ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Writing novels is the easy part. This is the hard part—finding the right words to thank the people who make it possible. Nevertheless, I will try.

Inspiration. People ask me where I get the ideas for my books. There is nothing like real life to inspire fiction, and this book is no exception. I live and I watch.

Lately, as a lawyer, I’ve had the privilege of representing families in lawsuits against state sponsors of terrorism (like Iran and Syria). Many of these families have lost loved ones who served our country valiantly. They have shown me how God can bring good things out of the ashes of tragedy. So much of this story is their story.

Living in Virginia Beach, I also have the privilege of being a pastor in a church with a large military contingent, including members of the Special Forces. It may sound clichéd, but they epitomize duty and valor, never hesitating to risk their lives for our freedom. They know the meaning of sacrifice. The least I can do is write about it.

Gratitude. It takes more than inspiration to write a novel. In my case, it requires an entire team to keep me straight. I’m especially grateful to be part of the Tyndale team and to have editors like Karen Watson and Jeremy Taylor. Their skill is equaled only by their unending patience, and believe me, I’ve tried it. They don’t just doctor the words; they capture the vision and help make it reality. Without Karen’s unflagging enthusiasm for this story, it would never have come to fruition.

I’m also grateful for those who help in the earliest stages. For this book, Mary Hartman, Denise Wood, and Andrew Cleveland provided great critique and feedback before I even sent it to the folks at Tyndale to perform their magic. Also, my friends in a Bible study group called Tactical Side Bar (named for the military members and lawyers in it) will probably take credit for this book (as they do my sermons), so I might as well beat them to the punch. Thank you, gentlemen.

Grace. My church, my law firm, and my family bear a disproportionate burden when I launch out on one of my fictional escapades. Every hour spent in the fictional world means one less hour in the real one, and somebody has to pick up the slack. Thank you, Trinity Church, for realizing that writing is a ministry, and for supporting me in it. Thank you to the lawyers and staff at Singer Davis for keeping the real cases on track while I spend energy battling fictional ones. And most of all, thank you, Rhonda, Rosalyn, Joshua, Alisa, and Andrew for putting up with the idiosyncrasies of a fiction author in the family. I have fun writing. But my real joy is knowing that the people who know me best still love me most. That requires no small amount of grace.