Golden Boys (Golden Boys, #1)(83)

The sun passes briefly behind the clouds, and everything around us is encased in this soft glow. A lot has changed, but days like this? It’s almost like they’re a kind of perfect that’ll never change.

So, yeah. We’re good.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I fully wrote and edited Golden Boys in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. While I was scared and isolated, I coped by writing a book packed with friendship and connection that held the message that, even if we’re apart, we’re all still there for each other in the end. I’m so proud of this story, but I couldn’t have done it without so many of you. Some very big thank-yous are in order: To my agent, Brent Taylor, for his constant work to make my dreams become a reality. I feel so lucky to have you in my corner for all the (many!) ups and downs of this career. Special thanks to the president of Triada US, Uwe Stender, for his additional support of this book.

To my incredible editor, Mary Kate Castellani, for helping me make this book stronger than I could’ve ever imagined. Also, to my entire team at Bloomsbury for all their work to put this book in the hands of readers all over the world: Lily Yengle, Ksenia Winnicki, Phoebe Dyer, Erica Barmash, Beth Eller, Jasmine Miranda, Noella James, John Candell, Donna Mark, Diane Aronson, Laura Phillips, Nicholas Church, Pat McHugh, Liz Byer, Hannah Sandford, Bea Cross, Mattea Barnes, and Tobias Madden.

To Connie Gabbert, who designed and illustrated the US cover, and to Patrick Leger, who illustrated the UK cover. To Brett Wright for bringing Reese’s character to life by perfectly illustrating his journal entries.

To Ryan La Sala, Claribel A. Ortega, Brigid Kemmerer, Adam Sass, Dahlia Adler, and the many other author friends who kept me going through the seemingly impossible task of publishing a book mid-pandemic!

To all my close friends, especially the few whose names I slipped into this book! To my Dayton2Daytona crew and to all my DC friends for the setting inspiration, it was so much fun revisiting these cities through Heath’s and Sal’s eyes.

To my parents, Karen and Phil Sr., my in-laws, Bruce and Andi, and to the rest of my incredibly supportive family for joining me on this amazing journey. I couldn’t do this without you!

And finally, to Jonathan. Just when I thought we’d been through it all, a pandemic sweeps in and traps us in a tiny one-bedroom apartment for a year. Through all the puzzles, books, video games, TV shows, and Zoom parties, I’m so grateful to have had you by my side through it all.