Writing is a solitary pursuit, but that doesn’t mean a book is the result of just one person’s work. So a big thank you to everyone who has helped me out along the way.
Special thanks must go to my agent, Claire Roberts at Trident, for lifting Touch from the virtual slush pile. Claire’s office is on the thirty-sixth floor of a block on Madison Avenue, and whenever I’m on the phone to her I can’t help but contrast my view of a muddy Devon estuary with her Manhattan vista, worlds apart, but it’s never felt that way. Thanks also to Claire Bord, Caroline Hogg and everyone at Avon for having the faith to take DI Savage into print.
Joanne Craig offered emails full of encouragement and unrepeatable (and frankly libellous) jokes, while too-numerous-to-mention Twitterers and bloggers gave help and advice.
Extra special thanks to my daughters for putting up with a lost-in-his-head Dad and for character names and future book titles (Blood, anyone?). Finally, thanks to my partner, Gitte, whose understated assistance was, perversely, the push I needed to finish the book.
There are two worthy organisations that appear in Touch and they would appreciate your interest and support:
Devon Air Ambulance: www.daat.org
Dartmoor Rescue Group: www.dartmoor-rescue.org