As always, a big hug and cup of coffee to my agent Nalini Akolekar of Spencerhill Associates for her support and guidance. In lieu of thanks, I offer unlimited coffee refills and my extra hours of sleep to Tessa Woodward, my amazing editor whose superpower is knowing how to make a story better. For real.
Thank you to several people who provided invaluable information to me for this book: Leigh Florio & Cassy Carillo for answering questions about ER procedures and patient intake; Jim Florio, for insight into the customs and norms of the Secret Service; and Fabiola Chenet & Claudine Martinez for being my French and Spanish interpreters, respectively.
These next few you should know by heart . . .
To my LaLas: Sharon, Annette, Petra, Ashley, Leigh, Nellie & Chrissy. We’ve been on this running journey for six years and I don’t regret any mile spent in your company.
Running my first marathon with you convinced me there isn’t any challenge I can’t overcome when I put my mind to it.
To Mary & Alleyne, my writing crew. You continue to help me navigate this unpredictable publishing world with my sanity intact . . . mostly.
To my three children: Trey (who is now the tallest person in the family), Graysie (my sweet and talkative girl) and Will (my baller and ambassador of swag). Being your mother makes me a better person. Thank you.
And last, but never least, my husband James. The reason I can write the stories I do is because of you. You are the ‘happy’ in my happily ever after and the ‘he’ in every hero I create. My heart will always remember you.
Until the next one,
TL