jill Grinberg, and the rest of the team at JGLM. I cannot imagine getting along without them, and I never tire of expressing my gratitude for everything they do.