Honey on Your Mind (35 page)

“I’m glad too,” I whispered.

“As long as you don’t tell any more jokes about animals with no legs, we should be fine.”

“Hey, that reminds me—”

He put his free hand over my mouth. “Please don’t, OK?”

“OK.” I laughed through his hand, then took it between both of mine and stared out the window into the darkness. I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel how fast we were moving.

Life never stops
, I thought.

Soon, I closed my eyes and lay my head against Jake’s shoulder.

I didn’t know where we were headed, but I finally felt settled enough to enjoy the ride.

As I write this, it’s still hard for me to believe that a third Waverly Bryson book has sprung to life. Many of you have expressed that you enjoy spending time in her world, and I do too. Readers may be surprised to learn that each time I begin a new book, I have a general idea for how it will begin, but that’s honestly about it. Instead of forcing a story on to the page, I’ve learned to (try to) be patient and let it gradually unfold in my head. I watch in wonder as this happens, and then I basically just write it down and hope people like it. The idea behind
Honey on Your Mind
was born on a pretty spring morning in the kitchen of my dear friend Alison Marquiss, the best sounding board a girl could ask for.

My superhuman mother, Flo Murnane (aka “Ma”) was the first to read the initial draft of the manuscript. I value her opinion so much that I would have deleted the entire thing had she suggested it. She could also make a good living as a proofreader, although my dad (aka “Pa”) has the edge on spelling and grammar…kidding. Thanks to both of you for your bottomless love and support, not to mention the occasional yummy care package.

Just like my other books, this one is sprinkled with anecdotes and insights from my own life, and once again, I’m grateful to have friends who provide me with a regular stream of material and expertise on a variety of subjects. This time around I extend
a special thanks to the following people: Lindsay Barnett, Lauren Battle, Stu Berman, Steph Bernabe, Kerry Cathcart, Mary Clesi, Chris Conroy, Andrea Dershin, Carlos Escobar, Rosie Al-Saaid Mohammed FitzGerald, Heather Fraser, Val Hirota, Sean Lynden, Kirsty McGuire, Kara Mele, Mitch Miller, Luke Morey, Monica Murnane Morey, Mark Murnane, Immanuel “Manny” Palugod, Michele Murnane Sharkey, Danny Stoian, Liz Varland, Garett “MG” Vassel, and Charlie Wilson. I also want to thank Sarita Bhargava and Alberto Ferrer for their volunteer editing services. (Alberto, I can picture you counting each time Waverly bites her lip, and I love you for it.)

On the professional editing side, I was thrilled to work again with Christina Henry de Tessan. She manages to read my mind with her feedback and suggestions, essentially telling me what I wanted to think in the first place. I’d also like to thank Alex Carr at Amazon for being a self-declared and proud fan of books some might assume are just for women. Thank you as well to my agents, Mary Alice Kier and Anna Cottle, who are working tirelessly to bring Waverly to the big (or small) screen.

Finally, the all-around cheerleader award goes to Annie Flaig and Tami May McMillan. You two have no idea how much I appreciate your unwavering enthusiasm and encouragement. Thank you thank you thank you.

Photo by Evi Abeler Photography, 2012

Maria Murnane left a successful career as a public relations executive to pursue a more fulfilling life as a novelist and speaker. Her own “story behind the story” is an entertaining tale of the courage, passion, and perseverance required to get her first novel,
Perfect on Paper
, published. (The sequel,
It’s a Waverly Life,
was published in 2011.) Maria graduated with high honors in English and Spanish from the University of California–Berkeley, where she was a Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholar. She also holds a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University. She lives today in New York City.