Teaching doesn’t stop upon graduation. I continue to learn from other authors, those I record for as well as friends I’ve met along the way. Too many to name here, but particularly: Catherine McKenzie, Therese Walsh, Allison Winn Scotch, Emily Henry, Benjamin Percy, Philip Dean Walker, Amy Spalding, Kosoko Jackson, Thea Harrison, and, of course, Linda Holmes, who–of all coincidences–also wrote a Nick and a June into her sophomore novel. And a special thanks to those authors who, for this specific book, gave their time to an early read: Allie Larkin, Malcolm Brooks, Andrea Dunlop, Robinne Lee, and Taylor Jenkins Reid, Queen of Actually Everything.
Many thanks to Sarah MacLean and Jen Prokop for their fabulous podcast, Fated Mates, which helped me get up to speed on what I’d missed in Romance since I’d stopped recording it.
To my agent, Abby Koons: we started working together when I had nothing to show you and, when I finally did, it was at the beginning of a global pandemic and yet . . . it all worked. Sometimes you just know, I guess. To Alex Greene, whose editorial eye is just as keen as her legal one. To the rest of the Park & Fine team, but especially: Emily Sweet, Andrea Mai, Anna Petkovich, and Kat Toolan. And to our co-agents, especially Anoukh Foerg. And, for that matter, to the lovely people at Penguin Verlag for your faith and support.
To the HarperCollins/William Morrow/Avon team: Lisa Nicholas, Brittani DiMare, Robin Barletta, Julie Paulauski, Francie Crawford, Elsie Lyons, and Nathan Burton. Especially to Liate Stehlik at the beginning and to Erika Tsang at the end . . . prayer hands. And, mostly, to Elle Keck: I didn’t want to do this book without you. Your DNA is in its marrow and I’m so glad we got to do it together.
On the personal side of things:
Ten years ago, Tim, Dana, Jeff, Pam, and Laura were all there for me so I could be there for my grandfather; and Marvin, Jolie, and Chris were there for my grandfather when I couldn’t be. To everyone at his assisted living facility and Serenity Hospice, particularly Melinda, reverend and all-around Godsend.
Karen Gang for answering my questions about elder care, not only back when it benefited my real grandparents, but for this fictional one, too. And to Elena Hecht, for having such a wonderful mother in the first place.
To Laura Grafton, who began my audiobook journey; I could never have foreseen where it would lead. And to Ellen Steans for also having such a wonderful mother in the first place.
To Andrea Kaufman for giving me the GREAT news about Merriam-Webster adding a second pronunciation for areole.
To my Audm family for understanding I had to go write this book. To the spirit of Christian Brink: I told you this story was a Cyrano retelling, because, at the time, it was. It devastates and angers me all over again that you’re not here to tell me, over gin and karaoke, how the Cyrano version would have been better.
To my actual family. Particularly Mom and Ken for their Zen in the face of my . . . whatever the opposite is of Zen. Mom, I missed your hugs so much those eighteen months a pandemic kept us apart. To Gramps: it was an honor to escort you past the veil. To Dad: ten years later and I’m still pissed you’re not here to see all of this and I guess at this point I always will be.
To my friends for putting up with my disappearing acts. Particularly Sarah, for letting me not only steal your name for this book （and, I just realized, your dog’s!） but also your habit of watching golf for background noise. I only wish I could make Nick real for you.
And to my Nick: my Geof. The reason any of this works. For taking care of everything so I can pursue anything. For making our life so beautiful, so complete. As you say, enough is always enough. For feeding me, in every way: with your love and championing, with your freakish talent and earned insight, with your comic genius （on and off the page）， and, literally, with your cooking. You know how fine you are to me?
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About the Author
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Meet Julia Whelan
About the Book
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On Autobiography
Reading Group Guide
About the Author
Meet Julia Whelan
JULIA WHELAN is a screenwriter, lifelong actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator of over five hundred titles. Her performance of her own debut novel, the internationally bestselling My Oxford Year, garnered a Society of Voice Arts Award. Whelan is also a Grammy-nominated audiobook director, a former writing tutor, a half-decent amateur baker, and a certified tea sommelier.
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About the Book
On Autobiography
Here’s what I’ve learned: No matter how many times you explain that your book isn’t autobiographical, no one really believes you.