Thank you to the Sons of Starmount for allowing me to bug you about the tiniest of memories from forty years ago. To Jim and John Maples; Matthew, Tommy, and Timmy Stege; and Joey Fearnside. You are all good sports. And we miss you, Matt and Tim.
Thank you to Virginia Bourgeois for talking with me about her son, Matt Bourgeois. I hope this book serves as a fitting tribute to the boy he was and the man he turned out to be.
A big thank you to my two beta readers, Will Ross and Gregg Stoever.
A debt of gratitude to my developmental editor, Carl Lennertz, my copyeditor, Elisabeth Chretien, and final line editor, Bryony Sutherland. Thank you all for helping me find the story within the story. And a big thanks to my agent Bill Contardi at Brandt and Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. for all the support.
Thanks to Dave Spak for producing the companion album for the Sons of Starmount and for all the encouragement in writing this book.
Thanks to my film pals, Jack Zander and Michael Bornheim, for their help in producing the book trailers and to my young actors: Tucker Rowell, Colt Rowell, Ethan Brown, Grayson Bowron, Jonathon Bessette, Clay Bria, William Bria, and their very supportive parents. Thanks also to Gabe Frizsell and his very supportive parents, for covering the child voice narrations in the book trailers.
A special thank you to my mom, Phyllis Elliott, for the excellent, early raw editing of this book and for the lifelong encouragement.