Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six(110)
My agent, Amy Berkower of the sterling Writers House, is my tireless supporter and fearless captain in navigating the big waters of the writing life. I am so grateful for her wisdom, sharp instincts, and passion. Big thanks to her assistant, Meridith Viguet, for her warmth, good humor, and unparalleled skills in all things, and to the amazing international rights group for finding homes for my novels all over the globe. Merci! Danke! Gracias!
How could a writer survive without her friends? Mine cheer me through the good days and drag me through the challenging ones. They are forced to attend book signings year after year, read early drafts of my work, and endure my social media posts. But they still love me! And I love them! Erin Mitchell is early reader, tireless promoter, inbox tamer, voice of wisdom, and pal. Karin Slaughter and Alafair Burke are the village on my iPhone as we talk about all things life, writing, and publishing—mostly through a code of memes and emoji understood only by us. Heather Mikesell has been a longtime early reader, eagle-eyed editor, and bestie. Nothing feels done until she reads it! Jennifer Manfrey is always on standby to dig in deep to some obscure topic over which I’m obsessing. Tara Popick and Marion Chartoff have had the pleasure of dealing with me since college and grade school, respectively. They still answer my calls! It feels like Gretchen Koss and I are old publishing buddies, as if we’ve known each other for ages, even though we met quite recently. I am so grateful for her support, sense of humor, and tremendous publicity expertise. A big shout-out to Team Waterside—Kathy Bernhardt, Colleen Chappell, Marie Chinicci-Everitt, Rhea Echols, Karen Poinelli, Tim Flight, Jen Outze, and Heidi Ackers, to name just a few—for being my home team, reading, supporting, showing up at events, and being there in every way possible.
My mom, Virginia Miscione, former librarian and avid reader, gave me the gift of loving story in all forms: books, film, television, and theater. She remains one of my earliest and most important readers. I don’t usually give my dad, Joseph Miscione, much of a shout-out. In fact, I mainly just give him a hard time for being the guy who told me not to pursue my writing dreams but to get a “real job.” I usually do this on stage and it always gets lots of laughs—especially when he’s there! (It’s not bad advice, though. I have succeeded against all odds!) But he and my mom have been the safety net beneath me as I walk that tightrope we call life. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for always being there. And of course, along with my brother, Joe, for shamelessly bragging, facing out books in stores, and always spreading the word.
As always, research was a big part of the writing of this novel. It’s kind of a continuum—reading, researching, writing, living. During the pandemic, I spent some beautiful time in parts of Georgia I had never visited and was awed by the quiet and stunning natural beauty of the state. We stayed in some truly gorgeous rental cabins, and it was at one of these luxurious spots where I first had the idea for this novel. Because why would I just enjoy my vacation like a normal person instead of spinning out the darkest possible scenario while lying awake at night wondering who else might have the lock code to the house? You see how it is with me, right? The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are by Libby Copeland was a deep dive into all the ways we are giving away our privacy in the search for our origins. Jeanette Stewart, friend and armchair genealogist, helped me to navigate the world of online ancestry research. We spent some fascinating time digging into a dark chapter in my own family’s past and found out some truly shocking things. There might be another book in that. Stay tuned!
Finally, a writer is nothing without her readers. Everything I write is for you. Some of you have been with me since the first book. And since this is number twenty, that’s a little more than two decades. Wow! I am honored that you are still here with me. I hear from you via email, on my social media accounts. I see your gorgeous faces again and again at my appearances—in person and virtual. It means so very much to me to know that my stories, my characters, my words have found a home in your minds and hearts. Thank you for reading, for buying, for checking out from the library, for reviewing, sharing with friends, and for tirelessly spreading the word. I am grateful for each and every one of you.
Happy reading!