Having lived with Anne de Bohun and Edward Plantagenet in my head for quite a few years, I would dearly like to thank all the kind friends who have helped me so much as I’ve written their story in The Innocent, The Exiled, and now, the last book in the trilogy, The Uncrowned Queen.
Judith Curr, executive vice-president and publisher of Atria books, and Jon Attenborough, publisher and managing director of Simon & Schuster, Australia. You have both believed in these books from the beginning. Thank you for your patience, interest, and un-tiring support. I hope the trilogy repays your trust. It has been a privilege and a great pleasure getting to know you both.
Carolyn Caughey, Hodder and Stoughton, London. Many thanks to you, Lucy Hale, and everyone at Hodder also, for your enthusiasm about the Anne trilogy. It’s a real thrill that these books are being published in the United Kingdom. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the champagne and the lunches “around the corner.”
To Nicola O’Shea, Australian editor of The Uncrowned Queen; Kim Swivel, Australian editor of The Innocent and The Exiled, and to Suzanne O’Neill, U.S. editor of all three books. I’ve so appreciated working with each one of you. You can have no idea how encouraging it is to have such kind, experienced, and professional people to learn from and work with. It makes my job so much easier. Thanks, too, to Jody Lee and Clare Wallace, who were at Simon & Schuster, Australia, when it all began.
Many thanks also to Julia Collingwood, managing editor; Camilla Dorsch, marketing manager; and Glenda Downing, senior editor, again at Simon & Schuster, Australia. You must constantly be driven mad by distracted authors who just can’t resist meddling with the work of experts. Thank you all so much for humoring me and holding my hand when I got anxious (which has been often!).
To Susan and Phaedon Vass. Three books later and I still owe you the most enormous debt for introducing my first book to Judith. I’m blessed to have such lovely friends.
Another friend, and important influence in my early life, is Emeritus Professor Ralph Elliott, AM, world-renowned expert on medieval literature and the kind of teacher that every callow student should meet just once in their lives. Dear Ralph, your brilliant lectures helped me fall in love with medieval England—and sometimes it feels as if I’ve never left!
Carol Gerrard, Julie Redlich, and the Richard III Society of Australia. I’m enormously grateful for your encouragement and your interest in these books. Your hero is the brother of mine—so we’re sisters under the skin. Carol, many thanks, particularly, for agreeing to read The Exiled and The Uncrowned Queen and for giving me the benefit of your expert knowledge and opinion.
Debbie McInnes (Australia), Angela Stamnes and Justin Loeber (New York), and Lucy Hale (London). The oxygen for books is publicity. Thanks so much for all the work you have done to encourage coverage of my work. I’m very grateful.
To that most cheerful and witty equestrienne (and agent)—Rachel Skinner. You’ve stuck with this trilogy for years and years and years and I’m just so thankful for your support and friendship.
Finally, I’d like to thank some very important people in my life. My mother, the novelist Eleanor Graeme-Evans; my children, Emma MacKellar, Emma Blaxland, and Julian Blaxland, and Hayden MacKellar, our dear son-in-law (and Emma and Hayden’s sons, Rohan and Toby). You must all feel that these books have been going on forever and ever in our joint lives. I hope you enjoy reading The Uncrowned Queen.
And Andrew Blaxland. Dear friend, husband, and creative partner in all senses and all enterprises. Thank you, in particular, for putting up with my distracted state when I’m writing. I’m very much afraid there’s more to come!
My love to you all.