From Beth:
Thank you to my sister, Leslie Merlin, for showing me what it is to keep pushing toward your dreams. My mother, Diane Zamansky, my very first “editor” who would routinely return my letters from camp with corrections and revisions, red-marked for spelling and grammar mistakes. You taught me how to write and gave me my love of the written word. I will forever be grateful. And my father, Arthur Zamansky, who wouldn’t have read a single page but would have been prouder than anyone. Alice Ahmadieh, my mother-in-law and friend, your support means the world to me. Thank you Alyson Schwartz （my touchstone） and my crews both near （Raleigh） and far （NYC/London） who keep me grounded, laughing, and sane. I am lucky to have such wonderful people in my life. A million thank-yous to Danielle Modafferi for pulling me from the slush pile and becoming not only my “ride or die” writing partner, but one of my very best friends. Always, for Mashaal Ahmadieh, you are my archetype for every leading man. Without your unwavering belief, guidance, and love, none of this would have been possible. Finally, thank you to my beautiful Hadley Alexandra, far and away my greatest accomplishment.
From Danielle:
Once upon a time, I wrote a novel and then promptly swore I would never do it again. Instead, in 2016, I took my newly earned MFA in Writing Popular Fiction and my decade-plus of classroom experience as an English teacher and decided to become an indie publisher as a way to coach other authors on how to craft their best books. And it was through this experience that I met Beth, the first author I signed to my press. Together, we wrote and developed The Campfire Series （One S’more Summer, S’more to Lose, Love You S’more, and Tell Me S’more）， and later Breakup Boot Camp. With each subsequent project, our creativity and collaboration soared! From day one, we just kinda stumbled into a process of cowriting quite naturally, and from that moment, we both agreed that we’d rather make a go of it together than on our own . . . and damn, I’m so glad that we have.
Long story short, Beth is the yin to my yang. Where I tend to overwrite flowery description and gushy emotional stuff, Beth is more straightforward and better with clarity and scene structure. （Case in point, check out the correlative length of our respective acknowledgments! lol!） We just complement one another so well, and only together have we finally reached the summit of accomplishing this lifelong goal.
Meeting Beth has proven to me that the world truly works in mysterious ways, and I am so grateful to her and for her every single day. Beth, my dear, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” Also, a special thank-you to her wonderful family （Hi, Mash and Haddie Bug!） for all of the support and man-hours you have put in to help Beth dedicate time to writing with me. I know how much of a team effort it is, and I am really grateful to you all for sharing her with me.
To my Firefly Hill Press family for their continued love and support. I love what we have built together and hope to continue to support your writing careers and books well into the future. And so much love to the hivemind at Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction （especially my June 2011 class）—I am so lucky to learn from and continue to be inspired by all the writers in my life.
To all of my students—both past and future. Thank you for teaching me to not take life too seriously, to enjoy each moment （even the hard ones）， and to appreciate that learning is a lifelong process. Thank you for teaching me as much as I hope to have taught you.
To my crazy-amazing family and the friends who love me just as fiercely—I am just so lucky to have you all in my corner. To my soul sisters: Ariel Raia, Stephanie Call Dunn, Erin Bales, Ashley DeMain, and Samara Westmoreland-Touchton—near or far （usually far!）， I love you all to the moon and back. To Shelley Raley, my angel above. To all my intelligent and courageous nieces and nephews: Annalisa, Sara, Logan, Colton, and Connor—Tati looooves you! To my incredible sisters, Laura and Karli, thank you for always being there for me, whether I was in need of a laugh or a cry or a swift kick in the pants. You ladies fill my life with so much happiness, and I am forever grateful to have forged such a special and unique relationship with each of you.
To my parents, Thomas and Patricia Modafferi, I could never adequately put into words what I owe you, what you’ve given me, and all the ways you’ve inspired me. Being a creative free spirit has been a bit of an adventure to put it mildly, but the only reason I feel emboldened to explore the world so fearlessly is because of you and your unending support. Thank you for encouraging me to be me. “Love, your baby girl.”
From Both:
And last but certainly not least, to everyone who has shared this book with loved ones, bought this book for others, recommended this book because it brought you joy, TikToked about this book, or otherwise supported us and our dream of bringing this thing to life: thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Follow us on social media and come say hello: @merlinandmod.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Beth Merlin earned her BA from George Washington University and her juris doctor from New York Law School. A native New Yorker, Beth loves anything Broadway, romantic comedies, and a good maxi dress. When she isn’t writing, you can find her spending time with her husband, daughter, and two cavapoos, Sophie and Scarlett, at home or at their favorite vacation spot, Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
Danielle Modafferi, a high school English teacher and pun enthusiast, earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in 2014 and, shortly after, founded Firefly Hill Press in 2016. By day, she helps her students discover the magic of language, but by night, she’s a writer and publisher on a mission to unleash her creativity and help others do the same. If there is ever time left in the day, Danielle loves working on a good upcycling or art project, traveling to faraway （and some not-so-faraway） places, and snuggling with her two yorkipoos, Jackson and Liam, who are also incidentally her biggest fans.