So I made a set of promises to myself, that day in my horse-stall jail cell. I scratched a line into the wood behind my bed and promised that I would escape this cell as soon as possible. I scratched another line and promised that I would find a way to make my brothers safe again. Another line, deeper this time, as I promised that I would neutralize Alice and destroy my father.
I paused before I scratched my final line, and when I finally drew my fingernail down the grain of the wood, my vision blurred with fresh tears. I traced my finger down the divot I’d made, and then I promised that these would be the last tears I’d ever shed for Sherlock Holmes.
Acknowledgments
Writing this book was an adventure I might not have survived if it weren’t for the following people who get my unending thanks:
To Laurie McLean, my amazing agent, who always manages to make me feel like a rock star, even when I’m a mess, and who cheers me up, even when she doesn’t know I need it. You are an amazing partner and friend. I feel so lucky to be a small part of Team Fuse Lit.
To my patient and brilliant editor, Christian Trimmer, and to his lovely and insightful assistant, Catherine Laudone. Thank you so much for helping me dig deeper, and for giving me the time and space to make this the best it could be. And special thanks to all the S&S BFYR team, who have been so supportive in my debut year!
To my critique partners, Tracy Clark and Kristin Crowley Held, for fitting me into your schedules on super-quick deadlines and letting me argue with myself until I could find a path through. I love you both and I couldn’t be more excited to finally see us all together on the same shelf.
To my Fearless Fifteeners, who have given the best advice and support possible, despite my monthly, K-pop-gif-filled rantings about cabins in the woods and bad bird poetry. You are all officially invited to my hermit lollipop commune. Thank you for being part of my tribe!
To Naomi Canale, Cynthia Mun, Terri Farley, Ellen Hopkins, Suzie Morgan Williams, and the rest of my NV SCBWI family. I would not have made it through this year without you! And to Zach Payne, Heather Riccio, and the rest of the Mentor Program crew, thank you so much for your patience and excitement. You guys are amazing. I can’t wait to see your books on the shelves!
To Katie from Mundie Moms, Beth from Fangirlish, and all the other book bloggers, librarians, booksellers, and reviewers who continue to spread the word about Lock & Mori, I will never be able to adequately express how much I appreciate and adore you all.
And finally, to my endlessly supportive family. You somehow manage to keep our lives afloat while I flit off to events and working weekends, and all the other stuff that has taken me away from you this year. Thank you for tolerating all of it. I love you completely—even when I growl from my writing cave and stare at you like you’re not in the room.