The Mermaid's Mirror (30 page)

Lena's dad paddled to a spot farther down the lineup, and Lena beamed over at him.

As the next set of waves rose up, Lena's friends hung back, and Lena and her dad popped up on their boards with identical poise, taking their first ride together.

Dear Reader,

I spent an hour this morning at Maverick's Beach. The waves were small, and the sea was sadly surfer-less.

But it was a beautiful sunny day, and I had the beach to myself——a rare pleasure.

As I walked across the wet sand, a sea lion stuck its head out of the water. We gazed at each other for a while; then I waved. It watched me for another long moment before sliding beneath the surface.

Wading in the cold surf, I watched a skittering of sandpipers race close to the foam, digging their bills into the sand as the waves retreated. I admired a clique of pelicans skimming close to the water, and a solitary grebe bobbing on the surface. Then I sat on a rock and listened to the ocean's music. As waves curled around the Cauldron and washed over the Boneyard, I pictured Lena's fateful ride on a November day just like this one.

When it was time to go, I climbed the path leading away from the shore ... pausing to pay my respects at the stone memorial to Mark Foo, a surfer who died at Maverick's.

My fictional town of Diamond Bay is based on the coastal towns south of San Francisco. Likewise, my fictional big surf spot, Magic's, is inspired by the real-life Maverick's. In writing
The Mermaid's Mirror,
I took many liberties with the geography, oceanography, and marine biology of northern California. I'm an enthusiast, not an expert. Any errors in local flora, fauna, climate, or tides are mine alone.

If you are interested in learning more about marine life, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has an amazing website:
www.montereybayaquarium.org
. I'm grateful to Jim Covel in particular for answering a question about the region's bioluminescent marine life.

I relied on my favorite wave-rider—my sister—and several other sources to describe the rush and danger of surfing. Again, any errors are mine alone.

The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting beaches, promoting open access to beaches for everyone, fighting ocean pollution, and educating the public about the environment. Learn more about them at the website
www.surfrider.org
. I have chosen to make a donation to this foundation in honor of the
The Mermaid's Mirror,
which is, after all, my love letter to the sea.

L. K. Madigan
November 13, 2009
Half Moon Bay, California

Mom and Dad, thank you for reading and praising my childhood book about mermaids (eighty pages, complete with illustrations). And thank you for providing a home where creativity was applauded. Your early encouragement may well be the reason
The Mermaid's Mirror
exists today.

If this book manages to capture the heart and soul of surfing, it is due to the influence of my sister, Michelle. She shared her surfing experiences with me, and I did my best to convey her joy and awe. She lives far from the ocean now, but will always have the heart of a surfer. Love you, Peeps. I promise one day I'll finish the sequel.

Awesome editor Margaret Raymo shines a light on my work, illuminating places I forgot to explore. Thank you for believing in my story about the surfer girl and the mermaid. I am extravagantly glad that this book, which is so close to my heart, has finally made it out into the world. Oh, and thanks for letting me keep the zombie joke.

Deep appreciation to the entire Houghton Mifflin Harcourt team, especially Karen Walsh, Lisa DiSarro, Linda Magram, and Carol Chu.

Super-sharp agent Jennifer Laughran continues to astound with her wit, wisdom, and editorial insight. I am eternally grateful to have her as champion of my books.

I worked on this book sporadically over eight years, and many writers critiqued it in a variety of versions. If I tried to list them all, I would end up forgetting someone, so forgive me if I limit my thanks to the intrepid members of my current critique group: C. Lee McKenzie, Heather Strum, Melissa Higgins, Yvonne Ventresca, and Sara Bennett Wealer. They dare to read unwieldy first drafts and never run away screaming.

Special thanks to Lisa Schroeder, who reminded me of the differences between writing for middle-graders and writing for young adults. Not only is she a model of kindness in the wide world of children's literature, but she is one of my best friends. This author thing would be much harder without her.

Great love and gratitude goes to Beverly, who not only reads my books and comments thoughtfully, but sculpts beautiful mermaid artwork, of which I have been the lucky recipient.

My dear friend Jo read this book when it was a middle-grade manuscript and loved it so much that she read it to her fifth grade class. Her faith in my writing over the years has been a gift.

Lindsey Leavitt, Saundra Mitchell, and Sonia Gensler are ... well, they're all really necessary to my writerly happiness. As are the Debs (
www.feastofawesome.com
).

Many thanks to my friend Martha for graciously allowing me the use of her name, and Leslie's.

Surfing sage and board-maker extraordinaire Robbie Dick read through the manuscript to check for surfing goofs. Thank you, Robbie.

Benita's singing inspired some of the song choices in the book; I have her to thank for "Bowlegged Women."

To my talented teen readers: thanks for the great comments on the manuscript, Taylor (T-Dog), and thanks for being my very FIRST teen reader, Brittany (so long ago you're out of your teens!).

I borrowed the idea of braided yarn anklets from my young friend Iris. She is a strong, smart teen who makes the demanding discipline of tae kwon do look easy, and I'm glad to know her.

I saved the best for last: Unending love and heartfelt thanks to my husband, Neil, who first listened to me describe the idea for this story almost a decade ago, and never stopped believing it would one day be a real book.

And of course, big love and heartfelt thanks to my son, who has adapted to life with an author mom and is proud of me. But not prouder than I am of him! Love you, NBW (more).