Firecracker (23 page)

Writing a book is hard! I could not have done it without a lot of help.

My brilliant wife, Allis, reads every single thing I write, gives great notes, supports like a steel beam, and is almost positive I based this character on her even though the timelines don't quite line up. Those are her legs and torso on the cover, so she has evidence. I am very lucky to be able to borrow her brain, transcribe the things that come out of her mouth, and take credit for it. Thank you so, so much. You're the best ever.

Thanks to the good people at 3Arts: My manager, David Miner, who has known this story almost as long as I have and made the suggestion that I write a book. He led me to Richard Abate, my book manager, who read some odd things of mine and suggested I write
this
book, amazingly made it a reality, and was right about everything except when he said, “You'll get this done very fast.”

Thank you to everyone present and bygone at Razorbill, particularly the smart and patient Ben Schrank, Parisian competitive yo-yo champion Anne Heltzel, Brianne Mulligan, and Caroline Donofrio.

Thanks to my supportive family: my parents, Larry and Dale, my brother and ex-roommate Greg, and my sister Lori. Also, thanks to my grandmother, Evelyn Silvert, who will be thrilled to see her name in print.

And in no particular order, the people whose ideas, thoughts, guidance, friendship, and various support were vital: Emily Brochin, Wendy Molyneux, Jeff Drake, Jon Hartmere, Matt Velick, Adam Markovics, Miha Matei, Marc Zeltzer, Peter Friedman, Thomasin Franken, Ben Patterson, Ben Dickerson, Brooke Cadorette, Sarah Kozinn, David “Dave” Anderson, Dr. Bacon (my dog), Buck's Rock, Ssips Lemon Iced Tea, the writing staffs and office space at
New Girl
and
United States of Tara
, Kendall Jackson, Victoria Forester, Keya Khayatian, Elise Henderson, Reynold Forman, my wife's amazingly named step-grandfather Marvin Wonder, and Kurt Vonnegut, J.D. Salinger, and Judy Blume.