The More Usual Acknowledgments

First of all, I want to thank you, my readers and friends (and Roger’s hockey buds), for your patience. When all this started, none of us—especially me—expected A Turn of Light would take almost four times as long to write as any of my previous books. I thought I’d need an extra few months, fantasy being something new, but years? Suffice to say I’m extremely grateful for the understanding of those of you who knew I was still alive (there was mail) and even more how those who really really REALLY wanted me to write Esen or Sira next instead (there was, as I mentioned, mail) supported my choice. You all deserve house toads.

Among those who had to be exceptionally patient? David “Digger” James, who won the bid at a charity auction to give names to an entire family in Marrowdell an embarrassingly long time ago. Thank you, David! When he gave me his name and that of four women, I knew the result would be interesting. And it was. Meet the Treff household: “Davi” (David Trefor James), “Lorra” (Lorraine Vivian James), “Wen” (Gwen Veronica James), “Cynd” (Cindy Hodge), and “Frann” (Fran Quesnel). I’m honored to include your names in my story and hope you love the characters who bear them as much as I do. (And don’t mind the strange bits I made up.)

There are three other names in Marrowdell from the real world. “Alyssa” was Alyssa Donovan’s birthday present via another auction. How fun is that? Happy belated birthday! “Palma Anan” was in celebration of our dear friend Shannan Palma’s doctorate. Finally, I owe “Hettie” and her smile to the incomparable Henri Reed of New Zealand. (Made you blush, didn’t I?)

Spending so long, and so much of myself, on one project meant I relied more than usual on my friends, in person and online. Anne Bishop, thank you for all those postal cheer-ups. Kristen Britain and Janny Wurts, thanks for believing I could do that fantasy epic stuff. To the awesome John Howe and incredible Ed Greenwood, thank you for making me cry for the best of reasons. Jana, Ruth, Jihane, Janet, and Chris? Fun ride, wasn’t it? I hope you enjoy the result. Kristine Smith, I owe you more than you`ll ever know. Thanks for sharing the dark as well as the light. Onward, in truth!

As for the rest? To thank you here is impossible. Instead, let me say this, to each and every one, with hugs to follow. YOU ROCK!

When it came to waiting for Turn, the one person I worried most about was the one person who knew exactly how long it would take, my editor-dear, Sheila Gilbert. Sheila, being both wise and kind, never burst my endless “oh, I’ll be finished soon” bubbles. Instead, she encouraged me along my wild and wacky genre-shift, surer than I something good would come of it. Such trust. Nothing could have meant more. Thank you, Sheila, for letting me indulge in whimsy. For making toad jokes. For believing in me when I couldn’t. I wouldn’t have dared this leap without you.

I would like to thank Matt Stawicki for his beautiful cover art, Kenneth May for saying such nice things about my first-ever map, and G-Force Design, Dora Mak, Paula Greenberg, and Jackson Typesetting for the incredible quality of this book. Josh, you’re my hero. Marsha Jones? You might be free of questions about contracts and e-pirates, but not of me. Thank you for your help, friendship, and your kindness to my Poppa.

Speaking of family . . .

Thank you, Scott, for your help developing the Ansnan culture and names. And for making us so proud and happy, always. Thank you, Steph, for your encouragement all along. We’re proud of you too. Poppa, thank you for listening to, well, everything.

Roger? Whenever I looked too far ahead and doubted, because every so often I did, you’d cue Wisp’s theme on the big speakers, pour me a glass of my favorite wine, and say: “You’re having fun writing this. Nothing else matters.” For that, even more than your wonderful photographs that brought Marrowdell to life for me and for cheerfully missing holidays and doing extra so I could keep writing, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Always.

This book started with someone. It’s fitting it end with that person too. A few years ago our daughter, Jennifer Lynn, told me she’d enjoy having her name used for a character in one of my books. I said I would, but only if she read “her” story before anyone else. What began as a private mother/daughter notion grew to a true collaboration. Jennifer read every scene, most of them multiple times. She gave me feedback on plot, character, and pacing. (For Xmas, she gave me the stupendous house toad you see in my photo.) We consulted on cover sketches and copy, on every detail imaginable. When Jennifer reached the final page of A Turn of Light while sitting in an outdoor café in Thailand, she stopped a rather mystified pair of tourists to take her picture as she read. Why? To send to me, then and there, so I could share the moment.

Jennifer? It’s been a privilege sharing it all. There was always to be a happy ending. Because of you, every word of this story has been filled with joy.

However Far We Are Apart,

Keep Us Close.