Special thanks go out to the wonderful people who helped bring this story to fruition: Radclyffe and Sandy Lowe; Shelley Thrasher, an amazing editor and even more amazing woman; Carryl Cole, for her constant love, endless patience, and her very fine instincts for story-driven plots; friend and fellow author, Kelly Wacker, who has an uncanny knack for telling me what I think; Connie Ward, whose friendship, support, and insightful suggestions made a difference; Michelle Lisper, my sharp-eyed, sharp-eared coach; Judy Portnoy for reading and listening; Sallyanne Monti for sending out her “energetic integrity” and keeping the universe in balance; my dear friend and colleague, Donna Ramirez, LCSW, for those late night musings on narcissism and family annihilators; and another fine colleague, Michelle Axelson of Provincetown’s Womencrafts, for reviewing the clinical content of this manuscript.
Also, I want to thank my awesome pack of dogs for staying by my side and reminding me (every half hour) that it’s time to stop writing and go play in the woods: KC, Black Jack, Kylie, Zoe, Hazel, and my little red Chile Pepper, who made her literary debut in The Feeding, and who is one of the finest and most intuitive dogs I have ever known. I love you guys to pieces.