Mom and Dad for causing me to exist.
All the great educators I had the luck to work under over the years, including Rob Gardner and Ron Friedman, whose wisdom in the craft of storytelling is invaluable. And all educators everywhere, for doing a difficult and vital job.
Danielle Stone, for encouraging me to develop this story and for generally putting up with a lot of clownery.
My good friends and colleagues who have believed in me or given me feedback on my writing, particularly Kristina Maniatis, Lynn Hamilton, Arvin Bautista, Genevieve Pearson, and Sean Quinn. I’m blessed to be around such brilliant people.
My great agent Rachel Ekstrom Courage, who gives the best notes in the business and is an exemplar of what every author hopes for in an agent. Rachel’s diligence and faith are the most meaningful compliments I’ve so far received for my writing.
The team at Diversion Books, for all their hard work and efforts. Thanks particularly to Keith Wallman and Amanda Farbanish, whose intelligent and careful editing helped shape this book.
Every reader who gives this book some of their time. Entertaining you guys is the sole reason I write. Triple thanks to anyone who says anything nice about this book to anyone. Word of mouth and online reviews can have a huge impact, and your opinion means a lot to me personally.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joe Ollinger grew up in a small swamp town in Florida. After graduating from USC, he worked for several years as a reader and story analyst for an Academy Award–winning filmmaker. Currently residing in Los Angeles, he works as a lawyer when he’s not writing.
Copyright
Diversion Books
A Division of Diversion Publishing Corp.
443 Park Avenue South, Suite 1004
New York, New York 10016
Copyright © 2019 by Joe Ollinger
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
For more information, email info@diversionbooks.com
Book design by Elyse Strongin, Neuwirth & Associates.
First Diversion Books edition February 2019.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-63576-056-9
eBook ISBN: 978-1-63576-055-2
LSIDB/1902