And wherever the road took them, they’d been through worse.
Acknowledgments
The thing they never tell you in writing class is how many people it takes to make a book. Growing up, I always thought writing a book meant sitting down, cranking out a novel, and then hurling it into the world. It’s so much more than that, though. I have been beyond privileged to work with an entire team of absolute rock stars over the last two years who have all been dedicated to making The Dead and the Dark a real book. I can’t even begin to cover all the help I’ve received, but I can at least try to thank you all.
First of all, a huge thank-you to my incredible editor, Jennie Conway. From our first phone call where you yelled at me for the contents of chapter twenty-five and told me the whole thing was “like Riverdale, but good,” I knew we were going to be a great match. You have been an amazing champion for me and my girls, and I feel so lucky to be working with someone who so deeply understands what I’m trying to say, even when I don’t. Thank you to the entire team at Wednesday Books and St. Martin’s Press. To Mary Moates, Melanie Sanders, Alexis Neuville, Lauren Hougen, Jeremy Haiting, Omar Chapa, and Elizabeth Catalano. Thank you to Kerri Resnick and Peter Strain for my mind-blowingly gorgeous cover. I stare at it every day and imagine I will until the end of time.
My second thank-you goes to Claire Friedman and Jessica Mileo, my tireless agents. Thank you for always answering my panicked midnight questions, for reassuring me through many anxiety spirals, for always encouraging even the most out-there of my ideas, and for sending me Red Dead Redemption memes to keep me grounded. I cannot imagine a duo better suited for me and all my creepy, unnerving stories. Here’s to this first story and to many more to come. Thank you to the rest of the InkWell team, too. The Dead and the Dark wouldn’t be here without you all.
Thank you to my CPs: Lachelle Seville, who has been writing with me for almost a decade now and still doesn’t hate me. To Emily Khilfeh, who saw the very first spark of this idea and helped me kindle it every step of the way. To Cayla Keenan, who is an unrelentingly positive cheerleader and fierce supporter of all things queer. To Alex Clayton, who is the most supportive, kind, and loyal person I know. I wouldn’t be here without you, and I am forever grateful for your friendship and love. Thank you to Sadie Graham, Allison Saft, Ava Reid, and Rachel Morris for being such incredible friends through this journey. We all have to stick together through this tough process. I look forward to backing one another up for years to come.
Thank you to Kelly Jones, my Writing in the Margins mentor, who has always held the door open for aspiring writers. Thank you for listening to all my venting and for always offering to connect me with writers who really know what’s going on. Doing this whole thing one time was exhausting; I can’t imagine how you’ve done it a dozen times!
Thank you to Trisha Kelly, Adrienne Tooley, and Ashley Schumacher for being early readers and supporters of this odd little story. Thank you to Andrea Gomez for your help pushing this book to a deeper level. Thank you to the Tea Time crew: Rachel Diebel, Anna Loose, Ingrid Clark, Maylen Anthony, Lauren Cashman, Adrian Mayoral, Camille Adams, Sylvie Creekmore, and Mike Traner. Thank you to Courtney Summers, Dahlia Adler, Emma Berquist, Francesca Zappia, and Erica Waters for reading and loving The Dead and the Dark. You’re all incredible writers and it means the world to hear your kind words about my girls.
Thank you to Red Dead Redemption, Riverdale, Sharp Objects, Holes, Johnny Cash, Westworld, and all the other strange pieces of media I devoured while trying to figure this book out. Thank you to the towns of eastern Oregon I visited while trying to bring Snakebite to life—I hope you see yourselves represented in these pages.
Lastly, my family. Thank you to Carly for being the original hype-man for my creative pursuits. Thank you to Dad and Grandma for your patience while waiting to see if this writing thing would pay off. Thank you to Davis for always believing I could do this. Thank you to Mom for always saying this dream was practical, for sacrificing so much for us, and for always being home for me. I am beyond lucky to have you. This book is for you.
Thank you to everyone who helped create this story about two girls looking for love in a world of hate. I hope you like what it’s become.