The Break(95)

I’m thankful to my editor Carmen Johnson, who understood this book from our very first conversation. I always rely on your keen eye and your talent as an editor, and even more so with this book. I am very grateful to be one of your authors.

My agent, Dan Mandel, is even more wonderful than Rowan’s fictional agent, Dave. There is no one more capable, wise, supportive, encouraging, and kind.

Thank you to everyone at Amazon Publishing and Little A. I enjoy every step of the process of working with you, and your dedication makes these books sing. Thank you especially to Jeff Belle, Emma Reh, Michael Schuler, Amy VO Snyder, Kristin Lunghamer, Erica Mena, and Adrienne Krogh, and to Zoe Norvell for an unbelievably beautiful cover. Thank you to Jennifer Mullowney for an author photo that feels like me.



I’m grateful to all of my friends and family—they know who they are. After writing the early days of motherhood in The Break, I feel especially grateful to my closest friends during my first son’s early years, Kate Brochu and Maria Manger.

Thank you also to a group of very creative women from my twenties who surrounded me at a clothing shop where I worked as a salesperson, who always made me feel as if I could do anything, especially Stacia Canon, Jenna Yankun, Jen Cohn, Asli Filinta, and Nesha Russell. From that same era, writers Micol Ostow, Kristin Harmel, Alecia Whitaker, Taiia Smart Young, Sara Polsky, Anna Carey, Allison Yarrow, and Noelle Hancock were so encouraging that they made me believe I could write fiction, and I am so grateful. Thank you also to writers Jen Calonita, Kieran Scott, Melissa Walker, Fiona Davis, Mary Kubica, Mary McCluskey, and Kimberly Rae Miller, and to all of the writers in my community, especially Fran Hauser, Jimin Han, and Isabel Murphy, and to the young writers I meet each year through our library’s writing contests. Thank you to the editors from whom I learned greatly along the way: Brenda Bowen, Alessandra Balzer, Kelsey Murphy, Sara Sargent, Jennifer Kasius, Lanie Davis, and Sara Shandler.

Thank you to all of the readers, reviewers, librarians, booksellers, bloggers, and bookstagrammers who spent time in these pages. It’s exciting to hear people talking about the world of books and characters as if they’re real, and I am very grateful to anyone who spends their time and their money to read one of my novels. Thank you.

Thank you to early readers who gave me such great feedback: Chrissie Irwin, Artika Loganathan, Megan Mazza, Tricia DeFosse, Caroline Rodetis, Janine O’Dowd, Wendy Levey, Brinn Daniels, Annie Manning, Molly Hirschel, Antonia Davis, Liv Peters, Lauren Locke, Nina Levine, Ally Reuben, my aunt Joan, and my amazingly supportive sister-in-law, Ali Sise. Thank you to Dr. Audrey Birnbaum for her keen editing and attention to detail. Thank you especially to my dad and my uncle Bill, who read early drafts and talk at length with me about character and plotlines. My favorite part about each book is the moment I send them both a draft. Thank you to my mom, a therapist who specializes in trauma and who helped me with specific trauma-related details. Thank you to my closest friend from childhood, social worker Erika Grevelding, who read an early draft and let me pick her brain about the therapist-client relationship and real life versus fiction. Thank you to OBGYN Jessica Salinas, who has been a friend since college and who helped me navigate some of the details of Rowan’s birth experience. Thank you to postpartum doula and lactation consultant Alexandra White, who gave me such thoughtful advice on the early postpartum days and beyond. Thank you to my brother-in-law, Dr. Roby Bhattacharyya, and my sister, Dr. Meghan Sise, for giving me such wise feedback and encouragement. Thank you to Stacey Armand, whose sharp sense of books is invaluable to my writing. Thank you to investigator James Castiglione, who has fielded calls from my uncle Bill and from me to discuss crime scenes in my books. All mistakes, as always, are mine.

Thank you so much to Zibby Owens, who is the godmother of many, many books and certainly of mine. How lucky I am that we met.

Thank you to all of my friends who show support in so many ways. Special shout-out to Kinga Gartner, Felipe Osses-K?nig, Antoine Sanchez, Josh Laka, Johnny Pallotta, Rob Caldwell, Heidi Rojas, Jamie Greenberg, Sarah Webb, Sarah Mottl, Heather Trotta, Katelyn Butch, Ali Tejtel, Jesse Randol, Gabriela Hurtarte, Tracy Weiss, Bianca De La Cruz, and Patti Osborne. Thank you Raj, Artika, and Nikhil Loganathan for your friendship to my whole family. Thank you to the following pals who have been there for me since I was a teenager and only dreamed of writing and working in entertainment: Caroline Moore, Jessica Bailey, Megan Mazza, Kim Hoggatt, Tricia DeFosse, Claire Noble, J. J. Area, Erin Lutterbach, and Mike Bolognino.

Thank you so much to my children’s incredible teachers, and to all of my teachers, especially the ones who encouraged my writing: Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Orr, Mr. Bedell, Dr. Danaher, Mrs. Betro, Mrs. Kuthy, Dr. Pilkinton, Shannon Doyne, and Siiri Scott.

Thank you so very much to my family, including all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Thank you to Linda and Bob Harrison, and to my loving and supportive in-laws: Ray, Carole, Christine, Tait, Walker, and Josey. Thank you to my awesome brother, Jack, and his wife, Ali, and their amazing kids: Jack, Darcy, and Schuyler. Thank you to the incredible Bhattacharyya family: my brother-in-law, Roby; my niece, Rose; and my nephew, Owen; and to my sister, Meghan, who is my best friend, closest confidant, and every-day phone call. Thank you to my kind and loving parents, Jack and Mary Sise, who read every word I write. I am so lucky you are mine.

Thank you so much to Lorena, whom I love like family, for making me laugh, and for loving our family beyond anything I could have ever foreseen on the day she came into our lives.