Several other people had direct involvement in making this book the best it could be, including the members of Austin SFF critique group Slug Tribe, who saw the first few chapters of this way back in 2010, and the members of Bat City Novelocracy: Abby, Amanda, Elle, Kevin, and Marshall, who served as beta readers. To this day, I hold a great deal of personal pride for making Amanda shed an actual tear with my words. I’d also like to offer my tremendous gratitude to my cultural beta readers: Dave, Enricoh, Gabriel, Monica, Thobeka, and Zandile, who supplied me with great South African details and finishing touches, as well as helped me avoid a few blunders. Any mistakes remaining within these pages are entirely my own.
The two biggest reasons you’re reading these words right now are David Pomerico, executive editor at Harper Voyager, who connected with this work and has shown constant enthusiasm since our first phone chat, and Jennifer Jackson, the wonder agent who not only plucked me from her masses of cold queries, but also stuck with this project and kept working hard behind the scenes long after most agents would have given up on it. A million thanks to you both, and may the disgruntled demigoddesses always find you in their favor.
To the friends, family, and fellow writers who have helped me in numerous ways along my journey—especially Tony, who has allowed me the time and space to pursue this all-consuming passion of mine—I am pleased to have you in my life.
And to you, dear reader, thank you for stepping into my word sandbox and building castles with me. I hope that they delighted you, and that perhaps we will make more again someday.
About the Author
Nicky Drayden is a systems analyst who dabbles in prose when she’s not buried in code. She resides in Austin, Texas, where being weird is highly encouraged, if not required. She’s the author of more than thirty published short stories, and enjoys hammocking under her oak trees, collecting instruments that she will never learn to play, and perfecting the art of growing potatoes in preparation for the collapse of civilization or the colonization of Mars, whichever comes first.
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