by Lynette Noni
My name is not “Jane Doe,” and from now on, I won’t be afraid of who I am, of what I can do.
I am a Creator, but I am not a monster.
I can do the unimaginable; I can Speak the impossible into being. But most important, I can now control it.
And I will be ready for what comes next.
No, I am ready.
Because I am Alyssa Scott.
And I am no longer afraid to be me.
I.
Am.
Free.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, my thanks go to God, for a journey beyond anything I could have imagined in my wildest dreams. Also to my incredible family and friends, for staying with me through the many ups and downs of this adventure (and respecting the magical properties of Disney and chocolate).
So, so, so much gratitude to my miracle-working agent, Victoria Wells Arms, for reminding me to breathe and for being my very own Cinderella-inspired fairy godmother. I’m forever grateful for the day you came into my life. Thanks also to your brilliant assistant, Brigette Torrise, for calling this book ‘phenomenal’ — I will never forget how that felt, and everything that came afterwards.
Kate Egan, editor extraordinaire … I have no words. Working with you has been an indescribable honor and I still have to pinch myself just to make sure all of this is real. Thank you for loving this story enough to help turn it into a book. I absolutely can’t wait to see what’s next! (*Cough* Tigers! *Cough*) Thanks also to Beverley Solotov, for your sharp eye and meticulous copyediting; and to my magic-wielding proofreaders — you are wonderful!
To the amazing team at KCP Loft: thank you for taking a chance on this strange Aussie author with wonder in her veins. I’m so, so thrilled to be working with you all in bringing Whisper to the world. Huge (!!) gratitude also to my Australian publishers, Pantera Press, for your continued friendship and support on my Great Big Publishing Adventures — you are all absolute superstars and I’m so excited for everything that’s ahead!
Unending hugs go to Sarah J. Maas, for holding my hand across oceans through some really challenging times, and offering wisdom and encouragement during every phase of this journey. I’m so grateful we had the chance to meet and bond over plastic frogs, stalker celebs, and our “fabulous” (ahem) dance moves.
Mountains of thanks go to my early critique readers, Frannie Panglossa, Emily Davison and Dana Summer: thank you, thank you, thank you for your invaluable feedback and connecting with this story as you did. Special mention also to Jenna Harper for reading this book in a night, and to Krystal Gagen for dropping everything to offer fresh eyes during the “final” read-through. I owe you both cookies!
Thanks also to Luke Mitchell, for inspiring the creation of Landon Ward through your character on The Tomorrow People (and for not being weirded out when I told you so); and to Rebecca Breeds, for reminding me that we creatives have a responsibility to share what is in our hearts in order to serve those around us. May your passion for acting never fade, nor that light that shines so strongly from within you.
Much love and gratitude goes to Maria V. Snyder, for your kind heart, your generous nature, and your sage publishing advice; to the ever-colorful Maria Lewis, my sounding board and sister in all the ways that matter (except, you know, blood); to Kate Forsyth, for reminding me that writers need writer friends; to Ineke Prochazka, for the hilarious phone call catch-ups and ensuing bellyaches; to Alex Adsett, for being my wonderful and ever-helpful non-agent agent; to Alan Baxter, Justin Woolley and Marlee Jane Ward, for being remarkable authors and singularly unique humans; to Paige Belfield, for making sure I’m always where I need to be (despite frequently scaring the stuffing out of me); to Sulari Gentill, for walking a similar path and freely sharing tales of your journey (while being a good friend along the way); to Robert Dockerill, for the insightful Taronga Zoo tour and answering my gazillion questions; and to Traci Harding, for your unending patience while I asked those gazillion questions, and for being fabulous — always.
Lastly, to everyone reading this book — thank you. Words cannot describe just how grateful I am. I hope that in reading Lyss’s story, you’ll understand the impact words can have, and that if you feel you have no voice, you are now encouraged to speak.
You are brave.
You are powerful.
You are heard.
Lynette Noni is known for her best-selling young adult fantasy series, The Medoran Chronicles. Whisper is the first book in her new series.
Lynette grew up on a farm in outback Australia until she moved to the beautiful Sunshine Coast and swapped her mud-stained boots for sand-splashed flip-flops. She has always been an avid reader and most of her childhood was spent lost in daydreams of far-off places and magical worlds. She was devastated when her Hogwarts letter didn’t arrive, but she consoled herself by looking inside every wardrobe she could find, and she’s still determined to find her way to Narnia one day. While waiting for that to happen, she creates her own fantasy worlds and enjoys spending time with the characters she meets along the way.
Lynette loves to chat with her readers—connect with her online:
www.LynetteNoni.com
Facebook.com/Lynette.Noni
Twitter.com/LynetteNoni
Instagram.com/LynetteNoni
