HERE’S THE PART where the author gets to say thank you to a bunch of people who (a) keep her sane, (b) keep her from making some serious mistakes, and (c) make the book not only publishable but more entertaining.
Chip MacGregor has been my agent almost since I began publishing at the turn of the century. Good gracious. That’s a long time! Thank you, Chip, for continuing to believe in me and being my advocate.
Lonnie Hull Dupont has been my acquiring editor at Revell since the beginning. What an honor to work with such an erudite and wise woman full of soul-deep kindness. And I continue to be grateful for Barb Barnes’s eye and ear for words and story. You have made me a better storyteller and writer.
My best friend Tammy Thompson never fails to ward off the dragons of illogic and toxic snarkiness that lie in wait for the unsuspecting manuscript. She also provides advice regarding the American legal and justice system (especially in a historical context), where I apparently know less than I thought I did. Thank you, my brilliant friend, for the rescues. If I misunderstood anything you told me and got it wrong, I apologize.
I have this son who, to my everlasting delight, enjoys history and story as much as I do. Thanks to Ryan White for contributing plot elements, little-known military history, and early reading. Your quirky sense of humor, your grasp of dramatic progression, your fine encouragement and ability to catch inconsistencies—all those things make your mom very, very glad she survived your teenage years. Burying you in the backyard seemed like a good idea at the time, but I think we’re even now.
My thanks again to my friend Alabama State Trooper Ronnie Redding for answering questions about on-the-ground law enforcement stuff. As I wrote about a working US deputy marshal, I often found myself wondering, How do they really do that? Honestly, I’m still kind of scratching my head. Men like you, who keep ordinary citizens like me safe—dealing with the crazy and tragic events and people in the world so we don’t have to—are the real heroes. You and your brothers in uniform have my complete admiration and respect.
Final thanks to my neighbor and friend Kim Carpenter—and of course my husband, Scott White—for early reading of the manuscript. You provided feedback that helped me shape characters and plot. I’m sorry you have to endure typos and clunky prose, but I couldn’t do without you.