ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to thank my usual suspects here: Samwise, my husband, whose support means more than anything to me. I couldn’t ask for a more caring, loving partner. I want to thank my assistants, Andria and Jennifer, for keeping me on track; my editor, Kate Seaver; and my agent, Meredith Bernstein, for believing in my work. Throughout the vagaries of this industry, they have all been so much help.

Tony Mauro, my incredible cover artist, deserves his due—his art matches my vision of my characters so incredibly well. Rita Frangie and the Berkley art department always does a lovely job on my cover designs. Together, they put into vision what I see in my mind when I’m writing.

To my spiritual guardians: Mielikki, Tapio, Ukko, and Rauni. My devotion, always. To my Galenorn furbabies: Calypso, Morgana, Brighid, and our new little Apple. And to the memory of my beloved Meerclar, Keeter, Tara, and Luna—I wish so much they could all be with me forever. My cats keep me smiling through the dark times, and the hard times.

And most of all, I want to take a moment to acknowledge how much you, my readers, mean to me. Your continued support and your willingness to take a chance on my new books—and especially, on the new series I write—means so much to me, as do your kind words on my blog, Facebook, and via e-mail.