ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you, readers! Because you read, I write. Whether you’re just discovering my books or whether you have been with me from the start, I deeply appreciate each and every one of you.

Many thanks also to my agent, Ethan Ellenberg, and his team. I appreciate everything you do.

Lots of gratitude and appreciation for my editor, Susan Barnes, and the whole Orbit crew, including Laura Fitzgerald, Ellen Wright, Anna Jackson, Lindsey Hall, Gemma Conley-Smith, and all the other folks who work hard to make my books a reality.

Conventions are the heart of the sci-fi/fantasy community, where readers and authors meet. Thank you to Arisia, Illogicon, Ad-Astra, Mysticon, Awesomecon, Capclave, Lunacon, Chattacon, Libertycon, Ravencon, Balticon, ConCarolinas, ConGregate, Dragon*Con, Origins Gaming Convention, Atomacon, Philcon, World Fantasy, Contraflow, Confluence, and the Arizona and Carolinas Renaissance Festivals, who always make me feel at home and who have welcomed me as a guest author—as well as the new conventions I have yet to experience. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of convention programming, meet wonderful people, and give back to a community I truly appreciate.

Thank you to my Thrifty Author Publishing Success Network Meetup group, an awesome group of writers. We have so much fun and have all come so far.

Many thanks also to my author, artist, musician, performer, and reader convention friends and Renaissance Festival regulars, who help me survive life on the road; to the fantastic bookstore owners and managers, who carry on a valiant fight on the front lines of this crazy publishing industry; and to my social media friends and followers, who are always up for some online mayhem.

And most of all, thanks to my husband, Larry Martin, who plays a huge part in bringing all the books and short stories to life. He’s my best first editor, brainstorming accomplice, proofreader extraordinaire, and now official coauthor of our new Steampunk series, Iron & Blood: A Jake Desmet Adventure. The books wouldn’t happen without him, and I’m grateful for all his help and support. Thanks also to my children, who are usually patient with the demands of the writing life, and for my dogs, Kipp and Flynn, who are experts at dispelling writer’s block. It takes a village to write a book, and I am grateful to each and every one of you!