Trust Me, I'm Trouble
Page 27
Next, I must express my undying love and gratitude to my publishing and agenting teams. I worship you all. Wendy Loggia is a joy of an editor. With this book, I took the envelope I was trying to push and set it on fire. Wendy gave me the time and space I needed to let my imagination run wild and naked over the moors, and then patiently helped me shape the story into what I truly wanted it to be. Laura Bradford, my amazeballs agent, continues to be beyond awesome and always in my corner. She’s just as crazy as I am but with a megadose of cunning that makes her invaluable to all her authors (but me especially).
I also want to thank (from the Delacorte Press team) Beverly, Colleen, Tamar, Stephanie and Ashley, Trish, Krista (!), Alison, and Ray (of the brilliant cover design)—y’all are all right in my book. And to the agenting team—Brandy Rivers, Taryn Fagerness, Natalie Lakosil, and Sarah LaPolla—I cannot thank you enough for your tireless efforts on my behalf.
I also owe a debt of gratitude to the larger community on several fronts, without which I’d be up the drafting creek without a paddle. April Henry, bestselling author and jewel of a person—half my local connections come from her (you rule, April!). The OneFour KidLit debut group has kept me sane this past year. Second Book Syndrome became Second Book Shazaam! thanks to these fine folks who shared their experience, their support, and their gorgeous books with me. Special shout-out to Michelle Krys, my editor sister, who dropped everything to answer my questions about the publicity end of the authorial life.
The YA blogosphere at large is the most amazing, supportive place I have ever encountered. I am where I am today because of the collective, collaborative genius that only a bunch of fannish book nerds would have the ability and the generosity of spirit to share. In specific, I want to thank Nikki Wang, Crystal, Amy Trueblood, Celeste P., and Sabrina Kooy. I <3 you guys. I also want to thank my Facebook crew for their constant support and cheerleading—Kim Beach Kenney, Rachael Byington Nuzzaco, Nick Heap, KT! Eaton, Meg Stocker, Kristen Ketchel-Bain, Rebecca Moses, Jacque Justice, and everyone else who has shared my posts and encouraged me over the years.
Thanks, too, to my home away from home, Ava Roasteria Café, for supporting a schedule-challenged author by being open 24/7 and serving me delicious coffee whenever I need it. Progress Ridge, represent!
Last but not nearly least, my family. I can never repay them for allowing me the time to write this book on top of doing my day job, at the expense of being there for them when they otherwise needed me, and for indulging me every time I needed reassurance or an ear to help hash out a plot point or to revel in some new success. Thanks go specifically to my mother for early-morning international-phone-call brainstorming sessions while I commuted to work; to my siblings, Christopher, Elizabeth, James, and Will, for psyching me up; to my wonderful in-laws, Lisa and Cal, for their unfailing support and excitement; to my father, my stepmother Daryl, and my other stepmother Milla, for inspiring me to shine; and to my daughter, Caelan, for her patient understanding whenever I’m not there to kiss her goodnight.
And of course, most especially, I owe my heartfelt thanks to my beloved wife, Miranda, for all the late-night “You can do it!” texts and surprise chocolate-chip cookies and many loads of dishes quietly done in my absence—not to mention her timely, sharp, and insightful critique. This book, quite simply, could never have been written without her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
is the author of Trust Me, I’m Lying and its sequel, Trust Me, I’m Trouble. She contributes to the delinquency of minors by writing books about unruly teenagers with criminal leanings, and has a BA in creative writing from Wells College. Her philosophy on life is “You can never go wrong with sriracha sauce.” She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her wife, their daughter, and their evil overlor—er, cat.