ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I AM DEEPLY INDEBTED to the following people for their help during the creation of this book:
Mary Ann Elder, devoted horsewoman, for her enthusiasm, generosity, and patience in providing so many invaluable details on every subject from the care and training of horses to blizzards, barns, Colorado winters, road clearing, wild animals, medical emergencies, and sports. I’m especially grateful for her verbal inspiration in helping to design the layout of Michael’s property, her descriptions of Colorado in all seasons, and her suggestion regarding an unexpected use of horsehair. Mary Ann has the soul of a poet, and I will be forever grateful to her.
My cousin Adam Rosenberg, DVM, for his time and knowledge on a wide range of topics including Colorado wildlife, blood banks, backup generators, communications systems, driving conditions, and for researching and pinpointing the exact spot in the Colorado mountains where it was feasible to be snowed in for four days. Most particularly, I’m grateful for his suggestion that Michael keep horses, a brilliant notion that helped to define his character and shape this story in so many ways.
My cousin Jessica Rosenberg, RN, PNP, CNS, for giving me such wonderful insight into her particular specialty in the medical profession, for sharing her expertise and personal experiences, and for helping me to craft the crisis at the heart of Nicole’s character. I can never thank her enough.
My friend Michelle Shuffett, MD, for her invaluable input with regard to all the injuries and treatments in the book, and her careful review of all pages with medical content. Thank you!
My friend Cynthia Bosworth, for the Audrey Catburn story that made me laugh, and the phrase about the face of a ladybug and a caterpillar.
My brother, Mel Astrahan, PhD, computer guru, and horseman extraordinaire, for so generously coming to my rescue when my computer died, sharing his passion for bitless horseback riding and the Indian Hackamore, all the memories with Posse and Pockets, and for teaching me how to ride bareback.
My sister-in-law, Cheri Astrahan, for the war stories from her sojourn in the world of medical insurance claims.
My agent, Tamar Rydzinski, for her tireless support and encouragement, and for insisting—immediately, when I gave her no more than a paragraph synopsis—that this was the book I was supposed to write.
My publishers, Georgina Levitt and Roger Cooper, for seeking me out and for trusting me to write the book that was in my heart; Francine LaSala for reminding me that sometimes less is more; Chrisona Schmidt for her light yet precise copy-edit; Annie Lenth for her diligent work getting the text and page layout just right; and, of course, the rest of the wonderful Vanguard team; thank you so much for the beautiful cover, which really knocked my socks off!
My son, Ryan, for inspiring me to write from two points of view, and for his usual thought-provoking feedback, delivered in such a timely manner, while incurring much loss of sleep.
My husband, Bill, for his loving attention and devotion when I needed a sounding board, for being so understanding and supportive of the vampiric hours and habits I was obliged to keep during the writing process, for helping me find the music, and for suggesting his favorite song—a song that was so perfect, it moved me to tears.