Most Wanted (51 page)

She looked forward to the other scenes she'd always hoped she'd be in: the one with Brian's first steps, then when he went to kindergarten, when he read his first Dr. Seuss book, when he met his first girlfriend, then went to prom and college, and on and on and on, in the series of scenes that are the expectations every parent has, in the movies we make of our own lives. Christine knew that some of her expectations would be met, some maybe even surpassed, and still others would go very differently from the way she'd expected, but she was ready for everything that came their way.

What she had wanted the most was a child, perfect in all its imperfections, and she had gotten what she wished for.

In fact, she had gotten something even better.

A family.

 

Acknowledgments

I have been wanting to write about a teacher for a long time. I feel as if educators don't get the credit they deserve, and the more teachers I meet, the more amazed and impressed I am by their energy, dedication, and heart. I feel like they are true heroes, so it was natural for me to finally make a heroine out of one, the fictional Christine Nilsson, and I hope that by doing so, we can shine a spotlight on teachers everywhere.

The first thanks go to teachers, for all they do for all of us, and especially to Kellie Bean, a reading specialist in the Owen J. Roberts School District. Kellie took me to an elementary school, introduced me to all of her amazing colleagues, and answered every question I had about life as a teacher. I am so grateful to Kellie for the time she took and for her sharing all of her expertise with me. I like her so much and admire her even more, and she deserves major thanks here. And thanks to Malinda McKillip, principal of French Creek Elementary in the Owen J. Roberts School District.

On a different point, I loved writing this novel partly because I learned so much about the subject of infertility and its treatments, as well as the emotional difficulties that people who have fertility issues undergo. For that I turned to a number of experts, and I would like to acknowledge them. It should go without saying, but it never does, that all of the doctors, medical professionals, and medical clinics in the novel are entirely fictional, and also that any and all mistakes in the novel are mine.

Thank you to Dr. Michael Glassner, Dr. John Orris, and Dr. Sharon Anderson of Main Line Fertility Clinic, who spent so much time educating me about infertility and its treatments. They are simply the most dedicated and caring professionals you can ever imagine, and they perform miracles every day. I couldn't be more grateful or respect them more, and they deserve big thanks here. And thanks to Liz Verrecchio, andrologist, and Anne Yarrow Walters, insurance specialist, also at Main Line Fertility, for all of their help. Plus Raisinets!

Thank you to Dr. Andrea Boxer and to Dr. Judy Mechanic Braverman, both of whom are psychologists who specialize in treating couples dealing with infertility. Both of these incredible women shared their expertise and their kindness with me, helping me understand what it would be like to be in the position of the main characters in this novel. I am indebted to them, and thank them very much.

Thank you to Rose Jardine, an experienced genetics counselor, who helped me understand the genetics behind sperm and egg donation. Thank you to Dr. Allison Shirker of Women's Health Care Group of Pennsylvania.

Special thanks to John Bierkan—and Smartie Martie!

Finally, I'm a bookaholic, so I read a lot which I hoped informed this novel. (As the reading specialists say, first you learn to read, then you read to learn.) I heartily recommend the following books:
The Root Cause: Male Infertility and How to Get Past It
by Gabriel Leone,
Test Tubes and Testosterone: A Man's Journey into Infertility and IVF
by Michael Saunders,
How to Make Love to a Plastic Cup: A Guy's Guide to the World of Infertility
by Greg Wolfe,
What to Expect When You're Expecting
by Heidi Murkoff,
Finding Our Families
by Wendy Kramer and Naomi Cahn,
Taking Charge of Your Fertility
by Toni Weschler, and
The Serial Killer Files
by Harold Schechter.

I'm a lawyer, but criminal law wasn't my field. I needed help and I turned to my dear friend, as well as a brilliant and dedicated public servant, Nicholas Casenta, Esq., chief of the Chester County District Attorney's Office. Nick has helped me with every single book so far, and I wouldn't dream of writing without his advice and expertise. Special thanks as well to Jerry Dugan, Esq., one of the most experienced lawyers in Philadelphia, who helped me navigate the legal details in the book.

Thank you to Linda Vizi, a former Special Agent with the FBI in Philadelphia, and to Ray Carr, a former profiler with the FBI in Philadelphia, for their expertise and for the time they took to answer all of my questions.

For medical expertise, I turned to genius cardiologist Dr. John O'Hara at Paoli Hospital and to my favorite medical student, soon-to-be-doctor Nora Demchur. And thank you to Sklar Medical Instruments and Vince Gay, Ron Templeton, and Yajaira Reyes.

Special thanks to Keith and Rita Kaplan.

