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First and foremost, I need to thank my loving husband, Niles, who was with me every step of the way while writing this novel. From helping spark the idea to assisting with research to listening to me talk endlessly about character arcs and plotting issues, he was an integral part in the process. As the dedication says, this book truly would not exist without him.
I would also like to thank my in-laws, Jeanne and Michael, who thought of me when they found Mark Molesky’s book This Gulf of Fire soon after its release and gifted it to me while I was struggling with finding sources; my parents, Carolyn and Hans, early proofreaders and general cheerleaders; and my daughter, Louisa, who managed to start sleeping through the night right as I was attempting to tackle final rewrites, allowing for the end of this book to be somewhat cohesive.
Further, thank you to everyone who assisted in the writing and editing of this book, including my beta readers, Emma Stickney and Hannah Bersee, Dr. Ferreira of Brown University and Dr. Shelford of American University, who helped point me toward academic sources on the Lisbon earthquake, and authors such as Mark Molesky and Nicholas Shrady, who have written books about a historical event that is otherwise sorely underrepresented in English works.
Last but certainly not least, I need to thank my publisher, Red Adept Publishing, specifically acquisitions editor Kris James and content editor Sara Gardiner, who both gave valuable feedback that allowed for revisions that created a much stronger final work, and line editor Kate Birdsall, who helped polish the writing until it shone. I certainly could not have done it without all of you.