Frisky Business (29 page)

While the Cascade Historical Society and Wildlife Sanctuary (Cheez Whiz!) bears some resemblance to the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, and to the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, those organizations are infinitely more professional and well-organized. A million thanks to Cathy Carroll and Melissa Hochschild for allowing me to pick your brains about the inner-workings of such establishments, and for not laughing when I decided a historical society/wildlife sanctuary was a great setting for romance. You ladies are class acts.

Much appreciation to the entire Visit Bend team for the endless support, and for not freaking out when I decided to set a story in the very town we’re all tasked with marketing.

Thank you to Judah McAuley for the penis research, and to our respective spouses for knowing that’s not as filthy as it sounds. Thank you to Errica Liekos for the photos of stone dildos. That’s exactly as filthy as it sounds.

I’m grateful to Malin for giving me April, along with the encouragement to write a lesbian relationship that’s wacky, loving, a little risqué, and no big deal.

Huge thanks to Elyse Douglas of Douglas Fine Jewelry Design for indulging my questions about how to get thrown in jail for selling fake jewelry, and for making my lunch hours brighter with your lovely, sparkly creations. I’m also grateful to Jamie Flanagan for being the savviest, sexiest Pure Romance consultant on the planet.

A million hugs and sloppy smooches to my amazing critique partners, Linda Brundage, Cynthia Reese, and Linda Grimes, as well as my terrific beta readers, Larie Borden, Bridget McGinn, and Minta Powelson. I couldn’t do this without your eagle eyes and utter fearlessness when it comes to pointing out when I’ve managed to wedge my head up my butt again.

Thank you to Jessica Corra for being my sounding board and co-pilot in navigating the unexpected terrain of post-divorce authorhood and the weird, wonderful world of single fathers and their offspring. We’ve gotta write that book someday.

Thanks to the Bend Book Bitches, my RWA chaptermates, and the readers of my blog,
Don’t Pet Me, I’m Writing
, for unwavering support and book love.

Thanks to Deb Werksman, Danielle Dresser, Todd Stocke, and everyone else on the Sourcebooks team for being so fabulous. You guys rock!

I am eternally grateful to Michelle Wolfson, the best agent and support system any writer could hope for. Without you, I’d still be hunkered under my desk rocking back and forth drinking wine and cursing.

Thank you to my parents, Dixie and David Fenske, for every butt pat, pep talk, good laugh, or genetically shared brain cell. I owe everything to you guys. Thanks also to my baby brother, Aaron “Russ” Fenske, and his lovely bride, Carlie Fenske, for always being so genuinely eager to read my books.

Thanks to Cedar and Violet for being the most amazing little people on the planet, and a daily source of joy, laughter, and fart jokes.

And thank you to Craig for being the best reason I can imagine to write a book about finding love where you least expect it.

Tawna Fenske traveled a career path that took her from newspaper reporter to English teacher in Venezuela to marketing geek to PR manager for her city’s tourism bureau. An avid globetrotter and social media fiend, Tawna is the author of the popular blog
Don’t Pet Me, I’m Writing
and a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her gentleman friend in Bend, Oregon, where she’ll invent any excuse to hike, bike, snowshoe, float the river, or sip wine on her back deck. She’s published several romantic comedies with Sourcebooks, including
Making
Waves
and
Believe
It
or
Not
, as well as the interactive fiction caper
Getting
Dumped
with Coliloquy and the novella
Eat, Play, Lust
with Entangled Publishing.