TO SAY THE PROCESS of writing these books has become like that of a well-oiled machine by now might be an overstatement, but efficiency and smoothness seem to increase with each volume. That’s been doubly true for the book you hold in your hands, and that’s in large part due to a very fine cadre of folks who continue to help me through the work.
Rachel, I could never thank you enough, but I’ll keep thanking you every time anyway in the hopes that I one day might come close. You believe in me, you encourage me, and I’m pretty sure sometimes you just tolerate me, and I’m grateful for it all. Your love, support, and counsel make these books possible. They also help me be a relatively sane writer and person, which is nice. (Also, I’m sorry about what happens in this book. Um… I’ll make it up to you?)
To my little ones, Buffy and Arya: You teach me every day about an infinite facet of love that I never knew existed. You inspire me. I thank God and the Universe and every power out there that could possibly listen every day for the two of you. I’m so grateful to be your father. Also, thank you for getting me into MLP.
Speaking of my littles, we have a huge list of folks who help take care of them, which means I actually have time to write these books, so a huge THANK YOU to you all. Maren, you get a specific shout-out this time around. You are awesome, we love you, and B loves you, so thank you so much for taking care of her! (She still wants to do a hot-chocolate date with you, by the way, so let’s make that happen.)
Thanks to Dave Butler for hosting the best writing retreat this side of the Laniakea Supercluster (I hear Ophiuchus has some pretty good ones, though), and touring around the country with me like a rockstar. Edward M. Kovel will forever live in our hearts.
Thanks to Accidental Erotica for being the best writing group ever—and Janci Patterson for her freakish brilliance and offering amazing feedback on this book.
A HUGE thank you to my editor, Sam Matthews, for helping me make this book the absolute best it could be— and thank you to the whole team at Titan Books, particularly Hayley, Craig, and Joanna, for making every aspect of the Chaos Queen Quintet so awesome.
Sam Morgan, my agent, is the best agent. If he isn’t your agent, I am sorry for you, because he’s amazing. Sam, imagine the rest of this note as an artfully drawn T-Rex thanking you on my behalf. Seriously, thank you.
Lastly, thank you to Chris Welton for letting me talk his ear off for hours at a time about the seed ideas that became some of the most dramatic points of this novel (and this entire series) while walking around Brindisi, Italy, about thirteen years ago. 10/10, would recommend. I love you, old man.