All the Rage(78)

I like the first coat of polish to be thin enough to dry by the time I’ve finished the last nail on the same hand. I keep my touch steady and light. I never drag the brush, I never go back into the bottle more than once per nail if I can help it. Over time and with practice, I’ve learned how to tell if what’s on the brush will be enough.

Some people are lazy. They think if you’re using a highly pigmented polish, a second coat is unnecessary, but that’s not true. The second coat asserts the color and arms you against the everyday use of your hands, all the ways you can cause damage without thinking. When the second coat is dry, I take a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover to clean up any polish that might have bled onto my skin. The final step is the top coat. The top coat is what seals in the color and protects the manicure.

The application of lipstick has similar demands. A smooth canvas is always best and dead skin must be removed. Sometimes that takes as little as a damp washcloth, but other times I scrub a toothbrush across my mouth just to be sure. When that’s done, I add the tiniest amount of balm, so my lips don’t dry out. It also gives the color something to hold on to.

I run the fine fibers of my lip brush across the slanted top of my lipstick until my lips are coated and work the brush from the center of my lips out. After the first layer, I blot on a tissue and add another layer, carefully following the line of my small mouth before smudging the color out so it looks a little fuller. Like with the nail polish, layering always helps it to last.

And then I’m ready.





look at me.

I want you to look at me.





acknowledgments

I would like to thank:

Amy Tipton, my agent, for all the doors she’s opened for me. She was the first person who saw All the Rage, years ago, and she’s read it a million times since. And she read it the millionth time with the same enthusiasm as she did the first. I can’t imagine navigating publishing without her smarts, her humor, her support, or her perfectly timed Apocalypse When e-mail. It’s an honor to have such a hardworking advocate.

Sara Goodman, for her sharp editorial eye and everything she’s taught me about writing. It has been a privilege to explore many dark fictional roads with her as my guide. This one was longer than most, but that’s what happens when you have an editor who never settles for less than what you’re capable of. I’m grateful to have worked with and learned from someone so passionately dedicated to good books.

Everyone at St. Martin’s who works tirelessly to bring my stories to readers. Special thanks to Lisa Marie Pompilio, Talia Sherer, Anne Spieth, NaNá V. Stoelzle, Anna Gorovoy, Stephanie Davis, Jeanne-Marie Hudson, Michelle Cashman, Angela Craft, Vicki Lame, and Alicia Adkins-Clancy. Special thanks to Lauren Hougen for her incredible levels of patience.

Ellen Pepus at Signature Literary, for her hard work.

My family, of course. Immediate and extended. Always. All my love and gratitude to Susan and David, Megan and Jarrad, Marion and Ken, Lucy and Bob, and Damon. This is my foundation and it’s a good one.

Emily Hainsworth and Tiffany Schmidt, for seeing this book—and me—through more than I could possibly fit into this space. I am so thankful for their amazing critiques and, even more than that, for their friendship. Amazing ladies.

Kelly Jensen, for her wonderful friendship and her listening and for talking the talk and walking the walk. “Awesome” is her default setting. Her tireless support, generosity, and enthusiasm cannot be overstated and I am so very grateful for her.

CK Kelly Martin and Nova Ren Suma, two amazing women who inspire me both personally and professionally. I’m so thankful for their friendship, kindness, and support, and I am in utter awe of their writing talents.

These diamonds: Whitney Crispell, Kim Hutt, Baz Ramos, and Samantha Seals, for years of an incredible friendship that I cherish so much. Shine bright.

Stefan Martorano, for his gracious help with the law enforcement–related details.

Thank you to all my friends, for their support. Special thanks and much appreciation to these terrific people: Bill Cameron, Brandy Colbert, Kate Hart for all the good work she does and goodwill she inspires, Will and Annika Klein, Team Sparkle, Daisy Whitney, Brian Williams, and Briony Williamson.

My readers. The enthusiasm and support they have shown my work means more than I could ever say. I simply can’t thank them enough.

Lori Thibert. Last but never least. And for more than I could ever list here. For her talent, humor, kindness, generosity, and for being an awe-inspiring, amazing human being, which inspires me. Her unwavering encouragement and belief in what is possible over the years has meant the world and made all the difference. It was one of my very first stepping stones to becoming an author. As far as best friends go, mine can’t be beat.

Thank you.