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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

While the author tends to get all the credit, writing a novel is far more often than not a group endeavor, and there are many people who helped bring this book into reality.

First, thank you to my parents, for raising me to be a reader: for filling my life with books, for pretending not to notice when I thought I was being sneaky by reading under the covers after bedtime as a kid, and for everything else you did to help me become the man I am. I love you both dearly, and I am so very proud to be your son.

Next, thanks to those who directly contributed to the writing process, from giving me ideas to helping me with edits and rewrites. In no particular order, I’d like to thank Phil Bolger, Jack Clemons, Keith Finch, Esther Haskins, James Quigg, Eric Koske, Landis Ford, Kimmi Johnston, Jeff Ivie, Sam Stanfield, Emily Vick, Cathe Smith, and anyone else I’m forgetting (there are almost certainly at least a couple) who served as an Alpha or Beta Reader at any point and provided me notes, feedback, impressions, and suggestions for how I could make it a better book.

Chris Smith, I didn’t forget about you. Your name didn’t appear in that list because you get a special thanks, on two counts. First, for letting me crash your meeting with Toni, at which she invited me to send her the manuscript when I was ready—without that, this may never have happened at all. Second, for going above and beyond when I asked you to provide feedback on the completed first draft. Your notes and comments had more impact on the development of the final draft than anyone. Thank you, for everything.

I’d like to thank the entire team at Baen Books, but especially Toni Weisskopf, who graciously read my initial submission and, rather than rejecting it out of hand when she decided it didn’t quite meet Baen’s standards, gave me detailed feedback on the aspects of the story I needed to address to turn it into something she’d want to publish—and more than that, something for which I’m proud to have my name on the cover.

Thank you, also, to everyone who supported and encouraged me along the way. Many of you I’ve already named for your contributions to the editing and rewriting process, but all my friends and family deserve a second round of thanks, whether they helped with the actual writing or not, for helping keep me sane during the stress of writing, and rewriting, and submitting, and rewriting, and resubmitting. I wouldn’t have gotten through any of it without you all.

And, of course, an especially big thank you to my lovely wife, Nora, for putting up with me locking myself in my office for hours at a time (and sometimes entire weekends) to hang out with Thomas Quinn and his supporting cast rather than spending that time with her. I love you!


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Framed