As the clock ticks down to the official release of The Dime Box on Monday November 25, I find myself consumed with a range of emotion. Excited? Nervous? Exhilarated? Anxious? It feels like being strapped into a rollercoaster, looping left, right and upside down, faster and faster, the car wheels screeching, barely touching the rails. All normal, say those more experienced. Really?

Yet what I feel most right now is an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Though purely a work of the imagination, I’m thankful for the students who inspired small parts of Greta’s character. To the friends, family and colleagues who encouraged me to follow my passion to write. To the many people who helped with the writing and publication of the novel, all of whom are identified in the Acknowledgments. Thank you for wrapping your arms around me. I’m grateful to have you in my corner.