Acknowledgements

My huge thanks and appreciation go to…

Elaine Teenan for her generous donation to The Scarlett Fund in return for me using her name in this book. I hope you like what I’ve done with “you”, Elaine.

Sharon Bairden and her colleagues at Ceartas Advocacy in Kirkintilloch for their patience in describing their work to me. Any mistakes in the depiction of this valuable work in our society are entirely mine. (Certain changes may have been made to suit the characters and the action of the story – it’s a novel, innit.)

My first readers, Mike Craven and Douglas Skelton.

The OUTSTANDING editorial team of Karen Sullivan and West Camel.

Team Orenda – you guys rock!

And finally, to all the reviewers, bloggers, booksellers, book-festival schedulers, and most importantly, readers: none of this scribbling would be worth it without you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!