This book would have never been possible without the many characters that live and work in the Town of Vienna, Virginia. Don’t be fooled by all the Eddie Bauer and LL Bean-gear. Under the yuppie-wear resides much delightful weirdness. Thank you for making this outsider feel like a native.
Thank you to the Vienna Police Department, particularly to MPO Juan Vazquez, for answering all of my questions and for being a beacon of positivity. Thank you to our mayor, Laurie DiRocco for your enthusiasm and support as well. Your efforts-and that of the Town Council- help make Vienna an enviable place to live.
A special acknowledgement needs to go out to the Bards Alley staff, past and present. Thank you for being the inspiration for this series, especially to Pauline Murphy, Lynne Kohls, Sarah Katz, Cory Hill, Melanie Kosar, Leah Grover, Amy Lane, Will Ryan, and Jen Morrow.
Thank you to Christ Church Vienna for your love, support, and answering all my questions regarding the Anglican church.
As always, thank you to my literary agent, Jill Marsal, who helped me brainstorm the idea for this book years ago-who heard my pitch for a small-town Southern mystery series with a feminist heroine, a dog named after Ruth Bader Ginsberg and a superfluity of nuns and thought ‘well, it’s a lot on the page, but somehow, it works’.
Thank you to Faith Black Ross, my editor at Crooked Lane, for your candor, humor and lightning-fast turnaround. Every author has a dream editor in mind and you are that wish actualized.
Thank you to the editorial and marketing team at Crooked Lane: Matt Martz, Ashley Di Dio, Melissa Rechter, and Jenny Chen. You are tireless champions-and I sincerely appreciate every one of you.
Thank you to my fellow cozy mystery authors, whom have made me feel truly welcome, especially those at Crooked Lane.
A most grateful thank you to Misty Simon, Queen of the Cozy. If it wasn’t for your friendship, encouragement and late-night phone calls, I wouldn’t have had the nerve to enter the cozy mystery genre. I adore you beyond reason.
And lastly, but never least, to my family: David, Hunter, and Samara. You are my roots and wings and are proof of God’s love for me.