Honey Girl(86)

Grace curls their pinkies together. “Promise,” she says. “No take-backs. You’re stuck with me now.”

Yuki shrugs. “That’s okay. Heard there was a monster lurking down in these groves anyway.” She closes her eyes, like she trusts Grace will watch for the scary things in the lingering shadows. “Heard it was favored by the sun, even.”

“Sounds like bullshit to me,” Grace tells her. “But I believe you,” she says. “Maybe I believe in your monster, too.”



Acknowledgments


Honey Girl is a labor of love and community.

First and foremost, it would not exist without the writers who did sessions with me every single day, all of us working so diligently and also complaining about how difficult it was to meet our word goals. This book would not exist without Natasha, who read every single chapter as it was written. For my very first audience of one, you mean the entire world. After it was written, Brie, you read the entire first draft. You gave me notes on what worked and what didn’t. You told me the notes that soared and the ones that fell flat. My work has always thrived under the weight of your proverbial red pen, and this is no exception. Ellen and Shooky, I still remember everything you said about that first draft. Thank you not just for your time, but for your kindness and attention and unwavering enthusiasm. The Honey Girl that exists today would not exist if I did not have y’all pushing me to new and extraordinary heights. You believed in this story before I even knew what it was.

To my self-proclaimed mentors C+L, I learn something new from you every single day. Y’all are humble and welcoming and wise beyond measure. I hope I can pay it forward like you have done and continue to do. I hope I can pass along another author’s book one day and open the first of many doors so someone can perhaps take a chance on them, too. Y’all are the blueprint, and your work is more than just the books you write. It is the hands you extend to lift people like me up. I hope I can be as cool as you when I grow up.

To the incredible team at Root Literary, spearheaded by the most badass agent in the biz, Holly Root, there are no words. Holly, you once told me my writing voice was like a vibrant blue house. There would be people who thought it was too much, not for them, not their cup of tea. And that was fine. You told me there would be people who loved that blue house. Thank you for loving the blue house. Thank you for fighting so fiercely for me. Any author who has you in their corner is on the winning team. I am so, so happy to work with you, and this is just the first blue house of many. We are going to paint this whole town.

To the people bringing this book to life: Park Row Books, there is not a thank-you big enough. Roxanne, Lia, Lindsey, Linette and everyone involved with the Park Row/ Harlequin/HarperCollins team. I am so happy you all connected with my book and worked so hard to get it into the hands of many, many readers. It means everything. Laura Brown, you are an incredible editor, an incredible professional and an incredible ally to have to give this book a chance in the market. From our very first phone conversation, I knew you understood Honey Girl and what I wanted to say. You dug into the muck and the weeds and you helped me pull up the roots so the real story could be planted. Your ideas helped create a revision that sprouted from the ground something strong and distinct and spectacular. I consider Honey Girl a triumph, and that would not be without your expertise.

The words inside are not just the heart of this book. Its essence has also been captured on the cover. This book would not be this book without Gigi Lau and Poppy Magda’s incredible vision. This book cover is one for the ages. In my opinion, it is one of the greatest I have ever seen. The talent and artistry and vision you both executed to give us this stunning portrait of Grace Porter is a remarkable feat.

Thank you, Maureen and Dana. You were the first industry professionals I ever talked to about Honey Girl. You are bright and kind and passionate. Any book that you work on is a book that is good and valuable and needed. This world and this industry can be very difficult to navigate, but I know that the reins you hold are in good hands.

I would not have reached this point at all without the support of my family. Mummy, thanks for always being on the other end of the phone. Thank you for helping me get to where I wanted to be my whole life. Thanks for teaching me that it is okay to fight for what I am owed. Thank you for always having an answer, whether I listen to it or not. Muffy, thank you for always listening. Your words of encouragement mean more than you know. Missy, you are the best sister anyone could ever ask for. I have loved you from the moment Muffa brought you home. You are my best friend, and everything I do is so you can be proud of me.

To the amazing writing community that I now find myself a part of: y’all are magnificent. You all have phenomenal stories to tell. I am thankful for the words you write and the support you give. I am so proud to call you peers. I am so honored to own your work and to look forward to everything of yours in the future.

Thank you to NAO, whose Saturn album became the soundtrack for each writing session. Thank you to KNJ, who told me to keep going. Who told me it was worth it if it relieves a pain from one hundred to ninety-nine or ninety-eight or ninety-seven. Thank you to my brain for its weird obsession with space and the ocean and the natural world. There is so very much of it to explore. Shout-out to fan fiction and fandom and tropes. You merely adopted AO3. I was born into LJ and FFN, molded by it.

Thank you to Black girls. You are the inspiration, the culture, the center of it all.