Acknowledgments
The gang at The Never-Ending Odyssey 2006 for critiquing the opening chapters, with special thanks to Jennifer Brinn, Geoffrey Jacoby, and Susan Winston.
Robin Fitzsimmons Meng, L.M. Prieto, and Michael Samerdyke for wading through the first draft and providing terrific feedback.
Rita Oakes and Jason Ridler for pointing me to resources on ancient battle tactics.
Susan Herner, my friend and loyal agent.
Sheila Gilbert, the best editor a writer could ever have. Her questions, comments, and suggestions were invaluable and helped make Foxfire a much stronger story.
And finally, my husband David Lofink. He’s been living with these characters for seven years—and with me for twenty-five. He read countless drafts, offered vital input on characters and plot, and even kept a straight face when I bought a gift for my protagonist at a craft fair. His love and faith and support sustain me—in writing and in life—and I dedicate the final book of Trickster’s Game to him.