Words We Don't Say
Page 19
Also, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my absolutely brilliant agent, Molly O’Neill, who made this book possible in the first place. You are as nurturing as a kindergarten teacher and as tough as a samurai! Thank you for finding me in your inbox and for reading early pages and far too many drafts than I should have asked you to, and for brainstorming with me and making suggestions on plot and narrative arc and structure and character development and for telling me outright when something wasn’t working and for finding Joel and Eli such a lovely home and for being so smart and strategic and patient and for teaching me so much and for always explaining the why. You are a plot ninja and book agent extraordinaire. Thank you!
And finally, I’d like to thank Joel and Eli and Benj and Alex B. Renner and Jacey. Don’t tell anyone, but I think you’re real and that I’m your mom. And now that you’ve gone to live in bookstores with all the other people made out of ink and paper, I’m going to miss you! Just try to make friends with the good kids: with Holden Caulfield and Katniss and Scout Finch and Troy Billings and Hazel Grace and Ponyboy and Liesel and Lotta…And always remember that even though we no longer spend all day together, I still sit with you at lunch. And that I still text you! ☺
K. J. REILLY graduated from Boston University with a BA in psychology, then headed to New York City to work in the marketing research departments of several of the largest advertising agencies in the world. She loves reading, writing, dogs, sailboats, children of all shapes and sizes, and growing her own food. Words We Don’t Say is her debut young adult novel. Learn more at kjreillyauthor.com.