Too many people, not enough space.
First, to everyone at HarperCollins, I owe you all a long-overdue acknowledgment for the past decade of guidance, hard work, and expertise:
To the big guns, Michael Morrison and Lisa Gallagher, thanks for all the support and confidence. Past, present, and future.
To the art directors, Richard Aquan and Thomas Egner, thanks for making the books stand out so handsomely. I could not be prouder.
To the marketing directors, Adrienne DiPietro and Tavia Kowalchuk, thanks for your ongoing leadership in getting the books out there…and noticed!
To the best PR team in the world, Pam Spengler-Jaffee and Buzzy Porter, thanks for not making me jump out of a bush plane in Alaska.
To a trio of women who put me on the map and in bookstores — Lynn Grady, Liate Stehlik, and Debbie Stier — a huge thank-you (and I’m writing this on bended knee).
To the indomitable force behind national sales and accounts — Carla Parker, Brian Grogan, Brian McSharry, and Mark Gustafson — thanks for all your extra efforts and energies to elbow the novels into stores and onto shelves.
To Mike Spradlin, thanks for both sales and zombies (in no particular order).
And to the hundred and one others whom I’ve failed to mention, but whom I appreciate no less — THANKS!
Moving closer to home, I must acknowledge my dark cabal who tear apart each chapter and reconstruct it into something better: Penny Hill, Steve and Judy Prey, Chris Crowe, Lee Garrett, Michael Gallowglas, Leonard Little, Kathy L’Ecluse, Debbie Nelson, Rita Rippetoe, Dave Murray, Dennis Grayson, Jane O’Riva, and Caroline Williams. And I’d like to give a special shout-out to Steve Prey for the book’s map and Penny Hill for all the working lunches. To Cherei McCarter for the great series of articles featuring advanced weaponry. And to David Sylvian for listening ad nauseam as I read sections out loud (your ears will stop bleeding).
And once again, to the four people instrumental at all levels of production: my fantastic editor, Lyssa Keusch, and her stalwart colleague May Chen, and my indomitable agents, Russ Galen and Danny Baror. You all rock…big-time!
And lastly, I must stress any and all errors of fact or detail fall squarely on my own shoulders.