A thousand thank-yous to Joan He and Mara Rutherford for picking this book to mentor. Those few months during Pitch Wars still stand as a favorite moment of this journey. Endless gratitude to Brenda Drake, Heather Cashman, and everyone involved in Pitch Wars 2017, especially my fellow mentees. The rumors are true; the community is everything. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without that experience.
Thank you to those who have shaped my writing in profound ways. To Elizabeth Runnoe, you’re the best CP and friend a girl could ask for. To Allison Brink, therapist extraordinaire and all-around incredible human, you’ve been a continual bright spot. To Janelle Erickson and Angie Beckey for reading early drafts and still being my friends. To April Smasal for the fangirling and the flowers. To Tim Blevins, the first person I pitched this idea to on that fateful day in January all those years ago; your reaction lit the fire. To Sovanneary Sweere, one of my oldest and dearest friends, for the lake walks and listening. To my sweet cousin Jessica, and the rest of the ladybugs, for your endless enthusiasm.
Thank you to all my friends and work friends for your support during the creation of this book, especially Emily Lane, Denise Lorenz, Adam Ridgeway, Anna Mercier, Jenny Pinion, Renee Kallio, Lindsey Wright, Joanne Torres, Amanda Clark, Alea Toussaint, and Tom Sebanc.
Before writing books, I worked as an art director alongside some of the most talented writers I’ve ever known. My deepest gratitude to each of you for teaching me what words can do.
Thank you to my No Excuses critique group, especially Eliza Langhans, Brook Kuhn, Lyla Lawless, Jeff Wooten, Brighton Kamen, Ryan Van Loan, Erin Fitzgerald, and Margie Fuston for being a sounding board of positivity during our monthly video chats. Extra thanks to Emily Thiede for the eleventh-hour read that changed this book, and to Melody Steiner for your fierce enthusiasm. To everyone in my Loft critique group, Paul Bachleitner, John Sheahan, Erin Gallas, Jennifer Granneman, and Mohammad Seifi—thank you for all your excitement and feedback.
A huge thank-you to everyone at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. The evening classes allowed this working mom a sacred space to dream. This book was born at the Loft. And in many ways, so was my writing.
At the heart of this book is a sister story, and I wouldn’t have been able to write it like I did without having a sister of my own. To the amazing Caren, thank you for all your encouragement. You are magical. I love you so much. To my mother, Carolyn, and her husband, Arnie, thank you for being a backbone during this lengthy process. Mom, I now give you permission to go forth and tell all your friends on Facebook about my book. To Pat, Jerry, Christine, and the whole Milwaukee squad, thank you for cheering me on. Love you all.
To my husband, Eric, this book would not exist without you. You didn’t have to sacrifice weekends to watch babies while I shut myself in a room to write, and yet you did. Thank you for making this work that is important to me also important to you. This journey would be awfully lonely without you by my side. I love you. This book was always for you.
To my little boys, Rogue and West, sorry for all the on-deadline mac ’n’ cheese. I love you both! Keep on reading weird stories and dreaming.
Finally, to my dad, Svika, who left this world when I was barely a young adult myself—there isn’t a day that passes that I don’t miss you. I wish you were still here to see all the astonishing things I’ve done. Especially this thing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emily J. Taylor was born and raised in California and has since refused to stay put. She’s lived in four states and on two continents, all of which have conveniently given her an endless amount of story fodder. She currently works as a creative director in Minneapolis, where she spends the long winters dreaming up glittering worlds to spin into dark tales. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @emilycanwrite, or find her on her website at emilyjtaylorauthor.com.