They say that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, the book that you hold in your hands is the result of the efforts of such a village—my friends and family. There were so many moving parts in it beyond just my fingers on a keyboard that I hardly even know where to start.
When in doubt, though, I always thank the strongest woman I know. Thank you, Mom. Without your love for me, as well as for C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, I never would have developed into the fantasy writer and the man that I am today. I owe you everything, and then some.
Thank you, Dad, for your unwavering support and your words of wisdom, and for never letting me quit; Matt, for being my sounding board, my voice of reason, and the best friend a guy could ask for; Sara, for your love and encouragement, and for reminding me that nothing worth having ever comes easy.
To all my beta readers: Damon Heard, Jack Pryor, Chantel Green, Willem VanZeben, Tom LaMantia, Chris Tatalone, Stephanie Marwan, Amanda Mackey, Lauren Walker, Pat Flaherty, Jessica Santacrose, Jen Thurman, Jenny Boyle, Liz Yokum, Ricardo Presas, Nathan Muller, Dale Myers, and Shawn Olphin. This book would not be where it is without your selfless help.
To every single person that ever said anything good about Gift of the Shaper, you keep me going. Let me say that again, with emphasis: you keep me going. Thank you for your belief in me and for your support of me, by which I am constantly humbled and moved. I love writing, but nothing prepared me for how much I would enjoy other people loving my writing.
To my editor, Earl, who did such an amazing job with the first book that I had to have him on board with the second. To my publicist, Susan Schwartzman, who saw the story in a combat veteran-turned-author and knew that the world needed to hear it. To Dan at Indigo River, who gave me the chance to become a published author—a chance that I will never forget.
Thank you, one and all, you incredible village.