Cross Country Hearts by Suzanne August

Acknowledgments

There are not enough words to describe how thankful I am to my friends and family who have supported and encouraged me on this journey. Among them is my mom, Lori, who has encouraged me to publish my books since the day I began writing. Thank you to my roommates and friends, Anna and Lukas, who I hopefully didn’t disturb on too many occasions when I woke up at the break of dawn every weekend to work on this novel. And thank you to my partner, Des, who listens to me think aloud about anything to do with writing and publishing, and pretends it’s interesting (and maybe you do think it is!).

The people who inspired me to publish this book in the first place also deserve recognition. They include the many people in my circle who began their own projects and businesses during the lockdowns of the past year. They also include my aunt Vicki and uncle Jeff, who began an incredible business on their own. And also my friend and sister, Mony. My little sister, Lily, also deserves recognition for how excited she was when she found out I had written a book (and who is now writing her own stories!).

I also can’t express enough gratitude to all three of my editors. Each edit this novel went through improved it tremendously from the last, and this book is all the better for it. I am eternally grateful.