Thank you to my fabulous publisher, Jo Mackay, for bringing another of my stories to readers, and thank you to senior editor Annabel Blay, for making me smile and keeping me on track. To editor Kylie Mason, thank you very much (italics for emphasis) for teaching me something new every time I have the privilege of working with you, and for your insightful suggestions. To the sales, marketing, cover design and publicity teams at HQ/HarperCollins (particularly Josephine Bryant and Sarana Behan, who I’ve been lucky enough to work with this year), many thanks for ensuring readers find out about my books.
A very grateful thank you to Dr Dominique Van Der Saag for her assistance with veterinary matters. I’ve known Dominique from childhood, where her love, enthusiasm and concern for animals was an intrinsic part of her character. As an adult, the scientific commitment and rigour Dominique has applied to the care and treatment of animals is nothing short of inspirational. Her advice regarding animal welfare, and insights into the practical aspects of the treatment and pain management of livestock, was invaluable. Thank you also to writer and friend Sueanne Gregg—and to knowledgeable (and handsome!) cattle farmers Nigel and Brian—for setting me straight on farming issues. I was particularly grateful for your input regarding the fertility of bulls! Any inaccuracies regarding livestock, animal treatment and farming are mine alone—and creative licence.
Thank you to doctors Margaret Janu and Norman Janu for making medical sense of my characters’ ailments. Your expertise and willingness to find ways to ‘make things work’ is gratefully appreciated, as is your generosity and good humour in finding solutions. Thank you to physiotherapist Terri Green for your advice on rotator cuff injuries, and apologies to my husband Peter whose injury I drew on in the first place. Any medical inaccuracies are mine alone, and creative license.
This novel, like all my books, involved a considerable amount of research. Animal welfare is something many of us are concerned about, and having an appreciation for how livestock is raised allows us to—through the choices we make as consumers, and through lobbying government and livestock organisations—take an active role in improving the lives of production animals. Thank you to the many people who provided differing perspectives on these issues.
Some stories take off at a different tangent than a writer expects, and this was one of those stories. Blake’s backstory—his life on his grandfather’s farm in Scotland—became startlingly clear when he sat next to Prim in the chill of an autumn night. I’ve been inspired by the beauty and harshness of the Scottish landscape for many years—never more so than when hiking 200 km through the highlands in 2022. Thank you to walking companion Peter (who is forced to nod encouragingly for hours at a time as I iron out plot points) for tramping up yet another Roman road and scampering down yet another rocky outcrop to find the perfect characters, livestock and landscape to inspire Blake’s story.
To my fabulous writing group, The Inkwell, comprising Pamela Cook, Terri Green, Laura Boon, Michelle Barraclough, Joanna Nell, Rae Cairns and Angella Whitton, thank you for your unwavering support. Your writing advice is always spot on: ‘How do I write a book about pain?’ Just write it. Your patience is startling: ‘I don’t know how to finish this book.’ You always say that. And your humour is top notch: ‘Is the sexual tension working?’ Have you seen the latest scientific research on blue balls? You’re all brilliant and inspirational writers, and I’m so fortunate to have each of you in my life. Pamela, you’ll forever be my P2P gal. Jo, thank you so much for your generous cover quote.
Thank you to my children, Philippa, Tamsin, Ben, Michaela, Gabriella and Max, and to my other children, Scott, Lex and Lucy, and my grandchildren Harrison, Darcy and Matilda, and Gilbert and Wesley. You continually give me joy. Special thanks to Harry and Darcy for not only naming Prim’s scallywag goats, but for telling me what they looked like and making them so naughty!
Last but never least, thank you to the readers who enjoy my stories and ask me to write more. I’m on to that right now!