By a Charm and a Curse(76)

Many, many thanks to my agent, Patricia Nelson, who understood this book and what I wanted to do, and whose faith in this project never wavered. You are the best agent an author could ask for, and if I could send you a bouquet of corgis, I would.

To my editor, Stacy Abrams, and her assistant, Alexa May, for championing my book and for all their insightful words. If your enthusiasm could be bottled, you’d be billionaires. To my copy editor, Greta Gunselman, who caught all my little mistakes (I swear I will never spell “blond” with an “e” again!), and Christine Chhun, my production editor. And to everyone at Entangled and Macmillan, thank you for putting so much faith in a debut author. Many thanks also to Anna Croswell and Toni Kerr for the cover and interior artwork that made this graphic designer very happy.

I’d like to thank my family, who are the most supportive family a person could have. This is for my mom, who never said no to a Baby-Sitters Club book and my dad, who would wordlessly pull out his wallet when I brought home a book fair order form. (Extra thanks to my dad, who talked to me about cars and exactly how far one could drive with a nearly broken belt.) For Nana, who always said yes when I approached her in a store with a book in my hands, and to Grandy, who introduced me to Anne of Green Gables and Little Women. And for every other family member who indulged me with a book for a birthday or holiday, no matter how weird it seemed. You helped fuel my imagination, and I never could have even tried to write a novel without that.

A super special shout out to Stephanie Burke, Karen Lewis, Paula Leveston, Ida Yassin, Susan Crispell, Kathryn Rose, and Kelly J. Ford who were this book’s first readers and its cheerleaders.

My friends and family are amazing human beings and I can’t thank you enough for your excitement and your kind words. Please know that I would invite you all to my magical carnival and I wouldn’t curse a single one of you.

To the Revisionists–I am so happy to be in your company. You are some of the most funny, clever, talented, and warmhearted people I’ve come across. To all of my fellow Electric Eighteens, thank you for all the support and the laughter.

Thank you to Violet and Harlow for inspiring me every single day. I am so proud to be your mother.

Finally, I am so grateful for my husband, Dane. You were the one who made sure this book happened. You had the unenviable job of urging me to write, even on the days I didn’t want to, and you were very good at it because look! It’s a book! You listen to me complain, you offer advice and the occasional foot rub, and are generally awesome. Thank you.