Thank you to the prestigious Abrams/Amulet family (including but not limited to): Maggie Lehrman, my brilliant editor, who saw into the heart of this book and gave it not only a pulse but also direction; Maria Middleton, book designer extraordinaire, who, with the help of the mystical artistry of Nathalia Suellen, captured the story’s essence in one gorgeously twisted and fairytale-esque picture; Laura Mihalick, my in-house publicist and stomper of grassfires; copyeditors; marketing advisors; printing press specialists, who oversaw the pages and special effects for the jacket; and many, many more. There is not enough space to thank everyone for their contributions in seeing the final product come to fruition, or for making the realization of my dream a lovely reality.
A debt of gratitude to my crit group, the Divas: Linda Castillo, Jennifer Archer, Marcy McKay, and April Redmon. I might be a lowly Kumquat, but because of your Wednesday night wisdom, I’m a published one.
A high five to my online critters and beta readers: My POM (aka Jessica Nelson), for always seeing the good in my bad boys; Rookie (aka Bethany Crandell), for talking me down, holding me back, and helping me find my inner Melvin; Katie Lovett, for reading even my earliest stories and still believing I had something akin to talent; Marlene Ruggles, for finding those typos I just couldn’t see; Chris Lapel, my number-one fan; and finally, Kim Dickerson, for giving a whole new meaning to Godiva sweetness. Yes, words can be chocolate, indeed.
If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a posse to write a book. Undying gratitude to my #goatposse for your support, advice, and witty repartee throughout this journey to the shelves. Also, a hollah to the WrAHM girls and to the folks at Crockett Middle School, with special mention to Cara Clopton, Christen Reighter, and the Vault Crew (you know who you are!).
Cyber hugs to my online support group: twitter friends, Query-Tracker.net pals, and the many bloggers who lit my footsteps on my sometimes dark and lonely seven-year-road road to publishing.
A very special thanks to Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton. Without their artistic geniuses, vivid characters, and warped dreamscapes, I would never have been inspired to write Splintered.
Last but not least, gratitude to the One who gives me my stories, the ability to write them, and continues to bless my life each day.
A. G. Howard wrote Splintered while working at a school library. She always wondered what would’ve happened if Alice had grown up and the subtle creepiness of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland had taken center stage in her story, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child. She lives in Amarillo, Texas.