Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks to the team at Barking Rain Press for taking on this project; to Cindy Koepp for her editorial eye; to Robin Layne Wilkinson for giving this a final proofread; and to Craig Jennion for the cover art.

Thanks also to my husband Eric for his constant support and suggestions; to my sister Lisa for reading when angry; to my parents for their unwavering support; to Tonya Dagstani for being my constant cheerleader; and, of course, to the inspiring strength of Hester Prynne—and to Nathaniel Hawthorne for writing her into existence.

Val Muller