Vendetta (Blood for Blood #1)(90)

Thank you to Jessica Hanley, Katie Harte, and Susan Ryan for flat-out refusing to acknowledge my fear that you wouldn’t embrace my book, and for insisting on being my first readers. From the start, you have been the greatest friends and supporters I could have asked for.

Thank you to my dad for thinking so convincingly like a Mafia boss and for rivaling my excitement at every step of this process. I am only sorry I couldn’t have a winking cartoon bee on the cover, like you so desperately wanted.

Thank you to my mom, for making me take part in many library read-a-thons as a child, and for ensuring I actually read the books instead of just ticking them off the list … like my brothers did. I am especially grateful for the way you sneakily convinced me to accompany you to those creative writing courses two years ago. I see now, with perfect clarity, you were not going for yourself — you never even did the homework! You were really introducing me to a world I always wanted to be a part of but was too scared to enter alone. You are an amazing mother, and a truly talented meddler.

Thank you to my brothers. Conor, I know you wanted to write your own acknowledgment to yourself but this will have to do instead. You have been such a great CEO. Thanks for personally appointing yourself the Boss of My Life. You were the first person I told about my publishing deal, and even though you insisted on making a sandwich before celebrating with me, I can’t think of anyone I would have rather told first. Really, you are a great brother … but don’t let it go to your head. Colm, thank you for your unwavering belief in me, and your insistence in spurring me on when I felt like giving up. Thank you for your cheerful company on all my London visits, for giving me your bed, your time and your optimism … and for not letting those birds eat me at the zoo!

To Claire Wilson, thank you for making my dream come true, and for being an incredible agent. To Lexie and everyone else at Rogers, Coleridge & White, thank you for championing Vendetta so well. Thank you to my fellow STAGS, Alice Oseman, Lauren James, and Melinda Salisbury, for sharing your journeys with me and for being part of mine. I see a lot more magical moments and beach Pimms ahead!

Thank you to everyone at Chicken House — to Barry Cunningham and Rachel Hickman for welcoming me so wonderfully and offering my book an incredible home. Thank you to Rachel Leyshon, for adding your magical editorial touch to Vendetta and making it better than I ever thought it could be. Thank you to Jasmine Bartlett, Laura Myers, and Laura Smythe for introducing Vendetta to the world, and for being so amazing along the way.

Thank you to Siobhan McGowan for your humorous and insightful copyedits, and to Emellia Zamani and the Scholastic team for championing Vendetta on the other side of the Atlantic.

Thank you to Aoife, my soul sister-cousin and fellow writer, for all the late night conversations about bees and dragons, and everything in between. Thanks to Sinéad for introducing me to Young Adult fiction all those years ago in school and for not hounding me too much about all the books I still have to give back. Aidan, thanks for that line and for the ones I’m sure I’ll be “borrowing” from you in future. Remember our deal — you’re not allowed to sue me.

Finally, I am so grateful to everyone at Salmon Poetry, and to all my amazing friends and extended family, for being part of this journey and for sharing in the excitement with me at every stage. I feel very fortunate to have you all in my life! ?





Catherine Doyle lives in the west of Ireland. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in English from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Vendetta is her first novel.