Thank you to the wonderful ladies at Red Fox Literary. It’s an honor to be a foxie. Hugs to RFL:OGJS—you all are a talented bunch of badass lady authors.
Over countless drafts and three years, this book has had many readers. But I began forming my writing family when I entered Pitch Wars in 2016. Thank you to Emily Martin for believing in my writing from day one. Many thanks to Jeanmarie Anaya—you were this book’s very first champion, and I cannot thank you enough. Endless thank-yous and gratitude to Laura Lashley, Rachel Griffin, Mary Dunbar, Clay Harmon, Ian Barnes, and Heather Ezell. A special thank-you to Rachel Lynn Solomon for the endless well of publishing advice and guidance.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge some of this book’s earliest readers. (I apologize for those awful first drafts you read! Yikes!) Rachel Simon, your positivity and enthusiasm for my writing makes my heart glow—thank you, friend. To Erin Cotter, for being a truly fantastic friend and critique partner; I can’t wait to explore Seattle with you. To Andrea Contos, Austin and Emily, Molly Cluff, Julia Miller, and Lindsey Ouimet. Thank you to AMM for the guidance, support, and community.
Thank you to my family. Mom and Dad—your support and love know no bounds. Thank you for creating a home that encouraged reading and for making sure new books were never in short supply. Thank you to my sisters—Jessie, your enthusiasm for my writing means more than you know. (Also, thanks for letting me borrow your term of “hanger nipples” in this book!)
To my therapist, Heather Stone, for helping me reach a place of acceptance with my mental health and encouraging me to write my experiences with authority and authenticity. Thank you to Erin Byrn, for the friendship and workout sessions and laughter—I admire and miss you. To Sadie Blach, for always letting my scream my anxieties into your Twitter DMs.
Endless thanks and chin scrubs to Sofiya, the world’s best and fluffiest cat. Your quiet disdain and ability to shed like no other inspired Chuck’s cat, Jean Paul Gaultier.
Finally, thank you to Steve—my best friend and partner in crime. I would have never made it to this point without you. Since our very first date, you’ve listened to me go on about books, querying, and ALL my writing-related anxiety. And you’re still listening, to this day. You’ve helped celebrate my wins and commiserated my losses. From Magic the Gathering tournaments to endless pots of coffee to hiking the Redwoods, you’ve helped me become the truest, happiest version of myself. And for that, I cannot thank you enough.
About the Author
Author photo by Sarah Deragon
Amelia Diane Coombs writes books for young adults. Back in the day, she majored in English and went on to receive her MFA in creative writing. Now she writes unlikable female protagonists, positive mental health representation, and swoony romances with soft boys. She’s a Northern California transplant living in Seattle, Washington, with her partner and their Siberian cat. When she isn’t writing or reading, Amelia happily fills her days beekeeping, playing card games and tabletop games, hiking, and volunteering with cats.
Visit us at simonandschuster.com/teen
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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 2020
Text copyright © 2020 by Amelia Diane Coombs
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Coombs, Amelia Diane, author.
Title: Keep my heart in San Francisco / by Amelia Diane Coombs.
Description: First Simon Pulse hardcover edition. | New York: Simon Pulse, 2020. | Audience: Ages 14 up | Summary: Caroline “Chuck” Wilson must join forces with her ex–best friend Beckett to try to save her family’s failing bowling alley and stay in San Francisco, but his plan is not strictly business—or legal.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019026163 (print) | LCCN 2019026164 (eBook) | ISBN 9781534452978 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781534452992 (eBook)
Subjects: CYAC: Bowling alleys—Fiction. | Swindlers and swindling—Fiction. | Best friends—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | Family life—California—San Francisco—Fiction. | San Francisco (Calif.)—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.C64759 Kee 2020 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.C64759 (eBook) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019026163
LC eBook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019026164
Keep My Heart in San Francisco Page 28