Wicked Fox (Gumiho #1)(110)

This isn’t real, she repeated to herself. But still her heart sped. Tears fell down her cheeks. She tore futilely at her prison until her fingers bled.

As the branches closed around her, she became surrounded by darkness.

“Miyoung-ah. Leave.”

“I can’t.” She couldn’t breathe. If this was a dream, why couldn’t she breathe?

“If you stay, you’ll die.”

“No!” She clawed at the branches with bloody fingers.

“You think it’s over, but it’s not. You think you’re free, but you’re not.”

Out of the darkness a pale face appeared, beautiful and cold. Yena’s eyes captured Miyoung’s.

“Eomma,” she sobbed out. “Help me.”

Yena’s lips peeled back, revealing sharp teeth. “Help yourself!”

Miyoung jerked awake, struggling against the tangle of sheets that had twisted around her. As she remembered the dream, she knew that wasn’t all it was.

She still felt like she couldn’t breathe. She thumped a fist against her chest to clear her lungs. She finally wheezed in air.

Squeezing her eyes shut again, she could still picture her mother’s face. Fierce. Cold. Almost threatening.

It was more than just a dream. It was a warning.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS





So many people contributed to bringing Wicked Fox to life. I will be forever grateful to them for helping make my dreams come true!

First, I want to thank my amazing agent, Beth Phelan. You believed in my story even during moments when I thought it was too difficult to bring to life. You also held me to a high standard that pushed me to grow as a writer. Your tireless enthusiasm and amazing insight helped me make a story even I didn’t realize I could tell. You have given so much hope to so many diverse creators and I feel lucky every day to have you on my team!

I also want to thank my editor, Stacey Barney. I was a fan of your work long before I was gifted with the chance to work with you. Your faith in my story has given me a boost every time I’ve had the pleasure to talk to you. I am in awe of your insight. I am inspired by how hard you championed my book. I am one of the luckiest writers in the world to be one of your authors.

To my Putnam/Penguin team, thank you so much for everything you’ve done for my book!

To my critique partners and beta readers, my story would not be what it is without your amazing help and advice! Liz Mallory, thank you for reading my book when it was pretty much a first draft and I was stressing about querying. You gave me the strength to push forward. Akshaya Raman, you are such a beautiful friend and I am so lucky to have your brain and talent helping me out when I’m struggling with writer’s block. Katy Pool, your early enthusiasm for this book meant the world to me. You are a shining star and I am so thrilled you like my story! Rena Baron, you read some of my first-draft chapters, and I cannot thank you enough for giving me an alpha reader boost. Sarah Suk, thank you for being so encouraging about my story and reading it as one of my beta readers!

To Rebecca Kuss, Deeba Zargarpur, Emily Berge, and Alexa Wejko. I’ve learned so much about writing and publishing from each of you. The last year and a half has been a joy because of the time I’ve been able to spend with you amazing ladies! I know you all are going to do great things for the publishing community!

To the Speculators: David, Anitra, Dave “Dadvid,” Helen, Nikki, and Alex. You were the first big writer group I was a part of and your support helped me push through the anxiety of putting my work out there!

To my ChiYA ladies: Ronni Davis, Samira Ahmed, Gloria Chao, Anna Waggener, and Lizzie Cooke. I am so lucky I had you ladies while I was in Chicago. I miss our ChiYA brunches, but I know you’ll always be there to share book and life news with!

To my beautiful friends Karuna Riazi and Nafiza Azad. You are a constant source of joy in my life. Thank you for sharing your stories with me and for always encouraging me in my writing. I am so happy to know you both!

To my writer cult girls, you are all stars in your own right and I adore you all so much! Janella Angeles, Ashley Burdin, Alex Castellanos, Mara Fitzgerald, Amanda Foody, Christine Lynn Herman, Tara Sim, and Melody Simpson. From our Cultreats, unofficial karaoke with pots, Vat o’ Wine, and near-death experiences via swan or stove, we’ve been through so much together! There’s no one I’d rather cry at Hamilton with. I am grateful every day to have you as friends.

To the authors who came before me and gave me advice and mentorship, thank you! Ellen Oh, your books were the first time I saw a Korean main character in a YA fantasy setting. It inspired me to tell my own experiences with my culture and my identity. Thank you for all the amazing advice and support you’ve given me along the way! Julie Dao, your grace and intelligence have been a guiding light for me in my path to publication. Zoraida Cordova, thank you for your amazing advice. Our discussions about publishing and debut year have helped me navigate this journey and keep my head on my shoulders (most of the time).

To my friend Meg Kohlmann. Thank you for dealing with my writer (and life) breakdowns as I worked on this book. You are my favorite “daughter” and I’m so glad we got to live in our teeny tiny apartment together! I’m sorry we never got that puppy that you definitely super wanted.

To my best friend and Twitter wife, Claribel Ortega. There aren’t enough words to explain how much you’ve come to mean to me over the past three years. We might have met through our writing, but you have been a friend that has soothed my soul. I am a better person having known you and I am so excited to support your career just as you’ve always supported mine. I love you!