The writer and the stories owe a debt of gratitude to Jeff Berg and Denny Luria, who believed from the start, to David Gonzalez who helped guide the ship, and to Tyson Cornell, Julia Callahan, Alice Marsh-Elmer, and everyone at Rare Bird Books who made it a reality. To Stephanie LeGras for a lifetime of love and support. To Susan R. Norton for inspiration that could never be replicated. To Max Ross, Robert “Rotten” Roman, Rachel Kondo, Darri Farr, and J. Ryan Stradal for editorial suggestions and endless encouragement. To Lou Mathews for mentorship. To those who are in this book in one way or another whether they know it or not: Dr. Neal Chawla, D. Brendan Holland, Danny Passman, Reveta Bowers, Tommy Zottner, Michael Vincent, David Cheng, Christopher “Chance” Rashad, Mary Lee Rybar, Manny Rodriguez, Emily Callaghan, David and Adam Iscove, Gytis Vygantis Sammy Sotoa, Nora Hall, Mary Cobb, Craig de Recat, Fernando Barragan, and Jason Alisharan. To my flight instructors and every pilot who taught me something about staying aloft and staying safe. Oh, and to Mark Hawes, if you’re out there: rice pudding.