I also need to put in a good word for my circle of friends and family who have watched this whole publishing shenanigan unfold with occasionally baffled, but always supportive, delight. My Portland friends (and London and Boulder auxiliary chapters), for whom I would walk a minimum of five hundred miles, and quite possibly five hundred more. Gaby, you always took my writing seriously, which is doubly impressive considering how little I take seriously. Megan, can you believe I actually didn’t kill off the love interest in this one? (It’s fine, there’s a sequel.) Marie, this is my thank-you for driving me everywhere; I can only assume this has guaranteed me another five hundred free rides. Sarah V, I hope you know how your steady stream of cat GIFs has sustained me. Codino, I owe you a beer for putting up with my rants and conspiracy theories. Regan, I owe you a beer pretty much constantly, but in particular for refusing to let me calcify into a permanent installment in my apartment.

And finally, to my parents, who had the grace not to question your daughter’s sometimes-volatile career choices, in particular when I was using my BA to wash dishes part-time while working on my manuscript. (You could say that one … panned out.) You kept me knee-deep in books as a kid, so really this author thing is all your fault, and when I’d set out on my own, you kept me afloat when safe harbors were few and far between. Thank you for letting me find my own way.

(And of course, if I’ve neglected to mention you here, you can have my cats’ allotment of gratitude. They certainly don’t need it; they’ve been no help whatsoever.)

About the Author

Margaret Owen was born and raised at the end of the Oregon Trail and has worked in everything from thrift stores to presidential campaigns. The common thread between every job can be summed up as: lessons were learned. She now spends her days writing and negotiating a long-term hostage situation with her two monstrous cats. In her free time, she enjoys exploring ill-advised travel destinations and raising money for social justice nonprofits through her illustrations. She resides in Seattle, Washington. You can find her on Twitter @what_eats_owls. margaret-owen.com, or sign up for email updates here.

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