My latest novel, I Mean You No Harm, has just been launched into the world. In honor of that, I want to extend thanks to the many people who helped make it a reality.

As some of you may know, a road trip is at the heart of the novel. When searching for a publisher for the book, I had the good fortune to connect with Mark Sedenquist and Megan Edwards, who know a few things about hitting the road. They founded RoadTrip America, which since 1996 has offered advice, maps, and inspiration for travelers eager to see more of North America.

More recently, Mark and Megan founded Imbrifex Books, which publishes travel books, fiction, and more. They’ve done more than any writer could ask for to make I Mean You No Harm something to be proud of, from providing smart editorial guidance to putting together an expert design, marketing, and publicity team. This stunning cover, designed by Jason Heuer, is just one result of all those efforts, but I could name many more. Mark and Megan are the hardest working people in the business, and I’m so grateful for all that they’ve done. I’m looking forward to March, when I’ll be celebrating my novel and other Imbrifex Books with them in their home base of Las Vegas.

Long before I approached Mark and Megan about the book, I got the help of a lot of other people–most of them fellow writers–who commented on early drafts or just provided moral support. So I want to express deep gratitude to Sally Bunch, Ellen Darion, Beth Gylys, Karen Henry, Chris Juzwiak, Audrey Schulman, Grace Talusan, Gilmore Tamny, Ellen Thibault, and Patricia Wise.

Also, I’m incredibly thankful to my husband, John, who remains an unfailing champion of my writing, and a thoughtful reader of my early drafts.

I also want to thank my brothers, Grant and Neil, to whom I dedicated the book. Although I Mean You No Harm centers on a fraught relationship between two sisters, I’ve been lucky to have the opposite of a fraught relationship with my brothers. I’m very grateful for that, and grateful to them.

Finally, I want to thank you, my readers. Being able to connect with you is what this is all about.

If you’ve ordered the book, or plan to, I’m very grateful for that. And if you have time to say a few words about it on your reviewing platform of choice (e.g., GoodReads, Amazon, Instagram), I’d really appreciate that.