The Magnificent North would not be the same without a number of wonderful people who shared bits of their magic with this book.
Thank you so much, Sarah Barley, for believing in this story from the very first messy moment that I pitched it. Thank you for seeing the magic when it wasn’t really there and for helping me to get it there. I’m so grateful for you, for the way you love books, and that you are always able to spot the flaws in my books, so I can fix them before they are seen by others.
Thank you, Jenny Bent, my extraordinary agent. The longer we work together, the more grateful I am for you. Thank you for being the first person to love this story and for giving me confidence when mine began to fail. Thank you for your brilliant editorial advice and for your endless support in all things large and small.
I can’t imagine what my writing would be without the encouragement, love, and support of my wonderful family. This last year, especially, I needed all of you. Thank you for always being there even if it’s the five hundredth time I’ve asked you to help me figure out a new character name. Thank you, Mom, Dad, Matt Garber, Allison Moores, and Matt Moores. I love you all!
By the time this book is published, I’ll have been with Macmillan for more than six years, and I am so thankful for everyone there. Thank you to my excellent publishers, Bob Miller and Megan Lynch, and associate publisher, Malati Chavali, of Flatiron Books. Thank you, Nancy Trypuc, Jordan Forney, Katherine Turro, Sam Zukergood, and Erin Gordon, for being the most fantastic marketing team and for working so hard to share your endless excitement with readers. Thank you, Cat Kenney, for your constant enthusiasm, and Marlena Bittner, for being there from the beginning. Thank you, Sydney Jeon, for all your work behind the scenes. Thank you, Donna Noetzel, for once again giving my books stunning interiors. Thanks to Chrisinda Lynch, Sara Ensey, and Brenna Franzitta, for your incredible attention to detail. And thank you, Vincent Stanley, for overseeing the production of such beautiful books.
Thank you to narrator Rebecca Soler, and to Mary Beth Roche, Steve Wagner, and everyone at Macmillan Audio, for truly bringing Once Upon a Broken Heart to life via audiobook. Thank you, Jennifer Edwards, Jasmine Key, Jennifer Golding, Jessica Brigman, Mark Von Bargen, Rebecca Schmidt, Sofrina Hinton, and everyone with Macmillan Sales, for making sure this book is on so many shelves. Thank you, Alexandra Quill and Peter Janssen at Macmillan Academic, for putting this story in the hands of teachers, and thank you, Talia Sherer and Emily Day at Macmillan Library, for working to ensure this book makes it into libraries.
Thank you, Erin Fitzsimmons and Keith Hayes, for all the work and imagination you’ve put into making the US cover absolutely extraordinary. Thank you, too, to Kelly Gatesman. Thank you, Virginia Allyn, for your marvelous and magical map of the Magnificent North.
Thank you so much to everyone at Hodder & Stoughton for giving all my books such a tremendous UK home. Thank you, Kate Howard, for being such a wonderful champion of this story and for your brilliant editorial advice. Thank you, Molly Powell, for stepping in while Kate has been away and for being such a fun and sensational person to work with. Thank you, Lisa Perrin, for creating a UK cover worthy of a fairy tale.
Thank you, Molly Ker Hawn, for being a gem of a UK agent. Thank you, Amelia Hodgson, for working your foreign rights magic. Thank you, Victoria Lowes, for being on top of things that I would certainly let fall through the cracks. I’m so thankful to be a part of the Bent Agency.
To my marvelous and extraordinary friends! My heart bursts with love for you. Thank you, Stacey Lee, for hours of phone calls and years of remarkable friendship. My stories always have more heart because of you. Thank you, Kristin Dwyer, for never thinking my ideas are too ridiculous and for always reminding me of the importance of leaning into love. Thank you, Kerri Maniscalco, for the most inspirational of brainstorming sessions and for countless conversations about vampires. Thank you, Adrienne Young, for your authentic encouragement and for always bringing a fresh perspective. Thank you, Anissa de Gomery, for loving Jacks even more than I do. Thank you, Ava Lee, Melissa Albert, and Isabel Ibañez, for the early reads and insightful feedback. Thank you, Kristen Williams, for all the amazing book talks and story talks and for looking at every early cover. Thank you, Gita Trelease, for your words of wisdom. And thank you, Katie Nelson, Jenny Lundquist, Shannon Dittemore, and Valerie Tejeda, for being the best.
And finally, I thank God, always, that I get to do the thing that I feel I was made to do.