Authors: Amber Kizer
Barney Wick for lending his call sign to Uncle Bean and for sharing his love of all things USMC with me. A special thanks to my early readers from all over the world: Danielle Mitchell, Karlee Roberts, Anne Jablonski, Tristan Wisont, Livia Lomne-Licastro, Gail Laforest, Lisa Bjork, and Sue Wiant. An important part of my writing process is finding a candle scent that my brain recognizes as a match for a story—when I first smelled Brian Paffen’s “Dirt” candle, I stashed it for later. It was perfect for this story—like digging in sun-drenched spring earth, it helped grow this book in my brain and on the paper. Thank you, Brian! (Check out
HerbalArtOnline.com
.)
All of my Facebookers and the students at Langley Middle, in Mrs. Kizer and Mrs. Bakeman’s seventh grade, for the title assistance and opinions. You guys rock!
Thank you to my local independent booksellers Josh Hauser and Nancy Welles for their continued enthusiasm for this island girl’s work.
Trudi Trueit’s “Water Coolers” are much needed and endlessly appreciated “office” talk—I’m so grateful to have your optimistic and sunny spins in my corner! Thank you!
I have to acknowledge the hard work of everyone behind each title at Delacorte Press/Random House Children’s Books to produce the best books we can. Thank you all! And to my agents who spread the world internationally and do the behind-the-scenes so well—thank you too! Readers—you make my job so rewarding, and as for your fan mail, email, posts, blog
entries, tweets, and hand-selling of my work—thank you isn’t big enough or grand enough a phrase, but it will have to do! Thank you! While I wrote this book, men and women proudly wore the uniforms of our volunteer military in stations all around the globe. I am grateful to you all for your service; your dedication makes my job possible. Thank you.
Finally, I end with the acknowledgment of acknowledgments—a hearty and head-turning laugh of appreciation for my mom, who puts up with hearing about everything this business brings, including me saying to her, “I had the best idea last night and no, don’t ask me to tell you what it was. Cuz it’s not ready yet.” I love you.
AMBER KIZER
has been fascinated by viruses and epidemics since she first read
The Hot Zone
by Richard Preston while in middle school. In an alternate universe, she would love to be an epidemiologist or working in a Level 4 laboratory studying tiny and complicated organisms. As a vector, she often hosts tea parties and all-night raves (depending on the virus) for infectious diseases in her neighborhood … she’s not sure why she’s so lucky to be on their call lists and would like to remove herself. Amber is the author of a New York Public Libary Best Book for Teen Age, an Arkansas State Best Teen Book Finalist, and a Cybils Award nominee. The best part of her job is hearing from readers, so please reach out (after you’ve washed your hands). More information about her writing life and work can be found online at
AmberKizer.com
.