Writing acknowledgments for my seventh published book is odd when it was technically the first book I’d ever completed, but I’m glad I kept on. I understand now that I needed those extra years to fully develop it in ways I’d never have imagined back in 2010, and my strange little novel was all the better for this necessary percolation.
All this still wouldn’t have been possible if not for the constant support and encouragement of the Sourcebooks Fire team, who like to take chances on strange little novels. All my gratitude to my editor, the very fabulous Annie Berger, and also to Cassie Gutman, Sarah Kasman, Ashley Holstrom, Nicole Hower, Beth Oleniczak, Mallory Hyde, and Ashlyn Keil! And also to Todd Stocke, and to Dominique Raccah, without whom Sourcebooks would not exist! My gratitude also to the amazing Annette Pollert-Morgan, who had enough confidence in me to ask for this book based on a pitch alone.
And as always, all the love to my agent Rebecca Podos, who has always believed in the ridiculous ideas I come up with, and who appreciates the unusual and the peculiar as much as I do.
Parker Sera, Stephanie Ripley, Nicole DeSilvey, Sophie de Coningh, Sara Simpkins, Jackie Amaya, and Rose Whitt—you guys have helped this book evolve more than you all can ever know. One of these days we’ll have a senior year reunion, I swear.
For my cousin, Keisha Lao, who read one of the very earliest versions of this book and said her favorite characters were the pigeons. Well, the pigeons have been cut out of the book, and it’s a completely different story from the one I gave you, but thank you for being one of its very first cheerleaders!
And of course, all my love to Les, who has been there from the very beginning, who’s weathered through my writing funks and listlessness and odd ramblings, who still hasn’t read any of my books, yet somehow remains an excellent sounding board to bounce ideas off from—even when he doesn’t understand what I’m going on about.
Thank you to every reader who’s bought my books, cried over the endings (I’m sorry and yet not sorry about The Shadowglass), took the time to meet me on tours and signings and panels, and traveled this journey with me. I could not have done this without you all.
And, as always, I would like to thank a celebrity I admire who is not very likely to read this book, hence my impudence. For this story, that dubious honor goes to Rory McCann, who absolutely inspired Kay. May the drinks in Glasgow always flow for you, dude.