To my husband, Benjamin, and our fur baby, Bacchus. Without your endless love, support, and patience, I couldn’t do what I do.
THE journey from a wannabe writer to a published novelist is a long and arduous one. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it takes nearly as many to nurture an author. I’d like to extend all the “thank-yous” and send a million hugs, kisses, and chocolate to the following:
First, to Benjamin, the best life partner anyone could ever ask for, who puts my dreams at the top of our to-do list and endures my writing-induced tantrums with grace and civility. To my mother, who instilled the love of reading into me at a very young age. To my father and stepmother, who never fail to ask about and root for my writerly triumphs. To my brother, Andy, and his wife and daughter, Shaila and Ava, who will undoubtedly be among my first sales, even though Ava won’t be allowed to read this story until she’s at least eighteen. To my whole in-law clan, who love me as if I were a blooded daughter, sister, and aunt. To my Dollface, who always believes in me even when my self-doubt is at its highest. To Becky, who takes the love and devotion of a “twin sister” to a whole new level.
To my endlessly patient and supportive agent, Eva Scalzo, who is always there to hold my hand and respond to my anxiety-riddled emails. To my first editor, Sione Aeschliman, who taught me the value of professional feedback and how to make my words sparkle. To Dreamspun Desires’s acquisitions editor Sue Brown-Moore, who saw potential in my voice and made my writerly dreams come true. To my senior editor, Desi Chapman, and all the rest of Dreamspinner Press’s amazing editorial staff, who helped make my words the best they could be.
To my incredible Twitter #amwriting community—most especially my #writeLGBTQ+ lovelies—who hold me up and keep me going, day in and day out. To my CPs/betas/writing cheerleaders—Jess, Hannah, Meka, Marit, Lindsay, Sarah, Courtney, Brent, Scott, Maureen, Cora, Tara, Julie, Alex, Jenn, Tia, J, Heather, Karen, and Micah—you’re all gods and goddesses in my world. To my biggest supporters in this project, Laz and Kristina, whose verbal pom-poms made this book possible. And finally, to my alpha reader and BFF, Lily, who holds the distinctive honor of being the first person to ever read my non-academic words. Without her encouragement, love, and late-night pep talks, I wouldn’t be here today.