Thanks to Saralyn Borboa, Literary Committee Chair for the National Braille Association, for kind and thorough advice, with consultants Bonifacio Lucio, Jo Elizabeth Pinto, and Marilyn Breedlove. For those interested, employed here is simulated Unified English Braille (UEB). Scott communicates to Parker with uncontracted grade 1 braille, which uses one cell per letter, but all other instances here are contracted grade 2 braille, which shortcuts certain whole words and common letter combinations. Working out what they mean requires some effort, looking up contractions and formatting conventions, or consulting a transcriber. Have fun!
Thanks to Jon Horsley, for showing me by example the value of crafting moments along with plot and character; to Andrew Trapani, for introducing me to the perfect agent; and to Suzanne Pertsch, for opening the door to a new way of thinking that led to where I prosper today.
Thanks to Frederick Hampton, for being my Sarah Gunderson (and for letting me be his, depending on the day) since we were thirteen. If I ranked everything in my life that has contributed to my growth as a writer, you’re top of the list.
Thanks to Susan, for boundless love, support, and encouragement; to Shannon (hi Sunshine!) and Rachel (my go-to insider), for showing me what the world should become; to Jake (my personal hero) and James (not Petey… well… maybe a little…), for making me believe it’ll come soon; and to Mom, who always believed, and to you, Dad, for too many reasons to list reaching back to my earliest memories.
And thanks to you, for reading Parker’s story. I’m immensely grateful for the time you’ve chosen to spend with her.