ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are so many wonderful people who aided me on my writing journey, but I know exactly where to begin:

To my husband Linley and my five precious children, Marianne, Josh, Allison, MattA and MattB, you are all such trouble and always getting so dirty and leaving such a mess for me to clean up, but you are all worth it. Sometimes I don’t know how you survived the novel-writing process in our home, having to endure so many nights of Chinese take-out and Dominoes!

To my mother, who helped me keep house and look after my family while I was writing my book. I know how impossible it is to expect little blessings to look after themselves and pigs will be flying before my husband takes charge on anything! Mom, without your help and support, I would have been lost.

To my writer’s group—my current group, and only the current group—no past groups need apply! It took me a long time to come to this group after having gone through so many others who seemed to delight in savaging the words I had taken such time to lovingly craft. My current group, you have given me nothing but love, validation and support, for which I cannot thank you enough. I could not have done this without your constant encouragement.

Thank you to my dear Internet friend Gary, who guided me through the works of H. P. Lovecraft. You did everything you could to make this story flow with his words. Making sure everything in my book worked within the mythos wasn’t easy, but it was our hope not to offend or be untrue to the spirit of Lovecraft. We worked very hard, so any readers who might take issue should bear this in mind--knee jerk reaction might tell you the fault is with me! But we did all we could, and realistically the best you could expect.

Some credit of course must go to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, who inspired so much of this dark Beauty and the Beast story (his work even got a little cameo!). Truly, a more inspiring work of art has not come along in this century.

But above all things, I must thank our Lord the Lamb, who has blessed me and my dear ones above most other people in so, so many ways. I take pity on those who have not received the same blessings that we have, and pray that all shall know his grace and light.

May the Bridge of the Lamb Fall Upon you all!