Chasing Stardust: A Novel By Erica Lucke Dean - 34

Where do I begin?

Long before I wrote the first sentence in Chasing Stardust , David Bowie’s music had already left its mark on me. As a longtime fan, I often tuck little Bowie references into the pages of my books—typically a song mentioned during a pivotal scene or a character wearing a colorful Ziggy Stardust T-shirt. And my go-to writing playlist almost always includes at least one of his songs. “Young Americans” has been a personal favorite of mine for as far back as I can remember and never fails to conjure the perfect emotions when I’m struggling to write those difficult scenes. But when Bowie died in 2016, my casual devotion became rabid obsession. I dove in headfirst, digging up and devouring old concert footage and every interview I could unearth, going all the way back to his early career. After spending countless days immersed in the world of Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, and The Thin White Duke, the whisper of an idea began taking shape. But 2016 was a rough year for many reasons, and it took me two full years before I was ready to put pen to paper . . . to give life to that little story that had taken root. I officially started writing Chasing Stardust in 2018, and not even a personal battle with cancer could stop my momentum. Then, not long after I finished the book, a global pandemic shut down the world.

But out of the ashes comes hope . . . and hope never dies if you have a spark to keep it alive.

Chasing Stardust has been a labor of love—a literary love letter to David Bowie. A story not as much about him but rather inspired by him and set to the soundtrack of his music. And I’m so thrilled to finally share this story with the world.

First and foremost, I need to thank my wonderful agent, Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong, and my fantastic editor Nancy Holmes. To Cathie, for believing in me and this novel when I’d almost given up hope. And to Nancy, for loving Chasing Stardust almost as much as I do. From the deepest depths of my soul, thank you both!

To the rest of the team at Lake Union Publishing—you’re all so amazing, I don’t even have words. To Jarrod Taylor for creating a cover worthy of rock gods and legends . . . I can’t even imagine a more perfect cover for this book! To the extraordinary editing team—Faith Black Ross, Sarah Engel, Sarah Vostok, and Ashley Little—thank you a million times over for polishing my book into the gem it is today! And to Emma Reh and everyone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make Chasing Stardust a reality. Thanking you will never be enough, but I’ll start there anyway.

And thank you to my crew of critique partners and beta readers, who pored over this manuscript almost as many times as I did. Specifically Karissa Laurel, my all-time ride-or-die writer bestie; Casey Dembowski, who doesn’t always get my humor but never fails to offer excellent advice; Rashida T. Williams and Deborah L. King, two fantastic authors in their own right who always hold my feet to the fire and make sure I don’t phone in those tough scenes; and my cousin Louise Flynn, who reads literally everything I write and isn’t afraid to tell me when something isn’t working. To them and the many others who offered insight and guidance on getting this book just right . . . I literally wouldn’t have made it this far without you!

Special thanks to my family for their continued love and support. Some may not read my books because they find the idea cringey, but they still shout my praises from the rooftops. I love you guys! And an extra special thank-you to my poor husband for (sort of) understanding when I listen to the same song on a loop while I work through a scene, playing it for hours on end, almost as if an 8-track got stuck in the player.

And to all the readers who have been with me from the beginning—from that little blog that could—thank you from the bottom of my heart. You’re the force that drives me to keep going. I hope you love this book as much as I do!