This wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the brilliant Sarah Benton. Having worked together on my last two books, Sarah moved over to HarperCollins and told her new team about me. I then got invited in and offered a two-book deal. I love writing and I’m delighted to be published by anyone, but HarperCollins was always my dream, so thanks Sarah, I hope I did you proud!
Next up is my editor Kimberley Young. Kim pitched to me with Sarah, and there was an element of ‘if you choose to go with us’ about the first meeting. I may have played it cool, but it took all my efforts not to straddle her and scream ‘YES’ right there and then. Kimberley’s patience over the past two years is something for which I am very grateful. It turns out promising a novel nine months after the birth of your first child is, in my case anyway, a little ambitious. The delivery date (the book’s, not the child’s) moved back and back until I got enough of my brain back to write the book we both love. Thank you Kimberley, if you had been an arsehole about it, this might never have happened. I hope I did you proud too!
Then to my agent, Adrian Sington, who as always takes great care of me and remains passionate about my work. Thank you thank you!
And to all at HarperCollins who put this together. From cover design, to PR and marketing to correcting my spelling. What a team!
OK, now for the personal ones … I’d like to thank every single one of my friends who dealt with me going on and on about the struggles of writing. To those who wanted to go and have fun, but who had to set aside their joy to listen to my anxiety issues. Every moan, every chat, every time I said ‘I CAN’T DO THIS’ got me to the point where I did it. So thank you. My friends are the best! There are many of you, but a few in particular to mention are … Jo Elvin, Johnny and Michelle, Mel and TJ, Mamrie, Louise, Carrie, Mary Moo and my sister Jane.
Thanks to all the women who write and think and put themselves out there, it’s so important that we do. I’m not going to write a list of who you are, but I will give a shout-out to Polly Vernon, who wrote her view and then got told to shut up about it. Your book was really useful with putting Cam together, don’t shut up. So on that note, can we all stop telling women to shut up? It’s really great that there are lots of different ways to be a woman, and many ways to feel about being female. We should try to accept them all. Apart from a small few, but again, I won’t list them either.
And now on to my heart …
Chris, you’re the best. The best husband, the best dad, the best date, the best mate. You also, very gracefully, handled a couple of my meltdowns, and for that I say thank you. Your support is ridiculous. My love for you is ridiculous. For a big, juicy self-doubting writer, I feel immensely secure because of the life I come home to after a day of pulling my hair out and climbing up walls. Thanks for all of the love and the things and the joy. And of course, for Art … the little nugget that changed my life. Who came out of me so effortlessly (I’m lying) and who turned out to be the best baby ever (that bit is true). Little Art, you gave me less hours in the day to do anything else but you gave me more love than I ever imagined. My little guy. With the best cheeks. I love you so much it hurts, but stop throwing your food on the floor. That shit drives me mental.
Thanks to anyone I didn’t mention who feels they should have been. These acknowledgements could have gone on for pages. That’s the truth. Writing is a solitary experience in many ways, but very often it’s the support around you that gets the job done. So, thanks!