First, I would like to thank my mom and dad, who were the best parents anyone could ever hope for, and my husband and children for their love and support, and for letting me have the best corner of the couch.

Over the last few years, I have learned that writers need writing besties who believe in them, cheer them on, and offer insightful, thoughtful, and kind suggestions on their writing. I am lucky to have so many of these people in my life. Thank you to Hanna Kubicka, who loves my work, makes it stronger, and has cheered me on since I wrote my first word—and, in fact, encouraged me to write that word in the first place. To John, whose endless kindness, positivity, and tech support have gotten me through many rough patches. I am so grateful for his time and talent. To Andrew Padgett, my fellow nerd, who helped with Archer and Mateo’s singing duet, and who reads every word of mine carefully so he can offer brilliant ideas. Thank you to Rebekah Rodriguez-Lynn, who had a huge hand in emotionally fine-tuning this book and made it so much better with her thoughtful suggestions. To K. C. Carmine, who somehow finds the time to read my work and support me, despite constantly working incredibly hard herself.

The idea for Flirty Dancing was sparked by the talented and beautiful dance troupe at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos in July 2022. About three minutes into Retro Night, I knew I had to write a book about a dance show. Thank you to everyone involved! I would also like to thank the artists and creative forces behind Dirty Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance, and Noises Off.… Their DNA winds throughout Flirty Dancing.

So many people helped bring this book to life and I can only hope I have remembered all of them: Jane, who told me about the dancers on the cruise ship she worked on; Alexander James, who helped with New York geography and gave me “ass end of Brooklyn,” a phrase that continues to delight me to this day; Jenny Sandvold, who helped with dance lingo; James Larose and Andre, who gave me feedback on the paramedic language; Gwen, who can spot a typo a mile away; and Tyrell Johnson, who has been a constant source of calm, reassuring, and wise text support (and who writes beautiful books you should check out).

When my first book was published last year, I was not expecting the wave of love, support, and excitement that came from my family and friends. I was so touched by their enthusiasm, and want to thank each and every person who read A Hard Sell, especially those who took the time to share their enjoyment with me. Publishing can be a long, hard road, and you all keep me going.