by Tess Sharpe
So much gratitude must go to my dedicated, brutally honest critique partners: Elizabeth May and Allison Estry, who make my manuscripts bleed in the best ways. And thanks to Kate Bassett, for beta-reading and cheerleading.
Thanks to the Fourteenery, for hand holding, hilarity, and always blaming it on Melvin.
For Franny Gaede, who is truly the Walter to my Hildy.
A shout-out to the girls of the Crazy Chat. You ladies know who you are. Thank you from the bottom of my broken teen girl heart.
To those who helped shape me: Georgie Cook, Ellen Southard, Arnie Erickson, Carol Calvert, Ted Carlson, Antonio Beecroft, John Dembski, Michael Uhlenkott, Peggy S., Lynn P., and the entire crew over at SSHS circa 2001–2004.
And to my gramz, Marguerite O’Connell, who told me when I was little that I must always start my stories with something attention-grabbing. Hopefully I lived up to her advice.
About the Author
Born in a backwoods cabin to a pair of punk rockers, TESS SHARPE grew up in rural California. Following an internship with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, she studied theater at Southern Oregon University before abandoning the stage for the professional kitchen. She lives, bakes, and writes near the Oregon border. This is her first novel. Visit her online at www.tess-sharpe.com.