Beneath the Fallen City, Jamie A. Waters [ebook reader .TXT] 📗

I’ve heard that writing can be a solitary pastime, but I’ve found that to be largely untrue. There are so many people who have helped make this book and series possible. It’s impossible to list all of you individually, but I want you to know that each of you have my heartfelt gratitude.

The love and support of my family has been invaluable. Thank you so much for your encouragement and for kicking me in the butt when I needed it. I’d especially like to thank Scherry and Tracy for reading all the different versions of this series and offering their suggestions. I can’t believe you both put up with my countless phone calls and emails asking you to look at “just one more thing.” You guys have been my cheering squad and my reality check, and I couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I’d also like to thank my son and his band of merry men for all the helpful comments on speculative weaponry, military/police procedures and/or terminology, negotiation tactics, torture (ewww), and critiquing all the artwork I threw at them. If I ever needed to ask someone questions about ammunition or weapon casings at 2am, I knew I could count on you. I’m a little disturbed by some of your knowledge and depravity, but I’ve come to realize this is why text-only browsers were invented. I’m sorry for subjecting you to the ding-dong music over and over again, but I still won’t get on the headset. :P

A very special thank you goes to Andrea for holding my hand through one of the darkest periods of my life. Your understanding, compassion, and strength inspired me in so many ways. You’re the ultimate badass! Thank you for sharing your knife-throwing and martial arts experiences with me and for all the wonderful discussions—especially when I was tripping over plot bunnies and evil villains left and right. (By the way, your card made me cry. Thank you.)

Thank you to Adam, who read various raw and unedited versions of this series. You helped give me a different perspective, and your suggestions made these books and the characters stronger. I’d also like to thank Greta and Julia for their patience and assistance with the translations. They went above and beyond in reviewing the various scenes to try to understand the relationships between characters and my intentions. Any errors on this part are solely mine for not explaining things well enough.

The entire group of amazing ladies at Sigma Omega in the Florida Keys deserve their very own thank you, especially Jane. I loved meeting all of you and talking about books all night. Jane, thank you so much for your suggestions and for your remarkable patience. I hope I was able to redeem myself since I’m not leaving you hanging anymore!

I can’t express enough gratitude to the amazing and talented editors over at Team Beyond DEF. Tiffany and Cristina, you have helped me grow so much as a writer. Thank you for all your wonderful advice and feedback. You’re fantastic!

Thank you also to the incredibly talented cover designers over at Deranged Doctor Designs. You’ve all been so accommodating and helpful with bringing these books and characters to life. From the covers to the promo materials… you guys are amazing. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Thank you to all my other amazing alpha and beta readers who read various incarnations of this book and/or series. Your comments, suggestions, and feedback have been tremendously helpful.

And finally, a very special and heartfelt thank you needs to go out to all my amazing readers. I’ve met so many amazing people who have reached out to me via Facebook or through my website. I love hearing from you! You’ve been my inspiration and motivation in so many ways. You rock!