An Embroidery of Souls, page 35
Lukas’s eyes burn when he faces me, a brighter viridian than ever before. “You ready?”
I grin back, so wide my cheeks hurt. “I am.”
And I mean it. Meeting Lukas, solving the murders, overthrowing the queen—that was all the beginning.
My adventure has only just begun.
Acknowledgments
Oh my goodness! Acknowledgments. I never thought I’d get to write these!
First, to my agent extraordinaire: Sarah Fisk! Thank you for your belief, insight, and advocacy. You continue to be an absolute rock in the messy storm that is publishing, and I’m so glad to have you in my corner. Finding an agent is HARD, finding a great agent is harder, and it’s a little unbelievable to me that I somehow got so lucky as to land one of the greats.
To the best editor in the history of editors: Gianna! I’m eternally grateful that you decided to take a chance on me. Your vision and expertise are unrivaled, and from the start, you’ve made me feel safe and welcome as I take these first steps as a professional author. I’m still so touched that you sent me books for my daughter when you learned about my pregnancy. What kind of editor does that?! (Answer: the BEST one.) So thank you—not just for your feedback and guidance but also for your kindness.
To the wenches: Erin Rand, GW Prouse, L.J. Thomas, Michelle Tang, Olivia Woods, Johanna Randle, Lily Mehallick, Erin, Tami, Cate, Carlin, Rosa, and Jason. There’s no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be here without you. The query trenches would’ve claimed me as their victim. Thank you for keeping writing fun, making me a better author, and just generally being awesome and getting me through Covid times. I’m so glad to call you all friends!
To Brittney Arena: You were the first person to pluck me out of a slush pile and make me feel like my writing had value. You are truly the best mentor I could’ve asked for, and AEOS wouldn’t be where it is without you. Thank you for your friendship and guidance and for being the amazing human that you are. The world is a better place with you and your stories in it. <3
To Marie Pennamen: You’ve been such an incredible cheerleader and friend, and I’m so glad the Goodreads Beta Reader Group brought us together! Thank you for your help with AEOS and for being a part of my life. You’re one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know, and I had no idea how lucky I was when we first connected.
To Maria Heater, your feedback has been invaluable and your friendship even more so! It’s been so wonderful to have a friend who’s also navigating publishing as a Latine author. Thank you for all the chats on everything writing, publishing, and parenting. (And thank you again to Brittney for introducing us!)
To all my incredible beta readers (who are all mentioned elsewhere): You rock, and this book never would’ve made it this far without your help. Thank you for putting up with my obnoxiously long sentences, endless grammar mistakes, and tendency for melodrama. Your feedback and suggestions all made this book so much better.
To all the spectacular publishing professionals at Random House—marketing, publicity, production, design, sales, everyone working to make AEOS a success: THANK YOU. A special shout-out to Cynthia Lliguichuzhca for your incredible publicity, an area in which I’m woefully incompetent, and also to my copy editors, who saved me from many embarrassing typos and inconsistencies. (Truly, y’all are the unsung heroes of publishing.)
To Anna Stead: The cover you made for AEOS is gorgeous. Thank you for bringing my work to life in such a beautiful way.
To Elizabeth Lim, Angela Montoya, and June Hur, it absolutely blows my mind that authors as talented as you took the time to blurb my book. Thank you for using your platform to support a newbie like me! I’m sorry I’m so awkward on social media (full disclosure: Instagram gives me terrible anxiety), but you’re all amazing, and I’d love to return the support and connect more if you’re ever interested!
To the Indies Introduce program, each panelist, and especially Keeley! Thank you for believing in my book and choosing to uplift it. We need more people to love and support books, and the work you’re doing is so important. Thank you for letting my story be a part of that!
To my parents: Thank you for always supporting me and my creativity and never pushing me into a more traditional career path. I would’ve made a terrible doctor or lawyer. And to my brothers, you didn’t really help write this book, but I love you, and your support for me on this new adventure has been so heartwarming.
To my Cohen crew, thank you for your love and enthusiasm for me and for my book! It means the world. I’m so grateful that Natan brought you all into my life and that you welcomed me into yours.
To Brita Larson, Sarah Nasgowitz, Roxie Dobbs, Evelyn Sadlowski, and Sarah Ladousa, thank you for your friendship, for always taking the time to ask about my writing, and for your excitement as I go on this wild publishing journey. I can’t believe an introverted couch potato like me gets to have friends as incredible as you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives! <3
To my mom’s book club, who read the first book I ever wrote (which we shall never discuss again) and, even though it was TERRIBLE, lifted me up instead of knocking me down. Thank you for giving me the spark I needed to keep going.
To every person in my life who’s shown interest in, asked to read, and given AEOS love, thank you!
To Lilah. You make me want to be the sort of mother you can be proud of, and you inspire me to keep following these dreams. I love you.
To you, reader, because without you this dream is impossible. Thank you for giving my book a chance!
And finally, to Natan. Even as an author, I fail to find the words to properly convey what you mean to me, so please allow me to fall short now: Thank you for supporting me always, in all ways. For insisting that my writing was “eh-mazing” every time I said it was just “eh.” Your encouragement, love, and belief are what’s kept me going. I love you, now and forever.
KRISTY HARRIS
RUBY MARTINEZ is a Mexican American writer who stuffs her books full of magic, romance, and mental health representation. An Embroidery of Souls is her debut novel. She works as a therapist by day and lives in New Mexico.
