Times Like These

by Laura Carter

  To all the friends and family I haven’t mentioned by name, who give words of encouragement, ask about my WIP and show more understanding than I probably deserve when I’m rubbish at keeping dates and replying to messages. I couldn’t write about relationships and friendships without having yours.

  Geoff at Abbey Road Studios for answering an abundance of questions about music production, and to Howard for putting us in touch.

  Times Like These wouldn’t be a published book without some very important and amazing people in the book world. Huge thanks to my agent, Tanera Simons, who championed this book from the first draft, and to the wider team at Darley Anderson for all their efforts.

  I owe a massive thank you to my editor at Canelo, Emily Bedford, who fell in love with this book and understood the characters from the beginning. Without your expertise, Times Like These would be a very different book. To the wider team at Canelo – editors, artists, marketeers – thank you so much for completing the Times Like These jigsaw.

  Needless to say, I adore country music, so last but by no means least, thank you to all the country musicians who give blood, sweat and tears to share their stories in music and lyrics, so that I could write mine.

  First published in the United Kingdom in 2020 by Canelo

  Canelo Digital Publishing Limited

  Third Floor, 20 Mortimer Street

  London W1T 3JW

  United Kingdom

  Copyright © Laura Carter, 2020

  The moral right of Laura Carter to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  ISBN 9781800320765

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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