First off, a warning. This novel started out as one thing and turned into something quite different. I don’t apologize for the graphic content in this book, but I do like readers to know what they’re getting into. This one, friends, is dark—probably darker than anything I’ve ever written.
If you’re still interested in reading the tale, you should know about a few people who helped it come to be. The first and most important individuals are my family: my wife, my boy, and my two daughters. If you know me, you know how much they mean to me. Their love and laughter make me the happiest man alive.
Thank you also to my mom, my grandma, and my grandpa. You are amazing people who’ve never wavered in your support of me.
Three other people I’d like to thank are Don D’Auria, my wonderful (and patient) editor at Samhain; Louise Fury, my confidante and agent; and Fred Godsmark, the North Carolina audio guru who has been incredibly good to me.
Other members of the Samhain team who have supported me more than I deserve are Amanda Hicks, Mackenzie Walton, Jacob Hammer, Kaitlyn Osborn, Tanya Cowman, Christina Brashear, and Matthew Woolley.
I wish I could thank all the readers and writers who have responded so positively to my me and my work, but for now I’ll limit it to just a few: Tim and Tod, the best pre-readers a guy could have, and who both made essential contributions to this book; Mark Sieber, for being a good friend; Kristopher Rufty, Brian Moreland, Hunter Shea, and Russell James, who have been with me from the beginning and have become cherished friends; Tim Waggoner, another great friend; Bryan Smith, who always has time for me; Ronald Kelly, whose support has been extremely helpful to me; and Joe R. Lansdale, who is always kinder than he has to be. Most of all, I want to thank Brian Keene. I love his books and learn from them, but what I appreciate most of all is how he has treated me and my family. I can never repay all you’ve done for me, Brian, but I hope you know how much it has meant to me. Thank you.
Oh, and one more thing. The names and locations mentioned in this book are almost entirely fictional. The physical description of the bar, however, is fairly accurate. If you ever find yourself there, you can count yourself lucky. The ambiance is nice, and the bands are great too.