Love and thanks to my wonderful family for putting up with my domestic deafness while writing this book. The little ones had to resort to ‘Mum ... Mum ... Mum ... Chris!’ to get my attention, and the big ones, to email.
Thanks also to my mate Maryann Stitt, swim coach extraordinaire, for stroke correction on the natatorial passages; the inspirational kids, coaches and families at St Ambrose’s School, Newmarket, and Kelvin Grove Swim Club; my incomparable first reader and publisher, Leonie Tyle, and editors Rosie Fitzgibbon and Sarah Hazelton, who are everything that editors should be.
A special thank you to my very favourite vampire writer, Jason Nahrung, for creative inspiration. This book wouldn’t have been written, JN, but for those drinks around your coffin.