ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I realize that the seeds of this story were planted in my mind slowly, and over many years, and in a variety of ways, and I have many to thank because of it. I am sure that the lawyers in the Wisconsin law firm known at the time as Hippenmeyer, Reilly & Arenz, who hired me fresh out of law school and thrust me into a wide-ranging trial practice, had no idea how those initial legal experiences would later give me the inspiration for a great deal of courtroom fiction, some of which makes an appearance in this book.

My friend, mentor, and previous fiction coauthor Tim LaHaye, who passed away before the publication of my first book in this series, The Occupied, generously nourished my fiction career. Tim and I shared a common vision that novels can provide an opportunity to reach people and to touch minds and hearts, and I owe him a great debt of gratitude.

During my too-short association with Enough is Enough, an Internet safety group, and its founder, Donna Rice Hughes, I sharpened my understanding of the potential harm that digital interactivity can pose to unsuspecting young people. But more than that, I was encouraged by our meetings with tech giants when they demonstrated digital programs that parents can use to protect their children when they are online, reminding me that risky situations can have happy endings after all.

The legal organization for which I act as special counsel, the American Center for Law and Justice, provided me with a real-life example of the dangers of Internet exploitation of young women when they asked me to help them to forge legal arguments that would be used in a recent state supreme court case. A state law prohibiting the sexual enticement of young people over the Internet was being challenged by an online predator, and our ultimate victory arguing in favor of that restriction not only protected the teenager in that case, but likely rescued future victims as well. That stuck with me, and I am sure that in some way it motivated me to pursue a few of the plot lines that show up in this story.

As always, my editor at Tyndale, Caleb Sjogren, provided insightful and necessary suggestions about the manuscript, while also patiently enduring my sometimes-intractable positions about what should remain and why it should not be stricken. In the end, his hand in this process has been invaluable, and I and this book are the better for it. The staff members at Tyndale have provided me with boundless encouragement and practical help; in particular Jan Stob, and on the marketing and promotion side, Maggie Rowe and Cheryl Kerwin. Karen Campbell of Karen Campbell Media was quick to grasp the real essence of this story, and she has artfully and passionately communicated it far and wide. My literary agency, AGI Vigliano, and specifically Thomas Flannery Jr. and David Vigliano, have continued to provide excellent representation. As a result, they have freed me up to focus on my writing rather than on numerous transactional issues, a blessing beyond description.

Last but certainly not least, my wife, Janet, has always been, and always will be, the best friend, the sharpest listening ear, and the most pragmatic voice that a writer/husband could ever hope for. She is the lifeblood, in one way or another, of every story that has been, or ever will be, tapped on my keyboard.