ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I started writing the Mailboat Suspense Series, I’ve pictured snapshots of Bailey’s life before she became a Lake Geneva mail jumper. Recently, I was inspired to capture one of those snapshots as a story (this one). In addition to exploring Bailey and Monica’s lives, I was eager to reveal more of Tommy the way he was before the events of the main series took place. From Book One on, events unravel so quickly that I felt the reader never got a chance to see the relationship Bailey and Tommy had early on. I hope any curiosities have now been satisfied. As for Ryan… he’s still a sergeant in Minneapolis, breaking womens’ hearts and getting his tires slashed.

Even this short book wouldn’t have been possible without the help of many friends. My thanks, as always, to the Lake Geneva Cruise Line (https://www.cruiselakegeneva.com/), operators of the real-life Lake Geneva Mailboat. Thank you for the inspiration. Gratitude specifically to General Managers Harold Friestad (ret.) and Jack Lothian, to the Mailboat Captain Neill Frame, and to Office Manager Ellen Burling.

I’m forever grateful to my expert advisers and the time they freely give to help me write better, more accurate stories. Lieutenant Edward Gritzner, Sergeant Jason Hall, and Telecommunicator Rita Moore of the Lake Geneva Police Department, thank you for explaining how an internal investigation would be handled, sharing tales of the old days when your dads and granddads were policing, and divulging that delicious detail about the “haunted doors” to the maintenance room. (Priceless.) Sam Petitto (retired police officer), thanks for your long emails brimming with information on crime databases and other topics that would bore most readers (but not me). David Congdon (Threat Assessment and Countermeasures Specialist), I can’t express how much I appreciate our conversations on psychology and why on earth my characters do what they do.

To my long-time brainstorming partner, Carrie Lynn Lewis, thanks for helping me get unstuck on a particularly tricky detail. To my writer’s club, We Write Good, thanks for being the first eyes on my manuscript and saving me from embarrassing myself with words I must have written while sleeping.

My dedicated and hard-working Early Reader Team read this book prior to publication and provided their comments, critiques, and corrections: Susan Beatty, Stephanie Brancati, Kathy Collins, David Congdon, Brenda Dahlfors, Beth Dancy, Loranda Daniels Buoy, Nancy Diestler, Lynda Fergus, Pat Gerber, Lt. Edward Gritzner, Sgt. Jason Hall, Lynn Hirshman, Michelle Love, Steven Maresso, Lisa McCann, Elaine Montgomery, T/C Rita Moore, Rebecca Paciorek, Linda Pautz, Sam Petitto (ret. police officer), Sanda Putnam, JoAnn Schutte, Kathy Skorstad, Judy Tucker, Kimberly Wade, Carol D. Westover, and Mary-Jane Woodward. Many thanks for your sharp eyes!

Thanks to Matt Mason Photography (www.MattMasonPhotography.com) for the photo of the Mailboat that became the front cover, W. J. Goes for escorting my photography crew around the lake in his Boston whaler, and Maryna Zhukova of MaryDes (www.MaryDes.eu) for the cover design. Maryna, I’m happy this one was your favorite. All your covers are my favorite.

Rebecca Paciorek, Susan Beatty, and JoAnn Schwartz Schutte of Blue Dot Marketing (http://rpaciorek8.wixsite.com/bluedotdigitalmkt), you are the best promotions team an author could ask for.

A big thanks to my readers for supporting my writing habit. When I put up the pre-order for this book—with no cover art and no book description—you stepped right up and asked for your copies. Thank you for believing in me that much. I am grateful and deeply respect the fact that you trust your leisure hours to me.

Finally, thanks to Fergus my black cat for hogging half the pillow every night (and purring in my ear). Thanks to my German Shepherd Angel for finally outgrowing the puppy phase. Actually, I love you. You are such a good girl. And thanks to my boyfriend Charles William Maclay for holding me up when I’m tired, holding my hand on our walks, and holding my heart for always.