The bond between sisters is one of the most important, loving, and complex relationships I’ve ever known. Thank you, Amanda, for being an incredible sister, best friend, and Auntie. We may have fought sometimes (okay, a lot of times!) growing up, but I want you to know I’m so lucky to have you in my life. Here’s to years of stealing each other’s clothes, visits from Michael Jackson and the Easter Bunny, crimping our Barbies’ hair, The Shell Shop and Jensen Beach, Bobkittens, 303C Girls, Harborview, late-night Taco Bell, Wednesday visits, riding the choo-choo around the mall, and bowls of bone broth with Nonny!
Once upon a time, I met my Writing Soul Sister, Elle LaMarca, and life has never been the same. You’re an amazing crit partner, cheerleader, and fellow Marnie-hater. WSS Book Tour, here we come! You bring the lipstick, and I’ll bring the coffee!
Beta partners are the bomb-diggity, and I am eternally grateful for all my readers. Thank you to Nancy Skinner, Christina Lee, Marissa Marangoni, Colleen Clayton, Lisa Nowak, and Taryn Albright . . . you all rock!
Connecting with my readers is hands down my favorite part of writing. Thank you to all the book lovers out there. . . . I write for you.
A shout-out to what fueled this book: coffee, gummy candy, and some good old fashioned crying music (specifically, Coldplay, The National, Damien Rice, The Civil Wars, and The Swell Season…the melancholy in your words played on repeat as I wrote and revised this book). Thank you to Barnes and Noble in Mentor, Panera in Willoughby and Mentor, and the Willoughby Starbucks for providing a place to escape to when I needed to camp out somewhere and focus on nothing but writing. The amount of coffee I consumed writing this book may very well be able to fill an ocean.
Thank you to my family and friends who provide never-ending love and support for me to chase after my dreams. My colleagues (a special high-five to Jenny Hunter and librarian extraordinaire and future dog-walker Jodi Rzeszotarski) and students inspire me every day to want to write, write, write, and I’m so honored to have you are all on this journey with me. Especially to the NaNoWriMo Crew and Thursday Afternoon Writers’ Club; Sarah Estvanko, Fatima Martinez, Alexis Beckwith, David Vesey, Megan Carlson, Autumn Graham, and Chelsea Marino. You’re all the next generation of writers, and I can’t wait to see what amazing words you create!
And always, always, always, to Nolan . . . you will always be my greatest adventure and the best story I ever get to witness.
About the Author
Rachele Alpine is a high school English teacher by day, a wife and mother by night, and a writer during any time she can find in between. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where she writes middle-grade and young adult novels. Visit her at www.rachelealpine.com.
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(with coauthors)
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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First Simon Pulse hardcover edition July 2017
Text copyright © 2017 by Rachele Alpine
Jacket photographs copyright © 2017 by Chev Wilkinson (people);
copyright © 2017 by Thinkstock (clouds)
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Jacket designed by Regina Flath
Interior designed by Steve Scott
The text of this book was set in Goudy Oldstyle.
This book has been cataloged with the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4814-8571-5 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4814-8573-9 (eBook)
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