Nothing about my third novel was easy, and without my agent, Nalini Akolekar, it might have become homeless. Nalini believed in me from day one, even though our first interaction came after I screwed up an email attachment. I will be forever grateful that she didn’t say, “Take you on as a client? You can’t even format a Word document.” Four years later, she still has my techno-challenged back—and a knack for bringing calm to any situation with the potential to make my head do the Exorcist spin. Extended thanks to everyone at Spencerhill Associates.
Huge thanks to Jodi Warshaw and the team at Lake Union Publishing for welcoming the Fitzwilliams with open arms and being drawn to my “dark quirkiness.” (I’m quite partial to it myself.) Extra-special thanks to Clete Barrett Smith, whose insightful edits gave me new love for The Perfect Son.
A shout-out to Emily Ohanjanians, who helped shape the first draft and was my editor for The In-Between Hour. I firmly believe Emily’s brilliance is the reason my second novel was chosen by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) as a Winter 2014 Okra Pick. Endless gratitude to SIBA and to all the indie booksellers who were so supportive of The In-Between Hour, especially Jamie Fiocco at Flyleaf Books and Sharon Wheeler at Purple Crow Books. My commitment to indie bookstores continues.
Group hug with my writing comrades at Book Pregnant/The Novel Factory, who cheer, cry, and vent with me every day. I’m raising my glass to the future bicoastal drunk fest.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer annoying research questions, and apologies for any facts I’ve garbled. Mega thanks to my medical consultant on call, Karen Perrizolo. For helping me understand issues of the heart—thank you to Dr. Andrew Greganti, Sherry Gorman, Becky Williams, and Dr. Marschall Runge, executive dean of the UNC School of Medicine at Chapel Hill. Dean Runge happily replied to more emails than anyone should ever have to answer. (You, sir, are a saint.) Special thanks to Stephanie Mahin at the UNC Medical Center news office for not giving up on my search for a cardiologist! Thank you to Daniel Kim and Kelly Hartog for offering fresh perspectives on OCPD—when I was beginning to fear there was nothing but gloom and doom. Thank you to Nancy Siebens and Densie Webb for the parents’ point of view on Tourette syndrome. Air kisses to Julie Smith for sharing firsthand experience of concussions. And, as always, heartfelt appreciation for Dr. Pat Gammon, guru of all things anxiety related.
For attempting to explain the world of finance to a woman who can’t balance her checkbook, thank you to Scott Cooper, Stephen Piercy, and Rob Rose. (Guys, I’m a lost cause. Sorry!)
Flight attendants—you rock. Thank you to Mike Wilson, Tricia Homan, Michael Tongko, and James Prentice. (Extra thanks to Buzzy Porter, Scott Wilbanks, Marci Nault, and Beth Lundberg for the intros—gotta love Facebook!)
Thank you to Annabel Garrett for the guided tour of Duke Gardens and for explaining the true wonders of the Blomquist Garden; thank you to Marcy Cohen for helping me research the Nasher Museum of Art scene and for riding shotgun on the great hunt for the Fitzwilliam house. Thank you, Josh Stallings and Diane Ritchie, for bringing the Harvard campus to life. Cheers to pals Lynn and John Pickles and Carolyn Wilson for answering pesky questions about all things British.