My publisher has a stringent length restriction for acknowledgements of around 800 characters, or slightly less than 3 tweets. So I knew I’d have to compromise by saying the minimum inside the book and putting the real thanks here on my blog.
This is the version I would have posted without the length restriction.
Thanks to my inspiring, supportive husband Eric, without whom this book would not exist. You are everything to me, and everything Todd could never be. Eric has empathized with every author mood from rejection to elation—and that’s only the tiniest part of why I married him last year!
This story is an ode to the women who taught me the power of female friendship: Nikki Fenton, Janet Hill, Kirsty Nicholson, Mary Poffenroth, Laura Taylor, Crystal Coleman, Leah White, and Brekke El (who gifted me the character name of Ryn). These are the kind of people who will get on a plane halfway around the world for a friend in need.
When I started writing The Exit Strategy four years ago, I understood the story I wanted to tell, but didn’t have craft skills or publishing industry savvy. My chest is warm with gratitude for every person who helped me learn. Even if we just enjoyed a coffee, a margarita, or a Facebook interchange, please know I was touched by our interaction and appreciate your help.
I credit the supportive members and founders of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). Without them I wouldn’t have met Margie Lawson, the world’s best mentor on finding your author voice, or Kemlo Aki at Author Accelerator, who coached me to transform a first draft into a viable novel with scenes and pacing, or Tiffany Yates Martin, the best developmental editor, who over a year, helped bring the book from good to published. A friend told me that working with Tiffany would be like taking a mini MFA, and they were right.
I’m grateful to my beta readers (over twenty of them over eight revisions!): Sheila Athens, Casey Dembowksi, Robin Facer, Priya Gill, Mary Hawley, Kathy Holzapfel, Raya Khedker, Jennifer Klepper, Sheila Myers, Sandy Rhodes, Krista Riccioni, Maggie Smith, Margaret Stephens, Delise Torres and more. Each of you, and several competition judges, provided invaluable feedback. Special mention to Be Warne who exchanged pages for over a year, and Alison Hammer who stayed up late during her own novel’s publication deadlines to give me edits for the umpteenth revision. Besides being one of the kindest-hearted people, Alison has storytelling skills I envy.
There’s a whole squad of people who helped me choose this book’s path to publication, among them April Eberhardt (the expert on the topic), Rachel Dacus, Patricia Friedrich, Jean Grant, Karen Hugg, Autumn Lindsay, Elena Mikalsen, and Rebecca Taylor.
For each of the women’s fiction authors who read early copies and wrote an endorsement or reviews pre-release — Sheila Athens, Leslie Ann Bosher, Regina Buttner, Barbara Conrey, Kathryn Craft, Leah DeCesare, Rachel Dacus, Laura Drake, Kelly Duran, Rebecca Hodge, Alison Hammer, Amy Impellizzeri, Karen Kinney, Jennifer Klepper, Anita Kushwaka, Kerry Lonsdale, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, Elena Mikalsen, Sheila Myers, Samantha Verant, Sweta Vikram, Densie Webb, Rochelle Weinstein and several more—thanks for everything you do to raise up other authors.
To Jordan and Tiana, the rest of my awesome family, both in the UK and USA, my friends and cheerleaders, and everyone on my launch team: thank you! Your words sustain and uplift me.
To the very long list of friends, fellow writers, cheerleaders, and supporters—thank you! People like Chris Adler, Erin Bartels, Barbara Claypole White, MM Finck, Rebecca Hodge, Nancy Johnson, Cerissa Kim, ColorMaëlle, Orly Konig, Regina Louise, Lisa Montanaro, Michele Montgomery, Kerry Schafer, Leah White, the ladies of the Fictionistas group, Debuts 2020, my awesome family both in the UK and USA, including Jordan and Tiana, and everyone on my little launch team! Special kudos to friend and writer Brekke El who not only suggested the character name of Ryn, but reminded me that—even if I didn’t yet have the skills—I was smart enough to learn.
I couldn’t end without saying the hugest note of thanks to Judi Mobley, my insightful editor, Diana Carlile, cover designer, and their colleagues at The Wild Rose Press. They and their colleagues at The Wild Rose Press elected to publish this book, then polished it to a shine. It's such a pleasure working with them.
Lastly, I want to thank you, the reader, for making time in your busy schedule. I hope you’ll allow me one request. Reviews make a huge difference to authors, because they help others evaluate whether a book is right for them. Please consider writing an online review (even if it’s just one line), for an author you’ve read? The writing community is grateful for your support!