A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers, #3)(112)
I’ve been staring at the screen and crying for a good five minutes now, so that’s how this is going.
I told my husband last night that this is my twelfth book, and I don’t know how to write my acknowledgments without everything sounding repetitive and trite. I am truly grateful to so many people that I don’t just want to write a paragraph and call it a day. (Besides which, I set a precedent for myself. I can’t write long acknowledgments in eleven books and then scribble off a paragraph in number twelve.) My husband said, “Can’t you write about the pandemic? That affected your writing so much!”
And yes. It did. It affected everything and everyone so very much. I’m writing this in August 2020, and who even knows how the world is going to change by the time you have this book in your hands. This has been a hard year, from the sorrow over all the people we lost to COVID-19, to the grief over the goals and dreams that seemed to turn into smoke and ash, to the daily reminder that we truly have no idea what tomorrow will bring.
That’s the bottom line, friends. We have no idea what tomorrow will bring.
So, let me thank all the people who have been here supporting me throughout all the yesterdays that didn’t seem so guaranteed this year.
I’m going to start with my husband, Michael, who’s been my rock during this year and every other year. Recently he said to me that he doesn’t feel like I count on him as much as he counts on me. Oh, honey. I count on you for everything. I basically wrote and edited this whole book while on lockdown with you and three kids. I couldn’t do this without you. I can’t imagine anyone being more supportive.
I also owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to my amazing editor, Mary Kate Castellani, who worked on this book during a pandemic, during her maternity leave, also while on lockdown with children much younger than mine. If anyone deserves a medal, it’s Mary Kate. You always make my writing so much better, and I will be eternally grateful for all you do. Let’s just hope we don’t ever have to write a book this way again, ’kay?
On that same note, the entire team at Bloomsbury is always an endless source of support and encouragement, and I am so grateful for everything you do. Huge thanks to Cindy Loh, Erica Barmash, Faye Bi, Phoebe Dyer, Claire Stetzer, Beth Eller, Ksenia Winnicki, Rebecca McNally, Diane Aronson, Melissa Kavonic, Nick Sweeney, Nicholas Church, Donna Mark, Jeanette Levy, Donna Gauthier, and every single person at Bloomsbury who has a hand in making my books a success. And thank you to the Macmillan sales team for your tireless efforts on behalf of my books. Special thanks to Lily Yengle, Tobias Madden, Mattea Barnes, and Meenakshi Singh for their incredible work on managing the Cursebreakers Street Team.
Speaking of the Street Team, if you’re a part of it, thank YOU. It means so much to me to know that there are thousands of you interested in my books, and I will never forget everything you’ve done to spread the word about Rhen, Harper, Grey, and Lia Mara.
My agent, Suzie Townsend, of New Leaf Literary Agency, has been an absolute rock for me since we joined forces last autumn. Suzie, thank you so much for your time and your guidance. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. Additional thanks to Dani Segelbaum for handling so much behind the scenes.
Huge debts of gratitude go to my close writing friends, Gillian McDunn and Jodi Picoult, because I honestly don’t know how I would have gotten through this year without you both. From reading my manuscripts to virtually holding my hand to listening to me and talking to me and supporting me, I am so grateful to have you both in my life.
Several people read and offered insights about this book while it was in progress, and I want to take a moment to specially thank Reba Gordon, Ava Tusek, and Isabel Ibanez.
HUGE thanks to all of you too. Thank you for being a part of my dream. I am honored that you took the time to invite my characters into your heart.
Finally, tremendous love and thanks to my boys. It might have taken me longer to write this book with everything we’ve gone through this year, but I wouldn’t change one second of all the time I got to spend with all of you.