I loved writing this book because so much of it takes place in East Troy. My husband’s family has deep roots in this unique and lively small town. His great-grandfather was a former mayor, and his family ran the Lacy and Clancy Hardware Store on the square for generations. I loved seeing the sparkle in my late father-in-law Lawrence Clancy’s eyes when he told stories about growing up here. A few years ago, Kayleen Rohrer opened a bookstore, InkLink Books, in the very space that was once occupied by the hardware store. That’s when I started to form connections of my own in the community, especially with an inseparable trio of book-loving “Chick Peas”: Sue Enright, Linda Dodge, and Barb Jones. They brought me into their fold and shared their incredible stories of growing up near so many lakes, a legendary music amphitheater, and the former Playboy resort in Lake Geneva. This book could not have been written without their big hearts and boundless generosity. I tell them this all the time: I’m so jealous of their childhoods.

I also can’t express enough thanks to Pam Ellis, or “Bunny Jojo.” She worked at the Playboy resort for four years and was my primary source. She met with me on multiple occasions, both in Wisconsin and in Palm Springs. She was always available for a phone call or text if I needed details or information, and she read early drafts to check for accuracy. Thanks to Pam, I can see how work as a Bunny is such a defining experience, and I can also see how it shaped her into the fun-loving, open, and adventuresome woman she is today.

While this is a work of fiction, I had to learn so much in order to write this book that I would physically ache from my desire to step back into another time. Thanks to all my sources for all kinds of information, I feel like I did. Much appreciation and gratitude to Becky Gross, Dave Hollenbeck, Paula Dornfeld, Francine Inbinder, James Marzo, Susy Cranley, Cynthia Hirsch, Michael Heimlich, John Gilman, Rachel Fashing, Ingrid Pierson, Thomas Alaan, Betsy Dickson, Barb Paulini, Lisa Blue, Don Parfet, Jennifer Snowden, Blake Moret, Kate Twohig, Kim and Jim Engel, Lisa Blue, and Richard Ladwig for sharing what they know.

Fellow writers help keep me sane. Thanks to the world’s best writing group: Lauren Fox, Liam Callanan, Anuradha Rajurkar, Jon Olson, and Aims McGinnis. Thanks also to Julia Claiborne Johnson, J. Ryan Stradal, Amy Meyerson, Jean Thompson, Steven Rowley, Kerry Kletter, Karen Dukess, Christine Sneed, Phong Nguyen, Alison Hammer, and all my fellow 2020 debuts. Friends like Ann Conroy, Diane Goldberg, Josh Lieber, Jennifer Thompson, my gang from Shorewood Hills, my Milwaukee crowd, East Troy “Read and Feed” attendees, my former colleagues and students at Beloit College, and all my spinners encourage me to keep writing.