I touched the words on the page and smiled.
Really, it was just the beginning.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There’re a lot of people I want to thank for helping me bring my debut book out into the world. I guess I have to start at the beginning, because before a girl can publish a book, she has to love to write.
Thank you to my brothers, Chris and David, whose unabashed geekery, in too many ways, nourished my love of storytelling.
Thank you to my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Spratt, who, after reading my short story about gargoyles (inspired by the awesome cartoon), told me I had a gift for writing. I still have the comment slip.
Thank you to my fifth grade teacher, Ms. Braun, who let me stay in and finish my first book when I should have been outside for recess (I never liked physical activity anyway).
To Tracey Martin, who beta-read the first draft of this book, and the pit crew who were there when the world of writing caused many a headache. Thank you for listening to me whine.
To my wonderfully supportive agent, Natalie Lakosil, as well as my editor Amanda Rutter and the rest of the fabulous Strange Chemistry team. All of you helped make my dream a reality.
To my loved ones across the oceans. But especially, to my mother, Margaret, who never stopped encouraging me. And to my father, Patrick, who I wish were here to share this joy with me. Thank you all, endlessly, for your love and support.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah grew up in Southern Ontario writing stories about freakish little girls with powers because she secretly wanted to be one.
She is a huge fangirl of anything from manga to science fiction/fantasy lit to Japanese Role Playing Games… but if she has to, she will swear up and down that she was inspired by Jane Austen at book signings. She imagines it sounds better than Chrono Trigger.
On top of being a YA writer, she is currently completing a PhD in English, because she communicates via literary narratives, and also the sight of blood makes her queasy (which crossed medical school off the list).
@s_raughley
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Strange Chemistry #31
A Strange Chemistry paperback original 2014
1
Sarah Raughley asserts the moral right to be
identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library.
ISBN: 978 1 90884 489 7
Ebook ISBN: 978 1 90884 491 0
Set in Meridien and Dirty Headline by Argh! Oxford
Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by
otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in
any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is
published and without a similar condition including this
condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and
incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or
localities is entirely coincidental.