by Lara Avery
Thank you to my hard-working parents, Brad and Sharon, whose simultaneous high standards and sense of humor have filled my world with purpose. And to my brothers, Wyatt and Dylan, who have been calling me on my b.s. since I was out of the womb, and will do so forever. I hope my extended family, the Rundes and the Averys, will see this book’s reverence for the American countryside, which has grown out of my time spent with them in their various home states.
Emma and Mandy, all the characters are you at some point. I hope your copies get covered in the dust from wherever you are. Rhett: for many more reasons than why I got to write this book, I’m glad our stars aligned.
Thank you to the staff of Nina’s Coffee Café of Saint Paul, who provided me with food, drink, and an office for days on end, and who didn’t judge my surly demeanor and haggard appearance too much.
An enormous debt of gratitude to my editor, Joelle Hobeika, for her guidance as I made my way through my first novel, and her patience, which allowed me to feel I was taking advice from a good friend. Another grateful nod to Laura Schreiber, Emily Meehan, and the whole Hyperion team. Their contributions brought this novel to another dimension, and they have taught me more than they know. Thank you to Southpaw Entertainment, for the inspiration and encouragement.
On that note, thank you to everyone at Alloy Entertainment for this opportunity. Truly, they have changed my life.
