I, WAYNE THOMAS BATSON, DO HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE that the following remarkable people invested great love, energy, sacrifice, and kindnesses in ways that I will never be able to repay. Dreamtreaders, like all my novels, couldn’t have happened without your support and presence in my life. To you, I offer these simple thanks:
Mary Lu Batson: gorgeous wife, best friend, co-dreamer, and life-mate—to you I offer the greatest human thanks. You committed your life to me, a rare thing these days, and extraordinarily precious to me. Navigating life with four teenagers, teaching, and trying to be a writer would be absolutely impossible without your fantastic support.
Daughter Kayla: your passion and initiative and dreams and drive to help others are nothing short of inspiring. Love you, K-doodle!
Son Tommy: you are a tender warrior, my son. I love the joy you find in God’s creation, everything from noticing the gold light before dusk or the smell of wood smoke on a chilly evening. You are a constant reminder to me that God’s richest blessings are never-ending.
Son Bryce: you are the quiet strength, my son. I love the way you become a student of what inspires you, learning every facet and detail, and then explode into action. You are committed to excellence. May God use you to do great things.
Daughter Rachel: upon you, God has also placed His creative touch. You are a teacher and a storyteller, a singer and songwriter. I am thankful for the bubbly life you inject into every day. You have a heart full of love to give, and I’m grateful to shepherd you . . . for a little while.
Mom & Dad Batson: I don’t know how else to thank you. You gave up 45+years of your life to directly or indirectly help me be a better son, friend, man, employee, writer, and husband. Thank you!
Mom & Dad Dovel: you gave me your daughter and much love besides. Thank you!
Leslie, Jeff, Brian, Edward, Andy, Diana, your spouses, significant others, families, and friends: thank you for creating a landscape of adventure. It is no small thing to be able to raise a sword with such as you.
Doug & Chris, Dave & Heather, Chris H. & Dawn, Dan & Tracey, Warren & Marilyn, Alex & Noelle, Alaina, Cameron & Jasmine Strauss, Bud, Candy, Angie, Danely, Lisa, and all the SotB Crew, and all friends past and present: I can’t thank you enough for the camaraderie and adventures. May there be many, many more.
Folly Quarter Dreamers: Erin, Kirsten, Julie, Regina, Barb, Sherrie, Dreia, Lindsay, Susan—you are one amazing group of teachers! Verily, to you I cry out in a loud voice: Deer!
Students Present and Past: you have no idea what precious blessings you are to me and the world. Pip-pip Cheerio!
Sir Gregg of Wooding: agent and friend. Thanks for being among the first to believe in my stories. It is an honor to know you, my friend.
Steele Filipek: well met, Sirrah! Seriously, you are an amazing editor. Thanks for chipping away the chaff so Dreamtreaderscould emerge.
Thomas Nelson / HarperCollins: you opened the door for me back in 2004. Thank you for the long and incredible ride.
Christopher Hopper: the disciples told Jesus, “We have left all to follow you. What shall we have?” The Lord replied, “Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” God is true to His word. He linked us in friendship, and I’m grateful. How many O-dark-thirty writing sessions have we shared? How many laughs? Thanks for your friendship, bro. Through airships, flatulent barrister gnomes, spiders, and much more—it has been an honor to ride together. Right™.
The fantastic staff of G.L. Shacks, Glory Days, O’Lordan’s, Rams Head, and other haunts for putting up with me writing there at all times of day . . . or night. Special thanks to Oscar’s in Eldersburg. Ralph, you are Da Man!
Thank you to Prog Metal Zone for introducing me to tons of progressive metal bands that both fuel and inspire my writing. Jeff Stevens, Proprietor/Publisher Progmetalzone, always has a great new selection of epic music, music that is the perfect accompaniment to an epic story.
ESTEEMED DREAMTREADERS 3 CELEBRANTS:
| Alex Hartsfield | Dillon Lewis | Petra Hurley |
| Brenna Alyssa Mahn | Sarah Pratt | Julia Garcia |
| Jessica Kost | Kara Swanson | Bethany Ebert |
| Noah Cutting | Melanie Reynolds | Julie Dick |
| Jake Buller | Seaneen Scott | Nathanael Rebiger |
| Michelle Audrey Black | Sullinger |
WRITING CHALLENGE WINNERS’ NAMES:
| Emily Mann | Petra Hurley | Brianna Jean Taeuber |
| Elizabeth Eiowing | Javier Luna | LoriAnn Weldon |
| Dresdow | Maria Kercher | Mikayla Warfield |
| Lissi Michelle | Clinton McDonald | Sarah Spradlin |
| Morgan Babbage | Elizabeth J. | Heather Titus |
| Davis Moore | Hornberger |
PATREON PATRONS:
| Ama Lane | Laure Hittle | Brionna Wheaton |
| Josiah Mann | Elizabeth Hornberger | Matt Toews |
| Shane Kent | Bryce Spitzer | David Larson |
| The Starr Family | Eric Guglielmo | Abigail Geiger |
| Michael Harper | Christian Humbert | Kaylin Calvert |
| Sam Jenne | Chris Harvey | Ruth Geiger |
| Christopher Abbott | Stephen Larson | |
| Christopher Hopper | Erin Primrose |
MEMBERS OF THE MASTERS BINDINGS, AKA
THE DREAMTREADER RESEARCH CADRE:
| Anthony Beasley | Lisa Romano | Tiki C. |
| Hannah Falk | Ethan Nunn |