A book has an author’s name on the front. But the creation of a story is always a complex partnership between so many people. With this novel, that was even more true.
Great thanks to an amazing group of beta readers in Florida, Arkansas and places across Canada, for their time, efforts, energy and feedback, which helped shape this book. Thank you, Helen Kubiw, Maddie and Kristen Badger, Luke, Coco and Melanie Mulcaster, Kyla Ross-Day, Fiona Ross, Luke and Stephen Hurley, Kim Moss, Sharon Freeman, Elly Daniels and, of course, Anita Walters. This book is better because of you.
This book, more than any other I’ve ever been involved with, was a full team effort from the wonderful Orca “pod." I want to acknowledge and thank designers Rachel Page and Ella Collier; Susan Adamson and Mark Grill in the production department; Leslie Bootle and her marketing team—Olivia Gutjahr, Kabriya Coghlan, Kennedy Cullen and Michelle Simms van Orden; as well as Naomi Lee, Margaret Bryant and Vivian Sinclair. Special thanks to Tanya Trafford for her input and energy. And finally, Andrew Wooldridge and Ruth Linka, for immediately understanding, accepting and embracing this idea.
I hope this book will entertain, inform, and provide inspiration as we move forward. The future may be unknown, but it is guaranteed.