Say You Still Love Me(135)
Zelda’s eyes crinkle with her smile.
Acknowledgments
Coming up with book ideas is sometimes as simple as sitting back and observing everyday life. The idea of a summer camp second-chance romance came to me a few years ago, when I was dropping my kids off at a camp near our cottage. I lingered for a few minutes each morning, watching the teenage counselors joke and laugh among themselves and with the kids. I thought about my own summers as a teenager, and wondered what kind of mischief these counselors might be getting themselves into, so many hours away from parental supervision. Of course, it can’t be anything like the antics of the Camp Wawa counselors, right?
I hope you enjoyed the dichotomy of worlds in Say You Still Love Me and felt the nostalgic pull. Nobody is immune to fond memories of summer love and foolish youth, not even the smart, strong-willed, and capable Piper Calloway.
My main goals with my stories have always been to entertain and to make my readers feel something. So thank you, first and foremost, to my readers, who continue allowing me to entertain you and make you feel (even if sometimes those feelings include anger and frustration).
A special thank-you to the following people . . .
Alyssa Co, Sarah Arndt, Katie Pruitt Miller, Jodi Marsh, Anjanette Rose, and Kara Rickel Conrad, for sharing your crazier summer camp stories with me.
Melissa Krampert Hoppe, for answering my questions on real estate development.
Amélie, Sarah, and Tami, for being daring enough to fly your family to Canada one summer and for bringing that second batch of homemade chocolate turtles because my kids ate the first batch and for always making the effort to connect at signings despite my inability to schedule my time effectively . . . basically, for being you, for six years and counting.
Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group, for being my biggest (and most biased) cheerleader.
Loan Le, for taking me and this story on, and for doing it with nothing but encouraging words and astute guidance throughout.
Libby McGuire and the team at Atria Books: Suzanne Donahue, Lisa Wolff, Ariele Fredman, Alison Hinchcliffe, and Lisa Keim, for so beautifully packaging another one of my stories. Thank you to Alysha Bullock, Chelsea McGuckin, and Wendy Blum as well.
Last, but never least, to my family, for appreciating this unique opportunity I’ve been fortunate enough to be graced with.