Breath of Earth required intense research into early-twentieth-century California and the hardships suffered by Chinese immigrants. I am grateful for the assistance of folks on Codex Writers who provided information, conversation, and book recommendations that resulted in a novel more grounded in historical accuracy. Any remaining errors are my responsibility, and I beg forgiveness for my ignorance.
After I completed my initial draft of Breath of Earth, I was delighted that the Phoenix Art Museum had an exhibit and lecture on namazu-e. This artwork is very rare since the propaganda prints were actively sought out and destroyed in the 1850s. Phoenix Art Museum, thank you for such impeccable timing for this exhibition.
Many thanks to my first readers and initial cheerleaders for the book, Anaea Lay and Rebecca Roland. This project was daunting from the very start and they provided me with a positive boost to keep on going.
This book is dedicated to my literary agent, Rebecca Strauss, but she deserves a bonus mention here, too. She’s awesome like that. Much gratitude to the whole crew at DeFiore & Co.
Hugs and cookies to the wonderful folks at Harper Voyager. You made my dreams come true by releasing The Clockwork Dagger and The Clockwork Crown, and I’m thrilled that we’re together for my new series. Huge thanks to my editor, Kelly O’Connor; my magical publicist, Caroline Perny; and so many others there. Sloth power!
Of course, there is my family to thank. My parents, who encouraged me to delve deeper into California history on my own after I kept pestering them with questions that couldn’t be answered by my elementary school textbooks. My husband, Jason, who copes with my madness during drafts and revisions. Then there is my son, Nicholas, who has been fascinated by the laminated-and-scribbled-on 1896 San Francisco map on my office wall these past few years. See, dude? I told you it would help me write a book.