How It Ends
Page 22
I shrug. “I’m not sure exactly.” I look around the table, thinking of everything that’s happened this year. “It was so strange, the way the story came together,” I tell her. “It’s like . . . once I stopped trying to force things to happen the way I thought they should, everything sort of fell into place.”
“I like that,” Annie says, taking my story and hugging it to her chest. “I can’t wait to see how it ends.”
Acknowledgments
I’m sitting at my desk, surrounded by crumpled-up papers, trying to find the words to express how very thankful I am. Beyond all my wildest dreams, How It Ends has been transformed from a file on my computer to the book you now hold in your hands, and I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to so many people for making this dream come true.
I want to thank my remarkable agent, Mackenzie Brady, who saw a spark of potential in an earlier draft of this story, and who helped me nurture that spark into something more. Mackenzie is everything you would want an agent to be—brilliant, intuitive, savvy, tenacious, patient, and kind. She works tirelessly to protect the interests of her authors, and I am thankful for her every single day.
Mackenzie works as part of a team at New Leaf Literary & Media—and what an incredible team it is! The day my name went up on the Authors page of New Leaf’s website is one of my proudest, and I still can’t believe I’m fortunate enough to be represented by what is hands-down the best agency out there. Thank you, Joanna Volpe (who knows the answers to all the questions), Pouya Shahbazian, Kathleen Ortiz, Suzie Townsend, Dave Caccavo, Danielle Barthel, Jaida Temperly, Jackie Lindert, Jess Dallow, and Chris McEwen for all your hard work.
I want to thank my editor, Sarah Landis, and the entire team at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. I will never forget the first time I spoke with Sarah—she talked about my characters like she knew and loved them, and I couldn’t wait to get started working with her. She is a truly phenomenal editor, and I have grown as a writer under her expert guidance. Her insights have taken this book to a whole new level, and there aren’t enough words to express how grateful I am.
The more I learn about the world of publishing, the more I appreciate just how many people bring their expertise to each project. The team at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is beyond compare, and I am thankful for all of their contributions—editors, copyeditors, proofreaders, production and design teams, cover designers (especially the talented Cara Llewellyn, who created my stunning cover), marketing and publicity, sales . . . the list goes on and on. Thank you all.
Thank you to my amazing support group of friends and fellow writers. Especially to Heather and Suzette, who always believed and who celebrated every step along with me, and to Janet Taylor, my fellow HMH author and debut buddy. I can’t tell you how many times I leaned on Janet for support. She is one wise and talented lady. To all our fellow Sweet Sixteens: It is an honor to be debuting alongside talent like yours. I am grateful for your friendship and support, and I wish you all the success in the world.
To all the students who have let me into their lives and shared their stories with me over the years: thank you. You have taught me more than I could ever hope to have taught you, and you inspire me beyond words. I especially want to recognize Sydney Morris, who passed away before she could see this book in print. I miss you, Syd.
I want to thank my parents, who inspired my love of reading, and who never said no when I asked for another book. They have always encouraged me to dream big and aim high, and they made me believe I could do anything I set my mind to. Thank you also to my brother and sister, Chris and Brianne, for their humor, their friendship, and their support.
The path to publication has been a long one, and my husband, Ernie Lo, has walked it beside me. We’ve laughed, cried, celebrated, and commiserated. He has picked me up, cheered me on, and kept me on task (“Get off the Internet and back to work!”). Thank you for believing in me. I love you to the moon and back.
And to my children—Ethan and Mackenzie. You are smart, you are talented, and you are loved. Dream big and follow your hearts. There is no limit to what you can do.
About the Author
© IAN BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY
Inspired by twelve years of working with at-risk teenagers, How It Ends is CATHERINE LO’s first novel. She lives in Ontario with her family.