My thanks, as always, to my darling husband, Roy. You are my rock and give me a love that I am privileged to have. And to our children, Christine, Julie, Rachel and James, their husbands and partners, our grandchildren, and our Olley and Wood families. You always encourage and support me in everything I do. Thank you. I love you all.
To the wonderful team at Pan Macmillan: my editor, Victoria Hughes-Williams, and her assistant, Jayne Osborne; Laura Carr, Editorial Manager, and her team, especially Mandy Greenfield. And Kate Green, Senior Publicity Manager. I am grateful to you all. Without your faith in me, the support you give me, and the expertise you bring to my novels, I would not succeed. I especially acknowledge how you bring a clarity to my work where I may have muddied the waters, and yet retain my voice, and the care that Kate gives me when I am on tour. You all possess a special skill, and are a special team.
To my agent, Judith Murdoch. Thank you. You always go the extra mile for me, Judith, and keep me enthused. Problems are halved once you begin to tackle them, and I feel in capable hands, as you have my best interests at heart. One in a million.
An extra special thank you to my daughter Christine Martin and my son James Wood – both read so many versions of this book when it was in progress. They advised me on what was working, and held me back when I ambled down the wrong path. Your patience and enjoyment of my work helps me to keep focused. Thank you.
An acknowledgement to those who helped to bring this book into being isn’t complete without thanking those who helped me in the days when I self-published: Rebecca Keys, freelance editor; Julie Hitchin, proofreader; and Patrick Fox, author and cover designer. Your support and help is never forgotten. Thank you.
And lastly, but by no means least, a huge thank you to my readers. Especially to those who follow me on Facebook and those who have subscribed to my website. You bring me joy and encouragement every day with your comments and I love the happy community-feel that we have. I would like to give a special mention here to Katrina Stevenson, a reader and a friend. When we met, Katrina’s name inspired me to create my character, Lady Katrina. Thank you. Much love to all. Together, you help me to climb my mountain.