From the Desk of Zoe Washington(57)
When the chorus came on again, we sang along.
Then Grandma walked into the room, followed by Mom and Dad.
“What’s going on in here?” Mom asked.
“We’re dancing. Join us!” I said.
They did, and together, we danced and sang along with the song. Mom belted out some harmonies.
It was hard to believe that Marcus was once a total stranger to me. And now, he was here and we were having a dance party. He was out of prison because of me.
When the song ended, Marcus and I both collapsed on the couch with big, identical smiles, and I felt grateful and happy and full.
Acknowledgments
My journey from aspiring writer to published author was long, a lot longer than I expected. I couldn’t have gotten to this point without my sheer determination, countless cups of coffee, or all the following people who supported me along the way.
Thank you to my agent, Alex Slater, for championing Zoe’s story from the very beginning. Deciding to work with you was the easiest and best decision I’ve made! You helped me get my dream book deal, and I will be forever grateful. I also want to thank Nicola DeRobertis-Theye for bringing Zoe overseas, and the rest of the Trident Media Group team for their passion and hard work.
To Alexandra Arnold, who acquired this book before leaving her role at Katherine Tegen Books, I’m so glad I was able to work with you to strengthen this manuscript. You are incredible at what you do! You told me I would be in good hands with my new editor, Mabel Hsu, and you were right. Mabel, you’ve been amazing to work with. Thank you for always treating my debut as if it was your own acquisition. To the rest of the team at Katherine Tegen Books—Tanu Srivastava, Liz Byer, Mark Rifkin, Erin Wallace, Kristen Eckhardt, Vaishali Nayak, Laura Mock, Amy Ryan, Sam Benson, and Megan Gendell—thank you for all your hard work. Thank you as well to Mirelle Ortega for illustrating my beautiful cover.
One of the rewarding parts of having a long publishing journey is all the writer friends I made throughout the years. Thank you to my New School MFA crew—Kathryn Holmes, Michael Dobbs, Elizabeth Dunn-Ruiz, Benjamin Andrew Moore, Gabriela Pereira, and Mia Garcia—who’ve been there since I was a newbie writing my very first novel. You all continue to inspire me, and I’m so grateful for our friendship. To my CT Novelists—Jessica Bayliss, Cristina Dos Santos, Ginger Merante, and Juliana Haygert—you four are my rocks! I also want to thank the other writers who’ve encouraged me over the years: Dahlia Adler, Ellen Goodlett, and Emery Lord. To all my other writer friends who I met online or at conferences: thank you for your support! I also want to thank my friends who aren’t writers but who’ve always been excited to hear updates about my work, which meant the world to me: Jenifer Parker, Laura Wolther, Maura FitzGerald, and Shaderi Taylor (RIP).
To my critique group ladies—Jodi Kendall, Gina Carey, and Alexandra Alger—I can always count on you for insightful feedback and support. Thank you for helping me bring Zoe’s story to light. A special thank-you to the other authors who took time to read this book and provide feedback. Kacen Callender, thank you for helping me realize that this was, in fact, meant to be a middle grade book, and not YA. Karen Strong, you’ve been Zoe’s cheerleader from the start, and a wonderful friend. I can’t wait for us to do an event together. Dana Alison Levy, your thorough notes and mentorship while I was revising were priceless.
To the Shoreline Arts Alliance Tassy Walden Committee: thank you for selecting this story for the 2017 middle grade award. It was an incredible honor and the best kind of validation as I prepared to query literary agents.
I’m so happy to be a member of the Roaring 20s debut group—and not only because of the awesome name. The camaraderie and support of the group has been incredible. A special shout-out to Lorien Lawrence, Tanya Guerrero, and Shannon Doleski for all our chats leading up to our debut year. I’m also grateful for my fellow Class of 2K20 Books members.
I’ve loved reading and writing my entire life, but I wouldn’t have tried to get a book published if it wasn’t for my mother, my biggest supporter. Mom, thank you for always encouraging me to chase my dreams, no matter how farfetched they seemed. (Let’s be honest, I was never going to make it to Broadway! But you drove me to all those acting classes, dance classes, and singing lessons anyway.) When I switched gears to creative writing, your continued belief in me carried me through my decade-long journey to publication.
To Dad, thank you for always being so supportive and for answering all my legal questions!
To Steve, the love of my life. You are the best husband I could’ve asked for. Thank you for being there for all the highs and lows of getting this book published and for always believing in me.
To Luna: I started writing this book when you were only a few months old. I’m so happy that you’re able to see me accomplish this dream, so you know that you can absolutely do the same. Shine bright, baby girl.
To all the young writers and aspiring authors reading this, longing for the day when you’ll get to write your own acknowledgments for your own debut book: keep writing. This book is proof that hard work pays off and dreams do come true. I’m rooting for you.
Finally, thank you to all my readers. I’m thrilled that I was able to share Zoe’s story with you, and I truly hope you enjoyed it.