There Goes Sunday School
Page 30
He laughs. “No. They come in a box and I microwave them.”
“Eh, still delicious.”
“And expensive.” Tanner retakes his place, typing resuming.
“Oh, shut up, Tan. There’s no price on my love.”
“If there was, I might sell it.”
“What?”
Davy laughs as Jackie launches into another tirade against Tanner. My phone lights up and I swipe it open, pulling up the picture of Chris. I zoom in, seeing the smile stretching over his teeth.
He looks happy.
I lock the screen, catching my reflection in the glass.
We both do.
THERE GOES SUNDAY SCHOOL (henceforth referred to as TGSS) has been such a delight to bring to life. From its first moments of infancy to the final round of edits, this book has taken me from heartbreak to triumphant joy. So many people touched this story, helping me breath life into it.
My first thanks go out to my parents, whom have been pillars of support for me and have always pushed me to strive for excellence. My dad even took on the impossible task of trying to edit and piece together my writing back in high school—a herculean task for sure—so extra kudos to him. Don’t worry, Dad, I’ve improved by leaps and bounds and you don’t have to weep over sentence fragments any longer.
My next thanks goes to my amazing best friend and favorite person in the world, Amy Bailey. She’s been so incredibly supportive of this project from the first time I messaged her with the idea more than two years ago. Since then, she’s suffered through so many endless questions and beta reads that I almost put her name on the cover right next to mine!
I must also thank all of the literary agents that offered their time and advice for my manuscript, especially Patricia Nelson from Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Patricia, your kindness and support is the reason this story exists.
A humungous THANK YOU to my fantastically supportive team at 7 Sisters Publishing. There’s Molly Phipps who worked tirelessly to ensure TGSS looks its best, my insanely patient editor, Catherine Stovall, and the incomparable Amber Garcia that spearheaded the marketing campaign. Also, Cassandra McGilvray, whom I keep making cry (sorry about that…). I couldn’t have done this without all of you, and you have my eternal gratitude.
Speaking of my publisher, I have to take a moment to personally thank 7 Sister’s Martina McAtee, without whom TGSS would not have been possible. Martina has championed this story since the moment she finished the last page. She’s offered sage advice, answered every dumb question I’ve thrown at her, and been the driving force behind getting this book into the hands of people that really needed it. You’re amazing, Martina.
There are so many other amazing people in my life that I want to acknowledge—Zach, Josh, Anna, Chloe, Preston, Sara, Cecil, Melissa, Elise, Brandon—the list could go on forever. You are the friends that make the difficult days bearable, and the good days so sweet.
And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank you, Reader. I can only hope that this story touches your life like it’s touched mine. It’s been an honor and privilege to meet so many incredible readers. I can’t wait to share more.
* * *
With love,
-Alex
ALEXANDER grew up in the Metro Atlanta Area, moving from suburb to suburb, just on the outskirts of the city. He’s always had a passion for writing, even from a young age. He still lives on the cusp of Atlanta, inching his way ever closer to finally becoming the City Dweller he’s always wanted to be.
In the meantime, he spends his days writing stories with queer characters and drinking an unfathomable amount of coffee. When he isn’t crafting quality queer fiction, you can find Alexander most likely curled up alongside his boyfriend, watching a movie or another equally lazy task.
Find him online at:
www.alexanderceberhart.com