Acknowledgments

While writing is a solitary endeavor (but not a lonely one, as there are so many imaginary people in my head!), I couldn’t do it without all the people who have been a part of my life, people who have influenced not only the way I think but also the way I feel and who I am today. There are bits and pieces of every one of you in my books.

Of course, there are some who exert more influence than others, and some who are an integral part of this whole process. Special mention goes to Scott, the love of my life and the man who patiently gives me the time and space to write when I know he’d rather we were doing other things; to my sisters, Cathy, Laurie, and Amy, who have shaped so much of my outlook on life and honed my warped sense of humor; to my son, Ryan, and my daughter-in-law, Jennifer, whose love, wit, and humor keep me going; to my editor, Peter Senftleben, whose guidance and wisdom have always been spot-on and much appreciated; to my agent, Adam Chromy, whose tireless efforts on my behalf make the business part of this writing stuff nearly painless; and to Morgan Elwell, the sharpest, most effective marketing person I’ve met yet in this business.

My appreciation also goes to the many coworkers I’ve had throughout my nursing career, people whose humor, support, and input have been invaluable in so many ways. There are too many of you to mention individually, so please know that I have been honored to work beside every one of you. Thanks also go to the friends and acquaintances who have supported me with word-of-mouth advertising, laughter breaks, and the occasional funny bon mot or plot idea, some of which I have shamelessly stolen (Callie and Bree, thanks for the great ones you gave me today, right before I wrote this!).

Finally, I wish to express my gratitude to my readers, the people who are the very reason I do this. I can’t thank all of you enough for letting me into your lives and allowing me to entertain you for a short while. It would all be pointless without you. Happy reading!