Thank you to:
PEN America and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, for awarding the 2014 Working Writer Fellowship to my elephant and her tears.
My family of the heart at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Super-Agent Rosemary Stimola, for loving Queenie Grace.
Wonder-Editors Annie Berger, Rosemary Brosnan, Jessica MacLeish, and all at HarperCollins.
The Fan Brothers—Eric and Terry—for the wonderful cover art.
The Highlights Foundation and Kent Brown.
John High, for building me the Writing Barn in which much of this book was written.
Marty Crisp, whose endless friendship in both good times and bad sustains me and my writing.
Annette Haas, my dad’s angel, who made gentle caregiving an act of great love.
My family, both biological and not, and all the grandkiddos I love.
Angelina Cortez, for helping to create the bad guy with smoke and spurs (and her little sister Arianah, who cheered us on in antagonist-writing).
Harper Blaine, who came into our lives at just the right time: a godsend from above to make us smile during the most heartbreaking of days.
Zach High, for teaching me about unconditional love, determined hope, and unrelenting faith.
Connor and Justin Oatman, for making my heart grow twenty sizes larger the day I became M’Mere.