Much deserved thanks go out to the crew at Bywater Books for bringing Thorn together, and to Ann McMan, mentor and graphic designer extraordinaire. I am also lucky to have three phenomenal readers who are also exceptionally talented individuals in their own rights. Alessandra Amin, Stefani Deoul, and Karelia Stetz-Waters, as usual you rock.

Every writer needs a getaway. A big thank you to my grandmother for making so much possible and for providing all the wine, cheese, and ocean sunsets a writer could ask for.

In my naiveté, I actually thought this was going to be an easier book to write than my first. My wife chose the title as a tribute to my folly, and I confess I owe her an apology since what started out as a short story for her grew legs, ran away, and came back dressed up as a novel instead.

About the Author

About the Author

ANNA BURKE graduated from Smith College with degrees in English Literature and Studio Art. She was the inaugural recipient of the Sandra Moran Scholarship for the Golden Crown Literary Society’s Writing Academy and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at Emerson College. Anna’s debut novel, Compass Rose, was written while living on a small island in the West Indies, but Thorn is the byproduct of a long, cold New England winter. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her wife and their two dogs. You can learn more about her at www.annahburke.com.

About Bywater

At Bywater Books we love good books about lesbians just like you do, and we’re committed to bringing the best of contemporary lesbian writing to our avid readers. Our editorial team is dedicated to finding and developing outstanding writers who create books you won’t want to put down.

We sponsor the Bywater Prize for Fiction to help with this quest. Each prizewinner receives $1,000 and publication of their novel. We have already discovered amazing writers like Jill Malone, Sally Bellerose, and Hilary Sloin through the Bywater Prize. Which exciting new writer will we find next?

For more information about Bywater Books and the annual Bywater Prize for Fiction, please visit our website.