How can I possibly acknowledge the many quadjillions of people who contributed to this book? To this entire series? I’m frankly still kind of shocked that the first one got published, let alone six of them in a bunch of different formats and countries and languages. So let’s start at the beginning:
Thank you to my parents, who raised me as a reader. Thank you to my teachers: Mrs. Richardson, who helped me become a storyteller; Mrs. Coen, who taught me to love words; to Mrs. Hooper, who assigned us to read Dragonsong in sixth grade and showed me that fun books were every bit as good as important ones. And thank you to whoever wrote that news article I was too young to read about a guy who kidnapped little boys, took their pictures, and killed them with a hammer. Horror is everywhere, but realizing it was right in my own backyard changed the way I look at pretty much everything.
Thank you to Dave Wolverton, Linda Adams, and Marion “Doc” Smith. Thank you to my first writing group: Ben Olsen, Nate Goodrich, and Brandon Sanderson. Thank you to the staff of The Leading Edge, both during my time there and all the time before and since. Thank you to Michelle Ward and Jonathan Maberry, who helped me find my agent, and thank you to my wonderful agent, Sara Crowe, who is the best and greatest agent in the world. Thank you to Moshe Feder, who took a chance on some doofus with a horror story and gave me my first professional sale. You’re awesome. Thank you to Carsten Polzin, my editor in Germany, who paid me enough to actually do this full time, and who showed me how to appeal to a broader audience. Thank you to Alexis Saarela and Patty Garcia and Paul Stevens and Tom Doherty and Kathleen Doherty and Amy Stapp and Theresa Nielsen Hayden and Irene Gallo and a massive army of other amazing people at Tor who do such phenomenal work behind the scenes. And a huge thank you to my editor, Whitney Ross. You’re the best.
Thank you to Brandon Sanderson (again), Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Jordan Sanderson, and everyone who’s ever been on, talked about, or listened to Writing Excuses. Thank you to my writing groups and readers, including but not limited to Alan Layton, Kaylynn Zobell, Ethan Skarstedt, Sandra Tayler, Eric James Stone, Janci Patterson, Drew Olds, Emily Sanderson, Steve Diamond, Maija-Liisa Phipps, Ethan Sproat, and many more. Thank you to the concoms and booksellers and other authors who’ve promoted my work, and given me the opportunity and advice on how to do it; I’ll give an extra special shout-out here to Kevin J. Anderson and Jude Feldman and Alan Beatts. And thank you to my assistants, Chersti Nieveen and Kenna Blaylock.
Thank you to Elmore Leonard, A. A. Milne, and Ke$ha. I don’t have to explain myself to you.
Thank you to Billy O’Brien, Robbie Ryan, Nick Ryan, James Harris, Max Records, Christopher Lloyd, Laura Fraser, Toby Froud, Todd Jones, and a massive cast and crew too numerous to name. You made our movie amazing, and I will love it forever.