Under the Green Hill (26 page)

I would like to thank my agent, Shawna McCarthy, who won me over by comparing my writing to that of E. Nesbit and C. S. Lewis and (after my head returned to normal size) helped my career take off with her amazing talent. You are reading this book thanks to my wonderful editor, Reka Simonsen, to whom I owe the deepest gratitude.

My sister, Marla Jane Sullivan, gave me my first book about fairies—real fairies—and so this book is probably her fault. She's far more brilliant than I am, and will probably become a great novelist now, just to remind me of that fact. My father, John B. Sullivan, saw to it that I had the best education, bits and pieces of which have been remarkably useful. Thanks, Dad. Incidentally, this book had its first germ in Alison Lurie's folklore class at Cornell. Thanks also to my husband, Andy DeLay, a NASCAR radio talk-show host who, for my sake, tries very hard to believe in fairies.

My beloved mother, to whom this book is dedicated, deserves all my love and gratitude, because she supported ne'er-do-well me when I quit one of my many jobs and devoted myself to writing this book.

And most of all I must thank my best little friend, Buster, Bubeleh, Robbie.