The Fidelity Files (Jennifer Hunter #1)(156)

Thanks to my very fashionable little sister, Terra, for being the official "fashion consultant" for the book. My main character's image would have suffered tremendously had you not stepped in and rescued it with your designer know-how.

Thank you to Charlie, my amazing boyfriend/domestic partner/best friend/soul mate. I am the balloon and you are the rock that I'm tied to. And I love you for that...more than you know.

To Walter Brody, for passing on your talented genes and for being the first person worthy of the title "the smartest man in the world." And to Roslyn Brody: I wish you were here to see me get published. But I already know exactly what you'd say: "Oy veh, I hope they're paying you good money!" Don't worry, Grandma, I paid off all my debt (almost).

To Steve and Cathy Brody for allowing me to follow in your published footsteps.

Thank you to my brilliant and supportive agent, Beth Fisher at Levine Greenberg, for believing in this concept from so early on and for being so patient with my endless influx of questions about the publishing process. And to Monika Verma, Stephanie Kip Rostan, and everyone who sits in those mysterious editorial meetings of yours.

Thank you to my wonderfully talented editors, Jennifer Weis and Hilary Rubin, for understanding Jennifer/Ashlyn's plight and for helping me make her story as strong as it could be. And thank you, Hilary, for saving this book with the perfect title!

To Anne Marie Tallberg, Ellis Trevor, John Karl, and all the marketing and publicity staff at St. Martin's for listening to all my ideas and not laughing at any of them (at least not to my face). Thanks to my elusive copy editor (you know who you are, even if I don't), who made me aware of my over-hyphenating-problem. Don't-worry-I-am-seeking-help. And to all the other amazing people at St. Martin's who helped take what used to be a four-hundred-page Word document and turn it into something you can actually pick up off the shelf.

Jerry Brunskill, you believed in this concept from the moment it came out of my mouth, and I am forever indebted to you for your support and encouragement. Thanks for your hours upon hours of work on the trailer. I owe you a really big and complicated spreadsheet! God loves spreadsheets.

Thanks to Megan Beatie, Kathleen Carter, and everyone at Goldberg McDuffie for all of your brilliant ideas, enthusiasm, and publicity know-how.

To all of my wonderful friends: Ella, for reading everything I ever wrote... and inspiring Zo?'s road rage. Brad Gottfred, for being my producing soul mate. Katherine Carlson, my spiritual mentor and "Secret" adviser. Leslie, my "oldest" friend and the chick-lit queen! Shalini, for inspiring "Island Therapy" (even though it never made it into the final draft, I still think we're pretty hilarious). Allison, Kristin, and Alicia for being my very first target-demographic audience. Tina, for being my "marketing manager." Holly, for being the Internet "face" of Ashyln. Lindsay Wray, for giving voice to the hotline. Hilary and Jen, my New York and L.A. Bells. Megan, my fellow "Girl at Play." Angie, for your genuine excitement about everything I do. And Blair, for never getting annoyed by my continual annoyance and for being my inspiration for inner peace .... and a 99.99 percent alkaline diet.

Thanks to George, Vicki, and Jennifer, my Texas family. And Bob and Kitty for proving that target demographics were made to be broken.

To Sylvia Peck, my very first agent. Juliet will always be yours.

Brian Braff, thanks for the beautiful author photo and for keeping me humble with your transcriptions.

Thanks to all the talented actors who graced the scenes of the trailer with your beautiful faces (and feet): Deprise Brescia, Holly Karrol Clark, Katharine Horsman, Katie Hein, Chad Chiniquy, Elizabeth Weisbaum, Jeremy Pack, Kip Tribble, Sherry Zerwin, Keith Burke, Jason Rosell, Tye Nelson, Amy Warren, Lois Larimore, Nicholas Hosking, Rick Lundgren, Fabienne Mauer, and Cameron Daddo. And all the crew who dedicated their time and creativity to producing it: Ryan Rees (sound) Adam O'Connor (cinematography), Karen Stein (makeup), Chahn Chung (graphic design).

And last but not least, thanks to you, the person holding this book. I am so incredibly grateful. A writer without a reader is just a crazy person with a pen. And if you lasted through this entire acknowledgments section, you definitely deserve to be thanked.