Revolution: The Ship Series // Book Two (21 page)

Acknowledgments

About three years ago I was going through some
particularly khrazy times in my life. My therapist (thank you R.G!) suggested
that a great way to get myself more grounded would be a creative, right-brain
activity that would balance all of the left-brain work that dominates my
professional life. The seeds of this story had been bouncing around in my head
for a while so I decided to take the plunge and write a novel.

Me being me, I actually decided that I would not write
just one novel, but a series of SEVEN. Thankfully, I managed to talk myself off
that particular ledge and you are holding in your hand book two of what will be
only (!) a five volume series.

There are many people who played a role in getting this
book published. The first is Owen Egerton. Owen is a creative polymath of the
highest order who I am fortunate enough to call a friend. The degree to which
he is wildly talented is surpassed only by the generosity with which he shares
his talents. I remember how terrified I was the first time I talked to Owen
about this project. He could have easily patted me on the head and said “nice
try, kid”, but instead he gave not only warm encouragement but also invaluable
advice.

I was also lucky to benefit from my friendship with the
other half of the talented Egerton duo when Jodi became my first editor. I’m
tempted to go back and read some of the early drafts to see how far the story
(and the prose) has come in that time, but I’m not sure I really want to subject
myself to that kind of abuse. Jodi gave fantastic guidance and support when
this project teetered between an absolute lark and something I really wanted to
pour my heart into. Her encouragement pushed it forward into the form it is
today.

Jodi eventually handed me off to a new editor in Stacey
Swann. Stacey’s guidance has absolutely made a huge difference in where this
book wound up–both from a plot perspective as well as the writing style and
quality. Her contributions were endless and will be eternally appreciated.

Outside of the professionals, I also benefited
tremendously from the input of early readers among my friends. Kathleen Trail
gave a couple of gentle pointers in the very early going that stuck with me
throughout. Michael Lee was not only willing to read multiple drafts, he was
also tremendously supportive and encouraging throughout the entire process. I
will state here for the record that his life debt owed to me is discharged in
light of his service to the Ship.

As the story got more and more refined, I was brave
enough to share it with a larger group of friends who all provided
encouragement and feedback. Huge appreciation for Laura Parrot Perry, Amy
Nylund, Clayton and Tisha Havens, Scherry Sweeney, Scott Hyman, and Zachary W.
All of those folks took the time to read and provide some great input.

Many thanks to Bryan McNeal for the cover concepts and art.
I am honored that my book and Gatti’s Pizza have both benefited from Bryan’s
artistry.

Finally, I want to express tremendous gratitude for my
family. My lovely wife Kerry has provided constant encouragement and exhibited
fantastic restraint about the number of Saturday and Sunday mornings I’ve spent
typing away at Starbucks. My eldest, Parker, was super enthusiastic about
reading the very first draft of volume one, even though he probably should have
been begging me to refine it before unleashing it upon him. My youngest,
Wesley, had book one read aloud by Kerry, and still managed to remember it a
year later when I read volume two to him.  The whole family provided great
feedback and inspiration–even if Kerry still rants about the pronunciation of
Kalare’s name.