Christina Farley - Gilded

hanbok—traditional Korean dress

hanji lantern—rice paper lantern

haraboji—grandfather

hotteok—brown sugar pancake

Hwarang warriors—an elite group of Silla male youth trained in the arts, culture, and combat

japchae—Korean dish made from sweet potatoes, noodles, and vegetables

kaja—go

kalbi—grilled beef or pork

kamsahamnida—Thank you

kim—edible seaweed

kimbap—Korean dish of steamed white rice and other ingredients rolled in sheets of dried seaweed and served in bite-sized slices

kimchi—spicy pickled cabbage; the national dish of Korea.

Koguryo kingdom—an ancient Korean kingdom located in the present-day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula

komo—aunt on the father’s side

Kud—god of darkness

kumiho—fox-tailed female shape-shifter

Kyung ye—to bow

michutda—crazy

mwuh—What?

nae—yes

net—number four

ondol—underfloor heating system

oppa—father

Oryonggeo—Haemosu’s chariot, drawn by five dragons

pagoda—temple or sacred building, typically a many-tiered tower

Palk—sun god and founder of the realm of light

poomsaes—forms; formal exercises in Tae Kwon Do

Princess Yuhwa—demigoddess of the willow trees

Samguk Yusa —collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea

samjoko—three-legged crow; symbol of power and the sun

samulnori—music performed with four traditional Korean musical instruments: a small gong, a larger gong, an hourglass-shaped drum, and a barrel drum

Saranghae—I love you

Seijak—begin

set—number three

soju—Korean vodka distilled from rice or sweet potatoes

Tiger of Shinshi—protector of the Golden Thread that ties and binds the Korean people throughout time

tteok—Korean rice cake

tul—number two

waygookin—foreigner

won—the basic monetary unit of North Korea and South Korea

yo—Korean mattress that easily rolls up

First and foremost, I am thankful to my Heavenly Father. Without you, I have no words.

I am indebted to the people of Korea for opening your hearts and letting me live in your land for nearly a decade. While there, I not only learned your culture, but came to love the Land of the Morning Calm.

I cannot forget all the students I have taught over the years, especially my students at Seoul Foreign School who are now spread over the four corners of the earth. In so many ways this is your story. To my padawans at Keene’s Crossing Elementary: may the force be with you.

To my Tae Kwon Do instructor, Master Kim of Seoul, South Korea, for your expertise in Tae Kwon Do. I know it wasn’t easy to train this dancer to throw a mean punch.

Thank you, Dad, for reading Tolkien and C. S. Lewis at my bedside each night as a child. You taught me the love and power of the written word. To Mom, for listening as I shared my hardships of this writing journey yet never doubting my abilities. Thanks, David, for brainstorming crazy ideas with me and seeing them through the eye of a movie expert.

Every writer needs a muse to sneak through castles and get lost in Paris with. I couldn’t have sent this book out into the world without mine, Julianne Vangelakos. When’s our next inspirational trip?

A special shout-out to Lee Ellen Strawn for her expertise in Korean history and Jean Wood for answering my bizarre texts about Korean words. Any mistakes are completely mine. And to Larissa Hardesty and Tara Gallina for writerly lunches, last-minute reads, and get-togethers. A necessity for a writer’s survival.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my black belt of an agent, Jeff Ourvan, who outwitted those secret agents in Vladivostok and secured a home for Gilded after “sailing solo across the Atlantic, swimming the English Channel, being taken captive by terrorists, and barely escaping with his life.” Jeff, you rock.

Thanks to my editor, Miriam Juskowicz, for falling in love with Jae’s story from the very beginning and becoming its champion. From your first e-mail, I knew you were the perfect editor for me, and after chatting over Starbucks coffee and sharing our love for books, I knew Gilded was in good hands.

I cannot forget to thank Timoney Korbar for all of her marketing efforts, to Katrina Damkoehler for developing the cover for my little book, and Deborah Bass for all her endeavors in public relations to make Gilded a success. To Andrea Curley, my genius of a copyeditor, and Natalie Mortensen, my proofreader, for spotting all those details. I’m also so honored to have Chanwoo Park, head of the English translation program for Literature Translation Institute of Korea, read for Korean inconsistencies.

I firmly believe that behind every good writer are brilliant critique partners. I’m a lucky, lucky girl to have worked with these Brilliant Ones. A million hugs to Beth Revis, for reading multiple drafts and tirelessly believing in Gilded when I wanted to give up. Gilded wouldn’t be on the shelves if it wasn’t for you. Someday we’re going to watch Scooby Doo, eat ice cream, and laugh our heads off. To Casey McCormick for those weekly check-ins and complete honesty through each draft. I am eternally thankful to Ellen Oh for your insights (especially in all things Korean) and unwavering support. To the MiGs, who have a multitude of superpowers and are always an e-mail away: Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Andrea Mack, Kate Fall, Carmella VanVleet, and Susan Laidlaw.

How can I not thank my two Jedi knights, Caleb and Luke, for listening to me read scenes and guarding my plot secrets? I love you to the farthest star and back.

Finally, to the love of my life, Doug Farley. For believing and loving me no matter what. You make all my dreams come true.

Photo © Liga Photography

CHRISTINA FARLEY was born and raised in upstate New York. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. She taught at international schools in Asia for ten years, eight of which were in the mysterious and beautiful city of Seoul, Korea that became the setting of Gilded . Currently she lives in Clermont, Florida, with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown. Gilded is her first novel.