The only reason Disney Hyperion approached me about the possibility of writing this book is because Bill Campbell, publisher of Rosarium Books, published a collection of my short stories (PS: Not a kids’ collection!) a few years back. I was an unknown writer that he took a chance on, and that gamble led to Rick Riordan reading my collection, and abracadabra! Now I have this dream opportunity. Thank you, Bill, for helping my voice, and the voice of so many writers, be heard.
Once Disney Hyperion wanted to see a novel from me, I had to get professional, fast. I didn’t have an agent, so Amal El-Mohtar—and, folks, go out and read everything Amal’s ever written right now—put me in touch with her agent, DongWon Song, to see if we’d be a good fit for each other. To all of you writers out there, I bestow on you this blessing: May your agent be half as good as DongWon Song. DongWon is so great at contracts, and such a deep and thoughtful reader of literature (yet another great friend who critiqued my manuscript so helpfully), so good-humored, and such a joy to be around, that it’s almost as if he burst into existence because I wished upon the right falling star. Thank you, DongWon.
And speaking of getting wishes granted, let me tell you a little about Stephanie Lurie, the indefatigable editor of Rick Riordan Presents. She’s read and critiqued more than a half million of my words over the course of many drafts, and has taught me more about writing over the course of this process than six years of graduate school. She is relentlessly helpful, always (yes, seriously, no kidding, every single time, always) insightful, and, maybe most importantly, open to the wide range of approaches and writing styles different writers have. In other words, she pointed out issues and offered possible solutions but left me at the end of the day to find my own aesthetic way through the novel. Stephanie, I am so very, very grateful.
My second-biggest thank-you has to go to Rick Riordan. Talk about a writer who’s doing everything right! Many years before Sal and Gabi would even be an idea, I’d read the first Percy Jackson series and was instantly smitten. Rick, to my mind, is one of the great contributors to the middle-grade literary renaissance we’re living through right now.
But then, then, on top of consistently producing these utterly charming, humane novels of his, always rife with mythology and wonder, he starts his imprint, Rick Riordan Presents. His goal? Let writers from different cultures share their stories in their own voices and thereby enrich us all. He didn’t have to spearhead the creation of a whole imprint. It’s a ton of work, and he has books to write! But he did it because he feels so strongly in a chorus of cultural voices and using his success to help others succeed.
Rick, when I grow up, I want to be as big a champion for others as you have been. Thanks forever.
My biggest thanks goes to my love, my wife, C. S. E. Cooney. First, because she’s a genius. Her glorious, ascendant prose inspires me to reach new heights as a writer. Second, because she could not be more supportive, carving out huge swaths of time for us to write together and listening to the book (we read aloud to each other constantly) as it was being written. I mean every. Last. Sentence. She is the single best critiquer of my work, both in terms of quality and quantity. Third, because she’s hilarious, the absolute perfect playmate. And fourth, for, well, everything. What a life I have now, thanks to her.
Thanks to all of you, dear friends and colleagues. There are many more people who contributed to the completion of this novel than I can fit in here, but to everyone who has supported me, count on me to support you right back. And let me say this: Whatever flaws exist still in this novel are there because of me, since I had ten times more help and guidance than any one person deserves.
And no acknowledgments would be complete without thanking you, the reader. You made this book exist. It is literally nothing until you and I create it together, word by word. Thanks for helping me build and break a universe.
Now, what shall we cocreate next?
CARLOS HERNANDEZ has published more than thirty works of fiction, poetry, and drama, most notably a book of short stories for adults entitled The Assimilated Cuban’s Guide to Quantum Santeria. He is an English professor at the City University of New York, and he loves to play games as well as design them. Follow him on Twitter @WriteTeachPlay.
RICK RIORDAN, dubbed “storyteller of the gods” by Publishers Weekly, is the author of five New York Times #1 best-selling series, including Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which brings Greek mythology to life for contemporary readers. Millions of fans across the globe have enjoyed his fast-paced and funny quest adventures. The goal of Rick Riordan Presents is to publish highly entertaining books by authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds, to allow them to tell their own stories inspired by the mythology, folklore, and culture of their heritage. Rick’s Twitter handle is @camphalfblood.
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe (A Sal and Gabi Novel) Page 31