Camel Press
PO Box 70515
Seattle, WA 98127
For more information go to: www.camelpress.com
www.colleenshogan.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Cover design by Sabrina Sun
Stabbing in the Senate
Copyright © 2015 by Colleen J. Shogan
ISBN: 978-1-60381-331-0 (Trade Paper)
ISBN: 978-1-60381-332-7 (eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015942067
Produced in the United States of America
It’s never easy to write a book. First and foremost, I would like to recognize publicly the role of my husband, Rob Raffety. I never thought I would could write or publish a work of fiction. He encouraged me to finish the novel and persevere. My agent Dawn Dowdle believed in the concept of the book and writing a mystery series set in Washington, D.C. Her enthusiasm and optimism were instrumental.
My mother, Patricia “Joy” Shogan, loved mysteries and encouraged me to read them. I started with Encyclopedia Brown, the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Trixie Belden. She read Agatha Christie and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. I signed the contract for this book a few days before she passed away. I hope she’s reading Stabbing in the Senate and enjoying it. Additionally, my father, brother, sister-in-law, in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, cousins, and co-workers listened to numerous updates on the manuscript and the publishing process. Thank you for your patience.
Marcy Gallo and Eileen Hunt Botting read an early draft of the manuscript and encouraged me to keep writing. A Sisters In Crime peer review group read portions of the book and offered insightful comments. Michael Garrett provided a crucial edit and helped a political scientist become a fiction writer. Susan Froetschel shared much needed feedback at a pivotal point of the manuscript’s development. Catherine Treadgold and Jennifer McCord at Camel Press were terrific editorial partners, patient and thorough. The Washington Independent Review of Books conference provided me with sage advice about the business of writing. Finally, I benefited from valuable tips and constant encouragement courtesy of the authors who attend the semi-annual Washington, D.C. writers’ dinner held at Georgetown’s Old Europe restaurant.
I especially want to acknowledge all the people I’ve worked with on Capitol Hill. Congressional staffers labor countless hours not to accumulate personal fame and fortune, but because they truly believe in their bosses, the promise of better public policy, and the fulfillment of representative government. Thanks for providing me with great memories and terrific stories to tell.