Under Rose-Tainted Skies(69)

‘You okay?’ he stops and asks when we hit the second-to-last step. Deep breath. I nod; my jaw feels a little loose and I don’t want it to start jerking if I try to speak. Mom appears from the kitchen, giving me her my-little-girl-is-all-grown-up eyes over the top of her Best Mom in the World mug.

‘You can do it,’ she says.

‘You’ve totally got this,’ Luke affirms.

It makes me smile. And with that, we head towards the door.

But not before I take the last step twice.





Acknowledgements


Anne Hoppe, your editing skills are of the highest calibre; you have shaped this book into so much more than it was before, but beyond the technicalities of storytelling, I want to thank you for being such an amazing person. I was worried about this story, about how nonsensical it would seem to someone who hadn’t experienced my mental health at its worst, but you made it so easy to be honest and open. Thank you for loving Norah, and for allowing me to take the lead with her story so we could nail the perspective and share her experiences with anyone out there who may be facing the same struggles.

Barry Cunningham and Rachel Leyshon, I’m so grateful to you guys for seeing the potential in this story. Endless thanks for giving me the chance to be published on home soil. Your support and encouragement has been amazing. I still can’t believe I got to work with you guys. The opportunities you have presented me with over these last few months have been beyond my wildest. I’m indebted to you both.

Kesia Lupo, Sarah Wilson, Esther Waller, Helen Crawford-White, Charlotte Norman and Elinor Bagenal, thank you all so much for backing Rose, and for your tireless efforts in turning it into something beautiful, inside and out. I feel so honoured to have been a part of this team.

Rachel Hickman, Jazz Bartlett, Laura Myers and Nina Douglas, you guys <insert tears here>! I’m going to miss hanging out with you all, so much. Thank you. A thousand thank yous for all the love you’ve poured into my project. For putting it in as many hands as possible, for always answering my ridiculous questions, for having wild and wonderful imaginations, and for being some of the nicest people I’ve ever had the privilege to meet. I’ve felt very safe in your hands and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that.

Mandy Hubbard, all of the above applies to you too. You are a Jedi. Thank you for encouraging me to tell this story. And thank you for answering all my ridiculous freak-out emails. As I write this, we’re still twelve months from release. Can you imagine the conversations we’re going to have? Apologies and endless gratitude in advance. You’re a trooper.

Massive thanks to everyone at HMH Clarion. Hayley Gonnason, thank you for your tireless efforts to get Rose into the hands of readers. And to Christine Kettner: thank you for creating such a gorgeous jacket that perfectly reflects this story. I’m beyond grateful to be a part of this publishing family.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to my mum and dad for their endless love and undying patience. I know these past ten years have been tough. I feel so lucky to have you.

To the best older sister and little brother a person could hope for, Lisa and Nicholas. Thank you for always taking care of me, standing up for me, and supporting me, especially when it comes to my mental health. (Liam, this applies to you too.)

To my best friend and mentor, Rach. You already know. There will never be enough blank pages for me to put into words how grateful I am to you. I’m forever part of your team.

To my amazing beta readers and critique partners, Megan Orsini, Claire Donnelly, Nicole Tersigni, Candice Montgomery, Dawn Ius and S.E Carson – I’m still waiting on planet Dictionary to come up with a word that expresses the outrageous level of gratitude I have for you guys and your writing skills. Thank you for making me a better writer.

Louie, Donna, Cazzy, Jingle Bells, Suzanne Van Rooyen and Jennifer Shannon: I love you guys. Thank you for always being on hand with words of wisdom, encouragement, cake and kindness. This book broke me a lot; I couldn’t have written it without your support.

To the awesome members of #WO2016, and my fabulous Twitter family: you make the drawn-out days of no words and floods of tears bearable. It’s a privilege to always be around such a broad network of knowledge and skill.

Last, but by no means least, Professor: thank you for saving my life. . . .