Acknowledgments

Over the last few years, I’ve watched the development of the Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival and Workshop, in the village I call home, as concertgoer, student’s wife, auction contributor, and friend to the organizers, students, and teachers. Although the festival created on these pages is much different, I’ve drawn on my own experiences and observations of “the Crown.” Thanks to David and Judy Feffer, Diane Kautzman, guitarist Doug Smith, Doug Averill, and many others for their stories—and for their contributions to our community. Special thanks to Donna Lawson for buying a character name at a fundraiser—you’re the perfect cozy character!

And in a case of life imitating art, I must say that I wrote this book before learning that the Crown planned to bring Gypsy jazz to our fair village.

As always, thanks to Derek Vandeberg, who gets a new name on these pages, at Frame of Reference; Marlys Anderson-Hisaw and crew at Roma’s Gourmet Kitchen Store; and Cathi Spence of Think Local, for putting the books in the hands of local readers and sharing stories of retail life.

Readers who cook will be as grateful as I am to Lita Artis for her red chile sauce, aka Ray’s enchilada sauce. Grazie to Brian Mahoney, bartender at the Marina Cay in Bigfork, for his champagne cocktail recipe, a drink to die for.

Our buddy Dave Snyder christened the closing event, and my friend Brin Jackson chose Erin’s new accessory. Mark Langlois once again lent me his bar.

Thanks to Paige Wheeler of Creative Media Agency, Inc., who found the villagers and me a new home at Midnight Ink, where Terri Bischoff, Nicole Nugent, Katie Mickschl, and the crew welcomed us. Thank you all. I am deeply grateful to Ramona DeFelice Long, whose sharp insights made this book stronger.

And as always, thanks to my husband, Don Beans, for testing recipes, blocking out fight scenes, and enduring other challenges of the writer’s life.