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I grin back, so wide my cheeks hurt. “I am.”
And I mean it. Meeting Lukas, solving the murders, overthrowing the queen—that was all the beginning.
My adventure has only just begun.
Acknowledgments
Oh my goodness! Acknowledgments. I never thought I’d get to write these!
First, to my agent extraordinaire: Sarah Fisk! Thank you for your belief, insight, and advocacy. You continue to be an absolute rock in the messy storm that is publishing, and I’m so glad to have you in my corner. Finding an agent is HARD, finding a great agent is harder, and it’s a little unbelievable to me that I somehow got so lucky as to land one of the greats.
To the best editor in the history of editors: Gianna! I’m eternally grateful that you decided to take a chance on me. Your vision and expertise are unrivaled, and from the start, you’ve made me feel safe and welcome as I take these first steps as a professional author. I’m still so touched that you sent me books for my daughter when you learned about my pregnancy. What kind of editor does that?! (Answer: the BEST one.) So thank you—not just for your feedback and guidance but also for your kindness.
To the wenches: Erin Rand, GW Prouse, L.J. Thomas, Michelle Tang, Olivia Woods, Johanna Randle, Lily Mehallick, Erin, Tami, Cate, Carlin, Rosa, and Jason. There’s no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be here without you. The query trenches would’ve claimed me as their victim. Thank you for keeping writing fun, making me a better author, and just generally being awesome and getting me through Covid times. I’m so glad to call you all friends!
To Brittney Arena: You were the first person to pluck me out of a slush pile and make me feel like my writing had value. You are truly the best mentor I could’ve asked for, and AEOS wouldn’t be where it is without you. Thank you for your friendship and guidance and for being the amazing human that you are. The world is a better place with you and your stories in it. <3
To Marie Pennamen: You’ve been such an incredible cheerleader and friend, and I’m so glad the Goodreads Beta Reader Group brought us together! Thank you for your help with AEOS and for being a part of my life. You’re one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know, and I had no idea how lucky I was when we first connected.
To Maria Heater, your feedback has been invaluable and your friendship even more so! It’s been so wonderful to have a friend who’s also navigating publishing as a Latine author. Thank you for all the chats on everything writing, publishing, and parenting. (And thank you again to Brittney for introducing us!)
To all my incredible beta readers (who are all mentioned elsewhere): You rock, and this book never would’ve made it this far without your help. Thank you for putting up with my obnoxiously long sentences, endless grammar mistakes, and tendency for melodrama. Your feedback and suggestions all made this book so much better.
To all the spectacular publishing professionals at Random House—marketing, publicity, production, design, sales, everyone working to make AEOS a success: THANK YOU. A special shout-out to Cynthia Lliguichuzhca for your incredible publicity, an area in which I’m woefully incompetent, and also to my copy editors, who saved me from many embarrassing typos and inconsistencies. (Truly, y’all are the unsung heroes of publishing.)
To Anna Stead: The cover you made for AEOS is gorgeous. Thank you for bringing my work to life in such a beautiful way.
To Elizabeth Lim, Angela Montoya, and June Hur, it absolutely blows my mind that authors as talented as you took the time to blurb my book. Thank you for using your platform to support a newbie like me! I’m sorry I’m so awkward on social media (full disclosure: Instagram gives me terrible anxiety), but you’re all amazing, and I’d love to return the support and connect more if you’re ever interested!
To the Indies Introduce program, each panelist, and especially Keeley! Thank you for believing in my book and choosing to uplift it. We need more people to love and support books, and the work you’re doing is so important. Thank you for letting my story be a part of that!
To my parents: Thank you for always supporting me and my creativity and never pushing me into a more traditional career path. I would’ve made a terrible doctor or lawyer. And to my brothers, you didn’t really help write this book, but I love you, and your support for me on this new adventure has been so heartwarming.
To my Cohen crew, thank you for your love and enthusiasm for me and for my book! It means the world. I’m so grateful that Natan brought you all into my life and that you welcomed me into yours.
To Brita Larson, Sarah Nasgowitz, Roxie Dobbs, Evelyn Sadlowski, and Sarah Ladousa, thank you for your friendship, for always taking the time to ask about my writing, and for your excitement as I go on this wild publishing journey. I can’t believe an introverted couch potato like me gets to have friends as incredible as you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives! <3
To my mom’s book club, who read the first book I ever wrote (which we shall never discuss again) and, even though it was TERRIBLE, lifted me up instead of knocking me down. Thank you for giving me the spark I needed to keep going.
To every person in my life who’s shown interest in, asked to read, and given AEOS love, thank you!
To Lilah. You make me want to be the sort of mother you can be proud of, and you inspire me to keep following these dreams. I love you.
To you, reader, because without you this dream is impossible. Thank you for giving my book a chance!
And finally, to Natan. Even as an author, I fail to find the words to properly convey what you mean to me, so please allow me to fall short now: Thank you for supporting me always, in all ways. For insisting that my writing was “eh-mazing” every time I said it was just “eh.” Your encouragement, love, and belief are what’s kept me going. I love you, now and forever.
KRISTY HARRIS
RUBY MARTINEZ is a Mexican American writer who stuffs her books full of magic, romance, and mental health representation. An Embroidery of Souls is her debut novel. She works as a therapist by day and lives in New Mexico.
What’s next on
your reading list?
Discover your next
great read!
Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.
Sign up now.
_152929783_
Ruby Martinez, An Embroidery of Souls
