by Tara Sim
“Then what should I call you?”
Breathing in deep, she allowed herself a moment to admire the patches of sky where the stars shone through, listening to the way the water curled in whispers against the ship’s hull. Her mother’s ring pressed insistently against her palm.
“Amaya,” she said at last. “My name is Amaya.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I remember watching the Disney version of The Count of Monte Cristo movie years and years ago, falling in love with the epic tale of vengeance and sword fights and romance. So that makes the fact that Scavenge the Stars found a home at Disney all the more appropriate. (Also, Amaya is an official Disney princess now—sorry, I don’t make the rules.)
I’ve been thrilled and honored to have so many people have a hand in this book’s publication from start to finish:
First, a huge thanks to Patrice Caldwell for seeing the potential of this story and giving it the chance to find readers, and for being such an amazing advocate and cheerleader. I’m very glad you stormed my launch of Firestarter to shout about what I was working on next. Thanks also to Hannah Allaman and Laura Schreiber for their assistance and making sure everything was running on time. Thank you to the Disney team at large, especially Marci Senders for that magnificent cover (I’m going to storm the offices for that knife), as well as Melissa Lee, Seale Ballenger, and Dina Sherman.
Thank you to the folks at Glasstown for all their help and dedication, particularly Lexa Hillyer, Emily Berge-Thielmann, Deeba Zargarpur, Rebecca Kuss, and Diana Sousa. Lots of love and gratitude to Kamilla Benko and Kat Cho for their support and kindness through this process.
I would likely lose my head if it weren’t for my fabulous agent, Victoria Marini, and her assistants, Maggie Kane and Lee O’Brien, who make sure I’m taken care of even in the midst of birthing a whole human baby.
Eternal gratitude to my friends for sticking with me even though I complain about practically everything on the planet. To Traci Chee, Emily Skrutskie, and Jessica Cluess: You three are the OG hoes of my heart. To T. J. Ryan: thank you for being my petty buddy and for taking me to Disney World. To Ellen Gavazza: thanks for adventures in sushi and movies. To the writing cult for encouraging me to post gross snippets in the Slack: Akshaya Raman, Katy Rose Pool, Alex Castellanos, Kat Cho (yes, you get to be named twice), Axie Oh, Claribel Ortega, Meg Kohlmann, Mara Fitzgerald, Janella Angeles, Maddy Colis, Ashley Burdin, Amanda Haas, Melody Simpson, Amanda Foody, and Christine Herman.
A hundred million thanks, always, to my readers, as well as the booksellers, librarians, and reviewers who helped spread the word about Scavenge. Also to my $5+ supporters on Patreon: Alyssa Tarr, Amanda Wheeler, Amelie Fournier, Arianne, Ash Hardister, Caitlin O’Connel, Carlee Maurier, Carolyn, Cody, Common Spence, Dani, Lisa, Mae Nouwen, Sen Scherb, and Sylph.
I couldn’t do what I do without my family’s support and love. The biggest thanks to my mother for making me pancakes, taking me out to dinner, picking me up from the airport, and feeding the cats when I’m out adventuring. Thanks as always to my father for encouraging me to do what I love.
And thanks to you, dear reader, for picking up this book. I hope you make your fortune and punish those who’ve wronged you.
(But like…legally.)
(Please don’t stab anyone.)
TARA SIM is a YA fantasy author who can typically be found wandering the wilds of the Bay Area in California. She is the author of the Timekeeper trilogy, which has been featured on Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, and various media outlets. When she’s not chasing cats or lurking in bookstores, she writes books about magic, clocks, and explosives.