Acknowledgments

 

 

Although writing is a solitary activity by nature, publishing is not, and there are plenty of people without whose help I could not have released this book.

 

Michael Anderle, Craig Martelle, and the admins from the Facebook group 20BooksTo50k, along with the other members of the group, provided valuable insight into various aspects of the indie publishing game, and they did so without the usual “you must do it THIS way” that all too often accompanies such advice.

 

Several beta readers provided indispensable feedback on my first draft. This story would be nowhere near as tight as it is now without their input, and I was saved from many an embarrassing contradiction, plot hole, and downright error of facts. My thanks go out to the following (in no particular order): Sean Milligan, Angela Crane, Curt Kliewer, Manie Kilian, Jan Gheen, Ian L., J. R. Deatherage, Terry Compton, as well as many others who chose to remain anonymous.

 

My editor Zoe, despite claiming that my writing is uncommonly clean, still managed to find plenty of errors that no one else could. A big thank you for the quick and thorough work, and the invaluable lesson on the proper use of hyphens!

 

Karri Klawiter turned my incoherent ramblings into a beautiful and eye-catching cover—certainly the best that has ever been submitted for one of my books. She is also making a new cover for The Defender of Rebel Falls so the series looks visually coherent.

 

Lastly, and most importantly, my spousal unit Diana has advised and encouraged me from start to finish. A published academic, she’s no stranger to the anguish an author often faces when deciding on a title, or working through a narrative, or designing a book description. Diana has helped with every one of those decisions, often turning me away from a tempting but incorrect choice. More than that, she’s been the very best friend a guy could have.