I want to express my real appreciation for all the people whose support took me through the process of this book. It really does take a village!
Many thanks go to my amazing team at Beyond Words Publishing: Richard Cohn, president and publisher, and his lovely wife, Michele, creative director; Lindsay Easterbrooks-Brown, managing editor, who wisely guided me through more revisions than we want to count; Sarah Heilman, developmental editor, whose editorial input was inspirational; Emmalisa Sparrow Wood, production editor, who beautifully tied the whole thing together; and Jackie Hooper, publicist extraordinaire.
Major thanks go to Hannah Hartley, my BFF, marketing genius, tech wizard, talented musician, and all-around totally amazing gal. She has been in and out of my life and it’s just not as much fun when she’s not part of it.
Big thanks to Parvati Markus for her editorial input and her friendship. I spent over nine months flat on my back with multiple compound fractures of both my leg and arm, and she became my fingers on the keyboard. What a friend! Also super helpful during all the time it took me to get back on my feet was Rita Ribas, part of my support team at home.
I appreciate enormously the efforts of my team and friends at the Deborah King Center. First is Denah Butts, project manager, we couldn’t function without her. And no way could we continue to help so many people without my neighbor Tiffany Woodring’s magic behind the scenes; what a loyal friend she is. Kathleen Tampoya is another major key to the smooth running of things. And a special thanks to Jan Stake, our accountant, who for more years that I can count has kept everything straight. And I want to mention my dear friend Marilyn Warren for all she has done over the years for me and for the Deborah King Center; she has been here since the very beginning and is now retired.
Last, but never least, is my husband, Eric, who is always at my side. He cheerfully handled the night shifts for nine months of my rehab, and it was only then that I discovered, among his many other accomplishments, that he’s a great cook!