Thank you to my editor, Jennifer Enderlin, who improves every one of my manuscripts, and more important, inspires me every day. And big love and thanks to everyone at St. Martin's Press, the terrific John Sargent, Sally Richardson, Jeff Dodes, Paul Hochman, Jeff Capshew, Stephanie Davis, Brian Heller, Brant Janeway, Lisa Senz, John Karle, Tracey Guest, Dori Weintraub, Michael Storrings, Anne-Marie Tallberg, Nancy Trypuc, Kerry Nordling, Elizabeth Wildman, Elena Yip, Talia Sherer, Kim Ludlum, and all the wonderful sales reps. Big thanks to Michael Storrings, for outstanding cover design. Also hugs and kisses to Mary Beth Roche, Laura Wilson, Samantha Edelson, and the great people in audiobooks. I love and appreciate all of you!

Thanks and big love to Robert Gottlieb of Trident Media Group, whose dedication and wisdom has guided this novel into publication, and to Nicole Robson and her digital media team, who helped me get the word out about this book and my other ones as well. Nicole is so dedicated that she worked through her own pregnancy, for which I am forever grateful! (Welcome to the world, Elle!)

Thanks and another big hug to my dedicated assistant and best friend, Laura Leonard. She's invaluable in every way, and has been for more than twenty years. Thanks, too, to my pal and assistant Nan Daley, and to George Davidson, for doing everything else, so that I can be free to write!

Finally, thank you to my amazing daughter, Francesca, for all the support, laughter, and love she has given me.

 

MOST WANTED

by
Lisa Scottoline

 

In Her Own Words

•
“An Idea Is Born”

An Original Essay from the Author

Keep on Reading

•
Ideas for Book Groups

•
Reading Group Questions

Special Extra!

•
An Excerpt from
Damaged

 

 

 

Also available as an audiobook from Macmillan Audio

For more reading group suggestions, visit
www.readinggroupgold.com

ST. MARTIN'S PRESS

 

An Original Essay from the Author

“An Idea Is Born”

Readers always ask where I get my ideas, and it's an excellent question. The ideas for my novels always come from some emotional truth in my life, or a personal experience I've undergone, which resonates with me, long afterwards.
Most Wanted
is no exception, and on the contrary, arises from the single greatest event of my entire life:

The birth of my only child, my daughter Francesca.

But to tell it true, her birth didn't come at a good time during my marriage. In fact, the marriage was falling apart and my divorce practically coincided with her arrival, almost simultaneously making me a mom and a single mom. (She would later ask me: “Mom, if I'm an only child, does that make you an only mom?” Answer: Yes.) It felt as if it were the two of us against the world, but I'm not complaining. None of us knows where our lives will lead, and though our family wasn't a conventional family, we made it work.

“Whenever you count your blessings, you naturally … go to the what-if question.”

My truest goal was to give her a happy home, even if it didn't contain two parents. And no matter what our familial configuration, I fell deeply and madly in love with my beautiful baby Francesca, and I felt lucky to be her mother. Amazingly, my desire to stay home and raise her was the reason I changed my entire life, gave up practicing law, and tried my hand at writing, which led to this wonderful career, thanks to all of you, my readers.

My relationship to my daughter has only grown stronger with time and, paradoxically, I think more often than I ever have before about how lucky and blessed I am to have her in my life. But whenever you count your blessings, you naturally think the opposite—you go to the what-if question. What if I hadn't been so lucky to have had her? What if I hadn't been able to conceive? What about all the marriages unable to produce a baby? And what happens when the vulnerability of a couple desperate to become parents meets the big business of fertility treatments?

From here, the idea for
Most Wanted
was born.

Lately, we are talking more about infertility and reproductive issues in public, and I think that's all to the good. The stigma of infertility has been lifted, as even celebrities are sharing their heart-wrenching stories, and the demand for fertility treatments is a growing business. Oftentimes, modern medicine can intervene and make the dream of a baby come true, but not always without complication. Like my own story, life doesn't always go according to script—and doesn't necessarily turn out the way we expect. However, as for Christine, and for me, the power of a mother's love can conquer all.

 

Ideas for Book Groups

A note from Lisa:

I am a huge fan of book clubs because it means people are reading and discussing books. Mix that with wine and carbs, and you can't keep me away. I'm deeply grateful to all who read me, and especially honored when my book is chosen by a book club. I wanted an opportunity to say thank you to those who read me, which gave me the idea of a contest. Every year I hold a book club contest, and the winning book club gets a visit from me and a night of fabulous food and good wine. To enter is easy: All you have to do is take a picture of your entire book club with each member holding a copy of my newest hardcover and send it to me by mail or e-mail. No book club is too small or too big. Don't belong to a book club? Start one. Just grab a loved one, a neighbor, or a friend, and send in your picture of you each holding my newest book. I look forward to coming to your town and wining and dining your group. For more details, just go to
www.scottoline.com
.

Tour time is my favorite time of year because I get to break out my fancy clothes and meet with interesting and fun readers around the country. The rest of the year, I am a homebody, writing every day, but thrilled to be able to connect with readers through e-mail. I read all my e-mail, and answer as much as I can. So, drop me a line about books, families, pets, love, or whatever is on your mind at
[email protected].
For my latest book and tour information, special promotions, and updates, you can sign up at
www.scottoline.com
for my newsletter.