In the time of Austen, Fielding, and Dickens, authors invariably worked alone, isolated until the sunlight of publication. Today this is no longer the case. Authors work with a team of unseen but hugely talented people to turn their ideas into the reality of a book.
Without Harold Finger and his eagle-eyed wife, Rebecca, there would have been no Heritage Trilogy. Their support, contacts, and advice in every facet of the work’s creation has brought it to life. It was Harold who instigated this project, and to him go special thanks. And to my coauthor, Mike Jones, whose innate understanding of plotting, structure, and characters is extraordinary, my admiration and gratitude.
My wife, Eva, and my son, Raffe, were instrumental in helping me edit this work, and to them go my deepest gratitude.
My most sincere appreciation and admiration go to the team at Simon & Schuster in Australia and the USA. Lou Johnson, managing director of Simon & Schuster in Australia, has an incisive understanding of how books today have had to change to meet the challenges of a digital world, and her brilliance puts her head and shoulders above the rest. Larissa Edwards, head of publishing, is the bedrock of its publication, the ideal colleague in such an enterprise, tough but always understanding; Roberta Ivers brought a wonderfully perceptive and critical eye to this manuscript and her advice and suggestions were invaluable, as were those of Jo Butler and Jo Jarrah. No book will be a success unless marketed and sold professionally, and there is no more professional group in the Australian book industry than the wonderful Anabel Pandiella, Greg Tilney, and Kate Cubitt and her remarkable team. In America, my thanks go to the president and publisher of the Atria imprint of Simon & Schuster, Judith Curr, and my editor, Daniel Loedel.
And to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob goes my reverence, because without them, where would I (or Western civilization) be? The world’s three great Abrahamic religions have an intimate, if strained, alliance in Israel. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—father, son, and grandson—live there in the closest proximity; yet, tragically, at times they could not be further apart. From this benighted land has sprung the most profound philosophies, literature, and poetry; yet for thousands of years its peoples have been torn apart by hatred, jealousy, and violence.
So will there ever be peace among these three faiths? God knows!
Alan Gold
A book is no easy thing to write. It’s a titanic wrestle of words and endurance. And it’s not an endeavor one can face on his own. To that end there are many to thank.
First and foremost, to my collaborator, Alan Gold, whose energy and enthusiasm know no bounds. Thank you for having me along for the ride. Thanks also to our producer, Harold Finger, who saw the vision and wanted to back it.
We could not have wished for a more engaged, insightful, or forward-thinking publisher than Simon & Schuster Australia. Endless thanks go to Lou Johnson, Larissa Edwards, Roberta Ivers, Anabel Pandiella, Greg Tilney, Kate Cubitt, and all the S&S team.
Of course, the greatest thanks of all go to my family for putting up with me, loving me, and catching me when I fall.
Mike Jones