When I was struggling fiercely to write this book, Julia Quinn advised me to give myself time, to take a year off if I could and let myself slowly rediscover my love of writing. It was precisely the advice I needed, but more than that, I felt seen and understood and unspeakably touched that someone like her would even speak to me. It was a small thing for her to do, but she positively impacted my life. THANK YOU, JQ!!!
Later on, I reached out to another romance writing idol of mine, Jayne Ann Krentz, asking her how she managed to fill bookshelves with so many wonderful books of her own, and she, too, shared helpful advice with me. From her, I learned that I need to trust myself when I write and if there are recurring themes in my books, it’s okay. I don’t need to reinvent myself with every book so I can be fresh and new. In fact, those recurring themes may be the precise elements that inspire readers to connect with my work. I needed to hear these things, and I took them to heart as I drafted this book. THANK YOU, JAK!!!
Many thanks to Rebecca Ong, Nancy Huynh, and fellow wuxia fan Yimin Lai for helping me with the Chinese American representation in this book. It was a privilege to interview you. I’m sorry I was so annoying and bothered you with random questions at odd hours of the day.
Thank you to my old tae kwon do friend from college who is now a cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Burg, for connecting me with your urologist colleague, so I could ask him all my questions regarding testicular cancer and radical inguinal orchiectomy. Thank you, Dr. Witten, for sharing your time and expertise with me.
Thank you, Kaija Rayne, for reading this manuscript on short notice and offering feedback. I appreciate it.
Thank you to my agent, Kim Lionetti, for doing what you could to support me through my journey with this book even though your life was challenging as well.
Last but not least, thank you to the publishing team at Berkley—Cindy Hwang, Jessica Brock, Fareeda Bullert, and others—for being so understanding and patient with me. I plan to return to being a professional, deadline-keeping kind of author from here on out. I’m beyond grateful that you were as kind as you were when I dropped the ball, and I’m excited to work with you on coming projects.
Helen Hoang is that shy person who never talks. Until she does. And then the worst things fly out of her mouth. She read her first romance novel in eighth grade and has been addicted ever since. In 2016, she was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in line with what was previously known as Asperger’s syndrome. She currently lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two kids, and a pet fish.