THERE IS AN order to these things. I owe thanks . . .
. . . to Deanna Knippling, who issued the challenge that started everything.
. . . to Jackie Faulk, who asked that this story be a little different.
. . . to Chris Baty, who built the arena.
. . . to my first readers, Lori, Virg, and Stacy, who found Hidden Things in its hidden place, read it as I wrote it, and informed me that I must finish or Face Consequences.
. . . to David C. Hill, who rolled a similarly sized boulder up an equally steep hill and still managed to shout encouragement loudly enough for me to hear.
. . . to Kate Testerman, who asked if she could read it, told me I had to get an agent for it, helped me find one, and married me (in roughly that order).
. . . to Shana Cohen, best of agents, dispenser of unvarnished truth, and mildly amused voice of reason.
. . . to Kate Nintzel, my editor at Harper Voyager and POV Buddha, who said, “I love it, now give me seventy-five more pages,” and (eventually) made me glad I did.
. . . to Laurie McGee, my copyeditor and fellow expat Midwesterner, without whom I would look more than a bit silly.
. . . and to my mom, dad, and sister, who made it incredibly difficult to write believably about a dysfunctional, unsupportive family. I love you guys.