Exquisite Captive (49 page)

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Authors: Heather Demetrios

BOOK: Exquisite Captive

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She’d pay any price for that.

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HarperCollins Publishers

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A
lot
of people went into making
Exquisite Captive
a reality, and I’m absolutely humbled that they’ve all treated my words with such tender loving care. First, thank you a million times over to my agent, Brenda Bowen: I couldn’t have wished for a better partner in crime. Your enthusiasm for this story and support of my work in general is nothing short of a blessing. Huge thanks to my editor, Donna Bray, for her boundless excitement and incredible insight. This book is
so much better
because of you. Every day, I’m floored by how much goes into making a book a
book
. I am grateful to count myself among the few who are lucky enough to have a publisher that’s looking for the gods and devils in all the details. It’s a thrill to work with the fantastic team at Balzer + Bray and to be part of the HarperCollins family. Extra special thanks to Alessandra Balzer for supporting the book and to the design, sales, and marketing jinn who manifest the stuff of dreams. There are too many people to name here, but I am indebted to everyone who has put their smarts, creative energy, and love into this book. I’d grant each of you a wish if I could, promise.

There are a number of people who aided and abetted me while Nalia’s story was just beginning. First, a big hug to Anna Staniszewski for giving me the writing prompt that would change my life, and all the early readers who told me that a story about a jinni was a good idea. Thanks to Coe Booth, for early enthusiasm, guidance, and a helpful barrage of logic questions (and for telling me revenge was a terrible motivation). I also have Bashil to thank you for. Amanda Jenkins, for reminding me that my characters are in charge, not me. The students and faculty of Vermont College of Fine Arts, for making me a better writer and giving me a home away from home. And to my Allies—I wish I could open up Malek’s garage and give each of you a pretty car. Thank you for being my second family. Big thanks to Kathryn Gaglione for plot doctoring, synopsis fixing, and regular cheerleading. Leslie Caulfield, for always being an email away, and Shari Becker and Jennifer Ann Mann, for pushing me on from the beginning. Kate Weise, for believing this was going to be a good story way back when and for sharing her depth of knowledge about trafficking. Wendy Watson, for telling me about the work she’s done with trafficked women in Los Angeles—who knew those conversations would end up with a jinni in a bottle? Big thanks to all my Arabic-speaking friends and family who helped out with my favorite word in the book. Jamie Christensen and Sarah Roberts, beta readers extraordinaire: xoxo. Thanks, of course, to all my family and friends for their willingness to put up with my weird writerly ways and for being a constant source of support. Zach, my very own
rohifsa
: a million kisses for being such a kickass husband. And, finally, thank
you
, fabulous reader of YA fantasy
.
It is an absolute pleasure and privilege to craft stories for people to read, and I hope that you and my words meet again soon.

One more thing: right now, there are millions of men, women, and children who are currently on the
real
dark caravan. They are victims of human trafficking and, unlike Nalia, they don’t have magical powers or sexy masters who lavish them with luxury gifts. Please check out my website, www.heatherdemetrios.com, for more info. on the modern slave trade and how you can help break their bonds.

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When she’s not traipsing around the world or spending time in imaginary places,
HEATHER DEMETRIOS
lives with her husband in New York City. Heather will receive her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts later this year and is a recipient of the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award for her debut young adult novel,
Something Real
. You can visit Heather online at www.heatherdemetrios.com.

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

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COPYRIGHT

Balzer + Bray is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

E
XQUISITE CAPTIVE
. Copyright © 2014 by Heather Demetrios. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.epicreads.com

ISBN 978-0-06-231856-5 (trade bdg.)

EPub Edition March 2014 ISBN 9780062341099

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